“Way to go Justin, get back at that little tramp,” was my first response to the sight of Janet Jackson’s breast at the half-time festivities of Super Bowl XXXIV.
Back in September if you will remember (but how could we forget?) Timberlake’s ex, Britney Spears, and Madonna had a liplock at the MTV Video Music Awards that graced the front page of almost every periodical from the prestigious USA Today to the not-so-prestigious Globe.
Fittingly, Timberlake was the very first person the camera panned to after America had witnessed the kiss. His expression was of shock and maybe even a little bit of arousal.
Now he is, arguably, fighting for the publicity back. Not only did his affair with the young pop star, Spears, help his solo career, but it also gave him added publicity. It seems he has pulled a “kiss” of his own, but this stunt has not aroused anything in anyone but anger.
Now, the Federal Communications Commission will decide the fate of Timberlake and just how his stunt will be remembered in history. Will it be the stunt that rocked the world, as did the “kiss,” or will it be the stunt that ruined the careers and images of two influential pop stars?
On the receiving end of this anger is not only Timberlake, but also Janet Jackson.
And just as an aside here, Timberlake and Jackson were said to be a “hot item” at Jackson’s birthday party this past year just after the news broke of his and Britney’s breakup. But, it is rumored that Jackson used Timberlake as something of a boy toy for the evening, leaving Timberlake crushed.
But back to poor, poor Janet.
First, her last album “All for You” faired poorly on the charts, then her brother, Michael, is arrested and accused of child molestation, which leads one to wonder, just what she was thinking? In the words of Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly “She was the only normal Jackson.”
The obvious question is, was this just a premeditated publicity stunt or a dance move gone wrong?
Well, judging from the “pasty” seen on Jackson’s nipple, it seems to me to be premeditated. Why would someone wear a pasty under their clothes if the breast wasn’t going to be exposed? Why not just wear a bra?
The pasty, made famous by Lil’ Kim at the 2003 Video Music Awards, is to be worn to cover the part of the breast that is ruled inappropriate to show by the FCC (aka the nipple). This almost certainly shows the move to be premeditated.
Also, the final step of the dance had the two positioned perfectly for the nipple exposure.
Next, Jackson also has a new album coming out in March. Could this be a way to get her name back in the press to boost album sales? Maybe.
And how strong is the beefy Timberlake if he can tear Jackson’s shirt off with one quick jerk?
Stunts like this in movies have special material that helps the clothes tear off easily so when it is time for the article to come off, it doesn’t take but a mere tug.
MTV stepped over the boundaries with this one. And, who’s to say MTV even knew anything about the stunt? The sole blame for this one has landed on the shoulders of Timberlake and Jackson.
Many will say they could care less. Others will say it was a tasteless act. But one thing is for sure, there’s a big difference in two female pop stars kissing on the MTV video music awards on a cable network and a male ripping off a female’s top on prime-time television at the biggest sporting event of the year.
MTV is targeted at an audience that thrives on shocking images and edgy ideas. It is hard to compare the MTV award show with the Super Bowl halftime show that has millions of viewers of all ages.
MTV has never been capable of those type of ratings.
NFL executives claim they wanted to “spruce up” the halftime event to attract young male viewers but had no prior knowledge of the nipple incident.
Well, those young males who saw it either forgot about the NFL altogether, or were given a stern “birds and bees” lecture by their mothers. Maybe Janet and Justin didn’t think about the poor pre-teens who were subjected to the most embarrassing discussion you can have with your mom as a result of their half-time performance.
But young teens aside, who said it was OK for even older males to see a female breast on TV? I thought that was the reason certain programs were shown on Showtime and others were shown on CBS.
Well, this incident has given Timberlake and Jackson exactly what they wanted – more publicity.
Maybe it’s the media’s fault for falling prey to acts like this and blowing them out of proportion. But should they have just ignored two seemingly untouchable pop stars violating federal rules and regulations?
Shouldn’t they be held as accountable as anyone else who decided to show a breast during prime time on a major network?
We’ll just have to see what the FCC says about the incident. More than likely, they aren’t going to take any excuses or apologies.
The FCC should tell Timberlake to “cry me a river.” As for Janet, her first name might not be baby, but Janet, Ms. Pasty if you’re nasty.

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