posted on Feb, 9 2004 @ 10:23 AM
They all bowed down to the powers that be. They all kissed butt for the sake of their corporate masters....but not Janet. Janet is still my
girl....
"Ms. Jackson and Mr. Timberlake were invited to participate in the show as long as they agreed to apologize on the air for what happened during our
network's broadcast of the `Super Bowl Halftime Show,' " a CBS statement last night explained. "Ms. Jackson declined the invitation. Mr.
Timberlake accepted."
One may deplore Ms. Jackson's taste in halftime attire, but she showed surprising gumption in turning down CBS. Mr. Timberlake did not. His was a
surprisingly tame performance for a former Mouseketeer who has been seeking to add an edgier, outlaw image. A more chivalrous artist might have
expressed regret that his co-conspirator was not there to apologize at his side.
And that widely shared docility was perhaps the only shocking thing in an evening of pop entertainment that ran the musical gamut from OutKast to Andy
Williams. On a night that celebrated both the pioneer rebellion of the Beatles and the truculent defiance of hip-hop, it was strange that no one spoke
out in solidarity with a shunned comrade. No one even dared make a joke.
The closest thing to a mention came from Christina Aguilera, dressed as a 20's flapper in a satin slipdress. When her perilously loose d�collet�
gaped apart, she made a halfhearted attempt at self-deprecation, saying that she did not want to happen to her "what happened to Janet."
Backstage there were a few murmurs in Ms. Jackson's favor. But in front of the CBS cameras, there was no sign of pity or snickering for Ms. Jackson
from her peers, even though many of them have known similar moments of backfiring publicity or career-crushing missteps. Instead her colleagues
ignored her as if her disgrace were contagious.
Snoop Dogg was stately. Madonna was missish. And Queen Latifah, of all people, was downright sanctimonious, saying, "Sometimes it's not about
celebrity, it's not about gossip, it's about the music."
www.nytimes.com...
[Edited on 9-2-2004 by Colonel]