I remember my boyfriend and I showing up at a party to watch Super Bowl LVII on Sunday Feb. 12, just after the halftime show. Despite having little interest in sports, I can tell you that during the second half of the game as the Kansas City Chiefs were starting to make their comeback, I was even on the edge of my seat. 

As someone who has more interest in watching the commercials and Rihanna’s pregnancy announcement, I couldn’t help but notice the reactions of those around me during what will go down in history as the infamous Tubi commercial of 2023. 

If you were one of the 113.1 million viewers likely fooled by the Tubi Super Bowl commercial, don’t feel too bad, as I was also trying to figure out who sat on the remote. If you are not a fan of American football, let me fill you in.

The commercial was 15 seconds long and opened on a clip of two Fox Sports reporters (Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olson) chatting about the game. All of a sudden, a popup browser with different streaming apps appears at the bottom of the screen and changes the channel to Tubi TV. 

A list of movie options then was shown and the film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” featuring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt on the cover was chosen. Personally, I would have preferred the movie.

Despite what I thought, most other Americans were quick to raise voices at their family members and friends to figure out who had changed the channel in the middle of the game. 

In the days that followed the commercial, news stories, TikTok’s and other social media posts were made about the tension in U.S. homes during these few seconds. Families and friends yelled at each other, bartenders were cursed at, and overall people reacted with anger at whoever was in charge of the clicker. 

This prank, while amusing, raises one big question that we all should be asking; why are we so angry?

Research over the years has found that domestic violence tends to be at a higher rate during the Super Bowl than other days of the year, according to jezebel.com. When I first heard about this, I couldn’t wrap my head around why this would be the case. 

As someone who was raised in an abusive household, I started reflecting on my own experiences. I asked myself what kinds of emotions are evoked during sports games that would cause this. 

More alcohol is usually consumed during big games, and at least half of viewers will be upset by the result of the game, meaning many will go to bed that night in a bad mood and possibly wake up feeling equally as bad. 

Upon further research, I found that Americans aren’t the only ones who have experienced the violent phenomenon. After France was defeated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals by Argentina, riots broke out in the streets, resulting in police using tear gas on French citizens, according to cnbctv18.com. 

So, what is the root of the problem? Is it sports? Alcohol? Or is it just human nature to react like this? I can’t give you a complete answer as I am only a journalist at a small college newspaper, but one thing is for sure — the commercial was more than just an amusing moment for Tubi’s marketing department to be proud of. It was a social experiment that reflects how our society reacts when our screens are interrupted. 

With this said, it’s my belief that we can all work on becoming kinder, more understanding humans in 2023, and if someone accidentally changes the channel during next year’s super bowl, I hope we can all have the patience to speak softly to one another and not be bystanders. Kindness is more important than a championship ring.