The new Janet Jackson documentary: Covering the Superbowl malfunction in a whole new light
There has been a flood of celebrity documentaries coming out the last few years, from Demi Lovato’s recovery documentary to Britney’s numerous investigative documentaries about her conservatorship with her father.
And in this ‘age of exposition’ we’re living in, another documentary is being made to uncover a past controversy that continues to have an affect on the music industry and pop culture today: The Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson Superbowl Wardrobe ‘Malfunction’.
The New York Times Presents is creating a documentary titled ‘Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson’ to address to fallout of this national scandal and how differently it affected the two popstars and their future careers.
Airing on Hulu and FX this November, this production company has previously released the ‘Controlling Britney Spears’ documentary. The official documentary synopsis read:
‘In 2004, a culture war was brewing when the Super Bowl halftime show audience saw a white man expose a Black woman’s breast for 9/16ths of a second. A national furor ensued… The woman was Janet Jackson, and her career was never the same. The man was Justin Timberlake; his stardom only grew. The New York Times examines the racial and cultural currents that collided on the Super Bowl stage, and explores how the incident impacted one of the most successful pop musicians in history.”
The documentary is to include interviews form several sources that have previously not been heard form on the subject, including MTV executives, industry insiders and even members of the Jackson family.
(via Billboard)
The incident has recently been in the spotlight again due to the Britney Spears documentaries prompting a public apology from Timberlake to both women.
‘I specifically want to apologise to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed,’ Timberlake said. ‘The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up for success. It’s designed this way. As a man in a privileged position, I have to be vocal about this. Because of my ignorance, I didn’t recognise it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again.’
It was Jackson at the time who had to apologise in the aftermath, and was fined and blacklisted by MTV and U.S. radio at the time as a result.
So how could this happen? ‘Malfunction’ aims to tell all, and it will be interesting to revisit the charged event through a more modern and informed lens. The documentary comes out November 19th, so all will be revealed then!
