Maroon 5 Super Bowl 2019 Halftime Show

[Deleted]

#janetjacksonappreciationday curse strikes again.

Y'all better let her save next year!

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Feb 4, 2019 4:34:32 GMT -5 Codex said:

He was shirtless, because that’s his outfit in the Moves Like Jagger video... It’s in no way comparable to what Janet did.

So what did Janet do that was so bad?

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

If the NFL wasn’t racist, all these halftime show dreams could be possible. Racism got them here. Maroon 5 is the result. Lol

[jebsib]

Men are sexually attracted to women's nipples. Thus the "Sexism" of hiding them.

[#LisaRinna]

What the hell was this MESS?

Adam did their catalog such a disservice with them out of breath and shaky vocals. "Harder to Breathe" and "This Love" were laughable. The rest was just sleep sleep.

[upsidedown]

Yeah, everything else aside, trying to compare Adam Levine taking off his shirt to the Janet thing is just ridiculous.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Feb 4, 2019 7:13:16 GMT -5 upsidedown said:

Yeah, everything else aside, trying to compare Adam Levine taking off his shirt to the Janet thing is just ridiculous.

True. He showed his nips on purpose no question.

[Choco]

Feb 4, 2019 5:23:38 GMT -5 Future Captain said:

Why didn't we get Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson? Hell, after the disaster that is JT and this year's borefest, even Jennifer Lopez will be preferable since she at least know how to put on a show.

Carrie's name has been thrown around a few times but the NFL apparently doesn't want Country singers to appeal so they can appeal a broader (i.e. international) audience. Kelly could do it in theory but much like Adele she's probably better suited for a much more intimate experience while this should be about the fireworks and the over the topness (not that M5 or even JT pulled it off... I've seen people dragging BEP into this but at least their show had the over the top production to entertain on a visual level).

JLo was an obvious choice. Her MTV medley last year was great.

IMO the three best ones in recent years are Gaga, Katy and Bey. Bey was the only one to use relevant guests (Destiny's Child), Katy had lots of great production choices (like the Lion and Left Shark) and she has a collection of earworms that most people won't ever get. Gaga is obviously a great performer who loves what she does and it showed. Bruno, Madonna and even BEP killed it too. My only issue with Coldplay is that Bey and Bruno completely overshadowed them.

[Sambalada]

Ugh I'll never forgive anyone who backlashed against Janet. The woman obviously didn't do it on purpose.

But can we not compare it to this Adam Levine taking off his shirt thing? It's very lame but both are not comparable.

[Fat Ass Kelly Price]

We’ve been socialized to think they’re two very different actions. In reality, a nipple is a nipple is a nipple. If anything, male nipples are more intrinsically sexual, because they have no functional purpose on men.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

How so? Janet got blasted and shamed because her nipple was exposed. Adam was permitted to show both of his for more than half a second. A nipple is a nipple. Why the double standard?

[jenglisbe]

Feb 4, 2019 1:11:14 GMT -5 🅳🅸🆂🅲🅾 said:

Who in the f**king f**k did Adam and the other M5 members have to blow to get that performance slot? Seriously. I WANT NAMES NOW. Who in their right mind allowed this to happen? Why was this allowed?

Keep in mind several artists passed, so who knows how many it took until they were left with Maroon 5?

[jenglisbe]

Feb 4, 2019 7:07:25 GMT -5 Codex said:

Feb 4, 2019 6:42:41 GMT -5 Rose "Payola" Nylund said:

So what did Janet do that was so bad?

Nothing, I don’t care about that. But trying to tear down a guy for being shirtless, because of what happened to Janet, is ridiculous. It’s not similar at all.

How is it not similar? Adam showed his whole chest, including both nipples. Janet showed one nipple. Ok, I see your point, Adam's was worse.

[Fat Ass Kelly Price]

Feb 4, 2019 9:06:08 GMT -5 Codex said:

Feb 4, 2019 8:24:15 GMT -5 Fat Ass Kelly Price said:

We’ve been socialized to think they’re two very different actions. In reality, a nipple is a nipple is a nipple. If anything, male nipples are more intrinsically sexual, because they have no functional purpose on men.

Similarly, men can’t wear speedos on the beach in America, while it’s normal for women to wear thongs. Lady Gaga was in her underwear 2 years ago, but if Adam Levine wore a leotard on stage, he’d face backlash.

There was nothing wrong with Adam going shirtless to recreate the MLJ music video, which no one has ever had a problem with.

Where the fuck did you read that mess? 😂 That is a lie, so your attempt at an analogous comparison failed, honey.

No one has a problem with Adam being shirtless. It’s a criticism of the NFL sand FCC for an overreaction to Janet’s nipple, while male nipples are inexplicably admissible.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Feb 4, 2019 9:06:08 GMT -5 Codex said:

Feb 4, 2019 8:24:15 GMT -5 Fat Ass Kelly Price said:

We’ve been socialized to think they’re two very different actions. In reality, a nipple is a nipple is a nipple. If anything, male nipples are more intrinsically sexual, because they have no functional purpose on men.

Similarly, men can’t wear speedos on the beach in America, while it’s normal for women to wear thongs. Lady Gaga was in her underwear 2 years ago, but if Adam Levine wore a leotard on stage, he’d face backlash.

Do you actually believe that? That CBS would get fined and Adam Levine would have career-damaging backlash for being a leotard or speedo on stage? The only backlash he’d receive (other than the double standard one he’s getting now) might be for trying too hard to be sexual or for wearing something too ‘gay’, because acting or looking the wrong kind of gay is still taboo.
And the reason why men don’t wear speedos on the beach in America is because it’s not deemed ‘acceptable’ or masculine to wear them. There’s also a difference between socially acceptable and illegal. The issue at hand here is that a women’s nipple is deemed illegal for literally no reason.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Feb 4, 2019 9:18:32 GMT -5 Codex said:

Male nipples are different than female nipples. They have no glands under them, they’re smaller and they’re usually hairy. If similar body parts are exactly the same, then why do gays not just make out with girls and r*m them, if “a mouth of a mouth” and “a butt is a butt”?

Lmao! I could post pictures of 5 nipples and I bet nobody could definitely tell whether they belonged to men or women.

As for your other question, that’s just offensively stupid. Just stop.

[Enigma.]

Just watched this properly. It was a huge mess and not in a good way, but liked The Way You Move!

[Fat Ass Kelly Price]

Feb 4, 2019 9:18:32 GMT -5 Codex said:

Feb 4, 2019 9:09:07 GMT -5 Fat Ass Kelly Price said:

Where the f**k did you read that mess? 😂 That is a lie, so your attempt at an analogous comparison failed, honey.

No one has a problem with Adam being shirtless. It’s a criticism of the NFL sand FCC for an overreaction to Janet’s nipple, while male nipples are inexplicably admissible.

It depends on the state and city, but there’s clearly a difference between the type of swim suits that are socially accepted in North America vs Europe.

Male nipples are different than female nipples. They have no glands under them, they’re smaller and they’re usually hairy. If similar body parts are exactly the same, then why do gays not just make out with girls and r*m them, if “a mouth is a mouth” and “a butt is a butt”?

I have to laugh. You’re lost, so this conversation has ceased being fruitful in any way. Have an unremarkable day! 👋🏻

[Ling-Ling]

Feb 4, 2019 9:18:32 GMT -5 Codex said:

Male nipples are different than female nipples. They have no glands under them, they’re smaller and they’re usually hairy. If similar body parts are exactly the same, then why do gays not just make out with girls and have sex with them, if “a mouth is a mouth” and “a butt is a butt”?

Outside of function, there is no difference between male and female nipples. They look exactly the same, so just STOP. Women's breasts have been sexualized to control and police their bodies and sexuality since the dawn of time. There is no biological reasoning, it's all a tactic to oppress and there is no excuse for you to be peddling this misogynistic clap-trap in 2019. Are you at home flipping through the old testament right now?

As for that second part, LAWD. You're really stretching there. As if sexual preference is all boiled down to simply body parts.

[Fat Ass Kelly Price]

Ling-Ling fix that quote! I refuse to have those words attributed to me

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Feb 4, 2019 9:32:04 GMT -5 Codex said:

Feb 4, 2019 9:09:07 GMT -5 Fat Ass Kelly Price said:

Where the f**k did you read that mess? 😂 That is a lie, so your attempt at an analogous comparison failed, honey.

No one has a problem with Adam being shirtless. It’s a criticism of the NFL sand FCC for an overreaction to Janet’s nipple, while male nipples are inexplicably admissible.

So, do we want male nipples to also be deemed socially unacceptable? What exactly is the goal of complaining?

Is that the only solution?

[Ling-Ling]

Feb 4, 2019 9:32:14 GMT -5 Fat Ass Kelly Price said:

Ling-Ling fix that quote! I refuse to have those words attributed to me

Whoopsies! Fixed it.

[Keelzit]

Someone pls fill me in because from what I understand they're getting dragged for more reasons than just delivering a bad performance. About the nipples, I'm totally #teamJanet but I also don't expect everyone else to cover their titties as a form of respect to her. That's the NFL's responsibility to put boundaries the artists' themselves might have not even thought about. Call the organizers misogynists for approving it, sure, but again, I don't think M5 even thought of Janet and how what happened then would apply in today's society. I've also read that M5 somehow disrespected human rights by accepting to perform despite of the Kaepernick incident and its aftermath. Wouldn't anyone performing this year be treated the same way though? The only way this would be avoided is if there was literally no half-time performance which doesn't seem like a possibility. Social media tries to spin Adan Levine as a racist person which he might be who knows but I don't think him performing at the 2019 SB is enough proof of that. Ignorant and uninformed, maybe, but I think racist goes a little too far. Am I missing something here?

[Ling-Ling]

Feb 4, 2019 9:56:05 GMT -5 Codex said:

Feb 4, 2019 9:30:27 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

Outside of function, there is no difference between male and female nipples. They look exactly the same, so just STOP. Women's breasts have been sexualized to control and police their bodies and sexuality since the dawn of time. There is no biological reasoning, it's all a tactic to oppress and there is no excuse for you to be peddling this misogynistic clap-trap in 2019. Are you at home flipping through the old testament right now?

Y'all need to chill, lol. Did I say anywhere that I have any problems with female nipples? I'm European, the beaches are filled the topless women and no one cares. I support the #freethenipple movement and think what society is unfair to women, and spent years fuming over what happened to Janet's career, unfairly.

That doesn't mean that I have to agree that Adam taking his shirt off is "the same" as Janets breastplate falling off. I chose my example to be just as ridiculous as the comments before it:

Feb 4, 2019 8:30:40 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

How is it not similar? Adam showed his whole chest, including both nipples. Janet showed one nipple. Ok, I see your point, Adam's was worse.

Yet you had numerous posts trying to say that male and female nipples were different and people calling out the hypocrisy were wrong. So either you're just trying to stir the pot or you really have no idea what you're trying to say.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

If she got fined, it’s more than socially unacceptable.

I think the reason people are angry at Adam is that it’s considered to be in poor taste that he just took off his shirt on the very same stage that Janet essentially had her career and legacy come to a half for having only a portion of that happen to her. In an age where the discussion of gender equality is at the top of the list, it’s a little bit of a slap in the face to Janet and women as a whole that a man can simply take off his shirt with confidence knowing he won’t face any consequences. Technically speaking, he didn’t do anything wrong. But neither did Janet’s nipple. Yet he chose to spit on that discussion and walk away unscathed.

[Deleted]

Feb 4, 2019 10:13:40 GMT -5 Codex said:

Feb 4, 2019 9:20:50 GMT -5 Rose "Payola" Nylund said:

There’s also a difference between socially acceptable and illegal. The issue at hand here is that a women’s nipple is deemed illegal for literally no reason.

I know, and I'm assuming she got fined as well, but wasn't the main reason for Janet's backlash the fact that she did something socially unacceptable? I was only 10 at the time, but I was under the impression that most of the problem was the media and the general public overreacting as well, alongside the NFL and FCC.

Janet didn't offer an apology that Moonves (then-head of CBS) deemed 'acceptable,' and he blackballed her over that. So it's more complex than a woman's visible nipple being socially unacceptable bc one of the most powerful men in US media was actively using his power to drive that 'overreaction,' knowing that the general public's reaction to it would be greatly influenced by what the media dictated the reaction should be. When you get to the root of the situation, it had almost nothing to do with her nipple and everything to do with a misogynistic egomaniac being angry at a woman refusing to blindly do or say what she was told. Had everyone involved laughed it off and paid the fine, I think the public would have moved on and forgotten about it within a week.

[Deleted]

Feb 4, 2019 7:03:40 GMT -5 jebsib said:

Men are sexually attracted to women's nipples. Thus the "Sexism" of hiding them.

Disclaimer: I didn't watch the game or halftime show last night. But a big part of Adam's appeal as a performer is that he's conventionally good looking and gets many of his female fans hot and bothered by his sexuality. So I think it's fair to point out the hypocrisy in women's nipples being deemed too 'sexual' for exposure but it being okay for a man to take off his shirt with the clear intent of sexual provocation. (I'm gathering he took his shirt off during MLJ, in which case it's as parallel to 'gonna have you naked by the end of this song' as you can get. Those song lyrics were used against Janet to 'prove' how intentional her nip slip must have been - and those weren't even Janet's lyrics, that's Justin's song.)

[Khia]

While the double standard that exists between male and female nipples is ridiculous, I'm not completely understanding the reaction in here. I get the continued outrage over how horribly and unfairly Janet was treated, but it almost seems like some in here are surprised that Adam got away with going shirtless. I mean, what were we expecting? It's not fair, but that's how our society is: male toplessness is acceptable.

I'm also 99% sure that Adam didn't give the Janet debacle a thought when he decided to go shirtless. He wasn't insulting her, it's just ingrained in our society that males going shirtless is acceptable. I think it's as simple as that. Of course it's unfair, but it's not surprising in the least, and it's not really Adam's fault.

Slightly unrelated, but I think it's also important to note that the Janet incident happened 15 years ago. Not enough progress has been made in equality, but some has. Janet probably would not have gotten as much blowback if her nipple was exposed in 2019 (though there would still be some controversy). Cynthia's point is also important; known misogynist and predator Les Moonves was at least partially responsible for exacerbating the backlash and damaging Janet's reputation/career.

[Deleted]

Feb 4, 2019 12:04:21 GMT -5 Khia said:

While the double standard that exists between male and female nipples is ridiculous, I'm not completely understanding the reaction in here. I get the continued outrage over how horribly and unfairly Janet was treated, but it almost seems like some in here are surprised that Adam got away with going shirtless. I mean, what were we expecting? It's not fair, but that's how our society is: male toplessness is acceptable.

I'm also 99% sure that Adam didn't give the Janet debacle a thought when he decided to go shirtless. He wasn't insulting her, it's just ingrained in our society that males going shirtless is acceptable. I think it's as simple as that. Of course it's unfair, but it's not surprising in the least, and it's not really Adam's fault.

Slightly unrelated, but I think it's also important to note that the Janet incident happened 15 years ago. Not enough progress has been made in equality, but some has. Janet probably would not have gotten as much blowback if her nipple was exposed in 2019 (though there would still be some controversy). Cynthia's point is also important; known misogynist and predator Les Moonves was at least partially responsible for exacerbating the backlash and damaging Janet's reputation/career.

I also doubt it was intentional, I guess it was just kind of tone-deaf - more so on CBS's part than Maroon 5's. You'd think that network would be especially vigilant about avoiding anything that might bring up that controversy again.

I'm just amused at how this likely would not even have been brought up anywhere had Adam just not sucked. His nipples aren't that interesting or cute so I know this must have been one dull show for people to only have that to talk about.

[Khia]

Feb 4, 2019 12:27:01 GMT -5 @antigonerising said:

Feb 4, 2019 12:04:21 GMT -5 Khia said:

While the double standard that exists between male and female nipples is ridiculous, I'm not completely understanding the reaction in here. I get the continued outrage over how horribly and unfairly Janet was treated, but it almost seems like some in here are surprised that Adam got away with going shirtless. I mean, what were we expecting? It's not fair, but that's how our society is: male toplessness is acceptable.

I'm also 99% sure that Adam didn't give the Janet debacle a thought when he decided to go shirtless. He wasn't insulting her, it's just ingrained in our society that males going shirtless is acceptable. I think it's as simple as that. Of course it's unfair, but it's not surprising in the least, and it's not really Adam's fault.

Slightly unrelated, but I think it's also important to note that the Janet incident happened 15 years ago. Not enough progress has been made in equality, but some has. Janet probably would not have gotten as much blowback if her nipple was exposed in 2019 (though there would still be some controversy). Cynthia's point is also important; known misogynist and predator Les Moonves was at least partially responsible for exacerbating the backlash and damaging Janet's reputation/career.

I also doubt it was intentional, I guess it was just kind of tone-deaf - more so on CBS's part than Maroon 5's. You'd think that network would be especially vigilant about avoiding anything that might bring up that controversy again.

I'm just amused at how this likely would not even have been brought up anywhere had Adam just not sucked. His nipples aren't that interesting or cute so I know this must have been one dull show for people to only have that to talk about.

Yeah, that's certainly true. CBS should've known better if anything. It also just occurred to me that it was CBS again - I mean, I knew it was CBS, but the connection didn't really register until now. So that just adds to the parallels.

I was just thinking about your second point too, lol. Adam seems to have some pretty vocal opposition. If the shirtless man had been someone more well liked, I don't think this would've been as much of an issue. He just didn't bring anything special to the performance that outshined his nipples...

I'm also wondering, because I haven't really looked around yet: has there been much coverage/discussion of this on Twitter/the Internet at large, or is it more of a Pulse thing?