Janet Jackson fans were not impressed with Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl halftime show

Naturally.
 By 
Shannon Connellan
 on 
Janet Jackson fans were not impressed with Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl halftime show
"Rock Your Body?" Really, you had to play it? Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Justin Timberlake's particularly humdrum Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday included a pretty uh, notable Stella McCartney shirt, a contentious Prince tribute, a selfie with a nonplussed kid, and considerable similarities to a Gap Ad.

So, obviously, Janet Jackson fans think she could have done a much, much, much, much better job.

Folks haven't quite forgotten Timberlake's role in the supposed "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show with Jackson, and how her career took a major hit while his star continued to rise. 

To recap, the incident, referred to often as "Nipplegate," occured when Timberlake exposed Jackson's breast, which was adorned with a nipple pastie, during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVII. The planned nature of the performance was broadly debated, though Jackson's team said it was "unintentional."

Jackson was blacklisted by the NFL, and she and CBS were heavily fined by the FCC (later voided). Timberlake got off pretty unscathed.

Jackson had already quashed rumors of an onstage appearance at this year's halftime show, issuing a statement on Saturday. “To put to rest any speculation or rumors as to whether I will be performing at the Super Bowl tomorrow; I will not. Thank you for your support and I do look forward to seeing you all very soon."

So, during Sunday's performance, folks took to Twitter to vent their frustration at Timberlake's lack of acknowledgement for Jackson. Some had already flooded Twitter for days, marking #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay instead of the main event.

Some particularly called out Timberlake's inclusion of the single "Rock Your Body" in the performance, which was the soundtrack to the now infamous "wardrobe malfunction".

Honestly, Jackson would have done an incredible job, and would have been the kind of halftime show surprise that would have made Super Bowl history. But until her ridiculous and discriminatory blacklisting by the NFL is lifted, we'll never know.

Topics Music Super Bowl

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Shannon Connellan
UK Editor

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.

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