Wardrobe malfunction
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Wardrobe malfunction is a euphemism used to describe the accidental exposure of an intimate part or parts of the body due to a defect in an article or articles of clothing. Most famously, it was used by Justin Timberlake to explain the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, a 1 February 2004 incident in which the malfunction resulted in what was claimed to be the unintentional baring of most of Janet Jackson's right breast.
The Global Language Monitor named the phrase as "Hollywood's Top Word or Phrase for Impact on the English language,", as a word which had the most influence on the language for the year. [1]
The term has remained popular in part because of the humor associated with its jargonistic and overly technical quality when used as an explanation for the Super Bowl incident, which many believe was actually an intentional publicity stunt. This suspicion was underscored by many who studied their TiVos up-close, and discovered that Janet was wearing a "nipple cap" which mostly covered and also emphasized the nipple area. This was reinforced by one of the lines in the song Timberlake was singing: "I'll have you naked by the end of this song."
The term has subsequently been used to describe a piece of clothing that stayed on, as for example in 2005 when George W. Bush failed to remove his gloves before shaking hands with Slovak officials.
Slang Internet terms representing a wardrobe accident include oops (referring to the embarrassment caused by being caught in such a situation), nipple slip / breast slip, and upskirt.
Paparazzi relish these embarrassing situations and are eager to capture these occurrences. It is often argued that many of these "shots" are staged by celebrities, and although appearing accidental, seem more like impulsive publicity stunts.
Nip slips
A nip slip is the accidental exposure of a woman's nipple in public. Nip slips are very popular in the world of celebrity paparazzi, and on celebrity driven gossip blogs and websites. Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction may be the most well known nip slip of all time, but Paris Hilton, Tara Reid, Lindsay Lohan, and many other celebrities have endured or in some cases apparently courted the publicity. A nip slip can, in some cases, be avoided with the use of tit tape.
Other notable occurrences
1940s
- Carmen Miranda was photographed mid-twirl in a dance routine which exposed her pubic region.
1950s
- There is a famous photo of Jayne Mansfield leaning over a table at which Sophia Loren was sitting. The photo was famous not just because one of Jayne's nipples was exposed, but all the more because of the incredulous look on Loren's faceas she caught sight of it.
1970s
- While performing in the "Floor Show" segment of the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Nell Campbell's breasts repeatedly popped out of her outfit. Apparently, neither the producers of the film nor the MPAA noticed this.
- A widely reported wardrobe malfunction happened on September 14, 1977. A contestant on The Price is Right named Yolanda Bowsley was called to "come on down". As she ran to contestant's row her tube top slipped down, exposing her breasts. A huge blue rectangle with the word "OOPS" in it censored her breasts. Host Bob Barker was oblivious to the incident, as Yolanda was one of the first four contestants, and after he made his entrance, he remarked that the audience had "taken leave of their senses", then Johnny Olson quoted "Bob, they have given their all for you!". Then Bob Barker mentioned to Johnny Olson, "whatever brought this on...this is how I want it every day from now on!" Barker has been known to say regarding the incident, "She came on down and they came on out!" MadTV also parodied Yolanda's wardrobe malfunction in a Price is Right skit.
1980s
- Lady Diana Spencer the later Diana, Princess of Wales posed for press photographers following the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles. Diana was wearing a light fabric long skirt but the photographers noticed that when she stood with the sun behind her the dress became translucent.
1990s
- On 6 May 1997, Lucy Lawless inadvertently exposed her breasts when she raised her arms and her outfit gave way while singing the US national anthem at an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, California. She later said, "I was mortified [...] It was quite a bit more exposure than I want."
2000
- Before the 72nd Academy Awards, Minnie Driver's top fell in front of many photographers' cameras and became a topic of many late-night comedians after the event.
- British TV presenter Judy Finnegan's dress failed during the National TV awards, revealing a white bra. This was treated as much as a fashion faux pas as a wardrobe malfunction.
2001
- During an Inauguration Day dance with President George W. Bush, Jenna Bush's strapless gown slipped.
2003
- On 1 December, Paris Hilton was captured exiting a car with no underwear, leading to the wide Internet dissemination of paparazzi images of her genitalia.
- During the Miss Venezuela competition, Marjorie Olivares as Miss Guárico suffered a 'wardrobe malfunction' during the swimsuit competition. When removing her sarong, she accidentally untied her bikini bottom, leaving her partially naked from the waist down. She quickly gathered the bikini and walked off stage, although not before video captures of the incident show that her pubic hair was exposed.
2004
- On 2 September, reigning Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins' skirt fell to her knees while modelling at a Sydney fashion show, and this was captured and widely broadcast throughout the Australian and international media.
- Another wardrobe malfunction happened to Tara Reid while arriving for P. Diddy's birthday party in New York on November 4, when her dress fell, exposing her left breast.
- Holly Willoughby on the 26 June 2004, whilst jumping around on the children's TV show Ministry of Mayhem exposed a breast and nipple.
- Janet Jackson experienced a wardrobe malfunction during Super Bowl XXXVII (see above).
2005
- At the Cannes Film Festival, Sophie Marceau accidentally had her left breast revealed when her dress slipped.
- At the Eurovision Song Contest pre-selection show Making Your Mind Up in the United Kingdom in February 2005, singer Javine Hylton's right nipple was exposed whilst performing her song Touch My Fire.
2006
- On April 1, Lindsay Lohan walked out on stage to receive the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (at an award show made for children) with her dress up in the back, exposing her buttocks.
- The term has also become widespread in the Indian media after model Carol Gracias' Bennu Sehgall halter top accidentally slipped below her breasts during Bombay's Lakme Fashion Week, provoking a national moral panic and a flurry of circulation of voyeuristic MMS videos of the incident. In the same week, the open zipper in model Gauhar Khan's Lascelles Symmons skirt added fuel to the fire, and the Indian government began investigating as to whether these exposure incidents were intentional. The Indian media took up the story with gusto, popularizing the term "wardrobe malfunction" in the Anglophone media outlets, and often attacking the Indian morality police for their intervention in the matter.
Parodies
- In a Seinfeld episode, Elaine is embarrassed when she sends out Christmas cards that feature a photograph of herself accidentally revealing a nipple to everyone she knows.
- A parody was featured in the episode of Family Guy, "PTV", where the FCC decides to heavily censor television after a "wardrobe malfunction" at the Emmy Awards causes actor David Hyde Pierce to expose his testicles.
- In the "Good Times With Weapons" episode of South Park, the town erupts into a furor when Cartman, in the guise of using his "ninja powers of invisibility," walks naked across a stage where the entire town is viewing an auction. Cartman then blames a wardrobe malfunction for the incident.
- In an episode of Wild 'N Out, as one of the female cast members was impersonating Cameron Diaz, she tried to pull her shorts down to reveal the Wild 'n Out shorts, but exposed her rear end.
- While hosting the 2004 Juno Awards, singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette parodied Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. [2]
See also
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