A Reclamation: Janet Jackson for the Super Bowl Halftime Show
The Issue
ATTN: NFL and Commissioner Goodell-
We, the signatories of this petition, call for (1) a formal apology to living legend Janet Jackson for your egregious mishandling of the 2004 Halftime Show “controversy” and (2) an offer for her to headline the 2021 Halftime Show.
In no small part due to the NFL’s malicious attempts to scapegoat Ms. Jackson in the wake of the 2004 wardrobe malfunction that lasted a grand total of 9/16ths of a second, she was unjustly maligned in the media for years. Meanwhile, in response, Justin Timberlake noted, "Hey man, we love giving you all something to talk about.” FCC Chairman Michael Powell called the moment "a classless, crass, and deplorable stunt". And Ms. Jackson was forced to film a solo apology video for being exposed at the hands of Justin Timberlake.
In the wake of the scandal, Ms. Jackson suffered a deliberate blacklisting of her singles and music videos at the hands of CBS, parent company Viacom, and its subsidiaries MTV and Infinity Broadcasting, via CBS Chairman, CEO, and serial abuser, Les Moonves.
And what did the NFL do in response to Ms. Jackson’s blacklisting? Invite perpetrator Justin Timberlake to headline again in 2018, resulting in the most forgettable Halftime Show of the 21st century. (Which should be noted, came on the heels of Ms. Jackson’s 2018 international State of the World tour that sought to address racism, white supremacy, homophobia, fascism, xenophobia, domestic violence, and police brutality. And Timberlake’s then-hit about dancing trolls.) In offering Timberlake another chance to headline as a solo artist, the NFL remained actively complicit in the silencing of one of the greatest selling artists- male or female- of all time. And while Commissioner Goodell’s recent semi-apology to Colin Kaepernick signals that the NFL is at least willing to do the bare minimum when put under pressure to respond to their decades-long history of systemic racism, sexism, and misogynoir, rest assured: they can do better.
NFL, this is a story about control: control of what you say, control of what you do. While you cannot possibly be absolved of the transgressions you have committed against Ms. Jackson- and by extension, Black womxn at large- you do have the power and platform to send a clear message. A formal apology and (should she accept) playing the Halftime Show in an offer of reclamation is a long overdue move towards course correction.
The signatories of this petition implore you: do the right thing.
The Issue
ATTN: NFL and Commissioner Goodell-
We, the signatories of this petition, call for (1) a formal apology to living legend Janet Jackson for your egregious mishandling of the 2004 Halftime Show “controversy” and (2) an offer for her to headline the 2021 Halftime Show.
In no small part due to the NFL’s malicious attempts to scapegoat Ms. Jackson in the wake of the 2004 wardrobe malfunction that lasted a grand total of 9/16ths of a second, she was unjustly maligned in the media for years. Meanwhile, in response, Justin Timberlake noted, "Hey man, we love giving you all something to talk about.” FCC Chairman Michael Powell called the moment "a classless, crass, and deplorable stunt". And Ms. Jackson was forced to film a solo apology video for being exposed at the hands of Justin Timberlake.
In the wake of the scandal, Ms. Jackson suffered a deliberate blacklisting of her singles and music videos at the hands of CBS, parent company Viacom, and its subsidiaries MTV and Infinity Broadcasting, via CBS Chairman, CEO, and serial abuser, Les Moonves.
And what did the NFL do in response to Ms. Jackson’s blacklisting? Invite perpetrator Justin Timberlake to headline again in 2018, resulting in the most forgettable Halftime Show of the 21st century. (Which should be noted, came on the heels of Ms. Jackson’s 2018 international State of the World tour that sought to address racism, white supremacy, homophobia, fascism, xenophobia, domestic violence, and police brutality. And Timberlake’s then-hit about dancing trolls.) In offering Timberlake another chance to headline as a solo artist, the NFL remained actively complicit in the silencing of one of the greatest selling artists- male or female- of all time. And while Commissioner Goodell’s recent semi-apology to Colin Kaepernick signals that the NFL is at least willing to do the bare minimum when put under pressure to respond to their decades-long history of systemic racism, sexism, and misogynoir, rest assured: they can do better.
NFL, this is a story about control: control of what you say, control of what you do. While you cannot possibly be absolved of the transgressions you have committed against Ms. Jackson- and by extension, Black womxn at large- you do have the power and platform to send a clear message. A formal apology and (should she accept) playing the Halftime Show in an offer of reclamation is a long overdue move towards course correction.
The signatories of this petition implore you: do the right thing.
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Petition created on June 11, 2020