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Janet Jackson Doc ‘Malfunction’ Explores Blacklisting Claims, Les Moonves Involvement in Super Bowl Controversy - Hollywood Reporter
Nov 20, 2021 1 min, 50 secs

Just over an hour long, the latest episode of 'The New York Times Presents…' documentary series attempts to answer the biggest questions about the fallout over Jackson and Justin Timberlake's 2004 halftime show.

The latest chapter in The New York Times Presents… FX on Hulu series attempts to answer this, framed within the context of the racism, sexism and eventual ageism the singer endured not just in the wake of the controversial moment during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show but throughout Jackson’s professional career.

The hour-long doc addresses various issues surrounding the infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime show “wardrobe malfunction,” including the conservative cultural and political backlash, FCC investigation and fines and the widespread media reaction.

Included are claims that former CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves wanted formal in-person apologies from Jackson and Justin Timberlake after making promises to NFL officials that the halftime show would be family-friendly.

According to the doc, this was to occur during their separate appearances at that year’s Grammys, scheduled just a week after the Super Bowl event.

Through this, it eventually narrows on Timberlake’s role in the halftime event.

But it also examines Timberlake’s behavior ahead of, during and after the controversy, featuring several clips of the former N’SYNC member making objectifying comments about Jackson in the lead-up and aftermath of the Super Bowl event and illustrating how his career took off as Jackson’s came to a screeching halt.

According to the doc, Timberlake’s after-show responses coincided with reports from a Super Bowl stage manager that Jackson — who Frattini says was on a plane back to L.A.

“Here we are trying to ask the person who it happened to — because it happened to her — and she was gone,” Frattini says

The doc doesn’t offer any clear conclusion on what Jackson was feeling in that moment or whether it was a planned performance element — the singer declined to comment, as did Timberlake and Moonves

“Now, if there was a blacklist locally, in Salt Lake City for example, because the program manager there knew his audience was offended by what Janet did on Super Bowl Sunday, that’s entirely conceivable.”

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