Memory of Wardrobe Malfunction...

Nick Gillespie | February 5, 2007

Unlike several Hit & Runners below, I thoroughly enjoyed Prince's halftime performance at the Super Bowl, though like all of America, I was mostly secretly hoping that the pasha of paisley would deliberately pull off a wardrobe malfunction that would give Tipper Gore, the then-senator's wife who became so disturbed by "Darling Nikki" that she started the Parents Music Resource Center back in the go-go '80s, the vapors (that is, the fainting spell, not the band who sang about masturbation with Japanese twist).

No such luck yesterday but there was that endearingly odd moment during "Purple Rain" when Prince strummed his signature symbol-guitar behind a white sheet and cast a phallic shadow that looked like something from an Aleister Crowley family picnic or a Star Trek slash fiction fanzine.

I suspect that those antics won't get the FCC's collective heart palpitatin', but take a gander here:

Comments

Jesse Walker|2.5.07 @ 9:13AM|#

I liked the halftime show too, or what I saw of it anyway -- I was distracted for about half of it. It was certainly much better than the Stones' geriatric set last year. The marching-band horn section was a nice touch.

|2.5.07 @ 9:16AM|#

I was at a party at a friend's house, with about twenty other people, and we all laughed our asses off at that.

|2.5.07 @ 9:18AM|#

Everyone at my party noticed Prince's devil cock. Very clever of his Royal Badness.

That was the first halftime show in the history of Super Bowl halftime shows that was actually worth watching. The dude is a master showman and a criminally underrated guitarist. Prince is the balls.

|2.5.07 @ 9:20AM|#

I wonder what Michael Novak thought of the "Phallus Santanicus" shadow puppet? He may not yet have regained consciousness.

Ellie|2.5.07 @ 9:24AM|#

I could have done without the doves.

Grotius|2.5.07 @ 9:29AM|#

Let's just hope the Colts don't win next year. One thing I can't stand is sports "dynasty" talk.

Graphite|2.5.07 @ 9:51AM|#

I watched the game in Chicago, but I responded with more righteous outrage to people who badmouthed Prince than I did to shit-talking about the Bears. Prince rules.

|2.5.07 @ 9:55AM|#

If only G G Allin could've done a Superbowl show...

|2.5.07 @ 9:56AM|#

"The dude is a master showman and a criminally underrated guitarist."

Seriously, he gets so much credit for being multi-talented that his accomplishments in any one area get overshadowed.

If all he did was write songs, he'd be one of the best songwriters of all time.

If all he did was play the guitar, he'd be on everyone's top-10 list.

Argyles|2.5.07 @ 10:02AM|#

I believe the "horn section" was actually FAMU's Incomparable Marching Hundred. Yes, they are good.

The Wine Commonsewer|2.5.07 @ 10:03AM|#

The only really cool thing about Prince, besides showing up in my mother's vintage head scarf for the Superbowl, is that he was a nerd in high school. Now, I don't know that for a fact, but I heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend......

Why is that cool you ask? Because it is always cool when a kid who suffers the HS indignities makes good and can strut around like Toby Keith asking How do ya like me now?

While there may be no truth to this urban legend, every time I see or hear Prince, I smile.

|2.5.07 @ 10:05AM|#

I liked the part when he was singing but was nowhere near the microphone.

|2.5.07 @ 10:07AM|#

The strange thing; just before the sheet went up I told my wife he should pull out his junk to top the boob stunt.

|2.5.07 @ 10:23AM|#

There is no accounting for taste. If you don't like Prince's music then you are not going to like the show. That said, even if you don't like the music, you have to admit that the guy can play. He sounded very good. It was about as good an effort as you can give given the time constraints. I don't quite get people's bitch about him. Better Prince than former manbander, famous skank or member of the Jackson family.

hidden|2.5.07 @ 10:42AM|#

Prior to Whitney Houston's crack riddled marriage to a former member of New Edition, I thought that her official job should be the sole singer of the National Anthem at all televised sporting events.

I now think Price should be the official half time show entertainment at all televised sporting events. It was that good.

hidden again|2.5.07 @ 10:43AM|#

Price = Prince

Brett|2.5.07 @ 11:01AM|#

I thought he was excellent. Ethan, I could have missed something, but never noticed any indication of lip-sync'ing. Seemed spot on to me.

Dan T.|2.5.07 @ 11:01AM|#

Prince has sort of become that musician that everybody likes and nobody listens to.

I guess that's because he's a talented musician who plays garbage songs for the most part.

Rhywun|2.5.07 @ 11:07AM|#

Because it is always cool when a kid who suffers the HS indignities makes good and can strut around like Toby Keith asking How do ya like me now?

Given his, uh, vertical challenge, I suspect he got a LOT of shit in school just for that. That he was likely something of an oddball probably didn't help either.

That was the first halftime show in the history of Super Bowl halftime shows that was actually worth watching.

I agree - good show.

|2.5.07 @ 11:08AM|#

I thought Prince lit it up. People seem to shy from performances that are not overly choreographed these days. Prince is not just some pretty face hired to sing lyrics written by others to music played by others, he plays numerous instruments and writes his own stuff. He's willing to follow where the music and his passion take him. I imagine that scares hell out of most young people today.

|2.5.07 @ 11:20AM|#

I enjoyed the show. I do remember saying, during the sheet segment, "Oh god, the FCC stormtroopers must be already polishing their brass." That earned me some odd looks.

Graphite|2.5.07 @ 11:41AM|#

BTW, if you're interested in seeing a version of the show that wasn't captured by pointing a .5 megapixel cell phone camera at a TV screen, check these out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIg0EnWFp7s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lniSNoauqew

Larry A|2.5.07 @ 11:42AM|#

Dang. I read the head, noted the window, and was all set for video of the malfunction.

I know. Not worksafe yadda yadda.

Can't comment on halftime. We rented a couple of movies.

sr2|2.5.07 @ 12:53PM|#

Wow, my mind must not be *nearly* dirty enough. I saw that and was reminded "Damn, Prince is a guitar playing BADASS!!"

Of course, I also didn't find it spectacular that the coaches were black or that it was Black History Month. So, perhaps I'm just clueless all around?

/sarcasm

|2.5.07 @ 1:32PM|#

The only really cool thing about Prince, besides showing up in my mother's vintage head scarf for the Superbowl

Yeah, really! I saw him wearing that rag on his head, and I thought he was planning to come over after the show to clean my house.

caw001|2.5.07 @ 1:39PM|#

I'm a casual fan of Prince's music, i.e. I'll listen to "When Doves Cry" if it comes on the radio, but I won't go out and buy "Musicology."

I thought the spot was average. Sure, Prince is an amazing guitar player (and I'll admit, I was wondering where I could buy a "love symbol" guitar), but was I the only one annoyed by his medley of covers? When I watch Prince on the Super Bowl, I want to see him play HIS songs, damnit! And especially, what possessed him to play "Best of You"?

|2.5.07 @ 1:54PM|#

That head rag was his tribute to Alice Cramden and any number of Lucy sketches.

Kip|2.5.07 @ 2:00PM|#

Holy crap. I can't believe Prince is getting so much praise on this thread. I was shocked at how bad he sucked. The man can't sing. The mashup of songs he played was a joke. The foo fighters tribute really sucked and if I were Dave Grohl I'd be pissed. He looked like a giant douche-bag up there and frankly I was embarrassed to watch it.

lunchstealer|2.5.07 @ 4:00PM|#

I saw him wearing that rag on his head, and I thought he was planning to come over after the show to clean my house.

Bad, bad smacky.

|2.5.07 @ 5:24PM|#

The Wine Commonsewer | February 5, 2007, 10:03am | #
The only really cool thing about Prince, besides showing up in my mother's vintage head scarf for the Superbowl, is that he was a nerd in high school.

It's cool that on some level he still is.

Graphite|2.5.07 @ 6:07PM|#

Kip, the Foo Fighters tribute did suck but that's only because the Foo Fighters do. Prince rocked, and your idea of Dave Grohl taking righteous umbrage at being covered by Prince is laughable.

Guy Montag|2.6.07 @ 2:12PM|#

After returning from Miami to my freezing condo in Crystal City, VA (heat pump acting up while I was away) I stopped at my favorite bar for a few beers.

The first complaint was my 'letting' Circ de Solet (or however you spell it in that imagenary language) and Prince into the event.

My biggest complaint about the other people in Miami while I was there: Asking me for tickets while I was wearing my Event Access badge (with no access to the stadium); idiot asking us if we needed a parking pass while our huge staff pass was on the dash of the car and we were inside of the "pass holders only" area.

Granted, the "parking pass holders only" signs appeard to be there for a joke, because many cars were passless on those streets.

Most odd/interesting/cool thing was the gathering under the will-call tent in parking lot 8, right next to our communications truck, with folks bringing in their portable TVs and coolers, even one van with a big TV. Cool little gathering and no trouble makers!

Marko|2.6.07 @ 11:40PM|#

Here is a hillarious shot of Prince's wardrobe malfunction:

http://www.writeyourownticket.com/princetit.jpg

Sean|2.7.07 @ 10:53AM|#

I thought the show was fantastic and yes, he's one of the most criminally underrated guitarists of the last quarter century. But what amazed me was how remarkably serious the music was, at least for a Superbowl halftime show. After years of trot-out-as-many-popular-performers-as-possible-to-play-together-in-a-way-that-makes-them-all-sound-trite, Prince's solo set was more soulful and honest than any halftime show in recent memory.