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February 6, 2004
Breast makes boobs out of network, NFL hypocrites
Instead, it was all about the risqué halftime show, featuring several performers, including Janet Jackson. The quick, split-second scene, which I didn't even notice while watching at a bar, featured pop star Justin Timberlake pulling off part of Jackson's top, exposing her right breast. It's more of a trend to be ever more brazen on television. Katie Couric, co-host of NBC's Today Show, jokingly referred to the controversy as the "Tempest in a C cup" Tuesday morning. That evening, an analyst for MSNBC reporting on the busy Democratic primary night, said former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who failed to win a state, was "as irrelevant as Janet Jackson's other breast." While the scene passed too quickly for my eyes during the game, MSNBC repeatedly showed still scenes of her breast on nationwide TV. The brouhaha seemed appropriate given the television network role in professional sports these days and the extreme hype over the Super Bowl. The entertainment aspect took over the game. The halftime show was probably watched more than the actual game, featuring musical performances that were about 98 percent show and 2 percent musical talent. The more provocative dance moves were probably fine for the Las Vegas club crowd or MTV, but not for the worldwide audience. I can just imagine a foreigner in a third world African or Asian country getting that image of America. Then there's the trotting out of the newest, best commercials, like the talking chimpanzee putting the make on a human female. Or the car driving across the football field. The game seemed to stretch on forever just so Madison Avenue could sneak a few more commercials in. Granted, the Super Bowl is the end to the most feverish sports time of the year. While many sports fans in America sleep through baseball season and complain about the length of the National Basketball Association season, they head for the television screen when football preseason begins in August. I guess it's like in Brazil, where they say there's two seasons: Carnival season and soccer season. The Super Bowl could've been played a week after the conference championships but oh no, they have to bug the hell out of us with two weeks of hype. I'd hate to be one of those sportswriters having to come up with a fresh angle on the Super Bowl every day for two weeks. While the pre-game show used to be perhaps two hours long, now it's almost a whole day. CBS-TV began with "Nickelodeon Takes Over The Super Bowl," at 8 a.m.; followed by a show with guest appearances by celebrities; the All-Iron team; "Super Bowl Today" and finally, the kickoff at 3:25 p.m. Some 137 million viewers were expected to watch at least a few minutes of the game. I wonder how many of them even cared who won. I certainly didn't, but I pulled for the Carolina Panthers since they were newcomers to the big game. Of course, the betters care who wins and by how much don't they? The estimated handle on the game was $71 million, probably bigger than the gross domestic product of some countries. I get a little tired of sitting in a sports book listening to a better argue about his or her points. Las Vegas expected to attract 274,000 visitors, almost as many as New Year's Eve, generating $97 million in non-gaming revenue. I had to laugh hearing about how the National Football League cracked down on the greedy, Las Vegas casinos charging admission to big Super Bowl parties. Boohoo. The Golden Nugget had to cancel its $60 per person party. It's just a game, or is the Super Bowl going to go the way of pay-per-view boxing? Las Vegas is one of those cities that seem to always have some reason to celebrate. The Super Bowl weekend can be added to a busy month that included Chinese New Year, the Consumer Electronics Show and New Year's Eve. Here in Pahrump, Super Bowl fans could scarf down food at Terrible's Town Casino, which usually serves a lot of free goodies, or angle for sports memorabilia while ogling at scantily clad women walking by at the Valley Inn and Sports Bar. I just remember the first Super Bowls, my Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the first one 35-10, then beat the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II by a score of 33-14. I still remember the scores. Then Quarterback Joe Namath of the New York Jets made the game interesting, with an upset of the National Football Conference team. Nobody seems to remember the losers of the Super Bowl that much, though they provided a lot of excitement to the fans just getting that far. I remember though the poor Buffalo Bills, who lost four Super Bowls in a row. As for the halftime show, Janet Jackson will probably reap a good deal of free publicity from the controversy - probably making it worth a hefty fine. Sex sells. American men seem to have a fascination with a woman's breast. European women have gone topless on beaches for a long time. In past years, women in some countries considered breasts a part of child nurturing, the legs though were considered provocative. But there's a time and place for everything. Maybe next year, to avoid the uproar, the NFL will have Donny and Marie Osmond do the halftime show. Write to Mark Waite at mwaite@pvtimes.com |
