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The Goddess Speaks Genevieve A. Suzuki |
Ex-fan loses respect
for Janet JacksonWhen I was in the seventh grade, I would watch MTV religiously and practice Janet Jackson's dance moves. Admittedly, I looked more like someone experiencing a severe neck twitch, but still, it had me moving, which was a good thing.
Then, on Feb. 1, I felt that familiar feeling of wanting to dance. It was the Super Bowl, and Jackson was strutting her stuff, reminding us all that we are indeed part of a rhythm nation.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Janet Jackson, left, slipped quietly back into the public eye after the Super Bowl incident, here joined by boyfriend Jermaine Dupri before the NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles Sunday.
Jackson has come such a long way, from her days of "Good Times" and "Diff'rent Strokes" to "Nasty Boys" and "The Nutty Professor." My brother-in-law, Darren, and I sat and watched the show with excitement.
"She's so awesome," I raved to Darren, who nodded vigorously.
The camera soon panned to another performer, Justin Timberlake, a k a Mr. Cameron Diaz, a former *N Sync member and the ex-Mr. Britney Spears. He sang "Rock Your Body" and utilized many of the moves Janet and her brother Michael made famous. Jackson sang with him and they swayed with the music.
"Hey Darren, I bet you wish you were him, huh?" I teased, and we laughed together.
And then the famous wardrobe malfunction took place, and we stopped laughing. We spun around to face one another, and our mouths dropped. "Was that her boob?"
I don't remember who asked the question, because we were both dumbstruck. Why would a successful performer like Janet Jackson allow herself to be debased in such a fashion? What just happened?
Well, like most of the world, we found out the next day that we had indeed seen her boob.
AT FIRST, I felt a little shocked. Then a touch embarrassed, which was soon followed by a lot angry. Violated, even.
What I saw was a 37-year-old accomplished woman degrade herself by letting a 23-year-old man rip off a portion of her bustier.
Would it have been a great performance without the idiotic gesture? Of course; Jackson sells out crowds wherever she goes. Would it have been as talked about as Britney and Madonna's kiss? Probably not.
Therein lies the rub. Women are constantly fighting a battle for equal treatment and respect. Think about it -- it was only a little more than 80 years ago that we were granted, by men, the right to vote.
And yet, certain members of our gender -- the same gender that gives birth to the miracle of life and juggles the demands of family, a career and dreams -- insist on proving to the chauvinists of the world that no, we really don't need equal treatment because, well, we have such little brains and such ample bosoms.
I was glad that Sunday that I didn't have a daughter watching the halftime show with me. How would I have explained it?
"Mommy, was that her ...?"
"Uhhh ... yeah."
"Is that how women dance?"
"Uhhh ... no."
"So why did he do that to her?"
The simple fall-back explanation of "that's just TV" doesn't sit well with me anymore. When I was 12, imitating Janet Jackson, I thought it was cool to move my head irregularly from side to side while moving my hand this way and that. If she was doing it, it was "cool."
Janet Jackson wasn't a very cool idol that day. In fact, I don't think it's ever cool for a man to follow a woman around before ripping off a piece of her clothing to expose her breast. In most instances, that's a prelude to rape or some other sexual abuse.
What's especially sad about Jackson's, Spears' and Madonna's antics are that they continue to present an image to the public, particularly a younger generation, of women as objects. Watch us expose ourselves, watch us kiss each other, watch us show you how we'll do anything for your attention, anything but hold ourselves to a standard beyond such petty antics.
Genevieve A. Suzuki is a freelance writer in Honolulu.
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