Hi guys! I hope everyone had a great Super Bowl Sunday! I love a good game of football and an excuse to eat a lot of wings. One thing that I feel is important to bring up though about this specific Super Bowl is the halftime show. While I personally think Justin Timberlake did a great job (despite him wearing a terrible camo suit), his being welcomed back to the halftime show reminds me of the last time he was on the big stage with Janet Jackson.
Previously known as “Nipplegate” at the end of the halftime show in the 2004 Super Bowl, Timberlake tore off a piece of Jackson’s clothing, as he sang the lyrics “gonna have you naked by the end of this song” from the song “Rock Your Body”, exposing her breast. While this seemed like a planned publicity stunt and not a wardrobe malfunction, the contrast of the fallout for the two superstars was obvious. There was huge fallout after this incident, from a lawsuit against CBS to huge public reaction around the world. But here, I want to focus on the effects on Timberlake compared to the effects on Jackson.
Viacom, an entertainment company that owns MTV and CBS blacklisted Jackson’s singles and music videos. Jackson was supposed to appear at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, but her invitation was withdrawn because of what happened at the Super Bowl, while Timberlake still performed. The producer of this specific halftime show, Salli Frattiti, completely blamed Jackson for the incident while saying that Timberlake handled the situation well and she was happy his career continued to flourish. The stark contrast between the two singers after this incident is apparent, and many people pointed it out when Timberlake was revealed as the singer for this Super Bowl with the hashtag #JusticeforJanet on Twitter.
This year, as Timberlake performed for the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show, it was hard to watch it and not think about the last time he was on the stage fourteen years ago with Jackson. The fallout from this incident speaks volumes and it is important to recognize the difference in attention for Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake.
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Photo via:
https://www.brit.co/justin-timberlake-super-bowl-halftime-show-2018-prince-tribute/