What do a rap song about taking off your clothes, a gyrating Justin Timberlake, and Janet Jackson's exposed breast all have in common? Believe it or not, they were all features of the Super Bowl's half-time show.
Since the half-time show ended, the nation has been abuzz with news of the incident. Catholics have been posting comments about the shocking half-time show on message boards and e-lists. One young woman, a youth group leader, explained that she was watching the Super Bowl with the kids in her youth group, and that they were all very much appalled over the spectacle. CBS is blaming MTV, the producers of the half-time show, and MTV is claiming that Janet Jackson's exposed breast was unintentional. Funny, I watched it myself, and it looked perfectly choreographed to me.
Regardless of the intent behind the exposed breast, other facts remain. We know, for instance, the words to a popular song that Nelly sang during the half-time show: “It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes.” Surely MTV and CBS did intend for those words to air. We also know that Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson were dancing in a way that should make all Catholics cringe, and especially parents who have children that will want to imitate these pop idols. Was MTV unaware of the gyrating (I hesitate to call it dancing) that would be going on? I doubt it. Even if the perfectly choreographed exposure of Janet Jackson's breast was unintentional, and even if her outfit wasn't made for just such an exposure, these other spectacles of blatant perversion were intended to hit the airwaves.
Many will be quick to point out that these incidents are the reasons behind teenage pregnancies, rising STD statistics, and the like. My response: Yes and no. Yes, in that teens and preteens do see these celebrities acting in this heathenistic manner, and they want to imitate them because they're “cool.” That said, I think we're all responsible. How many people turned the Super Bowl off after Janet's breast was exposed? How many people will boycott CBS and MTV? How many people will stop buying music produced by Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, et al.? How many will keep their children from buying it? There will be a few, but there won't be enough. These celebrities get away with blatant immorality because we let them. They are a mere reflection of the greater sins that permeate our society, and their influence over our children is only as strong as we've let it become.
There is already public outrage over this, and rightfully so. There should be lawsuits and assurances that such things will never happen again when small children, preteens or teens might be watching. But that won't be enough. We need to rein in these renegade celebrities by hitting them where it hurts: their wallets. We have to show them that their acts of immorality are intolerable, and that they're going to have to show a little decorum before we let them stand as role models for our children. We need to be firm with our children, as well. No more Janet, no more Justin, no more Nelly. No gyrating like they did during an American pastime. Where they can be found, we need to point kids in the direction of celebrities who have values and a little bit of decorum, like Jim Caviezel and Mel Gibson. And we need to point them to the ultimate role models: Jesus, Mary and the saints. We need to be beacons of the countercultural revolution that's become necessary in this country.
Because if we won't do it, who will? It certainly doesn't look like Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake are in the running.
Nathan Nelson is a 19-year-old layman from a small town in Ohio. He is a convert to the Catholic Faith, confirmed and accepted into the Church on the Easter Vigil of 2003.
