Nipplegate: Seven Years Later, Who Knew?

It's been seven years now since Justin Timberlake unknowingly (wink, wink) exposed Janet Jackson's left breast during the half time performance of Super Bowl 38. Who knew that one wardrobe malfunction and an exposed mammary gland, would have such an everlasting effect.

The actual halftime show that year was produced by MTV and intended to help promote MTV's Rock the Vote campaign to encourage younger people to get out and vote. Unfortunately that message was lost in the ensuing controversy, the loose connection between all the acts of the halftime show and the actions that ensued throughout the show.

Besides Jackson's "exposure," the show's other performances included gestures by the rapper Nelly toward his crotch and musician Kid Rock appearing in a poncho made from a slitted American flag, which he later tossed into the crowd.  Following the incident, the NFL announced that MTV would never be involved in another halftime show.

Which brings me to the situation at hand. Since Nipplegate, we have been subject to such halftime acts as 67-year-old former Beatle Paul McCartney and 66-year-old Mick Jagger and his aging Rolling Stones band mates.

Super Bowl 42 offered us 59-year-old Tom Petty. Bruce Springsteen (60 years old) and his E Street Band rocked us in Super Bowl 43, and now comes news that 65-year-old Roger

Daltry and the Who will Dazzle us with a little Pin Ball Wizardry this year in Miami.

My calculator indicates those five acts are a combined 317 years old—yikes! Don’t get me wrong, I dig a little Dancing in the Dark every now and then and think I’ve even had a 19th Nervous Breakdown once or twice, But come on, can’t we get more current with our choices for halftime entertainment?  

Yes, you are right, I did fail to mention that musician Prince shared the halftime time show with the Florida A&M Marching 100 for the Super Bowl 41 half time, but his royal purpleness was on his best behavior that day.

Mr. Daltry, if you are reading this please take no offense, your music has stood the test of time much like the music of most of your British invasion counterparts, but when I told my teenage son that you and your group were performing at this years Super Bowl halftime, his reply was, WHO?