Super Bowl Halftime Show: What Did You Expect?

February 4, 2004

Tongues are still wagging about the Janet Jackson flashing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. With the help of Justin Timberlake, formerly of NSYNC, Jackson bared her breast (just one) to the world. Opinions vary from the ‘it ain't no big deal' variety to the ‘what has this country come to' kind. Let's understand this for what it was: a publicity stunt, plain and simple. Like the Madonna/Britney Spears french kiss at the MTV Video Music Awards last August, this was intended to sell CDs.

 

Like Britney's hours-long marriage in Vegas and the Dixie Chicks ‘bash Bush' comment, it's all designed to get people like me writing and people like you talking. The trouble is, once you make that decision, you have to reach new lows in order to shock people.

 

The most troubling aspect of this is the venue Jackson chose. We've come to expect this kind of shenanigans on awards shows. It's another thing entirely to use the Super Bowl as your platform for bad taste. No matter who you are, you aren't bigger than the Super Bowl. Any artist would kill for a chance at that huge audience, I don't care how big you are. I mean, Hip-Hop artist Nelly should be thrilled to get invited to a Super Bowl party , not to mention the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

 

The big shocker is, CBS and the NFL are dumbfounded that something like this could happen. What did they expect with an MTV-produced show and the likes of Janet Jackson, Nelly and Kid Rock? I would've been surprised if people weren't offended by something. I watched a little of the halftime show, sitting through Nelly and part of Kid Rock until I was driven to the kitchen for more chili and another soft drink. I missed Ms. Jackson's big finale, darn the luck. I did, however, see the clips afterwards. Even filmmaker, Spike Lee, was offended. “ Somehow the whole value system has been upended," he told an audience at Kent State. Amen. But that goes for the whole halftime show. It's rare anymore that the halftime show reaches the level of professional football.

 

You know, thinking back I can't recall but one halftime show that reached that level. Ironically, the only one that comes to mind is the Michael Jackson performance a few years ago. Not that all Super Bowls have been as riveting as this one was, at least in the second half. That's not the point. It's all about standards. The NFL has lots of them. No cell phone touchdown celebrations. They don't allow the cameras to stay on a fight, if one breaks out. If anyone or anything that's not supposed to be on the field happens to get on the field, the cameras are supposed to cut away. You must wear your helmet at all times on the field, even after plays. I guess they'll have to add ‘no bare breasts on the field.' Who would've ever dreamed they'd have to ban that?

 

Maybe Janet should have been penalized for illegal motion. Justin should've been cited for illegal use of hands. Better yet, why don't we just sack the whole halftime show? I'd much rather watch something pertaining to football while I'm waiting for the second half. Maybe Super Bowl highlights from years gone by narrated by that NFL guy who makes Charlton Heston sound like a girl.

 

So, why did Janet Jackson choose to show her bare breast to 89 million football fans? Perhaps she did it to prove to the world that she's really not Michael. And who can blame her for that?