The Great American Viewing Public...

Some of the 200,000 letters and email sent to the FCC over the Janet Jackson incident:

Dear Mr. Powell:
If you want the opinion of a professional body piercer about whether or not Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake did what they did on purpose, I can tell you that the type of body jewelry worn during that little stunt by JJ, known as a "nipple shield" is NOT the sort of body jewelry worn as a "matter of course"...it is heavy, and exerts a fair bit of traction on the nipple to keep it in place; it therefore get uncomfortable very quickly. The danger of getting it caught on one's clothing or people is also extreme, so anyone wearing one on regular basis is a disaster waiting to happen..I have seen nipples split open from accidents of this nature. Wearing it under clothing can cause it to snag painfully, too. Therefore it is extremely unlikely that she "just happened" to be wearing a nipple shield under her outfit; she obviously knew that her nipple was, in fact, going to be exposed at some point. The shield would add maximum shock value. I hope this information will be of some use to you in your decison-making about whather or not it was an "accident".

To Michael Powell:
I hope you do investigate the Jackson incident. I am anything but a prude I have owned a strip club and later a adult site but this isn't about 1st admendment rights this is just a pure lack of respect for american families and decency. Children where watching this and to mix sex /violence like this gives a really wrong message. On a lighter side to flash a fake breast adds insult to injury! go getem!.......

Dear Mr. Powell:
How utterly prudish and disappointing for the FCC to be involved with CBS' "punishment" of everyone involved... when 20 yards away on their "family event" there are cheerleaders whose every costume stitch and dance move is designed to highlight their galloping gazungas as if they were on a trampoline, and whose hotpants are so tight it makes their "camel toes" look like dainty size 13's for all of America to see... Pull the pine cone out of your collective butts, you bunch of misguided uptight puritans.

FCC Mail [The Smoking Gun]