Half-time show stuns viewers

The Super Bowl is one of the most highly publicized events of the year. For 38 years, the two best teams in the NFL have come head-to-head at the end of the season to prove themselves and earn the title of Super Bowl Champions. The athletes, however, are not the only ones who have to prove themselves.
Every year, sports fans anticipate which stars will appear in the half-time show. Usually fans are curious about which stars will show up to entertain us. This year, it was a surprise appearance in a somewhat different perspective.
Although the overall opinion about the halftime show in Super Bowl XXXVIII was that it left much to be desired, Janet Jackson did not. Perhaps the most widely talked about event of this year’s showdown was the apparent “costume malfunction” Jackson experienced. At the end of Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s duet, Timberlake ripped off the top portion of Jackson’s costume, exposing one of her breasts.
A great deal of speculation has ensued as to whether or not the incident was a planned part of the performance. On Jan. 28, MTV’s web-site featured a story that promised “shocking moments” in the show. The original plan was for Timberlake to rip off Jackson’s skirt at the end of the program, right at the moment when the line “I gotta have you naked by the end of this song,” was sung, but that choreography was denied by MTV. At that point in time, Timberlake, Jackson and her choreographer decided to add their own flair to the show by having Timberlake rip off the upper part of Jackson’s outfit, revealing her red bra.
Jackson later apologized to CBS, the viewers, the NFL and many others, claiming that the incident went much farther than intended when more than just her bra was exposed. She also said that CBS had no idea about the “reveal” that was intended for the end of the show, as it was added to the choreography after the final rehearsals.
Students at Georgia College & State University have their own opinions about the half-time show.
“I think it was definitely on purpose. It was too much of a coincidence that she had her nipple pierced and that it happened at the very end on the line ‘I’m gonna have you naked by the end of this song.’” Freshman Jennifer Poe said.
Whether or not CBS and MTV knew of the surprise ending, it definitely made a lasting impression on many GC&SU viewers.
“I didn’t know for sure that was what it was. When I found out, I screamed,” said Freshman Bailey Holland Foster.
Sophomore Josh Chapman also believed that the reveal was no mistake.
“I was shocked because I knew that little kids were watching the game, and they don’t need to see that stuff,” Chapman said.
The Federal Communications Committee agrees about the inappropriate display, and is currently investigating the incident to determine what they believe their actions should be. The NFL made an announcement that this year’s halftime show would most likely be the last produced by MTV.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 6 2004. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry