The
Breast and the Brightest
By Richard Blow, TomPaine.com
February 4, 2004
It has come to this: The Federal Communications
Commission has announced that it plans an investigation into the exposure
of Janet Jacksons right breast during the Super Bowl half-time show.
"That celebration was tainted by a classless, crass and deplorable
stunt," FCC commissioner Michael Powell said. He wasnt referring
to Josh Grobans freakish tribute to the Columbia astronauts, which
featured a man in a space suit standing goofily on a fake moon surface,
not that the Columbia astronauts actually walked on the moon, but whatever.
"Our nations children, parents and citizens deserve better,"
Powell said.
If youve been living in a cave since Sunday morning, a quick recap.
The Super Bowl half-time show featured a medley of performers including
Janet Jackson, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock and Justin Timberlake. Technically,
Jessica Simpson was part of it, but she didnt actually sing anything.
Then again, it didnt look like any of the other performers actually
sang anything either. Lip-synching was the order of the day.
Anyway, Justin and Janet danced a duet, and at the end of it Justin grabbed
the leather cup covering Janets right breast and ripped it off.
If you believe Timberlake, a red liner was supposed to cover Jacksons
skin, but he ripped that off too. For about half a second, if you looked
really hard, you could kinda-sorta see Jacksons breast. But even
then, not really as the Drudge Report later showed in great close-up,
Jackson was wearing what I can only describe as a throwing-star nipple
ring, which suggests either that she had wisely prepared for the incident
or that Janet Jackson wears some really funky jewelry.
The outrage came fast and furious. The NFL announced that MTV wouldnt
be producing another half-time show anytime soon. Deeply offended newspaper
columnists wrote articles like The Boston Globes "Jackson &
Co. sink to new low," which would, in fact, be an interesting thesis
to debate.
And inevitably, cultural conservatives saw a prime opportunity to engage
in a little fundraising. Both the Family Research Council and the Parents
Television Council, headed by right-wing media critic (i.e., nut) Brent
Bozell, cranked out high-minded criticisms. Predictably, CBS "deeply"
regretted the incident, and Timberlake apologized too. (In my vision of
heaven, I dream of having to apologize for ripping off Janet Jacksons
breastplate at half-time of the Super Bowl.)
This is what semioticians would describe as a "dense" cultural
moment, so let us unpack some of its ironies.
First, CBS and MTV are both owned by Viacom, which obviously saw a chance
to exploit corporate synergy by hiring MTV to produce the half-time show.
I dont know about you, but it warms my heart when massive media
corporations try to foist corporate synergy on the unsuspecting public
and wind up being investigated by the FCC.
Second, CBS is the company that wouldnt air an anti-Bush ad by MoveOn.org
because it didnt want to offend the White House and conservatives,
just as it spiked a Ronald Reagan mini-series to avoid offending the White
House and conservatives. And then it runs a half-time show which offends
the White House and conservatives. How quickly all the previous sucking
up is forgotten.
Third, let us not forget that this outrage is all about a half-second
of partially nipple ring-covered breast. This in an hour-long game of
brutal violence CBS certainly didn't hesitate to show blood spilling
from one player's nose in the first quarter in a sport with a steroid
problem, many of whose players have taken to owning unregistered guns,
while other players are encouraged to become so obese that they risk dying
on the field. Yes, its definitely the breast that we should get
worked up about.
At least there wasnt any other female flesh to tempt the God-fearing
men of America! No scantily clad, artificially enhanced cheerleaders whom
CBS kept using as a segue into and out of commercials, for example. And
Im sure that Visa used the bikini-wearing womens volleyball
team to promote the summer Olympics simply because of its athleticism.
Whats really going on here? Well, American hypocrisy about sex,
of course. We run ads for drugs that help men get erections without ever
mentioning the word "sex"; we grow irate at an exposed breast
amidst an orgy of capitalist decadence. We nurse from the breast as children,
but we fetishize it as adults, make it an object of lust and taboo
so that showing a breast, a source of human life, becomes worthy of government
investigation.
It is, literally, a clash of human nature versus corporate culture. The
Super Bowl has become the first American corporate holiday, a nationwide
celebration of capitalism. (We watch it for the ads!) Any element of spontaneity
threatens the corporate control of peoples minds and, yes, bodies.
Thats why I loved the rebellious symbolism of the guy who streaked
across the field (which, of course, CBS wouldnt show). Thats
also why the corporate producers don't mind the lip-synching mouthing
the approved words is the perfect metaphor for this synthetic event, actually
preferable to the authentic but imperfect human voice.
The Super Bowl is capitalism's equivalent of the Soviets' May Day parade,
or North Korea's beautiful but robotic gymnastic demonstrations featuring
tens of thousands of thoroughly indoctrinated pawns. In contrast, Justin
Timberlakes baring of Janet Jacksons breast reminds me of
the American soldiers who broadcast hidden hand signals as their Iraqi
captors were videotaping them a clandestine attempt to subvert
monolithic propaganda. For the individuals involved, the stakes are very
different, of course. But the ideological conflict man versus machine
is much the same.
So, of course there will be an investigation. With so much at stake, how
could there not be? I have just one suggestion: While theyre at
it, couldnt they investigate Led Zeppelin for selling its songs
so Cadillac can hawk SUVs? Now, thats one musical travesty that's
got to be stopped.
Richard Blow is the author of 'American Son: A Portrait of John F. Kennedy,
Jr.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
![](breast6.gif)
breast (brµst) n. 1.a. Either of two
milk-secreting, glandular organs on the chest of a woman; the human mammary
gland.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hearing on the radio news this morning that Florida intends to amend
its indecent exposure law to allow mothers to breast feed their babies
in public, I was reminded of the following joke.
In
times past in Ireland, hookers used to identify themselves by walking
the streets with one breast exposed. Usually fairly late at night. However
one morning, a woman gets off a bus and proceeds to walk down the street
with one breast uncovered.
She's
only walked a short distance when a man yells at her: "*WOMAN* -
MAKE YOURSELF DECENT!"
She
gets a rather bemused look, and then realization slowly hits her: "Holy
Mary - I must have left the baby on the bus!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perfect
breasts (o)(o)
Silicone
breasts ( + )( + )
Perky
breasts (*)(*)
Big
nipple breasts (@)(@)
A
cups o o
D
cups { O }{ O }
Wonder
bra breasts (oYo)
Cold
breasts ( ^ )( ^ )
Lopsided
breasts (o)(O)
Pierced
Breasts (Q)(O)
Hanging
Tassels Breasts (p)(p)
Grandma's
Breasts \ o /\ o /
Against
The Shower Door Breasts ( )( )
Android
Breasts | o | | o |
Mamogram
Breasts (_)(_)
Martha
Stewart's Breasts ($)($)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Picasso
Nude Breasts
(In the eye of
the beholder or how Picasso saw the human breast.)
Nude at her Dressing Table
Seated Woman Putting on a Necklace
Nudes
in Profile
Woman
with Dog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click
here to see the infamous Justin Timberlake event
But only if you are over 18 or under 2 years of age!
(I
used Justin's name rather than Janet's because it was his 15 minutes of
fame too, not to mention a pseudo-artful depiction of violence against
women! Carolyn)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
![](garymarksteincleanair.gif)
GM Says Led Zeppelin to Rock as Cadillac Campaign Rolls
Although in their prime they likely would have trashed one, General Motors
confirmed that its new Cadillac campaign will be introduced during Super
Bowl XXXVI to the hard-driving Led Zeppelin tune, "Rock and Roll,"
reports Brand Week. GM says this national campaign is the first to feature
a Zeppelin song. "Rock and Roll" was released in 1971 with Robert
Plant on vocals and Jimmy Page ripping it up on lead guitar.
Cadillac's SUV crossover, the SRX, and its CTS entry-level luxury sedan
are among five new Cadillac products planned for production during the
next 18 months. The SRX will go on sale in the second quarter of 2003.
The MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI will be awarded a CTS sedan.
Rock and Roll Lyrics
It's been a long time since I rock and rolled,
It's been a long time since I did the Stroll.
Ooh, let me get it back, let me get it back,
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from.
It's been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. Yes it has.
It's been a long time since the book of love,
I can't count the tears of a life with no love.
Carry me back, carry me back,
Carry me back, baby, where I come from.
It's been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.
Seems so long since we walked in the moonlight,
Making vows that just can't work right.
Open your arms, opens your arms,
Open your arms, baby, let my love come running in.
It's been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.
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