# Superbowl: WHAA??? Did Justin Timberlake expose Janet Jackson's breast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122 "2004-02-02T01:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/21 "2004-02-02T14:06:08Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Oh, yeah, right. Please. While we’re at it everyone forgets Kid Rock mutilated a US flag 😉 I didn’t see any of this (because, you know, football is so boring), so what did Kid Rock do with the flag? He’s probably kicking himself right now. He probably thought doing anything to/with the flag was major publicity, but today America is only talking tit. I’ve seen close up pictures, and the rip is a perfectly geometrical circle. If there was an underlayer that wasn’t supposed to tear, it would be at least a little jagged. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/22 "2004-02-02T14:36:23Z")
It wasn’t a flag with a hole cut through. It was a poncho in the fashion of a flag. And did you notice when he took it off he made sure someone was behind him to take it so it never touched the ground? I suspect you hate the fact it was an American flag. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/23 "2004-02-02T16:39:55Z")
It looked like a flag to me. The reason I say this is becuase when he was on stage I noticed that the edge of it (the part by the front of his knees) had the white strip on it. I couldn’t see if there was grommets in it, but if it was a pancho I would assume that that wouldn’t be there. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/24 "2004-02-02T17:59:59Z")
The breast exposure occurred in the last two minutes of the halftime show, so it was the replay official’s responsiblity to review it to determine if it was intentional or not. But he was busy getting the streaker ready. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/25 "2004-02-02T18:30:53Z")
> [@](#): > > but the lack of respect shown to the audience. Wrong time; wrong place. What a way to take a national ritual and use it for cheap publicity 😕 This is the Superbowl we’re talking about, right? The National Football League? That hyperpublicised “sporting event” featuring the most expensive television _commercials_ of the year? This is the league whose teams feature scantily-dressed cheerleaders? And these are pop stars, right? Who regularly expose their bodies in order to promote their records? National ritual? Hardly. It’s a money-grubbing hype-infested commercial event meant to fuel consumption of dozens of commercial products. Cheap publicity is what the N.F.L. and the Superbowl and pop stars are all about. ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/26 "2004-02-02T18:51:23Z")
Why didn’t she do that during Bro Mike’s arraignment? Oh, I forgot that there must be rules about upstaging family members during crucial CNN moments… a.k.a. council for the defense said, “No. Do it at the Superbowl… bigger audience, and the children already know what breasts look like.” ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/27 "2004-02-02T20:41:42Z")
Hasbeen female pop singer kisses other female singer. World loses mind. Hasbeen female pop singer ‘accidentally’ exposes breast to male singer. World has to sit down and hyperventilate into a bag. Anyone spotted the pattern here yet? Anyone not bored of it yet? Until we are; expect lots more of the same. Wake me when it’s all over. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/28 "2004-02-02T21:49:55Z")
[The FCC is launching an _investigation_ and will likely fine CBS.](http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=4264351) ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/29 "2004-02-02T23:29:32Z")
after a careful review, my coworkers and i have come to the conculsion that: a. the leather covering “the area” looks like it has snaps along the curve. b. there is a red lacy thing under the leather. c. justin was perhaps overly enthusiasic and torn the leather AND the red lace stuff, instead of leaving the red lace thing intact. d. it is some sort of ring. pasties are larger as little kim has proven over and over. e. perhaps the ring was to show through the lace thing. f. we think that the ring thing would be really uncomfortable under all that. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/30 "2004-02-03T01:37:05Z")
Snopes has pictures. Including the close-up ( 🙂 ) The thing on her nipple appears to be some kind of piercing. Looks pretty uncomfortable, but I defer to the mammary-endowed Dopers on that point. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/31 "2004-02-03T01:45:04Z")
I edit a small paper in New Mexico and the state legislature has already passed some sort of official decree decrying the whole event (the song and extra curricular activities that took part) and sent out press releases on the thing (by thing I am not referring to the breast or the pierced nipple just the song, etc.). TV ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/32 "2004-02-03T04:03:53Z")
The news this evening covered this (to a ridiculous extent, but that’s life in America) and showed what happened after the one second actually shown on the half-time show (which I didn’t see). After viewing the tape, as they say, I’ve got a question for all the conspiracy theorists: if this was all set up and planned in advance, then why didn’t Janet Jackson react as if it were? Why did she instead a) grab her breast instantly; b) stare at Justin Timberlake with a big “what did you just do?” expression on her face; and c) look off in horror as if seeing her career going down in flames in front of a billion viewers? If this were CSI, right about now Gil Grissom would be saying, follow the evidence, follow the evidence… ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/33 "2004-02-03T05:18:37Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > [The FCC is launching an _investigation_ and will likely fine CBS.](http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=4264351) From the link > [@](#): > > “Our nation’s children, parents and citizens deserve better.” Damn straight we do! We want both boobies showing! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122/34 "2004-02-03T06:08:12Z")
Whatever factual question there was has been answered, so I’ll close this thread. I will note that there’s another thread on the topic in Cafe Society. bibliophage moderator GQ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superbowl-whaa-did-justin-timberlake-expose-janet-jacksons-breast/227122.md?page=1)