NEW YORK'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER® — Learn About Subscriptions
NEW YORK'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER® — Learn About Subscriptions

Readers sound off on Super Bowl commercials, Beyoncé and Ray Lewis

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco throws a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers in between Super Bowl commercials.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco throws a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers in between Super Bowl commercials. (GARY HERSHORN/REUTERS)

There was a football game, too

Brooklyn: Re Voicer Marty Walsh on the GoDaddy Super Bowl commercial: Wonderful. Now we can add kissing to the list of things that should be banned from the airwaves. I'm the father of two teenagers who enjoyed this spot for its humor and wit. How anyone could find this charming commercial spot to be crossing "the line of common decency" is completely beyond my understanding. Political correctness is choking this country to death. Bob Hagerty


Bellerose, L.I. The Jeep commercial with Oprah Winfrey was nothing less than an ad exploiting our military families to sell cars. It was a wonderful depiction of our soldiers and the sacrifices they make for our country. We were moved, and our awareness was raised. We felt love and appreciation for our heroes and pride for our country. Then, Oprah, beloved American icon, spoke, and at the very end we were dropped like a hot potato. Oh, it's an ad for Jeep. How far will greedy advertisers go to exploit Americans? Kathryn Brickell

Syncing it over


Brooklyn: We all now know what Beyoncé values most: theatrics over honor. She practiced for five weeks for her Super Bowl performance, yet could not find time to practice at all with the Marine Band for the inauguration of the President of the United States. Geraldine Marcinkiewicz

Feet of clay

Lynbrook, L.I.: I do find myself getting angry when people like Ray Lewis, who are paid millions for throwing a ball around, are glorified. Lewis is not a hero. He has some nerve bringing God into every interview he does. Is he really stupid enough to think God has nothing to do but worry about helping him win a football game? One person who would be more deserving of help would be young India Lollar, whose father was stabbed and killed during a fight with Lewis and two accomplices in 2000. Lynne Murray

Utility futility

Manhattan: To Voicer Arthur Ahr: I'm pretty sure Con Edison and LIPA don't control the electricity in New Orleans that resulted in the Super Bowl blackout. Otherwise, the second half of the game would have had to have been postponed for at least a week. Walt Hawkins

Utility fidelity

Valley Stream, L.I.: Re Voicer George Lozynski: I am a 32-year employee of LILCO and now National Grid. I have worked hurricanes, ice storms, freezing weather and whatever came our way, but I can tell you: Nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared us for the devastation that Sandy caused. I take umbrage at being compared to "a monkey with a razor blade." I worked 16-hour shifts from the weekend the storm hit until the day before Thanksgiving without a day off. We had employees who lost everything in the storm and still came in to work. This is what we do, no matter how tired we are or what is going on in our own homes. I am not complaining. I just want the people who are bashing us to know that we all worked very hard and are still working hard to recover from this terrible storm. Jo-Ann Sarro

A mayor . . .

Staten Island: Hey, Mayor Bloomberg: You will never fill the shoes of Mayor Ed Koch, nor will you get the sendoff Koch got. We'll send you off in a 32-ounce Big Gulp cup. Robert McKenna

. . . among mayors

Brooklyn: I remember Ed Koch as a man who shot from the hip, didn't mince words, never sugarcoated anything and didn't always support someone because of party affiliation. He once said about Rudy Giuliani, "Good mayor, terrible person" and on David Dinkins, "Nice man but unsuccessful mayor." You had to love him. Ernesto Cavalier

Help from above


Bronx: To Voicer Catherine Santarpia: The Good Lord did welcome Mayor Koch with open arms and said, "You did good on Earth and now we have another assignment for you. You work with us to fix the school bus strike, school closings, firehouse closings and stricter gun laws, because you're a man who does good no matter where he is." Jennie Jesselli

Add it up

Highlands, N.J.: First of all, let me congratulate you for going almost three months without an Op-Ed or editorial vilifying New York City police officers and firefighters for their benefits. If you want to know why our basic health care is free when it isn't for those in other municipalities in the state, just compare the disparity in salaries. Bryant Phillips

TV jeebies

College Point: I had the sad experience of watching "The Good Wife" and seeing it glorify atheism and make people who believe in God look bad. Then I watched "Last Man Standing" and saw a father refuse to let his young son learn the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. What the heck is going on in this country? I will never watch those shows again. Frederick Schneider


Manhattan: "Littler Italy now" (Feb. 4) did a good job describing greedy, unscrupulous practices landlords use to oust Italians from Little Italy, but it completely misrepresented a major fact: There are nine Italians from the "old country" living in Little Italy whom I interact with almost daily, my own father among them. Emily DePalo

All are equal

Johnson City, N.Y.: Islam has taught racial equality since the very beginning. Prophet Muhammed was a stout supporter of equality and never treated anyone from another race, religion or gender unequally. The prophet allowed the very first ahzan (call to prayers) to be done by Bilal, an African. Islam fosters love, union and tolerance for people who are different in race, color, culture or sex. So as the prophet teaches, as American Muslims, this Black History Month, we condemn all forms of racism. Raheel Parwez

Tale of two moms

Manhattan: Strange how many readers are so judgmental about the young and not well-off mother of the 7-year-old bully who was handcuffed by the cops, while they had very little to say about the well-to-do and educated mother of the Sandy Hook killer who took her son out of school, isolated him at home and gave him guns to play with. Suzy Sandor

Sad old story

Manhattan: Re the hateful graffiti at the World Trade Center: This is nothing new. It reflects the job discrimination and harassment of women and people of color on all construction jobs. But don't blame just the workers and unions. All involved collaborate to make change next to impossible. I worked in construction for more than 30 years. I can't remember a single job that was free of hateful graffiti. S.D. Rosenbaum

Graduate dissatisfaction

Stamford, Conn.: Re "Brooklyn College's anti-Israel hatefest," Alan Dershowitz's Jan. 30 Op-Ed: I graduated from Brooklyn College in 1953 as a political science major. We were taught that the essence of democracy is the ability to express all points of view. The skewing of a narrow point of view destroys democracy. It may be time for the alumni of Brooklyn College to withhold the support that they give. Alice Alter


A fan


Matawan, N.J.: To Voicer Elliot Bailey: Who is the "we" you are referring to? When you say "we," are you speaking for New Jersey, the country or the world? And by the way, "I" think Lindsay Lohan, even with all her troubles, is still attractive. Thomas Pichl

Straphanger sarcasm

Bronx: Just wanted to say thank you to the MTA for making sure the heat is on full blast during unseasonably warm temperatures. There's nothing like being slow-roasted while listening to "We are delayed due to train traffic ahead of us." I look forward to paying more for the privilege. Ayo Baker

Constitutionally crazy

Brooklyn: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, should not become unhinged. Brian A. Jones

Logical misfire

Stockton, N.J.: The arguments of the National Rifle Association are interesting, to say the least. It claims that new gun laws are useless since only law-abiding citizens would obey them. To extend this argument, why not say all laws are useless since only law-abiding citizens obey laws, especially since the NRA has lobbied long and hard against the proper implementation of any such statutes? Mike Mann

Recommended on Daily News