ATLANTA – If you watched the Super Bowl halftime show, you saw Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine start the performance fully-dressed. He ended without a shirt.
And following the controversy over Janet Jackson’s 2004 performance, some questioned why it was okay.
You probably remember Justin Timberlake yanked on Jackson’s bra to reveal her bare breast. The move sparked action from the Federal Communications Commission and negatively impacted Jackson’s career. It became known as the “wardrobe malfunction.”
ESPN host Katie Nolan wrote on Twitter, “Super Bowl halftime nipple rules feel inconsistent.”
Comedian and actor Aisha Tyler wrote, “Why is it okay to see Adam Levin’s boobs and not Janet Jackson’s? Asking for a friend.”
There were even some men who pointed out what some consider to be a double standard.
Comedian Jaz Jobrani wrote, “Janet Jackson showed a nipple and country went nuts. She had to move to Bahrain for 10 years. #AdamLevine just went full on shirtless. Guess he’s gonna have to move to Riyadh.”
Yahoo! Sports columnist Dan Wetzel said, “I thought they outlawed nipples on the halftime show.”
A Twitter user by the name of Tunde B wrote, “Janet Jackson seeing Adam Levine shirtless and I know she somewhere furious right now.”
Author Glennon Doyle sarcastically posted that Levine’s career will be impacted.
“Poor Adam he showed his nips at the Super Bowl so now his career will be ruined like Janet’s. OH WAIT Never Mind!!!!” she said.
Writer Ziwe wrote, “Now I have to explain to my children that Adam Levine has nipples.”
Some people saw nothing wrong with Levine going shirtless.
Sandi Butler responded to a tweet questioning why it was okay for Levine to go shirtless by writing, “Takes about 2 seconds to understand the answer to that ignorant question. Men has a whole don’t have breast which is the reason why they don’t have to be covered in public. No, they’re not breaking nudity laws! Duh.”
A woman named Liz responded to a question about whether it was “an unfair double standard” by writing, “It’s the same reason that a man can go topless at a waterpark, but a woman can’t.