Former FCC Chairman: I Wasn't That Outraged At Janet Jackson's Boob

Remember that boob? It's one of the most famous boobs ever. Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" was why the few subsequent Super Bowl halftime shows were safe, old, boobless acts like Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. And it wasn't even on TV for a whole second!

ESPN The Magazine looked back for the 10-year boobversary, talking to different people involved in the incident. The best quotes came from Michael Powell, the Federal Communications Committee chairman at the time—the group that polices decency on television—and had to deal with everyone thinking of the children because of a televised nipple. (He watched the boob at his house and said to his friend, "My day is going to suck tomorrow.") Though at the time Powell called it a "classless, crass and deplorable stunt," ten years later, Powell admits it wasn't as big of a deal as everyone made it out to be.

"I think we've been removed from this long enough for me to tell you that I had to put my best version of outrage on that I could put on," he says, shrugging his shoulders and rolling his eyes. "Part of it was surreal, right? Look, I think it was dumb to happen, and they knew the rules and were flirting with them, and my job is to enforce the rules, but, you know, really? This is what we're gonna do?"

[ ESPN The Magazine]

Photo: AP