Breast reduction: $550K to $0 for wardrobe malfunction
Posted on July 21st, 2008 – 12:03 PMBy Michael Rand
Perhaps it wasn’t the most pressing case on the docket, but we would still like an explanation for the ruling on the 2004 Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” coming down right now. Hey appeals court: we’re working on a post about the Olympics. We’ll have it done by October 2009. Cool? In any event, it has been determined that the Timberlake/Jackson shenanigans, which directly led to Pacman Jones being suspended, were not worthy of a fine. From the AP:
A federal appeals court on Monday threw out a $550,000 indecency fine against CBS Corp. for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show that ended with Janet Jackson’s breast-baring “wardrobe malfunction.”
The three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Communications Commission “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” in issuing the fine for the fleeting image of nudity.
The 90 million people watching the Super Bowl, many of them children, heard Justin Timberlake sing, “Gonna have you naked by the end of this song,” as he reached for Jackson’s bustier.
The court found that the FCC deviated from its nearly 30-year practice of fining indecent broadcast programming only when it was so “pervasive as to amount to ’shock treatment’ for the audience.“
Now we can get back to more pressing questions like, “Is Justin Timberlake awesome or merely outstanding?”
Also, in a completely unrelated story: does anyone have a croquet set that we could borrow by, say, noon tomorrow?
11 Responses to "Breast reduction: $550K to $0 for wardrobe malfunction"
I’m back after a week of vacation. Can anyone give me an quick update on the last week of RandBall? I’m sure Stu got 23 +1’s, Dave mentioned 7 new beers he’s tried, Fasola sunk into deeper depression as Cleveland fell further back, and Joker broke another girl’s heart. Did I miss anything else?
Is Justin Timberlake awesome or merely outstanding?
In the former’s defense, we have What Goes Around Comes Around. For the latter, we have his uncoerced appearance in The Love Guru. WHO YA GOT?
JT(we’re close) did have an outstanding performance on a certain music video. Something about a Dome Dog in a box.
Starting your post with Breast reduction is one way to make sure Joker won’t read it.
Does anyone have a croquet set? Well, I guess this answers the question about the production budget for “Good Sports”…and maybe about the salary of a newspaper scribe. Here’s an idea: Go to Target, spend $20. Production crisis averted.
Starting your post with Breast reduction Letting Her Down Easy is one way to make sure Joker won’t read it.
/also works
To be fair, Ty, Rand can hardly expect Miles Tarver to cough up his own croquet set on his satellite technician’s salary.
Ty: I could do that … but what fun would that be?
Aren’t you playing croquet with Brock Lesner? I think he can afford to pick up a set.
JT is the truth. Good golfer, sports rube, talented performer, tags and releases more foxes than Marlon Perkins.
Where is this said croquet match taking place? Please tell me MLK Park.
