Publicity stunt shocks Super Bowl viewers

House Editorial

I'm going to have you naked by the end of this editorial. Although this statement is highly unlikely, a similar declaration by singer Justin Timberlake proved quite accurate.

If you weren't one of the 72,000 in attendance at the Super Bowl Sunday or part of the estimated 143 million person viewing audience, you may have missed the incident that left the nation doing a double take, and some referring to Sunday's game as Super Boob XXXVIII.

The halftime show featured artists such as Jessica Simpson, Nelly, P. Diddy, Janet Jackson and surprise guest Timberlake. It wasn't the surprise appearance that left the audience in shock, but rather the actions that Timberlake would take before the conclusion of the Music-Television designed halftime show.

Timberlake joined Jackson onstage for the song "Rock Your Body." The song concluded with the phrase, "I'm gonna have you naked by the end of this song." Timberlake reached across and tugged away the cup of Jackson's costume to reveal her right breast partially covered by a sun-shaped medallion nipple ring, according to the Feb. 3 issue of The New York Times.

The musical finale was a last-minute addition that was implemented after the last rehearsal by Jackson and Timberlake, and was the result of a "wardrobe malfunction." The cup was supposed to pull off to reveal her red lace bra.

In the days since the incident, MTV, CBS, the National Football League, Jackson and Timberlake have apologized.

But, sorry doesn't save the world.

Nor will it be able to save MTV from the NFL or CBS from the Federal Communications Commission.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said, "We will change our policies, our people and our processes before the next Super Bowl."

By the sound of things, in the process making Super Bowl history, MTV's chances of choreographing another are history.

The FCC currently is investigating the incident and could charge every CBS-owned station and affiliate $27,500 as a result, according to The New York Times.

Publicity stunts by musicians have been taking place since the industry's infancy. It seems that these stunts now have fallen into a cycle similar to touchdown celebrations during football games. One always is trying to think of ways to one-up one's competitors. If that was Jackson's motive, then she definitely succeeded in gaining the spotlight in the music world.

But, the New Orlean Saints' Joe Horn's cell phone call as an attempt to one-up San Francisco 49er Terrel Owen's midgame autograph session didn't affect the moral fiber of television programming. Like some television programs, the Super Bowl may be forced to start broadcasting a viewer's warning that the content may be offensive to some. Jackson's and Timberlake's actions cast a shadow on the rest of what would turn out to be a great football game.

It seems that the levels current pop singers will go to promote their new album releases has sunk to a new low. Even if the actions Sunday were truly unintentional, the concept for such an action would have been vetoed by television executives. This secrecy surrounding the planning of the striptease has led many to question Jackson's intentions.

The Super Bowl is consistently the most widely watched program of the year. It usually comes with its odd occurrences, but the planned programming is considered to be safe. Right? Well, we guessed wrong. America barely had gotten the image of Madonna and Britney's famous smooch at the MTV Video Music Awards out of its heads when Jackson gave us even more to think about.

As a result of the flash seen around the country, Virgin Records has chosen to rush release Jackson's new single to radio stations around the country, according to The New York Times. It represents a perfectly executed plan to boost sales of her upcoming album.

Even if the incident went further than originally conceived, it was still a poor attempt for Jackson to own the limelight shined on her for the first time in a while.