February 05, 2004

Janet Jackson: Oh, Here We Go.

Justin T. is now making with all the apologies:

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Justin Timberlake said Wednesday his own family was offended by his racy Super Bowl halftime duet with Janet Jackson, but he insisted he thought only her bustier would be revealed, not her breast, when he yanked at her costume.

... He added that he was frustrated that his character was being questioned.

... “Now I was under the impression that what was going to be revealed in the costume reveal was a red brassiere, bustier,” he said.

The singer said he didn’t have time to rehearse it before taking the stage and was stunned by the outcome. “I mean I was completely shocked and appalled, and all I could say was “Oh my God, Oh my God,” he said. The one-second flashing, which revealed Jackson’s right breast clad only in a sun-shaped “nipple shield” to some 89 million viewers, has caused an uproar. Jackson’s spokeswoman said a red lace garment was supposed to remain, and the singer issued another apology in a videotape released to the media Tuesday night. She previously apologized Monday in a written statement. “I am really sorry if I offended anyone. That was truly not my intention,” she said. “MTV, CBS, the NFL had no knowledge of this whatsoever, and unfortunately, the whole thing went wrong in the end.”

YEAH, RIGHT. Sure. He’s supposed to reach up, carefully get his hand somehow between the leather costume and the lacy bustier, and just rip off the leather—in one second with millions of people watching—without rehearsal! Sure he was. Nobody could possibly have expected Justin to manage that without rehearsal.

So here we go now, probably, with Janet going on all the talk shows and claiming it was all a big accident. Well you know what? I like Janet. Her music hasn’t been about drugs and killing and so on. She’s had a lot of good songs. But I hope she doesn’t go out there asking for forgiveness with a bogus story.