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Television as we know it today has very few shows on the air that you can sit down and enjoy with your family. I guess that’s why Sundays Super Bowl XXXVIII was so disappointing to me; supposedly here is an event we can all get excited about and enjoy watching with our families. The game itself between the Panthers and the Patriots was great and probably one of the best ones I’ve ever watched, but the halftime show was disgusting. What a shame to put such a trashy memory on a game that was so well played. This Super Bowl will not be remembered for the Patriots last second field goal to win the game but for Janet Jackson’s bare breast. Somebody was quoted as saying this has given a whole new meaning to the words boob tube.

I was at my daughter’s house with the rest of my family members for the Super Bowl celebration and we have small children also taking an interest in the game. I missed portions of the halftime show and happy to say the bare breast, but the rest of my family witnessed it all and there were 90 million other viewers that also did and they deserved better. Maybe I’m being a prude and just getting old but if this has become a family event why can’t we keep it family viewing. I’m sure the Disney Studios could come up with more appropriate entertainment or there are other singers or bands that could perform and not insult our intelligence. Better yet, why not have a show dedicated to our boys fighting in Iraq.

I knew right a way when Justine Timberlake and Janet Jackson were announced as performers that the entertainment would be tacky. I don’t know why they didn’t also invite Roseanne Barr to screech out the National Anthem; she could have finished with something appropriate for the event like she did for the San Diego baseball game back in 1990 where she grabbed her crotch and spit on the ground.

I’m sorry I guess I’m just not young enough to appreciate the talent of Janet and Justin and the other so-called MTV talent, and I’m hoping my grandchildren are not using them as role models. Will this give the young boys the idea that it’s cool and funny to tear off young girls blouses? I might be overplaying this but young people are easily impressed with stars they idolize.

When Justin said that it wasn’t planned that it was just a “wardrobe malfunction,” I couldn’t help but laugh. He must have the same publicist that Madonna and Britney Spears has.

Janet claimed it was just a stunt gone awry and was a last-minute idea thrown in after final rehearsals. Her spokeswoman said a red lace garment was supposed to remain when Timberlake tore off the outer covering. Then why was she wearing a shield over her nibble? How convenient, she has a new CD coming out in two weeks and I’m sure this will help boost her profits. A least now we know it was Janet up on stage singing and not Michael.

Jackson and Timberlake weren’t the only indecent displays in the show. How about Kid Rock in an American flag poncho and rapper Nelly repeatedly touching his crouch and the vulgar lyrics in the so called music; was all this family entertainment?

CBS claims that they knew nothing about what took place at halftime, but isn’t it up to them to make a point of knowing. The Grammy’s are on this Sunday on CBS and they want to have an enhanced 5 second delay so they can edit out anything that is not appropriate. Why didn’t they do that for the Super Bowl especially since they were working with MTV? They said they want a reasonably clean show for the Grammy’s; what do they consider reasonable? If I had small children that show would be off limits. The lyrics alone of some of the songs would be enough to discourage having your children watching. The song that Justin and Janet sang was called “Rock Your Body” and ended with “gonna have you naked by the end of this song.”

Depending on the results of the FCC investigation, Justin and Janet may be banned from the Grammy’s and CBS and its 200 some affiliates could be fined as much as $27,500.00 a station.

I’m a big sports nut and was looking forward to watching the game. I was rooting for the Panthers to win because my grandson Andy has been a Carolina fan since he was quite young. I think at first he just liked the colors of the team, but he followed them faithfully. He’s in college now and didn’t make it home for the family gathering but the rest of us felt we had an interest in pulling for them to win. The game between the Panthers and the Patriots was excellent; it was all you could ask for in a Super Bowl Game, unfortunately the Panthers lost. I guess my point is that the game itself was fun to sit down with your family and watch.

These acts of entertainment have definitely hit a new low. Our values today are all turned upside down and we need to take a stand on what we believe is right for family viewing.

Viewers Voice is not a censorship organization and as much as we are promoting family entertainment, there is a place for shows that reach for risqué viewing, but not on primetime television. We need more channels like the PAX network where we don’t have to worry about the content of the show. Of course PAX is having a hard time just staying on the air because there’s not a big market for family entertainment. What does that say about our viewers?

I was so glad to hear that viewers responded so strongly to what happened and loaded the CBS phones with protest. Viewers do have the power to make a difference if they let their voices be heard.