February 11, 2004
Post Mortem: Janet Jackson - Justin Timberblake Bare Breast Incident at Super Bowl Halftime Show
Insider Says Nipplegate Unlikely to Spur Album Sales
Now that everyone is trying hard to put Nipplegate behind them and get on with their so-called lives, Damien Cave reports in Rolling Stone that the Janet Jackson - Justin Timberlake bared-breast (warning: links to breast photo) stunt cum "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl Halftime Show will probably not positively effect sales of Jackson forthcoming album, "Damita Jo."
An album track called "Just a Little While" was oh-so-coincidentally pre-released the day after the Super Bowl ... Hmmm.
As the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad publicity. But that may be changing because audiences have increasingly become desensitized to celebrity shock tactics and controversy-generating media stunts.
"As a society, we're becoming numb to this," says Kirk Harding, a marketing executive at Universal, who works with hip-hop acts. "Think how hard it would be to be the Sex Pistols or N.W.A right now -- to shock people with just lyrics or music."
It's worth noting that on the cover of "Damita Jo," Jackson appears topless (her boobs are covered by folded arms). A decade earlier Miss Jackson appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone similarly unclothed save for a pair of hands masking her bosom.
But even if the "Teat Offensive" (as the Daily Show's John Stewart called it) indeed fails to help shift extra copies of Janet's new CD, the incident may have been successful nonetheless.
Consider that, as a "celebrity" ultimately in need of regular exposure and with an image to manage and keep relevant in the pop culture space, Jackson got LOTS of media attention. Perhaps more than she or Timberlake had ever bargained for.
In the case of Janet's image, being relevant is tres important, especially these days when it seems comparitvely tame next to the highly sex-charged (and much younger) competition at topping the charts.
Christina Aguilera, Beyonce Knowles, and Lil' Kim are younger, hotter, hipper and raunchier than Janet. Tittie-Gate may have been merely a way to raise the bar, and in doing so help Janet regain an edge and earn some "scandal" cred, while keeping that image relevant for, if not years, at least weeks.
But will it boost album sales? Or will hurt them? Does it matter?
Even if the entire episode proves to have backfired, "The Incident" has had major ripple effects (or should that be nipple effects?) across the media-scape and pop culture. Just look at the hyper-vigilance and public mea culpa at this year's Grammy Awards. Meanwhile the government is holding hearings.
As a result, Jackson has guaranteed herself a place in the history books with a footnote that may eclipse her larger pop music accomplishments.
Twenty years from now, don't be suprised when VH1 runs a nostalgic look back at the '00s (in what will certainly be called "I Love the '00s"--what else?), and there is Janet, where her mammary will have earned a spot in the hour-long look back at the year that was 2004.
The video clip of the moment when Timberlake rips off her top -- the precise moment of the wardrobe malfunction -- will replay again and again and again, ad infinitum. (But we're used to that by now, aren't we?)
And speaking of ripple through popular culture. It's pleasant to see that Jackson's breast exposure has trickled down to the creative D.I.Y. blogosphere.
At the Amateur Gourmet, a cooking blog run by an American law student, there's a story about how to male a Janet Jackson Breast cupcake that resembles the singer's right tit in surprising detail, right ndown to the ninja star-like pastie Janet had snugly mounted on her right nipple.
Now THAT'S poetic justice!
The nipple ripple, if you will, continues full-circle as CNN covers it and a "Janet Jackson" comments on the culinary news item. The recipe is included, as is a selection of comparison photos. The cupcakes look delicious. Yum yum. Bon appetite!
-- Adrian Tharani + Shibuya Kid
RELATED LINKS
+ Official Janet Jackson Web Site
+ International Fan Site: Miss Janet
Posted by at February 11, 2004 03:15 PM
