Yeah Mon, a Touchdown! The Super Bowl in Jamaica

Touchdown!!! – Maybe the only American football lingo that the regular Jamaican forged in the confines of our little island may have been exposed to up to the point of last night, when social media blew a fuse (like the Stadium) with Jamaicans expressing pleasure with the controversial VW “Get Happy” ad and even more satisfaction with Beyoncé’s provocative “Dutty Wine” of a performance on the Halftime show. It seemed that the entire net savvy population on the island was commenting on every bit and piece of the pure American-styled occasion with the same level of enthusiasm as our Uncle Sam brethren.

As Jamaicans huddled around their Television and Computer screens, no doubt with FLOW provided cable and internet, some of us honestly with vigorous brain work attempted to learn the working of the game without much avail, while others became first class, million dollar – Super Bowl ad critics. As the ads passed there would be a humorous Jamaican take on its content to follow, the wannabe critics went wild as ‘Dodge’ presented their “God Made A Farmer” ad with many ‘Roger Clarke’ and ‘Preaching on the Bus’ twitter tags to follow.

The Highlight of the night was the most Jamaican moment in the entire experience; it was to solidify our presence, as if perfectly planned by the men and women at the Jamaica Tourist Board to add some ‘third world’ comedy to the ‘first world’ event – The Jamaica Public Service was not to be left out of anything remotely Jamaican as a ‘Power Cut’ that lasted 30 minutes occurred after Beyoncé’s raunchy routine, it sent Jamaicans on a reminiscent trip to ‘JPS Land’ and back.

Couldn't Have Done It Better

It seems that the Ministry of Tourism has already begun their piggy back of the VW ‘Get Happy’ viral sensation with Hotel discounts under the promotion of “Get Happy in Jamaica”. This just hardens the truth about the Jamaica Tourist Board and its adjoined agencies, that there is little future, broad or forward thinking within our most lucrative sector among the technocrats, who rather enjoy a first class flight to a chic five star hotel to chatter about our so-called ‘tourism potential’. It has been revealed to our technocrats that panache, connections and exposure rule the world of Hospitality, lessons to be taken from a car manufacturer and a Pop Superstar.

Whether or not we will gain and profit wholesomely from the indirect global advertising of our ‘better-side’ that is enticing to eyes and mind, we ultimately rest on our shoulders and not the wheels or hips of our hi-jacked spokespersons for whom we are grateful – The true ‘Touchdown’ will come from the jobs and revenue that must be harvested from our newly found place in the world as the ‘Culture Mecca of the West’ somewhat depreciated by our other newly garnered position as “The Greece of the West”.