I saw most of the game, and I heard someone yesterday mention something about the scandalous opener, which I missed. I was expecting something Janet Jackson-esque, like it being a live shot and her towel really falling off etc and the camera exposing her. When I finally saw what all the fuss was about, I too became angry. ANGRY AT EVERY FUCKING PUSSIFIED CORNBALL WHO RAISED A STINK OVER THIS NON-EVENT.
This just fucking infuriates me. It's PRIME TIME folks. Grown folks time. Even then, the kind of thing you saw on MNF you see on daytime soaps EVERY FUCKING DAY. And if this was so scandalous, have they not seen the show the promo was based on, Desperate Housewives?? Why isn't there protest over all the smut that show is packed with?
And I don't think we can entirely dismiss the race issue (although I wouldn't call it the smoking gun) either. I'm usually very sensitive about when and where I apply the race card, because I feel it is often done a great disservice when it is used inappropriately, a la Michael Jackson etc. But it wouldn't suprise me if many of the people who complained, upon elaborating on their "rationale" behind their uproar, would drop some kind of racial connotation in their explanation. To say that a large chunk of the country, of all creeds and colors, doesn't continue to operate on low grade stereotyping would be ignorant. Many who don't consider themselves racists still think that the different groups should "keep to themselves", a kind of self-imposed societal segregation, especially when it comes to issues of family, relationships and sex. While I doubt that anyone so prone to hysterical overreaction would have based their uproar solely on the issue of race, I wouldn't be suprised if it wasn't the final straw that forced them to pick up the phone and dial the FCC or write a complaint letter to the network. While they may not have approved of Nicollette Sheridan clinging nude to Jon Runyan, it may not have driven them to such histrionics as when *gasp* big black controversial type-A male Terrell Owens swooped her up.
Regardless of the racial implications, this is clearly just puritanical self righteousness run rampant. I believe that our current socio-political climate has people so emboldened our propensity for outrage before rationality, a kind of O'Reillification if you will, that even if we're not that deeply offended by something, we feel a moral obligation to make a stir and look concerned and above the frey. It's maddening.
Rationality would force you to look at the whole picture. How about, oh say, CHEERLEADERS for fucking instance. Why do you think they wear those skimpy outfits, outraged viewer? For increased mobility? Do you know why they kick their legs up? It's not that impressive of a physical feat...ITS BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO SHOW YOU AS MUCH OF THEIR BARELY COVERED PUSSIES AS POSSIBLE!! And when one legs worth of cotton-infused pussy ain't enough, they toss each other in the fucking air so they can give you the full-splits camel toe action. Where's the fucking outrage over that? THEIR AIN'T NONE. In fact, many of the same people who complained about the housewives skit have their own little pussy-flaunters cheerleading at schools and universities all across the nation.
Selective outrage, and further, selective judgment is one of the more nauseating parts of mass culture. People are so willing to apply certain standards of judgment to things that they stand to benefit from the villification of, but they are not willing to hold their coveted comforts to the same standards. Fucking sad.
Some of my co-workers are saying that it "could be" intentional for the sake of rating, especially when ABC is in the negotiation with ESPN swapping Sundaynight and MNF... and NFL might just drop MNF if the rating goes low. Some of my sports colleagues are a bit nervous about it too. And I remind you, that by no means that this is an official representation of the company though - (just have to play safe here)