Super Bowl scandal
How “Nipplegate” inspired YouTube and made Janet Jackson persona non grata
It was the biggest scandal the Super Bowl halftime show had ever delivered. After Nipplegate, Janet Jackson was forced to publicly apologize, while Justin Timberlake won two Grammys.
© Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
20 years ago, Justin Timberlake pulled the corset off his duet partner Janet Jackson’s breasts at the Super Bowl and exposed her to millions of viewers. Jackson had to publicly grovel. Timberlake, meanwhile, earned the nickname “Teflon Man.” A review.
After the Super Bowl: Backlash against Janet Jackson
The scandal sparked public debate in prudish America. The broadcaster MTV, which organized the halftime show, was no longer given the honor. But the greatest damage fell on Janet Jackson. Although she was forced to make a public video apology in which she emphasized that “Nipplegate” was not planned, she was persona non grata for many industry leaders. Various companies, including Viacom (which owned MTV and Paramount), the television network CBS and various broadcast stations, put Jackson and her catalog on a so-called “blacklist”.
In public discourse, she appeared to be the initiator of the suggestive gesture, like a scheming seductress who manipulated Timberlake in order to achieve economic success herself
The result: countless television and radio stations stopped playing their music and showing their videos. While the sister of the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson was previously considered a superstar, the lockdown also had a negative impact on her chart positions. Critics noted at the time that Janet Jackson would likely be punished more severely because she is a black woman. “In public discourse, she appeared to be the initiator of the suggestive gesture, like a scheming seductress who manipulated Timberlake in order to achieve economic success herself,” wrote Shannon L. Holland in her book “Women’s Studies in Communication.”
Justin Timberlake became the “Teflon Man”
While Janet Jackson became the nation’s bogeyman – or bogeywoman – Justin Timberlake managed to continue to be in the favor of the Americans (without doing much himself). At the Grammy Awards shortly after the momentous Super Bowl, he was allowed to perform and even accept two awards – Janet Jackson was banned from the prestigious event. It’s not surprising that the American “People” magazine gave Timberlake the nickname “Teflon Man” at the time: an allusion to the fact that all the allegations seemed to bounce off him.
Even today, Timberlake is criticized for not standing up for Janet Jackson. Especially because Jackson partly helped Timberlake achieve his world fame. She hired ‘NSYNC as the opening act for her tours early on and thought extremely highly of the young boy band star. Jackson, who in turn adored him, was inspired by her performance style. “I’m frustrated about the whole situation. I’m frustrated because my character is being questioned. The fact is, I’ve had a good year, a pretty good year, especially with my music,” Timberlake complained shortly after the scandal. On stage at the aforementioned Grammy Awards, he apologized to the general American public. But it took another two years before he admitted what Janet Jackson and her team must have realized shortly after the scandal. He admitted that he only received about ten percent of what today would be called a shitstorm. America is “harder on women” and “unfairly even harder on Black women,” Timberlake told MTV at the time.
Critics also saw the public condemnation of Janet Jackson as a connection to the election year. Because the Iraq War caused highly explosive political discussions, many Americans were happy about a welcome change. People preferred to talk about Janet Jackson’s chest rather than the political ambitions of candidates Bush and Kerry.
The moment after: Janet Jackson tries to cover herself. Apparently the plan was for Timberlake to only rip off the black leather part of her corset. The red bra underneath was supposed to cover her breasts.
© Picture Alliance
Consequences for our culture today
“Nipplegate” was partly responsible for various references within pop culture as well as for one of the most innovative companies of the last two decades: Jawed Karim, co-founder of YouTube, said USA Today Once upon a time, there were two events that manifested the idea of a video platform in the minds of the founders: Janet Jackson’s “Nipplegate” and the tsunami in Asia. Karim was frustrated that he couldn’t find a video of the scandal on the Internet. YouTube was born, now the most successful video sharing site in the world.
Football final
Spectacles and scandals at the Super Bowl: These halftime shows were remembered
Timberlake’s Super Bowl comeback
After his Grammy wins in 2004, Justin Timberlake continued to become more successful. His albums became global hits and were played on the radio and also on television. The “Teflon Man” won countless awards. Janet Jackson’s album “Damita Jo”, which was released a month after her Super Bowl appearance, was her worst-selling album since 1984. But she also eventually recovered from the scandal, recorded more albums and went on tour. In recent years, however, things have become quieter around Jackson. She made headlines primarily with her marriage and subsequent separation from the Arab millionaire Wissam Al Mana.
In a remix of the song “Why?” by Jadakiss, rapper Common asks, “Why did Justin betray Janet and go to the Grammys?”. Many Americans are still asking the same question today, seeing the unfair treatment of both artists as a systematic discrimination against women.
In 2018, Timberlake was even able to celebrate a return to the biggest stage in the world: he appeared again in the halftime show. At the time he had just released his new album “Man of the Woods”. To Janet Jackson addressed He said at the time that they had both made peace with it.
This article was first published in 2018 and has now been updated.