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Spin Team

Aired February 02, 2004 - 13:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The halftime incident no doubt prompted a lot of snickering around the office today. The flash of Janet Jackson's bare breast, we just can't stop talking about it, can we? Federal regulators are not amused, though. While the FTC investigates, everyone from Justin Timberlake to CBS and MTV is offering pay apologies. We'll put it our spin team.
Jenny Eliscu associate editor for "Rolling Stone" magazine and media strategist Robbie Vorhaus both join us to talk about this.

Hi, guys.

All right, guys, you know, it's just a little wardrobe malfunction according to Justin. Robin, that's OK, right?

ROBBIE VORHAUS, MEDIA STRATEGIST: I thought it was some new version of Groundhog Day or something. I wasn't quite sure what it was.

No, I love the terminology wardrobe malfunction. I was in a high school play once and my zipper stuck. That's a wardrobe malfunction. This was planned. It was strategic move. I don't think a lot of people knew about it, but I do believe some people are going to lose their jobs over it.

PHILLIPS: Really?

VORHAUS: Oh, yes.

PHILLIPS: Jenny -- are we are going to get back to that in a minute.

Jenny, what do you think? What's wrong with us? It's Madonna and Britney swapping a little spit. Now it's Janet and Justin grabbing each other. What's going to happen next?

JENNY ELISCU, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: Well, who knows what's going to happen next. I mean, I this is part and parcel of the fact that MTV did produce this halftime special, and I think they've been told they'll never ever do it again. But this was a very MTV sort of production. I mean, this -- you expect to see shocking things on the MTV Video Music Awards, but you don't expect to see it, you know, during the Super Bowl, and I think that's why a lot of people are outraged today; it's not the kind of viewer that that stunt was intended information.

PHILLIPS: All right, and, Robbie, you think people will definitely be held accountable. Who will be held accountable? Is it MTV? Is it CBS? Is it Justin? Is it Janet?

VORHAUS: Well, first of all, let's look at the money. CBS and MTV are both owned by Viacom. So somebody there is going to be held accountable. Now somebody at CBS made the decision to go with MTV. They know what they're about. If you play with a crocodile, you're going to get bit by a crocodile. This is nothing new for MTV. So for them, they can say, oops, I'm sorry, we didn't know. But somebody at CBS was a little too naive to think they weren't going to get -- that something wasn't going to happen by having a bare breast exposed in the way that it was exposed. This was not just a little slip-up, this was a highly charged sexual event.

And I'm glad it happened, because we will know that this historical event will never happen again in the history of Super Bowl. Next year, we're going to have Ronnie Millsap singing "God Bless America," or something like that.

KAGAN: There's nothing wrong with a little Tony Bennett and K.D. Lang. You know, that's hip and happening.

VORHAUS: That's great.

ELISCU: It may never happen again, but I wonder if fewer people will tune in next year knowing it will never happen again. That was their one chance to see a boob during the Super Bowl. It's all over.

VORHAUS: We saw a lot of boobs in the Super Bowl. And I think what's interesting, if you watched the players on the field, several people commented that there was real renewed spirit of camaraderie. You know, there's a new spirit in America. It's not so much competitive as cooperation. We know that somebody had to win and lose, but we also know there were two great teams out there playing an incredible ballgame. And this halftime show ruined it for a lot of people and a lot of parents, and that's why people are so angry.

PHILLIPS: All right, so, Jenny, let's talk about Janet Jackson's career. You work for rolling stone magazine. I mean, is this something she needed to do to juice it up, and get people talking and buy her new album?

ELISCU: Well, she does have a record coming out this spring, and so that is quite a way to have a prelude to her new album. I think probably from PR standpoint it is a good move for her, because controversy generates her album her album sales, and it makes her seen as presence that still kind of is on the edge and could do something interesting, that she's not over the hill.

I'm a little surprised, though, that she would agree do this, and I'm surprised that Justin Timberlake, who's, you know, edgy in his own way, but you know, not a really sort of crude, over the edge person, would be part of this whole thing. So I'm not really sure who's idea it was.

I think the interesting thing is that CBS did so much kind of spin on not airing that moveon.org ad, and now they sort of have pie on their face, because they had something kind of even more embarrassing than a political ad could have been.

PHILLIPS: All right, we got two apologies here. First, the one from CBS: "CBS deeply regrets the incident that occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show. We attended all rehearsals throughout the week, and there was no indication that any such thing would happen. The moment did not conform to CBS broadcast standards, and we'd like to apologize to anyone who was offended."

All right, part two, MTV comes out and says, "The tearing of Janet Jackson's costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional, and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance."

Robbie, is this the type of thing where, you know, you go ahead and do it and apologize later.

VORHAUS: Kyra, I have a press release right here. From January 28th, last Wednesday, issued by MTV. And the headline is, "Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Show Promises Shocking Moments." They knew it. Some people knew it more than others. This was -- they can apologize all they want, but this was wrong. Heads are going to fall.

And you know something, I happen to be a fan of "Rolling Stone" magazine and a subscriber. And I know that if I want some shock value, I know that can turn in and read the magazine and get some great stuff on rock 'n' roll, and read about some behavior that rock 'n' rollers are doing, and I talked to some people, insiders at rock 'n' roll today, who said, it was too much, it was too much. And it was.

PHILLIPS: All right, so, Jenny, what's the difference between this, you know, a little boob at the halftime show, and kids flipping through the TV and catching a soap opera, where you know, people are half naked. I mean, come on, this is not the only time that you see a little nudity.

ELISCU: Well, yes. I mean, I think, you know, a boob is a boob. It's not the end of the world. I think it's kind of amusing and embarrassing, that it's such a big deal, when after all, it's just a right boob.

But I think that the interesting thing is, you know, that this was clearly intended to happen. The lyric of the Justin Timberlake song "Rock Your Body" says "I'll have your naked by the end of this song," and that's the moment when the boob popped out, so.

VORHAUS: What about Nelly saying, you know, "take your clothes off, it's getting hot in here." It was all choreographed. It was all choreographed, and it's OK, because you know what, it's not going to happen again. The pendulum swung to the other side, and it's okay, because you're right, it's just a boob. It's not a big deal when you're talking...

PHILLIPS: Do you guys realize we're here on CNN, all right, primetime afternoon, talking about boobs. This is really sad.

VORHAUS: That's right?

ELISCU: This an interesting time in the world.

VORHAUS: That's OK. They're political -- any way, go ahead.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I hear you, Robbie, Jenny, thank you. I'll be reading "Rolling Stone" magazine. Robbie, I'll be talking to you. I'm sure we'll be talking about other things, hopefully not parts of the body next time, all right.

VORHAUS: Rock on.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Thanks, guys.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 2, 2004 - 13:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The halftime incident no doubt prompted a lot of snickering around the office today. The flash of Janet Jackson's bare breast, we just can't stop talking about it, can we? Federal regulators are not amused, though. While the FTC investigates, everyone from Justin Timberlake to CBS and MTV is offering pay apologies. We'll put it our spin team.
Jenny Eliscu associate editor for "Rolling Stone" magazine and media strategist Robbie Vorhaus both join us to talk about this.

Hi, guys.

All right, guys, you know, it's just a little wardrobe malfunction according to Justin. Robin, that's OK, right?

ROBBIE VORHAUS, MEDIA STRATEGIST: I thought it was some new version of Groundhog Day or something. I wasn't quite sure what it was.

No, I love the terminology wardrobe malfunction. I was in a high school play once and my zipper stuck. That's a wardrobe malfunction. This was planned. It was strategic move. I don't think a lot of people knew about it, but I do believe some people are going to lose their jobs over it.

PHILLIPS: Really?

VORHAUS: Oh, yes.

PHILLIPS: Jenny -- are we are going to get back to that in a minute.

Jenny, what do you think? What's wrong with us? It's Madonna and Britney swapping a little spit. Now it's Janet and Justin grabbing each other. What's going to happen next?

JENNY ELISCU, "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE: Well, who knows what's going to happen next. I mean, I this is part and parcel of the fact that MTV did produce this halftime special, and I think they've been told they'll never ever do it again. But this was a very MTV sort of production. I mean, this -- you expect to see shocking things on the MTV Video Music Awards, but you don't expect to see it, you know, during the Super Bowl, and I think that's why a lot of people are outraged today; it's not the kind of viewer that that stunt was intended information.

PHILLIPS: All right, and, Robbie, you think people will definitely be held accountable. Who will be held accountable? Is it MTV? Is it CBS? Is it Justin? Is it Janet?

VORHAUS: Well, first of all, let's look at the money. CBS and MTV are both owned by Viacom. So somebody there is going to be held accountable. Now somebody at CBS made the decision to go with MTV. They know what they're about. If you play with a crocodile, you're going to get bit by a crocodile. This is nothing new for MTV. So for them, they can say, oops, I'm sorry, we didn't know. But somebody at CBS was a little too naive to think they weren't going to get -- that something wasn't going to happen by having a bare breast exposed in the way that it was exposed. This was not just a little slip-up, this was a highly charged sexual event.

And I'm glad it happened, because we will know that this historical event will never happen again in the history of Super Bowl. Next year, we're going to have Ronnie Millsap singing "God Bless America," or something like that.

KAGAN: There's nothing wrong with a little Tony Bennett and K.D. Lang. You know, that's hip and happening.

VORHAUS: That's great.

ELISCU: It may never happen again, but I wonder if fewer people will tune in next year knowing it will never happen again. That was their one chance to see a boob during the Super Bowl. It's all over.

VORHAUS: We saw a lot of boobs in the Super Bowl. And I think what's interesting, if you watched the players on the field, several people commented that there was real renewed spirit of camaraderie. You know, there's a new spirit in America. It's not so much competitive as cooperation. We know that somebody had to win and lose, but we also know there were two great teams out there playing an incredible ballgame. And this halftime show ruined it for a lot of people and a lot of parents, and that's why people are so angry.

PHILLIPS: All right, so, Jenny, let's talk about Janet Jackson's career. You work for rolling stone magazine. I mean, is this something she needed to do to juice it up, and get people talking and buy her new album?

ELISCU: Well, she does have a record coming out this spring, and so that is quite a way to have a prelude to her new album. I think probably from PR standpoint it is a good move for her, because controversy generates her album her album sales, and it makes her seen as presence that still kind of is on the edge and could do something interesting, that she's not over the hill.

I'm a little surprised, though, that she would agree do this, and I'm surprised that Justin Timberlake, who's, you know, edgy in his own way, but you know, not a really sort of crude, over the edge person, would be part of this whole thing. So I'm not really sure who's idea it was.

I think the interesting thing is that CBS did so much kind of spin on not airing that moveon.org ad, and now they sort of have pie on their face, because they had something kind of even more embarrassing than a political ad could have been.

PHILLIPS: All right, we got two apologies here. First, the one from CBS: "CBS deeply regrets the incident that occurred during the Super Bowl halftime show. We attended all rehearsals throughout the week, and there was no indication that any such thing would happen. The moment did not conform to CBS broadcast standards, and we'd like to apologize to anyone who was offended."

All right, part two, MTV comes out and says, "The tearing of Janet Jackson's costume was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional, and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance."

Robbie, is this the type of thing where, you know, you go ahead and do it and apologize later.

VORHAUS: Kyra, I have a press release right here. From January 28th, last Wednesday, issued by MTV. And the headline is, "Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Show Promises Shocking Moments." They knew it. Some people knew it more than others. This was -- they can apologize all they want, but this was wrong. Heads are going to fall.

And you know something, I happen to be a fan of "Rolling Stone" magazine and a subscriber. And I know that if I want some shock value, I know that can turn in and read the magazine and get some great stuff on rock 'n' roll, and read about some behavior that rock 'n' rollers are doing, and I talked to some people, insiders at rock 'n' roll today, who said, it was too much, it was too much. And it was.

PHILLIPS: All right, so, Jenny, what's the difference between this, you know, a little boob at the halftime show, and kids flipping through the TV and catching a soap opera, where you know, people are half naked. I mean, come on, this is not the only time that you see a little nudity.

ELISCU: Well, yes. I mean, I think, you know, a boob is a boob. It's not the end of the world. I think it's kind of amusing and embarrassing, that it's such a big deal, when after all, it's just a right boob.

But I think that the interesting thing is, you know, that this was clearly intended to happen. The lyric of the Justin Timberlake song "Rock Your Body" says "I'll have your naked by the end of this song," and that's the moment when the boob popped out, so.

VORHAUS: What about Nelly saying, you know, "take your clothes off, it's getting hot in here." It was all choreographed. It was all choreographed, and it's OK, because you know what, it's not going to happen again. The pendulum swung to the other side, and it's okay, because you're right, it's just a boob. It's not a big deal when you're talking...

PHILLIPS: Do you guys realize we're here on CNN, all right, primetime afternoon, talking about boobs. This is really sad.

VORHAUS: That's right?

ELISCU: This an interesting time in the world.

VORHAUS: That's OK. They're political -- any way, go ahead.

PHILLIPS: Yes, I hear you, Robbie, Jenny, thank you. I'll be reading "Rolling Stone" magazine. Robbie, I'll be talking to you. I'm sure we'll be talking about other things, hopefully not parts of the body next time, all right.

VORHAUS: Rock on.

PHILLIPS: There you go. Thanks, guys.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com