Super Bowl history on display at new Paley Center exhibit
NEW YORK -- You can experience the best of the Super Bowl before the big event at the Paley Center for Media in Midtown Manhattan.
A new exhibit, "Beyond the Big Game," is showcasing more than just memorabilia; it's also a history of Super Bowl entertainment.
Written on the walls are the stories of Super Bowl glory, paying homage to the biggest event.
"The Super Bowl has grown from a riveting football game and telecast to this national and international gargantuan shared cultural event," said Maureen Reidy, president and CEO of the Paley Center.
This tribute is a celebration of the game's enduring legacy, but it's not all touchdowns and tackles. The halftime shows have become as memorable as the games.
Among the items on display are Katy Perry's outfit from her 2015 performance, along with the real "Left Shark" costume.
Also part of the cultural fabric of our nation is the Super Bowl commercial. More than just advertisements, they're cultural touchstones that capture a moment in time, leaving an indelible mark on our collective memory.
"As a daughter of a New York City firefighter and a New Yorker, one that still brings a tear to my eye is the Budweiser commercial that ran a few months after 9/11 where the Clydesdales came over the Brooklyn Bridge and had that view of Lower Manhattan and then kneeled, as you look at the view of the skyline without the Towers," Reidy said.
From heartfelt to humor, they've become a cherished tradition as integral to the Super Bowl as the game itself. This is the first public exhibit of Super Bowl commercials. They hold a mirror to our national mindset at the time.
The exhibit offers a celebration of commercials that captured our attention while we bask in the glory of the game, and a chance to get a picture with the Lombardi Trophy itself, reminding us that the biggest event in American sports has become a cultural time capsule.
"Beyond the Big Game" is on display through March 3. For more information, click here.
You can catch this year's big game on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 11.