February 2, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact:

Maryam Kubasek
Director of Communications
513/521-6227, ext. 111

Cincinnati— MTV’s halftime show was a slap in the face to parents and youngsters across the country, said the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families.

“The last thing a parent expects to see when they sit down with their family to watch the Super Bowl is Janet Jackson’s breast,” said Rick Schatz, president and CEO of the National Coalition. “The Super Bowl provides a unique opportunity in that it can be enjoyed by viewers of all ages. To feature a halftime show that requires parents to send their kids out of the room is unconscionable.”

The Super Bowl started out with a beautiful tribute to NASA and the space shuttle astronauts who lost their lives a year ago but it went rapidly downhill with the halftime show.  Parents who gathered to watch the show with their kids were blindsided not only by the baring of Jackson’s breast but also by the freak dancing, crotch grabbing and sexualized lyrics of the music.

“CBS clearly made a very poor choice in having MTV design and produce the content of the halftime show,” Schatz noted. “The MTV ideology is clearly aimed at promoting a sexualized lifestyle to teens. This time they got the chance to do it on broadcast television instead of cable.”

The National Coalition will be polling its constituents to get their feedback on the halftime show.  In addition, the organization will be focusing on informing parents about what they really get when they pay for MTV in their cable package.