The Most Controversial Halftime Shows in Super Bowl History
Although the Super Bowl halftime performance is consistently one of the most watched events of the year, it wasn’t always the huge tradition it is today. The program was somewhat dull before the 1990s. The NFL used to schedule a neighborhood marching band or any other type of family-friendly entertainment.
However, in the modern era, the event is so significant that the NFL has the power to demand payment from performers. A lot of uncontrollable issues come along with scale. The NFL, each year, tries to keep tens of millions of spectators entertained while also pulling off a massive 12-minute extravaganza.
The most well-known Super Bowl performance is from 2004 when Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s “indecent exposure” permanently altered the show’s course. Still, there are other halftime show controversies as well. Let’s revisit some of the most contentious Super Bowl half-time show incidents since many things have gone wrong on stage.
M.I.A. Flips Everyone Off
The British-born artist was in rather strong company with a half-time ensemble that featured Madonna, CeeLo Green, LMFAO, and Nicki Minaj. That only meant that M.I.A. had to stand out, so while she grinded to Give Me All Your Luvin’ (apparently a famous NFL dancing motion), she chose to lift her middle finger at the camera.
It goes without saying that the American public did not like her gesture, and, unsurprisingly, she hasn’t returned to the half-time stage since. The NFL sued her for $16.6 million, but a settlement for an unknown sum was finally reached and no sanctions were sought by the FCC.
The “Left Shark” Performance
Despite the artificial stage setups and silly costumed “palm trees” in Katy Perry’s bright, happy Super Bowl routine, it was the Left Shark who ultimately stood out and stole the show by deviating from the choreography and acting erratically with a few improvised maneuvers.
Most people found the dancer’s onstage gaffes amusing, and the video quickly went viral. However, the story didn’t end there. Perry’s attorneys actually filed charges against the makers and sellers of fake shark costumes.
Beyonce’s “Formation” Performance
Coldplay was 2016’s designated headlining act, but when Beyoncé appeared with a group of dancers for the Black Panther-inspired “Formation” performance, she utterly stole the night and caused a lot of controversy due to its social justice-related subject.
Foreshadowing her transformation with Lemonade into a voice for black womanhood, Queen Bey demonstrated to America that she was more than simply a pop diva by being strung with a bandolier of bullets across her chest. Even Saturday Night Live made a skit about the unexpected performance.
Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction
Basically, Justin Timberlake removed a breastplate from Janet Jackson’s outfit during the Halftime Show, exposing a body portion that isn’t allowed on TV for more than a second. While some of the specifics remain a mystery, the outcome is obvious.
Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell denounced the celebration as “a classless, crude, and terrible spectacle” and announced an investigation. A law passed by Congress raised more than tenfold the penalties for “indecency” on television. Jackson’s career suffered as a result of the FCC’s campaign to prohibit media over “public obscenity,” whereas Timberlake’s is largely unaffected.
Fun fact: Jawed Karim looked for a video of the “Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show debacle,” also known as “Nipplegate,” but he couldn’t find one. However, it was this disaster that inspired him to create YouTube.
The Rolling Stones Censorship
For Super Bowl XL, The Rolling Stones sang three timeless songs at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. From the beginning, their appointment as half-time performers generated debate among fans over whether or not their music was truly appropriate for Detroit’s rich musical heritage.
Despite the sound fading in and out at numerous moments in StartMe Up and Rough Justice, the legendary British band nevertheless played to enthusiastic applause. Reports from the time say that the lyrics were censored because some of the words were too sexually explicit for the network to allow.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Unplugged Performance
Bruno Mars got mostly good reviews, but the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers got into trouble when fans noticed that their guitars weren’t plugged in during their first set.
Later, Flea, the band’s bassist, said that the NFL insisted on a taped version of the bass, drums, and guitar due to time constraints and the requirement for technical excellence. Although purists were still unsatisfied, he commented on the band’s website, “The NFL does not want to risk their performance being ruined by terrible sound, period.”
Christina Aguilera Forgets the Star-Spangled Banner Lyrics
Yes, we know, the half-time show did not feature Christian Aguilera. She did, however, perform the national anthem in 2011 before Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
She mispronounced the lyrics of an earlier section of the song, saying “What so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last gleaming” instead of “O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.” The 41-year-old later said that she got “lost in the moment.”
