Singin' and Dancin' at the Superbowl

The use of a computer altered Gene Kelly at this year's superbowl is nothing short of blasphemous.

During last years Superbowl, many people were shocked and offended by Janet Jackson exposing her right breast on national television. Personally, I was not surprised. A diva putting her body on display to get attention is hardly new. I certainly was not offended. It's just the human body.

However, this year I find myself quite annoyed. It is not the half time show that is the culprit. I am offended by a commercial that debuted during the broadcast. No, it is not the one that got yanked because Mickey Rooney was naked in it. I am offended by the Gene Kelly, Singin' in the Rain knock off.

The commercial features Gene Kelly's famous dance routine from Singin' in the Rain, only the body and the dance steps belong to contemporary dancers with Kelly's face superimposed on their bodies. This gives the appearance that Kelly is now dancing to contemporary choreography. The effects are good but it is blasphemous to change such a famous work of art.

Kelly, singing and dancing in the rain is one of the most classic scenes of all time. To alter it is to demean it. It would be as if you rewrote Shakespeare. Instead of,"What light through yonder window breaks, why it's the east and Juliet is the sun." We could have "That ho is coming out on her balcony and damn don't she look fine!"

This is not the first time that Gene Kelly has been used in modern commercials. Several years ago, old dance clips of him were used by Hershey. The only thing changed then was that a candy bar was put into the shot. Kelly's actual dancing stayed the same.

I may appear to be overreacting but I am a movie buff and I believe changing Kelly's dancing, even tongue in cheek, belittles his work. He was one of the greats and should be remembered as such. Changing the very thing that made him great is a genuine insult to his memory and work.