Of course you’ll be watching Ben liveblog the commercials tonight, but from where will you be watching? The L.A. Times tells us that Super Bowl parties are the latest victim of the financial godzilla angrily stomping down our spendthrift ways. Take a minute tonight between Ben’s updates to look around and ask yourself if there was more guacamole to spread around last year.

With the economy in recession and unemployment on the rise, many Americans will party less hearty for this year’s Super Bowl. One measure of that might be called the Guacamole Index. The California Avocado Commission says Americans will consume 46 million pounds of avocados this weekend, down from nearly 50 million pounds last year.

Beverage retailers are also seeing a downturn. At Mr. Kegs in Huntington Beach, pre-order sales are off at least 20%. “The whole gamut’s down, not necessarily the premium beers more than the domestics,” said company owner Jim Schaffer. “Kegs are a luxury for everybody these days.”

Big-screen TVs? Same story. In a good season, Ken Crane’s can sell 500 televisions the week before the game, which usually matches Christmas as the hottest sales period, said Executive Vice President Pam Crane.

“In this economy, there’s not a lot moving the needle, so the past week was not as good as other Super Bowl weeks of yore,” said Crane, whose company has 10 Southland locations. “Business isn’t booming as it usually would.”

Also taking a hard hit are the seasonal party goods stores, which usually start carrying “#1” signs and football-shaped candies in anticipation of a sales spike.

Less guacamole? Less beer? Same old tv? God save America.

Fewer fans are splurging on Super Bowl bashes [The Los Angeles Times]
(Photo: RMTip21)

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