In this series of videos, we go deep into the years of private
politics between Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.
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In January 1996, after releasing her most
successful album to date, as well as a multi-million selling
greatest hits collection and spawning several top charting hits,
Janet Jackson signed another record breaking contract with Virgin Records.
This time for a four album deal at an unprecedented $80 million,
making her once again the world's highest paid entertainer ever.
However, this time, her brother wasn't able to overshadow her
career defining achievement with his own historic feats.
As Janet had developed into a consistently popular recording artist and stage
performer, adapting to audiences changing tastes
and musical styles while still maintaining her own signature star appeal.
Without the controversies and temperamental stardom of her brother Michael,
Janet Jackson had proven herself to be a bankable asset and a prestigious star
that Virgin were keen to keep in their roster of signed recording artists.
By the late 1990s, Michael Jackson's popularity was largely
steeped in his own legacy rather than his current musical output.
Unlike Michael, who in his career largely remained out of the spotlight when not
in a current album cycle, Janet remained relevant to young audiences
by collaborating with other popular and emerging talent, as
well as maintaining her presence as an actor in popular blockbuster films.
When both Jacksons had new album titles
to promote in 2001, with Janet's 'All For You'
and Michael's 'Invincible', both were now commonly cited as major
influences for a new wave of teen pop musical acts.
But how the two maintained relevancy through this association differed.
Michael Jackson leaned heavily
on the popularity of younger artists as they paid tribute to his earlier work
during his 30th anniversary celebration television special.
While Janet, who had never looked or performed better,
gave her teenage contemporaries are run for their money,
revamping her look and sound and showcasing them in dynamic
performances that reasserted her position in the pop music orbit of stars.
Having recently come out of her secret marriage with Renee Elizando Jr.,
instead of writing about the bitterness and anger that permeate most divorced
albums, Jackson celebrated her new life as a single woman
on her latest release.
She's sang about checking out guys at parties, dissing former boyfriends,
and described in explicit detail her sexual fantasies. For the cover,
she went one step further than the 'janet.' album by posing totally nude,
wearing only a white sheet and a smile.
This youthful, playful new image and sound proved successful for the artist and led
to yet again another multiplatinum selling album and sold out concert series.
In contrast, her brother's musical career stalled after the initial release
of 'Invincible', due to multiple disputes with his recording label.
As a result, Michael went on to make
public attacks against Sony Music Entertainment and their
chairman. During 2002 and 2003, focus moved away from Michael's music
and issues with his record label due to several personal blunders that played
out in the tabloid press. Each one contributing to discussions
questioning Michael's mental state and capabilities as a father.
After Martin Bashir's 'Living with Michael Jackson' was televised
in February 2003, which showed Jackson holding hands
with a twelve year-old boy as he openly discussed sharing his bed with minors.
Suspicions that had haunted him since 1993
allegations aroused a new set
of controversies that played out daily in the headlines.
Having previously learned not to get
entrenched in the legal and personal dramas of her brother,
Janet never passed common and was largely out of the public eye in 2003 as she was
preparing to release new music the following year.
However, as public outrage built and a press smear campaign intensified,
Michael's very own legal and personal nightmare was realized on December 18th,
2003, when Santa Barbara authorities charged Jackson with seven counts of child
molestation and two counts of intoxicating a minor.
Having always remained courteous by releasing albums in alternate years
to each other, Janet was now in the unfavorable position
of having to promote a new single, a new album, and a planned nationwide tour
just when Michael's legal troubles were set to hit fever pitch.
Facing a grueling legal trial
with the real possibility of a lengthy jail sentence.
It was with this eventuality in mind
that Janet agreed to what she hoped would be a career defining move,
taking the stage in front of a global audience of millions
during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. After Janet had wowed audiences
with electrifying performances of All For You and Rhythm Nation,
she was joined on stage by Justin Timberlake and the two engaged
in the playful rendition of his hit Rock Your Body.
Once, Timberlake said the final line, I'll get you naked
by the end of this song, it was planned that he would pull off
a tear away from Janet's latex bodice, revealing part of her sultry red lingerie.
But instead, Timberlake pulled the piece off with such force,
the provocative reveal ended up backfiring, exposing Janet to an audience
of over 90 million Americans on live television.
Hungry for another Jackson controversy, the mainstream press splashed images
of Janet and the 'wardrobe malfunction' all over the television and on the front
of every newspaper. With CNN falsely reporting that Jackson and Timberlake were
arrested immediately after the performance and went into police custody.
As a result of the mishap, the broadcast received over 500,000 complaints.
CBS was fined $500,000, and the NFL was asked to give back the $10
million they received from the halftime show sponsor.
Internet searches
for Janet Jackson's Super Bowl mishap who were triple of that relating
to the 2000 presidential election and the less than 2 seconds of breast
exposure was also the most replayed moment ever on TiVo.
Even then First Lady, Laura Bush, passed
comment on the controversy, quote, what it represented was a kind
of television viewing that we don't want little children to see.
Speculation grew as it was debated whether the reveal was an accident or a
'classless crass and deplorable planned publicity stunt', a la
Madonna and Britney Spears tongue kissing on MTV the year previously.
Many stated that the incident attracted such a level of publicity that would have
cost her a lot more than a TV commercial during the Super Bowl.
These assumptions rallied up backlash against the over sexualization of pop
music and family entertainment, in which Janet Jackson would become
the scapegoat for. The case caused a galvanizing effect
on the move to toughen standards said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps.
Aside from the wardrobe malfunction, critics reviled Janet's revealing
dominatrix attire and sex stimulating dance, suggesting that Janet's intentions
were very much to push her adult appetites onto the children of America.
'Janet Jackson's exposed breast wasn't just a breast.
It's not as though she was lifting her eyelet smock to nurse the baby Jesus.
Her breast was unsheath in an aggressively sexual context to shock and titillate,
but to shock and titillate whom, the children?', said conservative pundit
Kathleen Parker. Family connections were therefore made
between Janet's much publicized and politicized act of, quote,
public indecency and Michael's upcoming trial involving children,
with one member of the public writing in to say, quote,
I am so upset that Janet Jackson would choose a family affair to pull her stunt.
She didn't think of the children there
at the game and those at home that would be watching.
She and Michael are bad mentors for our children.
Both need to be banned from family and youth functions.
I hope they're not claiming to be Christians.
Brother Michael even passed comment on the whole scenario during an interview
with Geraldo Rivera, saying that he watched her performance
in claimed he never saw anything at first. Agreeing with Rivera that the whole thing
was overblown and thanked him for making the connection between the controversy
that it caused and the Jackson family connection.
As the backlash intensified and with both Janet and Justin saying little in hopes
of staying out of the line of fire, many question whether this controversy
would help or hinder her upcoming album release.
Quote, I don't think it will hurt her popularity, said William McKeen,
chairman of the journalism Department at the University of Florida.
Quote, It hurt her popularity with people who won't buy her records.
I don't think her fans are upset.
Her fans might think that's a stupid thing to do.
She doesn't face the PR problems her brother does.
However, when 'Damita Jo' was released, the sensual, sex drenched record raised
even more outrage among moral Conservatives. Who questioned whether
Jackson planned her halftime peep show all along.
In every interview,
the focus was solely on the Super Bowl controversy and not on the music,
and as a result, the album received little promotion and airplay.
MTV stopped playing her videos and many stations
shadow banned her music.
Even though Justin Timberlake was the one
who actually exposed Janet to millions, he managed to maintain a fairly squeaky
clean image during this period, even after admitting to marijuana use.
While Janet has a relative to a now
suspected p**dophile, was effectively blacklisted and inducted
along with brother, Michael, into the presses Weirdo Hall of Former Fame.
Upon the disappointing release
of 'Damita Jo', Janet Jackson decided to switch focus from music to her family.
As brother Michael was preparing to begin his legal trial beginning in early 2005.
Alongside the rest of her family, Janet once again acted as a United front
in support for her brother during the many dark days of his grueling trial.
Appearing together in all white ensembles, a color that made them stand out in court
and also symbolized Michael's innocence. But also may have symbolized white flags
of defeat during the heavy legal proceedings in the family's
persistent battering as part of the media circus then ensued outside.
Janet expressed how the whole ordeal was hard not only on Michael,
but the whole family was affected and indicated that she sank into another
depression while dealing with Michael's public backlash as well as her own.
Even after June 13th, 2005,
when Michael was given a verdict of not guilty on all charges
in the case, Janet was in no mood for jokes concerning
what her and her family had been through in the last year. As indicated when she
got a cheeky introduction from actor Alan Cummings,
who referred to her Super Bowl breast baring incident as she received
a humanitarian award from a gay rights group.
Jackson apologized for her own lack
of humor during her first public appearance since her brother's acquittal.
'My family and I have just gone through
the least humorous chapter of our lives', she explained.
'I'm going to leave the jokes to the late night comics, if that's okay.'
Thanks for watching.
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for the final part of this Michael in Janet series.
We'll see you next time.