The Superbowl is eleven days away. It’s a big deal . . . moneywise. The 2017 halftime show production costs ran in the neighborhood of $10 million. For the upcoming football game, one has to pony up $7,700,000 for a 30-second commercial. That’s one hell of a lot of M&Ms to sell to recoup advertising costs. (Apparently candy bars aren’t doing as well since Snickers pulled out this year.)
To what other good purposes might ten million or seven point seven million dollars be put to use? A child vaccination for measles cost a dollar or less. Four hundred people in the world die of measles every day. Every day. Just one example.
To be sure, I enjoy both football games and M&Ms. But I would readily forego both if the money dedicated to either or both were to be directed to world health and the alleviation of world hunger. It’s great to celebrate with a winning team, but I would rather celebrate saving children’s lives.
Lady Gaga performed at last year’s Superbowl gratis. Which seems to be the policy; entertainers’ expenses are paid, but the main benefit seems to be the exposure. (Non-payment is no big deal for Lady Gaga since she garners just under $2 million per performance at other venues.)
I’m not advocating for obliterating football or candy. But the world seems to have gotten what should be some semblance of balance tilted way too much in one direction. What’s the solution, the answer? I wish I knew. As we search for it, I’ll do my drop-in-the-bucket part by donating a chunk to purchase some livestock for a peasant family in some under-developed country.
Drops make buckets . . . which are helpful as we tackle the needed systemic changes. Let’s work on both together.
