A Wardrobe Malfunction Ruined TV

Before you continue reading, this isn't just another boring story ranking the Super Bowl halftime shows.

This is a column explaining how the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Halftime Show ruined TV forever!

By now, you all know what happened during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII back in 2004.

During this "controversial" halftime show, Janet Jackson's breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a second, in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction"  The incident led to an immediate crackdown and widespread debate on perceived indecency in broadcasting, and resulted in a record $550,000 fine levied by the FCC against CBS, as well as an increase of the FCC fine per indecency violation from $27,500 to $325,000.

Forget Indiana Jones, New Kids on the Block or The Who's performances, the Jackson/Timberlake "Nipplegate" was the worst Super Bowl Halftime Show ever!

IT CHANGED ENTERTAINMENT/TV/RADIO FOREVER! It put tougher restrictions on all media (TV, radio and film) – they now had to adhere to tougher standards for what was decent material.  It gave more power to special interest groups – groups that think indecency should be banned in all its forms.  Now, people actually came to believe that Bruce Springstein sliding into the camera showed too much crotch.  Everyone now thought Prince’s guitar looked like a man’s package!  From this point forward, everything needed to be censored and slapped with a PG-13 or lower tag.

THE JACKSON/TIMBERLAKE HALFTIME SHOW MADE ME REALIZE HOW WACKO OUR COUNTRY IS:  Heaven forbid if we show a woman’s covered breast on TV – but we’ll show a guy getting shot in the head 3 times at 8pm on Tuesday night with a West Coast replay again at 11pm.  People are mad when the Soprano’s only shows 4 live killings a show.  By the way, the Sopranos is now on A&E – not even HBO anymore.  Last week, the FOX show, Bones, showed a guy getting her head blown off (splattered style) by a sniper at 9:10pm on a Thursday.  Nearly every episode of Bones shows bodies in various states of decay - and no one has a problem with this??  I’m a huge zombie fan - but let’s be honest, zombies getting their heads blown off or human getting eaten by a zombie on The Walking Dead isn't really good for the kids, is it?  Every Lifetime movie involves a woman getting beaten, violated or stabbed!

IT TURNED EVERY LIVE TELEVISED ENTERTAINMENT EVENT INTO A DISNEY PRODUCTION: Everyone is now way too politically correct.  They’re limiting an art form to conform to conservative America!!  Thankfully, the Black Eye Peas are the Super Bowl halftime entertainment this year because the last few Super Bowl halftime shows felt like Cocoon on stage.  It was boring and safe!!

America - can we all remember that television, film and media doesn't raise your kids - you do!