Janet/Justin situation may have expensive consequences
 

I'm putting this in politics, although it could go in either Entertainment or Chit Chat, but the "breast bearing" episode could have serious ramifications. I post it here due to the FCC, Congressional and Presidential involvement.

UPDATE 3-U.S. watchdog investigates Jackson breast incident
February 02, 2004 8:54:00 PM ET


(Adds Houston authorities, Jackson statement)

By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Monday vowed to investigate whether indecency rules were broken during the broadcast of the Super Bowl halftime show when pop diva Janet Jackson's bodice was ripped to expose her right breast.

During the break in the National Football League's championship game Sunday in Houston, singer Justin Timberlake reached for Jackson as they performed a duet and tore off part of her black leather bustier, prompting widespread outrage.

The game garnered the best Super Bowl ratings in six years, and the incident provoked wall-to-wall coverage on cable news networks. President George W. Bush was asked to comment but said he fell asleep before the halftime show.

U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell promised a "thorough and swift" investigation of the stunt aired during one of the year's most popular American television broadcasts, which draws a major worldwide audience.

"That celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable stunt," Powell said in a statement that was echoed by others on the panel. "Our nation's children, parents and citizens deserve better."

But despite a public outcry over the incident, police in Houston said no charges would be brought because prosecutors determined there was no criminal act. Said Police Chief Joe Breshears, "actions that may seem in poor taste do not necessarily rise to the level of violations of Texas law."

The CBS network, which broadcast the game, and MTV, which produced the football halftime bonanza, apologized for what they described as an unscripted moment. Both are units of media conglomerate Viacom Inc. (VIAb) (VIA) .

Timberlake said the baring of Jackson's breast resulted from a "wardrobe malfunction," while Jackson herself said the disrobing went further than she had anticipated.

"The decision to have a costume reveal at the end of my half-time show performance was made after final rehearsals," she said in a statement issued by her publicist. "MTV was completely unaware of it. It was not my intention that it go as far as it did. I apologize to anyone offended."

Still, Jackson's label Virgin Records, capitalized on the attention, announcing that her new single "Just a Little While," was being delivered to U.S. radio outlets on Monday, ahead of schedule.

Virgin said track from her upcoming album, "Damita Jo," was released early due to a "firestorm of interest" fueled by unauthorized Internet downloads of the song.

'BROADCAST STANDARDS'

The episode comes as television networks find themselves on the defensive over the bounds of good taste, with the FCC taking a more aggressive stand against indecency and Congress threatening to sharply raise fines for such incidents.

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

The NFL said it would not likely allow MTV to produce another halftime show.

Some questioned whether it was unplanned since MTV's Web site promised ahead of the show "shocking moments" and Timberlake sang the line "I'll get you naked by the end of this song," moments before the incident.

Complaints flooded into the FCC about Jackson and male singers grabbing their groin area while performing. The FCC could fine each station that aired the show up to $27,500 per violation as well as consider revoking broadcast licenses.

"Whether or not CBS executives did or did not know in advance is irrelevant, Viacom executives had the duty to know." said Parents Television Council President Brent Bozell who urged the FCC to fine each station the maximum.

The FCC already is considering action against General Electric Co.'s (GE) NBC network for an incident in which U2 rocker Bono uttered an expletive during a live broadcast.

Federal rules bar the broadcast of obscene material and limit the airing of indecent material that contains offensive sexual or excretory references to late night hours when children are unlikely to be watching. (additional reporting by Ben Berkowitz and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Larry Fine in New York.) REUTERS

© 2004 Reuters

DeltAlum comment: After spending a lot of years as a TV director, and judging by the quick reaction (in my opinion, impossibly quick), I have trouble believing that this was an accident. Perhaps it went farther than expected, but I think it was planned. But I don't put a whole lot of trust in the folks at MTV. Only my opinion, though.

FCC stuff
 

Not JJ & JT related, but last month I was amused at everyone having a fit because Bono dropped the F bomb at the AMAs or wherever that was. He did that 10 years ago during a Frank Sinatra tribute at the Grammys and there wasn't all this fuss.

I thought I read the FCC decided the recent Bono thing was no big deal b/c he was using it as an adjective, instead of using it profanely, alone....???? (Obviously they worded it better but you know what I mean...)

How about someone just shut Powell up?

-Rudey
--He's way more annoying than his more distinguished relative.

NBC is still be investigated because of the Bono comment. It is one of the "seven dirty words," you know.

As for indecent exposure and using words such as Bono did, the fact is that it is against the law on the "public airwaves," whether Powell is a jerk or not.

In each incident, every station of each network that aired the offending content can be fined $27, 500.

There are probably around 300 plus affilliates for each network.

I heard on "The View" this morning that Janet was supposed be wearing a red bra.

Re: Just curious
 

I've been a mod for almost a year now. :)

Rudey - how is he related to Colin? (I assume that's who you mean)

33 -- He is Colin's son.

Here's more on J&J:

Janet's Pop Shocker!
By BILL HUTCHINSON
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Janet Jackson set off a Super Bowl firestorm Sunday night when her right breast was bared during her nationally televised halftime show duet with Britney Spears' ex-squeeze, Justin Timberlake.

Michael Jackson's little sister ended Timberlake's "Rock Your Body" with the heartthrob ripping off the leather cup that covered her breast as he sang, "Gotta have you naked by the end of this song."

Timberlake later apologized, blaming the televised peep show on a "wardrobe malfunction."

Federal Communications Commission chief Michael Powell, the top U.S. regulator of broadcasting, said Monday it was "a classless, crass and deplorable stunt."

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." Such an investigation could result in a fine of up to $27,500 or - if the FCC applied the sanction to each CBS station - in the millions.

The split-second exposure, witnessed by up to 100 million viewers, revealed what appeared to be a sun-shaped metal ring atop the 37-year-old entertainer's nipple.

CBS officials said they were as shocked as any viewer by the incident, which came as Jackson's brother Michael is battling child-molestation charges.

"CBS deeply regrets the incident that occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show," network brass said in a statement released after the game, in which the New England Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers, 32-29. "We attended all rehearsals during the week, and there was no indication any such thing would happen."

"We would like to apologize to anyone who was offended," the network's statement read.

One network source likened the incident to being "hijacked."

The CBS switchboard was flooded with angry calls.

Outraged parents also hit Jackson's Web site with E-mails.

"I am outraged at the finale of the show," a mother of three wrote. "There was no warning whatsoever that it may not be appropriate for children." While CBS officials pleaded ignorance to the antics, the entertainer had hinted she was planning something outrageous.

A Jan. 28 story on MTV's Web site promised "shocking moments" during her performance in Houston, and her choreographer made similar comments in a recent interview.

MTV, which produced the halftime show, is owned by Viacom, CBS' parent company.

The halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII hit other new levels of raunch: Rapper Nelly grabbed his crotch, and Kid Rock came out wearing an American flag cut into a poncho.

Shortly after the show, a streaker with the Web address of an Internet gambling site written on his body delayed the start of the second half by running onto the field, causing players and security guards to tackle him. NFL officials said they were "extremely disappointed by elements" of the show.

"They were totally inconsistent with assurances our office was given," said NFL Executive Vice President Joe Browne. "It's unlikely that MTV will produce another Super Bowl halftime."

MTV tried to deflect the criticism, claiming the incident was "unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional."

But in New York, viewers weren't buying the excuses.

Lindsey Ronchi, 25, of Manhattan, said "my jaw dropped" when Jackson's breast flashed across all five TV screens at McAleer's Irish Pub on the upper West Side.

"I think it was kind of staged. She didn't flinch," Ronchi said.

The stunt marked the second time in recent weeks that the Jackson family has been embroiled in a controversy with the Tiffany network.

CBS was forced to fend off claims it paid Michael Jackson for a "60 Minutes" interview after the network agreed to air his entertainment special as part of a deal for the interview with newsman Ed Bradley.

ETA I just read a joke that allegedly the sponsors who had spots aired after halftime were angry because Janet proved that you can cure erectile disfunctions without pills.

Re: Re: Just curious
 

Daddy.

-Rudey

Cut me a break here. What are they protesting?? They didn't protest the lyrics or the meaning behind the song but when a visual occurs - that's wrong. They don't protest when the players are bringing more and more lethal weaponry into stadiums and lockers or the fact that their children's heroes are a bunch of wife beating, coke snorting criminals. They protest when a breast is shown.

-Rudey
--Idiots.

Television is a visual medium. Especially for children. Folks who didn't care for and perhaps weren't even listening to the words of the song couldn't help but see the video.

Oh I get it so the kids and the family suffer mental retardation and couldn't listen or comprehend simple words but they can fully take in the weight of a split second image that hardly showed as much as the net closeups.

-Rudey

You know, I bet that had this been somewhere in Latin America or Europe, the whole boob situation would have not been blown up like this. To them, boobs are nothing.

I agree that there is a huge gap in punishment between what is "seen" and what is "heard" in entertainment -- although I would prefer to keep it that way or you get stuff like MTV bleeping out ".45" and "weed" and what's next, bleeping out "sex"?

Nevertheless I think that visuals do make a much bigger impression on kids than audio. There are lots of songs that I listened when I was younger than are pretty clearly -- at least now -- about sex or drugs or whatever, but back then I had no clue.

I also think that context is key. If this had happened on MTV, who would have cared? But yeah, I do think some parents have a right to complain given that it was the Super Bowl.


I also agree with the ban on MTV ever producing another halftime show, not because of the nudity, but because this one sucked. The best part -- the only good part -- was when the marching band played Outkast.

Oh don't worry they're also pursuing radio stations pretty heavily. This guy is out to make his name.

-Rudey