The Associated Press is reporting that the incident occurred during a performance of Madonna's new single, "Give Me All Your Luvin." M.I.A. put up her middle finger and appeared to sing "I don't give a (expletive)" at one point during the song. The network briefly blurred the screen in an attempt to cut out the camera shot but it was late by less than a second.
"The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing and we apologize to our fans," said Brian McCarthy, spokesman for the NFL, which produced Madonna's halftime show.
"The NFL hired the talent and produced the halftime show," said NBC spokesman Christopher McCloskey. "Our system was late to obscure the inappropriate gesture and we apologize to our viewers."
Unfortunately, they were also too late in 2004 when they were unable to delete Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" which left her breast briefly exposed during a prime-time telecast.
McCarthy insists that M.I.A. had not done anything similar during rehearsals and the league had no reason to believe she would pull something like that during the actual show.
"Though M.I.A. didn’t pull a similar maneuver during rehearsals, acts looking to achieve notoriety or street cred in high-profile moments always will be inclined to do something outlandish," said Mike Florio for NBC Sports. "And so the best system for preventing such incidents comes not from having delays or dump buttons but a strong refusal to take any chances. At a minimum, the contracts should contain stiff financial penalties for anyone who makes obscene statements or gestures."
But, as usual, the warnings come too late and another Super Bowl show features an act that betrays the public trust who expect the NFL and major networks to deliver the family-friendly fare they promise.
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
