Halftime shame show

[varmint]

I'm surprised no one has yet commented on the distasteful halftime performance during the super bowl. I was already steamed by the way Kid Rock showed disrespect to our nation by cutting a hole and wearing the flag, then tossing it off, but after disgusting Jackson popped her boob out with a small piece of vinyl taped to it with our grandchildren watching, the game was over in our house. Too bad, because it was a good game until then, especially the bud & Pepsi commercials.

[Joann Raytar]

I saw the Janet Jackson thing too and thought to myself, "she didn't just do that; did she?" For a family game, that was pretty bad judgement. The half time show in general seemed lacking this year.

Have to admit, the bud commercials with the animals were good.

[Jubilee]

I was shocked as well. I brought my husband out from the back cause I screamed "oh my God they just didn't do that?!?"

As far as comments go.. I have heard several on the news including that the NFL saying it will be a slim chance that MTV will ever be able to produce the half time show again. Though MTV says it wasn't planned... and Justin Timberlake saying it was wardrobe malfunction...

Was she wearing the pasty just for the heck of it then?!? Or did was she being "prepared" since you never know when a fellow performer is going to rip off your clothes...Or when something might pop out and not want to be as embarassed..

*shakes head*

I am so glad my son wasn't watching...

Cassandra

[BobV]

I was watching some pre-game interviews and one just happened to be with Janet. She mentioned that there was going to be a surprise but she wouldn't say what it was.

SURPRISE!!!

Bob V.

[Diane]

Poor taste is catching. Look at the poor taste in the Bud Light commercials that included nothing less in the Chimp commercial. Because of my respect for this forum, I won't comment on what it actually depicted. But...it was the worst.

Diane

[Jana Lewis]

They we saying that it was going to be a "mystery guest" Instead we got the "mystery breast"!

[shanbaum]

My vote for best commercial goes to the ad for the "NFL Network" - the one with Jerry Jones and Bill Parsells singing "Tomorrow" and ending with Jones doing flips.

I was more than a little surprised by Janet's revelation, especially since I've always suspected that she was, in fact, Michael in drag. It's not like you ever see them photographed together (I mean, Michael and Janet).

The flag poncho was utterly tasteless. I have to admit that I didn't know who Kid Rock was. My wife told me he's Pamela Anderson's current guy. I told her, "I guess he's got his hands full..."

[hcjilson]

I was in a room with 2 Giant screens and 150 people so you couldn't hear yourself think. It must have happened when everyone was doing something else!I don't think one person in the room saw it or they would have started talking about it. I did sense the streaker at the beginning of the second half however, but no one believed me.

As far as I'm concerned the half time show has always been out of place. They should can it, and bring back a marching band and the card pictures by the spectators. A 20 Min break and then back to what everyone came to do/watch anyway.

hj

[chm2023]

Thought the ads in general much less clever than in previous years with a couple exceptions. The halftime thing, the whole of it was so bad, is this really the best we can do? Get some high school marching bands. We have a culture of excess that went past bad taste years ago, no dignity, no lightness, no humor, just bigger, louder, crasser. I shudder to think of the other nations who saw this, nothing like re-inforcing your worst stereotypes.

Good game though.

[EyeManFla]

[QUOTE][b][i]shanbaum said:

My vote for best commercial goes to the ad for the "NFL Network" - the one with Jerry Jones and Bill Parsells singing "Tomorrow" and ending with Jones doing flips.


As funny as the one with the horse, I have to admit, watching Warren Sapp sing pretty much did me in!


I was more than a little surprised by Janet's revelation, especially since I've always suspected that she was, in fact, Michael in drag. It's not like you ever see them photographed together (I mean, Michael and Janet).


Actually, I always thought that LaToya and Michael were one and the same.


The flag poncho was utterly tasteless. I have to admit that I didn't know who Kid Rock was. My wife told me he's Pamela Anderson's current guy. I told her, "I guess he's got his hands full..."


Actually, she dumped him to go back to Tommy Lee. But, after all that time hanging out with Hank, Jr. and Wille and the boys, you would have thought that Kid would have known better!

[Pete Hanlin]

I tuned in at halftime to catch the score and saw Mr. Rock (or is it Mr. Kid) jumping around the stage. It took me a second to realize that his cape was an actual US flag with a hole cut in it.

Ironically, from what I could make of the lyrics, the song was supposed to be some sort of "proud to be an American" thing. I think its just one more indication of how out of touch Hollywood is with what being an American is actually all about.

I had hoped to catch the National Anthem, but missed that- was it good, or did yet another performer use it as a pop solo act?

As for the breast thing, I didn't see that either but heard plenty about it from the sports talk show on the way to work. The one host kept saying it was the most exciting play of the game!

I'm guessing MTV won't be doing any more halftime shows (although secretly the network is probably happy to get any bump in ratings they can).

[chm2023]

Anthem was sung by Beyonce, Bayonce, some pretty young thing. A little less straight than one would have liked, but better than the usual.

[Pete Hanlin]

Thanks for the report on the National Anthem. Without appearing too awfully "out of it," who is Justin Timberlake? Is he from one of those "boy bands" or what?

As for the nudity, I'm a pretty conservative type fellow, but all this outrage by the FCC smacks just a bit of hypocrisy. The average kid can see just as much- if not more- on NYPD Blue or any awards show. In fact, I've seen commercials for the Grammys (next week, I think) and it appears as if Brittany is planning to be pretty much naked for her number.

To sum, its my job as a parent- not the FCC's- to make sure my kids aren't watching anything illicit. My kids were asleep by halftime anyway (I'm an evil dad- I make them go to bed at 8 on a school night so the teacher has a fighting chance). I'm much more peeved about the American flag being turned into a "poncho" than Ms. Jackson's nipple being displayed.

MTV is big on "getting out the vote." If their idea of patriotism is ripping up a flag and putting it on Kid Rock, maybe we should leave the civics lessons to some other group. However, the first amendment guarantees the rights of people like Kid to do pretty much whatever he feels. Ah well...

FCC launches investigation into halftime show
By Jonathan D. Salant The Associated Press

The chief federal regulator of broadcasting said Monday he is "outraged" by the Super Bowl halftime show which wound up with singer Justin Timberlake tearing off part of Janet Jackson's costume, exposing her breast.

Timberlake blamed a "wardrobe malfunction," but Federal Communications Commission chief Michael Powell called it "a classless, crass and deplorable stunt."

MTV, which produced the show, and CBS, which broadcast it, both said they had no idea that their halftime show Sunday night would include such a display.

"CBS deeply regrets the incident," spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade said.

The two singers were performing a flirtatious duet to end the halftime show, with Timberlake singing, Rock Your Body, and the lines he sang at the moment of truth were: "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song."

With that, Timberlake reached across Jackson's leather gladiator outfit and pulled off the covering to her right breast, which was partially obscured by a sun-shaped, metal nipple decoration.

The network quickly cut away from the shot, and did not mention the exposure on the air.

In a statement, Powell said, "I am outraged at what I saw during the halftime show of the Super Bowl. Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration. Instead, that celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt. Our nation's children, parents and citizens deserve better."

"I have instructed the commission to open an immediate investigation into last night's broadcast," he said, vowing it would be "thorough and swift." Earlier, an FCC spokeswoman, Suzanne Tetreault, said it was launching a routine investigation because it had received complaints.

Messages left with Jackson's record company and her personal publicist were not returned Monday morning.

The FCC has come under fire from lawmakers and outside groups who say the agency hasn't done enough to shield the public from indecent programming on radio and TV.

Legislation has been introduced in Congress to increase by 10-fold the $27,500 maximum fine that the FCC can levy for indecency. The Bush administration has endorsed the bill raising the fine to $275,000. The agency itself has said it may start issuing the fine per incident rather than per program, and is talking about revoking licenses.

Last month, the FCC proposed a $755,000 fine against Clear Channel Communications for the "Bubba the Love Sponge" program that aired multiple times on four of its Florida radio stations. The fine was a record for a single complaint. The largest cumulative fine for indecency was $1.7 million paid by Infinity Broadcasting in 1995 for various violations by Howard Stern.

MTV, CBS' corporate cousin in Viacom, issued a contrite statement in which it also apologized, saying the incident was "unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance."

Timberlake said he did not intend to expose Jackson's breast.

"I am sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl," Timberlake said in a statement. "It was not intentional and is regrettable."

Wade said CBS officials attended rehearsals of the show all week, "and there was no indication any such thing would happen. The moment did not conform to CBS' broadcast standards, and we would like to apologize to anyone who was offended."

The show also featured P. Diddy, Nelly and Kid Rock.

"We were extremely disappointed by elements of the MTV-produced halftime show," Joe Browne, NFL executive vice president, said. "They were totally inconsistent with assurances our office was given about the content of the show.

"It's unlikely that MTV will produce another Super Bowl halftime."

Over-the-air television channels cannot air "obscene" material at any time and cannot air "indecent" material between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The FCC defines obscene material as describing sexual conduct "in a patently offensive way" and lacking "serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value." Indecent material is not as offensive but still contains references to sex or excretions.

In an interview posted on MTV.com in the days before the show, Jackson's choreographer, Gil Duldulao, talked about the show, saying: "She's more stylized, she's more feminine, she's more a woman as she dances this time around. There are some shocking moments in there too."

[shanbaum]

Actually, Pete, the nipple in question wasn't exactly displayed; apparently some kind of Borg-like implant obscured the offending feature.

I agree with you - Powell is most certainly making mountains out of molehills...

[shanbaum]

On the other hand, I guess it is "sort-of his job" - I mean, he is titular head of the FCC...

[Judy Canty]

I didn't see half-time. I was on my way home from Charleston, but I'll vote for a couple of good marching band shows any day! And no stupid interviews during half-time, as a former marching band member, those shows take a lot of work and deserve to be seen by everyone.

[chm2023]

..still no reason to go for the jugular....

[Pete Hanlin]

I mean, he is titular head of the FCC...
Okay, okay... I don't think I've ever posted this abbreviation on this site, but ROTFLMAO! Very, very punny...

I'll also admit to being curious enough (I missed the original exhibitionist act, so I'm still entitled to my first glance) to look up the offensive spectacle (on www.drudgereport.com). Um, okay, I suppose I can see what all the fuss is about... let's just say the Borg-like device was not so much obscuring as it was piercing!

Still more peeved at the ripped flag poncho, but I gotta admit, the stunt was a bit em-bare-assing (em-bare-boobing, actually).

Well, at least the juvenile among us have something to laugh about at the water-cooler for a day or so. Much better when this is the sort of headline than some sort of serious national crisis!

[BobV]

The one thing that got me was the solemnity of the tribute to the shuttle astronauts and then Bouncy Knowles and then the half time show, and then the streaker. Does anyone else see a correlation here. It seemed to get progressively worse as the time went on.

Bob V.

[Cindy Hamlin]

Pete,
You can also see the pic on Yahoo news. It is a part of the FCC investigation article.

What amazes me is that Justin Timberlake has apologized for the "wardrobe malfunction", but we have heard nothing from Janet. She totally planned that. Come on, do I look that stupid??

I guess she did apologize?? Sounds to me like it was planned.

In a statement released Monday night, Jackson said it was a last-minute stunt that went awry.


"The decision to have a costume reveal at the end of my halftime show performance was made after final rehearsals. MTV was completely unaware of it," Jackson said. "It was not my intention that it go as far as it did. I apologize to anyone offended — including the audience, MTV, CBS and the NFL."

[varmint]

Diane said:
Poor taste is catching. Look at the poor taste in the Bud Light commercials that included nothing less in the Chimp commercial. Because of my respect for this forum, I won't comment on what it actually depicted. But...it was the worst.

Diane

You're right Diane, they were actually in very bad taste.

[Jubilee]

OK.. so am I the only one on here who knew who these supposed rock artists are?

Come on Pete... Justin got his start there in Florida.. Thanks to that teen band N*SYNC...

I didn't realize till I read your post, and then checked it out that Kid Rock was wearing an actual flag... He had changed the words to his song "Cowboy" which isn't exactly a tribute in of itself to go along with the Superbowl theme.. Too bad the bass was too loud to actually here any of the lyrics so much...

According to Janet's people.. The cup was to be ripped off, but there was supposed to be some lace there so it wouldn't actually be bare... but evidently it came off too... thus the garment malfunction..

Or so the story goes.

Anyway, I am all for focusing on the marching bands as well. As a former flute/piccolo player I can remember plenty of nice cool evenings playing in the stands and putting on a half time show. What a great honor it would be for a band who won the National Championships in marching competition to perform at the Superbowl...instead of being called the lovely names we were called instead :)

Cassandra

[Joann Raytar]

Jubilee said:
According to Janet's people.. The cup was to be ripped off, but there was supposed to be some lace there so it wouldn't actually be bare... but evidently it came off too... thus the garment malfunction..

Fox news showed a camera angle where the two stars actually looked a bit surprised by the peep show. It could be it was an accident ... or a very well acted out publicity stunt.

[chm2023]

The camera cut away was so quick it's very difficult to believe this wasn't planned and known to the director. The media frenzy over this is unbelievable, I feel sorry for the Pats--there's little coverage of their win, just this foolishness. (Jon Stewart refers to it as "Teatgate")

[Jedi]

I do agree that the venue was not appropriate and it was just stupid and irrelevant to anything, but come-on it's only a nipple, every one look down, you've got two of them. I'd be more concerned about CNN showing dead bodies (Uday and Qusay come to mind) in the middle of the day, the FCC never looks into that sort of thing.