Op-ed: A Gay Girl Reflects on Super Bowl XLVI 

As an avid sports fan and native New Englander, I knew I would be one of the first to tune in to watch the Brady Bunch (Tom Brady and the New England Patriots) take on the N.Y. Giants on Sunday. Then the news broke that Madonna would headline the halftime show. Many said 2012 had immediately become a contender for the gayest Super Bowl ever.

Little did we realize that Madonna, coupled with the Pepsi/Elton John ad, the David Beckham underwear ad, the anti-bullying ad outside the event and the premiere episode of The Voice following the game, easily made it history's most gay-friendly Super Bowl event.

What most didn't predict was that opening up football's big day to a large, but mostly football-phobic demographic, would score a record 111.3 million viewers. Whether they were purposely targeting women and ended up with gay men doesn't matter; TV executives should take notice that the resulting spike in viewership translates to money in the bank.

Now, I know the gay community can't take full credit for the ratings bonanza. New England (and by extension Boston sports teams in general) vs. New York is traditionally a ratings juggernaut. Whether it's Pats vs. Jets, Pats vs. Giants or Red Sox vs. Yankees, the nation seems to be interested in following the rivalry between these two historic cities.

I do have to ask, however, what it was about this year's Super Bowl that pushed the ratings over the record-breaking edge?

Year after year, the viewership usually breaks down to millions of straight men watching, and by extension, straight women watching because they are either trying to score with the guy they like or because they've accompanied their husband or boyfriend to a viewing party. Don't get me wrong, I realize a number of sporty spices out there really do watch for the game. But these straight women, coupled with the sports-minded lesbian community tuning in to support their favorite teams, represent a smaller demographic.

So that leaves gay men -- a demo who usually, and admittedly so, only tune in for the social aspect that comes with the halftime show and the commercials. In years past, most gay men either catch some of the game while switching channels, only tune in for the 12-minute half time show (depending on who's performing) or periodically glance over while moving from room to room at a party.

With Madonna set to perform this year, this opened up a higher level of interest across the board. Some gay men tuned in to see if her moves are lessening with age, others tuned in to be transported back to a time when they were just coming out. The women tuned in to reminisce about old dance routines or to be reminded of a time when all girls, themselves included, emulated her.

Say what you will about Madonna's performance, but I think we saw Sunday what a difference a culture icon can make to TV ratings. Although she is getting mixed reviews via the perpetual feedback machine that is all of our Facebook news feeds, I want to thank Madge for introducing the world of football to millions of gay men on Sunday. And I hope that the advertising agencies plan on spending $3.5 million a spot next year on a wider array of messages because diversity does make a difference in the ratings.

LESLIE DOBBINS is a freelance writer and a contributor to The Advocate and She Wired.