"This should never have happened. But everyone is looking for someone else to blame."

The Super Bowl halftime shows have become culturally important as the super-expensive commercials, and even game day snacks.

With millions of people watching, there will be many memorable moments and major controversies. There's no telling what could happen on the Super Bowl stage, from accidental nip slips and multi-million dollar lawsuits.

These are the most controversial Super Bowl halftime shows...

1. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake

Although Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson made headlines in 2004 for their Super Bowl halftime show, it wasn't because they performed so well. The shocking finale of their last song left viewers stunned. Justin reached out to Janet and tore off half her top, showing her breasts live on television. Janet was the victim of most of the backlash and was disinvited from the Grammy Awards. Janet said that it was an accident that was blown out of control.

"Honestly, this whole situation was way out of control. It was an accident, of course. This should never have happened. However, everyone is trying to find someone to blame. Justin and I are good friends and will continue to be good friends. "We spoke only a few days ago and he and me have moved on. It's time for everybody else to do so too," Janet stated during her 2022 Lifetime series.

2. Madonna & M.I.A.

Madonna brought M.I.A. along to the Super Bowl 2012. M.I.A. was present for the performance. M.I.A. ended up flipping off the camera, which was a surprise considering how strong things were starting to go. M.I.A. ended up flipping the camera, which was not part of their live televised performance. The NFL sued Madonna for more than $16 million, but she eventually settled with them for an undisclosed amount. Madonna later stated that the gesture was "such an irrelevant teenage thing to do."

"I was truly surprised. It was something I did not know. It made me unhappy. I understand it's punk rock and everything, but to me there was such a feeling of love and good energy, and positivity, it seemed negative...It's such a teenager...irrelevant thing to do. It was a place of unity and love. What was the point? Madonna stated that it was "just out of place."

3. There are new kids on the block

New Kids on the Block was the first pop group to perform on the Super Bowl halftime stage before it became an annual pop culture event. The slot was previously reserved for marching bands. Although the group was instrumental in establishing a tradition that continues for decades, it wasn't broadcast when it was meant to. Instead of airing their segment in the middle the big game, ABC shared a news report on the Gulf War. Donnie Wahlberg says it was not his favorite performance, but he does remember the rendition of "It’s A Small World" that he performed on the show.

Donnie said that he didn't know how proud he takes in the performance. "But, I take pride in being the first to do it."

4. Beyonce

Although Beyonce and Coldplay put on an amazing show at the 2016 Super Bowl, not everyone liked the political statements she made on stage. Bey was seen on stage carrying a swag of bullets across the chest after the controversial "Formation" music videos were released. Bey was accompanied by Black Panther-themed dancers. Some viewers were not happy with the racial justice theme. They called it a "race baiting stunt" that was "a slap in the face of law enforcement" and organized protests against the NFL for allowing it. The performance was largely celebrated by legions.

5. Maroon 5

Maroon 5, who performed at the 2019 halftime show, almost missed it. A Change.org petition was signed by more than 75,000 people prior to the performance asking the band to withdraw from the show to support Colin Kaepernick's #TakeAKnee campaign. Maroon 5 accepted the offer and joined the NFL and their record label to donate $500,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Travis Scott joined the group on stage. He also requested that the NFL partner with him in a charitable contribution. Together, they will give $500,000 to Dream Corps (a non-profit organization that promotes social justice).

6. Prince

Prince performed "Purple Rain" on the Super Bowl's stage during a torrential downpour. Some fans saw a moment that was a little eerie during Prince's performance of "Purple Rain." The shadow of the musician was projected onto large sheets. Some people did double takes when the silhouette of his guitar was seen in the middle of the song. Although he didn't say if the placement of his guitar was deliberate, it certainly looked a bit phallic.

7. Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers might be the most popular rock band in the world, but they were not actually using their instruments during the Super Bowl halftime performance in 2014. Flea, the bassist, admitted that they had no choice but to prerecord their instruments after fans pointed out that none were plugged in.

I understand the NFL's position on this. Given that they only have a few moments to set up the stage there are a lot of things that could go wrong. This could ruin the sound quality for both the people watching and those who are watching from the television. Flea stated that there was no room for disagreement on this. The NFL doesn't want their show to be marred by poor sound.

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Title: 7 Major Super Bowl Halftime Show Controversies
Sourced From: toofab.com/2023/02/11/super-bowl-halftime-show-controversies/
Published Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:00:39 +0000

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