Frank Rich: My Hero, Janet Jackson

Frank Rich: My Hero, Janet Jackson

"That investigation, piggybacked by last week's Congressional hearings, is an election-year stunt as full of hot air as the Bud Light horse flatulence ad. 'Like millions of Americans, my family and I gathered around the television for a celebration,' declared Michael Powell, the F.C.C. chairman, upon announcing that the entire halftime would be examined. A celebration of what, exactly? Didn't Mr. Powell, the nation's chief television regulator, watch the previous MTV halftime show?

He promises to conduct the investigation himself -- a meaningless gesture, though it may gain him an audience and perhaps a photo op with Ms. Jackson. Mr. Powell's real agenda here is to conduct a show trial that might counter his well-earned reputation as a wholly owned subsidiary of our media giants."

As I wrote earlier, the real indecency is all the hype about JJs flash, distracting us from two really vile shows: the whole halftime phenomenon, which is truly trash, and the Michael Powell sellout of US media to the highest bidders. Thanks to Bubba Powell, 2004 is surpassing the wildest dreams of the author of 1984.