Damage Control, MTV Style (MTV takes "incriminating" stories off their web site)

Ramblings' Journal | 2.2.04 | Michael King

[mhking]

MTV tries it's hand at damage control, but fails miserably

MTV has rather deftly changed it's text on it's Super Bowl page from the text originally up there (and touted by news programs and websites everywhere:

Janet Jackson Got Nasty at the MTV-Produced Super Bowl Halftime Show

Jaws across the country hit the carpet at exactly the same time. You know what we're talking about...Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and a kinky finale that rocked the Super Bowl to its core. P. Diddy, Kid Rock, & Nelly rounded out the halftime show in the midst of the greatest game on earth. MTV was Super Bowl central, so armchair quarterbacks, fair weather fanatics and fans of Janet Jackson and her pasties were definitely in the right place. So strap on those pads, keep your head down and get the full recap of The AOL Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show produced by MTV.

They've replaced the text with the more pedestrian and contrite:

The tearing of Janet Jackson's costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance. MTV regrets this incident occurred and we apologize to anyone who was offended by it.

They've also removed the initial press release from their site (the one that touted Janet's "shocking moments"). Of course, anyone who knows how to use Google can find it in their cache.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell is understandably outraged, and has demanded an investigation into the incident.

I can't figure out who would be fined though. All the CBS stations? Of course not - none of them knew what was coming. The CBS O&O's? I'm sure the same thing applies there. Network brass? Possibly. I'm sure they knew what was coming. MTV? Works for me. Janet and Justin? Also makes sense. If I were a local official in Houston, you can bet I'd look seriously into whether any local obscenity ordinances were violated by the pair.

After all, once the smoke clears, Janet, I'm sure, will be happy with the free exposure (pun not intended) for her new CD, due to come out the end of March.

Producer Dallas Austin was quoted recently as saying about Janet's new album:

"To me, this is her Dirty Mind," Austin explained, referring to the Prince album that established him as a hormonally charged pop star. "It's a really sexy record, but not in a sensual way. It's bold, it's fun, it's really positive. Nobody's sad, nobody's mad. It's just really fun songs where she happens to be talking frankly about sex."

I'm sure Clear Channel is happy - they're the most likely candidate to replace MTV as producer of the halftime show for next year's Super Bowl in Jacksonville.

[mhking]

Couple of things - first, I'm sure Redstone went up in smoke, which probably explains the change of text on MTV's site.

Secondly, I just realized that Janet conveniently has a new CD coming out (after a long hiatus) that has already been called "extremely sexy."

It was a publicity stunt that backfired on one hand, and succeeded for Janet in the wildest way possible - she got the attention she wanted, period.

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Of course it was all for publicity! She wants to compete with Britney Spears, and who better to do it with than Justin Timberlake?

[sirshackleton]

MTV is so full of crap. They promote the hell out of themselves with all sorts of self-congratulatory documentaries about their dopey awards shows, push all of this "Fight for your Rights" stuff about taking on sexism, homophobia, etc etc etc and then produce shows like last nights halftime romp and award guys like Eminem (who gets in trouble for rapping about "fags" and raping his mom) numerous MTV awards for the simple fact that he attracts audiences and MTV gets its jollies on being "edgy".

And I'm not even an old "fuddy-duddy". I'm a 25 year old urban-dwelling music lover. But I can't stand those idiots...

[Rightly Biased]

Nothing is coincidence all is planned. So bring on and worship the almighty dollar.

And if we offend you then sorry.(all better now right?)

[theDentist]

Meanwhile, behind closed doors at MTV, CBS, and NFL Headquarters...

[smith288]

MTV is corrupt as they come. Blatant lying in the face of the FCC. May MTV rot in hell and suffer a cruel and unusual ending to that fester of a channel.

*cough*...there, I feel better.

[Interesting Times]

I suppose it's faintly good news that they feel obliged to lie about it...

[anniegetyourgun]

Too late - all are exposed....pun intended.

[longtermmemmory]

Mtv still exists?

[humboldtconservative]

Why would the NFL be high-fiving anyone? They had a GREAT game, and all people can talk about is the stupid half-second glance at a boob. Grow up. This should have been conversation for the 11 year old kids who haven't gotten their hands on a Playboy yet, not adults.

If she was topless, maybe...but all of this over a covered boob is preposterous.

[OldFriend]

Isn't VIACOM the company that goes into prisons and lets murderers get air time for their music ?

[stainlessbanner]

Everyone is talking about it. That's what they wanted.

[TC Rider]

A friends daughter (then 18) applied for 'Real World' type show that involved Pro wrestling in NYC. She made it to the last cut, then the familiy got the contracts in the mail from MTV.

She had release them from everything, including physical injury, and death. They had total rights to every snippet of film. They offered very little money on the preposition that room and board in Manhatten was so valuable.

It was real obvous they wanted kids lusting after their 15 minutes of fame.

She passed on the deal. (wise choice in my opinion)

[dfwgator]

Yeah, but it insures even more will watch the next one just to see what happens.

[railsplitter]

Don Wade of WLS' radio staff expressed the obvious this morning after watching several replays of Justin Timberlake's antics... Don vehemently denied that this act was anything but an accident/unintentional as he focused in on the grip of Justin peeling the covering off of Janet (I'm no bimbo) Jackson's breast... Justin can be seen clearly taking a firm grip on the covering of Miss Jackson's right breast and methodically removing the covering... wardrobe malfunction my arse! slinking toward Gomorrah continues unabated...

[Salamander]

Now it's RAPTV/Reality show soap opera crap.
I haven't watched it in at least 15 years.

VH-2 is where you'll find the "old" MTV videos.....:)

[Flightdeck]

Her boob was not covered. Nipple was there for all to see. Drudge report has a close up if you're interested.

[dfwgator]

It was just Justin's way of trying to say, "I'm straight, really I am."

[Weimdog]

In an interview with MTV.com on 1/28, Janet Jackson and her choreographer promise a "shocking moment", but the page has been deleted from MTV's website; but Drudge found it in Google.com's cache -

"I don't think the Super Bowl has ever seen a performance like this," Duldulao added. "The dancing is great. She's more stylized, she's more feminine, she's more a woman as she dances this time around. There are some shocking moments in there too."

http://216.239.37.104/search?q=cache:fdY9BmfrFS0J:www.mtv.com/news/articles/1484644/20040128/jackson_janet.jhtml%3Fheadlines%3Dtrue+janet+jackson+shocking+moments&hl=en&start=1&ie=UTF-8