If you don't remember the fleeting glimpse of Janet Jackson's breast, you will certainly remember the huge fine levied against CBS for the alleged "indecency infraction". That little 3 second shot brought the term "wardrobe malfunction" into the popular lexicon and made everyone question what the big deal was.
Apparently the court felt the same way, and they threw out the fines against CBS and it's affiliated stations who broadcast the live coverage of the Super Bowl. The court told FCC lawyers that there might have been a stronger case had the show been prerecorded, but because it was broadcast live, there was no solid evidence that CBS knew the bra would be torn off. Indeed the whole thing was about as silly as the performance.
Super Bowl half time shows are exercises in excess and bad television. The biggest reason they fail to work is that you have a crew of sports cameramen and directors shooting a stage show. It should be no surprise that they concentrate on senseless closeups of performers feet when they are dancing and tight shots of faces when the real entertainment value of the show is the full scope of the spectacle. Leave it to a sports crew to make a gargantuan spectacular look like a high school musical!
Meanwhile, the FCC continues it's ideology driven agenda to "clean up television", yet they still haven't figured out that the public's air waves need more protection than a prudish censor. We need the fairness doctrine back so that gasbags like Limbaugh and his ilk are balanced by an occasional reasonable voice. Maybe under the next administration?
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