Media

Super Bowl broadcaster distances itself from MIA’s finger

By | Published on Tuesday 7 February 2012

MIA

So, Finger-gate seems unlikely to cause as much outrage as Nipple-gate, which is no fun at all.

Come on America, how are we supposed to feel all superior if you don’t get insanely moralistic about harmless pop routines from time to time, and then hand out mega-fines to the broadcasters of said pop shows? I mean, we’ve started doing our own moralising over here of late, every time Rihanna appears on ‘X-Factor’, so you need to raise your game.

And think about it. Janet’s wardrobe malfunction at Super Bowl 2004 was just pop’s first family’s most famous daughter saying “look America, I’ve got a breast, that’s nice isn’t it?”, whereas MIA was clearly trying to say “fuck you America, you war-mongering bible-bashing retards, watch your back, us Brits are coming to take back our colonies”. You could clearly see it in her face.

Anyway, Super Bowl owner the NFL distanced itself from MIA’s raised finger during her guest spot in Madonna’s half time show, a spokesman telling reporters yesterday: “The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing and we apologise to our fans”.

Meanwhile NBC, which broadcast the Super Bowl this year, was keen to stress that – unlike in 2004, when broadcaster CBS handed the production of the half time sing song to then sister company MTV – it wasn’t involved in booking Madonna and her guests. Its only crime was to not blur out MIA’s offending finger moment fast enough.

NBC’s Christopher McCloskey: “The NFL hired the talent and produced the halftime show. [But] our system was late to obscure the inappropriate gesture and we apologise to our viewers”.

According to TMZ, if NBC is fined by US media regulator the FCC over MIA’s finger (as CBS was over Nipple-gate) it will pass the fine onto the NFL which will, in turn, pass it on to MIA’s people, for breaching a ‘do not offend America’ clause in her contract.

MIA, for her part, is seemingly very sorry, and blames nerves for flipping the bird during America’s biggest TV event. A source told The Sun: “She wasn’t thinking. She was caught in the moment and she’s incredibly sorry”.

I can sympathise, nerves have caused me to involuntarily and inappropriately raise my middle finger at people on numerous occasions. It’s ruined many a job interview and got me banned from competing in the long jump at a national level. Oh, those Olympics. They’re like a dagger to my heart.



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