So did anyone else cock their head to one side when Justin Timberlake performed at the 2018 Super Bowl? Like yo, where’s Janet Jackson? (If I were a meme I’d spin my head dramatically left, then right). Justin has now performed a total of three times at the Super Bowl: once in 2001 as a part of N’Sync, again in 2004 with Jackson, and now in 2018, without her. This wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that Jackson still appears to be affected by the repercussions of her honestly trifling wardrobe malfunction fourteen years ago. J-Man was just as responsible for the “Nipplegate” scandal, but he escaped the awkward state of affairs completely unscathed while her career all but tanked.
For any of you youngsters out there or for those of you who traditionally eschew celebrity gossip like myself, said “Nipplegate” scandal occurred back in 2004 during the MTV halftime show. While both artists performed Justin’s hit song “Rock Your Body” live on stage, Jackson’s right breast and accompanying nipple jewelry were exposed for 9/16ths of a second when Timberlake yanked off her bustier. Right as he sang the lyric “Better have you naked by the end of this song.”
The media naturally went insane (OMG a boob!) and investigators immediately attempted to determine who was responsible for this horrid display of the female anatomy at a family football game. Well, when it all came down to it, Ms. Jackson admitted to altering the act last minute with Timberlake. He was supposed to pull off the top, black, rubber part of her outfit, revealing a sexy red brassier beneath – a silly surprise ending to the song. The joke was harmless and I imagine the audience would have laughed and given rave reviews had the plan gone as was originally intended.
Image by Teen Vogue
It was dubbed a wardrobe malfunction, both parties apologized, and things should have gone back to normal. However, Janet was banned from the Grammys that year whereas Justin not only attended, but performed and won two awards, literally only days later. Timberlake made a quick statement expressing regret for what happened and Jackson was required not only to make a statement, but also to record a formal video apologizing, taking more or less full blame.
Her music was subsequently blacklisted by Clear Channel Communications on radio and music video networks (including MTV). According to Billboard News, the resulting public shame destroyed Jackson’s public relations, the sales of her newly released CD, a recent movie deal, and also caused the dismantling of a statue of Mickey Mouse wearing Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” apparel.
The different ways in which both celebrities were treated following the 2004 incident can be described as nothing less than sexist. If roles were reversed and it were Justin’s dick out, I can’t imagine Janet prancing away scot-free. Besides, Janet’s costume didn’t come off by itself. Justin agreed to pull off her bustier and was complicit in going along with her modification to the routine. It was his hand that pulled off her bra and revealed her breast. On a side note, maybe I should write an article about why breasts are so offensive and scary in the first place. What’s up with that?
Anyways, the point is Timberlake made a joke of the whole thing and his career flourished while Jackson’s suddenly plummeted. Now, I can’t say for sure that’s the sole or even the main reason why Janet suddenly disappeared from the main stream, but I can say this: it definitely contributed in a large way. J-Man admitted this himself in a 2006 interview with MTV when he said “I probably got about ten percent of the blame... I think America’s harsher on women.” In the same interview, he also remarked, “I could’ve handled [the aftermath] better. If there’s something that I could have done in her defense… then I would have.” Yet Janet wasn’t at his side when he performed on February 4th, 2018 in Minneapolis. According to InStyle, after fourteen long years much of the world was ready to see Timberlake atone for his previous lack of support for Jackson, but as it would appear he didn’t want to rock the boat. In fact, it seems like Justin was ready to leave Janet’s right nip-slip all wrong rather than get any backlash for bringing old news back up.
In a way, I almost want to sympathize with him. He got away with a mistake he made when he was 23 years old and has since admitted he could have handled it better. Why should he be the scapegoat for discrimination against women and put his blossoming career at risk to rectify the wrongs done againstone woman over a decade ago? Well, because it’s the right thing to do, and she was your friend. Celebrities may be people just like the rest of us, but they are often revered and looked up to like superheroes. In the age of #Metoo and pussy grabbing wouldn’t it be nice to see a well-respected male figure make amends?
Image by KQED Arts
And publically acknowledge the ways in which men and women are treated differently in Hollywood? If Timberlake didn’t invite Jackson to perform with him, if that was outside his purview, he could have at minimum made a statement about injustice. He could have acknowledged his contribution and fault in the 2004 debacle and shown love and support to a fellow artist.
In retrospect of the infamous half-time show and in light of Justin’s recent performance, I think it’s important to analyze why women’s bodies are so often villainized and why society tends to cut men so much slack. Why is a nipple so unholy and inappropriate? Why is Justin less culpable for “Nipplegate” than Janet? What do these implications mean for young men and women? 2004 may have been fourteen years ago, but women are still being punished for their bodies in 2018 and men in Hollywood still continue to avoid retribution for as long as they can get away with it.