Janet Jackson's Nipple: A Retrospective
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This week’s Super Bowl is the tenth anniversary of the legendary “wardrobe malfunction” that exposed Janet Jackson’s right nipple to the world. The story carries implications far beyond the Super Bowl. Janet Jackson’s nipple—or, more broadly, the criminalization of female nudity (and our culture’s animosity toward/distrust of black female sexuality)—launched YouTube, turned TiVo into an entertainment giant, pushed Howard Stern off terrestrial radio, and forever changed the way live television is produced.
ESPN’s Marin Cogan wrote a long, complex retrospective on the subject, featuring interviews from producers and candid insights from then-FCC chairman Michael Powell, and you should really go read it. But I’ve highlighted some of the Big Questions here, if you’re in a hurry.
So, What the Fuck Actually Happened?
Ummm…not to spoil everything up front, but it’s still pretty much a huge mystery.
Justin reaches over, grabs a corner of Janet’s right breast cup and gives it a hard tug. Her breast spills out. It’s way more than a handful, but a hand is the only thing Janet has available to cover it, so she clutches it with her left palm. The breast is on television for 9/16 of a second. The camera cuts wide. Fireworks explode from the stage. Cue the end of halftime. Cue the beginning of one of the worst cases of mass hysteria in America since the Salem witch trials.
Did the Producers Know This Was Going to Happen?
Maybe.
“There was lots of chaos in the truck, and we played it back and we were like, ‘Oh, s — . What just happened?'”
…Whether Frattini or the higher-ups at MTV, CBS and/or the NFL knew what was coming remains one of the enduring mysteries of the event — at least that’s the generous explanation for why millions of people watched the clip with the same intensity as that of JFK conspiracy theorists poring over the Zapruder footage.
Did Janet Jackson Know?
Maybe.
In an on-camera apology after the event, Jackson backed up the producers, insisting she decided on the big reveal after the final rehearsal, without the knowledge of anyone at MTV. Timberlake was meant to pull off a piece of the costume, she later explained, but it was supposed to reveal only a lacy red undergarment; unfortunately, as it played out, that undergarment came off in Timberlake’s hand too.
Did Justin Timberlake Know?