Janet vs The Halftime Show | Control | 102
Even the Rich
Audible
4.4 • 11.6K Ratings
🗓️ 15 February 2022
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On February 1st, 2004, Janet Jackson’s right breast was exposed to a live audience of over 144 million at the Super Bowl — for 9/16ths of a second. What should have been a fleeting moment of professional embarrassment became a national scandal. It was a story that had everything: a titillating costume change gone wrong, a powerful black woman who refused to grovel, and a squeaky-clean, young white upstart who was only too happy to align himself with power. Racism, sexism and misogyny collided to turn one of the greatest entertainers in the world into nothing more than a political scapegoat.
In the first episode of our special two-part series, we'll tell you the story of how one woman found a way to achieve the American dream — then had it all snatched away in an instant.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Wonder Plus subscribers can |
| 0:01.8 | convince the newest season of even the rich before anyone else. |
| 0:04.4 | Join Wonder Plus in the Wonder App or on Apple Podcasts. |
| 0:07.4 | This episode contains references to physical abuse and disordered eating that some |
| 0:12.1 | listeners may find triggering. |
| 0:14.0 | Oh, and there may be a few language malfunctions. |
| 0:17.0 | Please be advised. It's February 1st, 2004. At the Reliance Stadium in Houston, Texas, thousands of fans are losing their shit. But Janet Jackson, she's |
| 0:36.8 | in the zone. It's Super Bowl Sunday, you know, the most important night of the year in American television |
| 0:44.1 | and Janet is the halftime headliner |
| 0:47.2 | the pressure is on and the air is thick with excitement |
| 0:51.1 | the stadium is full to the brim with eager fans and 144 million people are watching at home from their living rooms. |
| 1:00.0 | This just might be the biggest audience Janet's ever had. |
| 1:04.0 | She can feel their energy vibrating through her body as she gets ready to take the stage for the second time tonight. |
| 1:11.0 | She's already performed her mega hit all for you. Now she's |
| 1:15.4 | waiting for her cue to start her second number. As the headliner, she's |
| 1:20.0 | closing out the show too. On stage, Nellie is performing his hit song, |
| 1:24.9 | Hot in here. |
| 1:26.2 | He grips a mic in one hand and his crotch in the other |
| 1:29.7 | as he vamps for backup dancers dressed as cheerleaders. |
| 1:33.3 | They sing, I am getting so hot. |
| 1:36.7 | I'm gonna take my clothes off. |
| 1:39.0 | Then rip off skirts to reveal tiny white hot pants. |
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