Contesting the Super bowl

The Super Bowl: a crafted spectacle, an American rite, a multimillion dollar event, the game of the season. What lies beneath its glossy veneer? Contesting the Super Bowl is the result of Dona Schwartz’s tenacious investigation of the apparatus supporting “The Event” when it came to her hometown. Schwartz brings together probing, sometimes disturbing, photos of the visual spectacle with a keen analysis of the performances of power, patriarchy, and professional sport. Into her commentary she integrates newspaper clips, quotes from the “players” both on and off the field, NFL rules and regulations, and first-hand accounts by her team of photographers. Race, gender, and class divisions figure prominently in her account.

Contesting the Super Bowl shows us how local elites, corporate sponsors, the NFL, and the media join together to create one of America’s greatest annual theatre pieces. The Super Bowl finally is about many things. Maybe even football.