Gesture during halftime show simply utilizes First Amendment rights
The Christian Science Monitor recently published an article about how a “rapper during the Madonna halftime show ... made an obscene gesture,” and now NBC and the Federal Communications Commission are wrapped up in legal battles and pressure. At first I thought, “Wait, does M.I.A. qualify as a rapper?”
Then I thought, “Really, this shouldn’t be an issue at all.” M.I.A.’s middle finger was great — a cold slap of American reality during the glittery joke that was this year’s halftime show during the Super Bowl.
If NBC is fined for the mishap, M.I.A. has reportedly agreed to compensate the NFL for any money it pays to the network. CBS was charged for $550,000 in 2004 because of Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction,” but the case was dropped in appellate court. Without question, this case should be dropped as well, as no one is really to blame. NBC took reasonable measures to censor a live performance, the NFL trusted the performers to realize their place on prime time television and M.I.A. is, well, she’s M.I.A. We really shouldn’t have expected anything else from her.
If you don’t know anything about M.I.A., just know she’s had a dubious musical career and grew up impoverished in a war-torn Sri Lanka until moving to New York and fulfilling her destiny as a musician.
After reaching mainstream success and moderate wealth, she’s taken up political activism and philanthropy. She was then hired to perform a ridiculous pop song standing next to a 53-year-old woman shaking golden pom-poms, surrounded on all sides by drunken and sweaty Americans. These are the moments the First Amendment was written for.
Technically, under the contract she signed as a performer and the FCC’s domain over public television played between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., M.I.A. probably broke a few rules.
Though the First Amendment may not protect her legally, I think the Founding Fathers would really admire her spirit. Madonna’s plastic surgery, Nicki Minaj and Tom Brady? I feel like Andrew Jackson at least would give a thumbs-up to M.I.A., if not a middle finger himself.
If charged, the NFL is likely to stick to safer halftime shows for the next few years. And if Bruce Springsteen plays again, I’m definitely watching the Puppy Bowl’s halftime show instead, which featured a cute kitty theme this year.
Sure, beer and football are American. But even more American is telling people when you’re unhappy by flipping them the bird. M.I.A. looks like she’s having a blast performing up there, but that subtle middle finger lets us all know she’s keeping things in perspective. There’s something liberating and almost patriotic about it, and as for M.I.A., putting it in the middle of the most watched sports event of the year? Genius.