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Stephen Metcalf may well be the single worst cultural critic currently working for a major publication, and he proves it once again by completely failing to grasp that when times are bad, most people want optimism and escapism, not somber ballads of woe. Did this guy totally miss the fact that we voted in Barack “HOPE” Obama? Either way, can you just imagine how PISSED people would have been if he had played obscure sadsack songs during the Superbowl halftime show? Context counts for so much, and it’s always a celebratory event focused on crowd-pleasing theatrics. The Boss gave people what they wanted — showmanship, aesthetic overkill, nostalgia — and really, that’s the kind of stuff that flies whether the economy is booming or busting.