The increasing popularity of nip-slips

Janet Jackson's revealing moment at the 2004 Super Bowl. Photo by Getty Images.
Janet Jackson's revealing moment at the 2004 Super Bowl. Photo by Getty Images.

Remember Nipplegate in 2004? Justin Timberlake inadvertently revealed Janet Jackson's pierced nipple to over 90 million viewers during the Super Bowl halftime show. The nip-slip made headlines around the country, the Federal Communications Commission received over 500,000 complaints, and CBS was fined $550,000. At the time, Jackson told Oprah, "There's so much more going on in the world that was so much more important, I couldn't believe they put so much emphasis on this." People did seem hung up on the quick boob flash, but we're talking about the Super Bowl at prime time, not "True Blood" at 10 p.m. on HBO. Many kids were watching. As a result, more big events and award shows decided to add a brief broadcast delay to prevent future wardrobe malfunctions from making it to live TV.

You may also recall the horror that was Tara Reid's breasts on the red carpet in 2004 when she stood there dumbfounded in front of photographers not realizing her boobs (and creepy implant scars) were on full display. Shudder.

Since then nip-slips have become the norm, popping up (or, uh, out) on the red carpet, in paparazzi photos, and even on daytime TV. A quick internet search for nip-slips (yes, we swear this was all in the name of work), turned up photos for: Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Natalie Portman, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Garner, Katie Holmes, Halle Berry, Rachel Ray, Christina Aguilera, Jenna Bush, Heidi Montag, Anna Kournikova, Lily Allen, Alicia Keys, Emma Watson, Eva Mendes, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Kirsten Dunst, Kate Moss, Claire Danes, Mischa Barton, Christina Ricci, Pam Anderson, Sharon Stone, Uma Thurman, Megan Fox, Cameron Diaz, Beyoncé Knowles, Ashlee Simpson, Adriana Lima, Hayden Panettiere, Naomi Campbell, Sienna Miller, Ashley Olsen, Penelope Cruz, Bai Ling, Ashanti, Calista Flockhart, Kimora Lee Simmons, Thandie Newton, Bijou Phillips, and Miss Piggy. So basically every female celeb you care about and even ones you don't.

With all these areolae showing, the Washington Post is wondering why famous women can't stay clothed. Which, in turn, makes us wonder:

1. Are these nip-slips accidental or calculated and deliberate?
2. Have dresses and tops gotten so skimpy that breasts can't be contained?
3. Do celebs not know about pasties and double-sided tape?

In an age where all news is good news, we're going to assume some celebrities expose their boobs for attention. Take for example Khloe Kardashian, who made a recent appearance on the "Fox and Friends" morning show in a see-through blouse sans bra. She claims she had no idea her breasts were on display, but apologized for flashing her goods. Then she Tweeted, "My mom just called me saying my nip slip is "all over the internet!" Ha! Is it weird that I love it?! Who knew nipples were so special?" Yeah, we can see how sorry and embarrassed she is about the incident.

Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland also recently flashed both her nipples during a nightclub performance in New Jersey. And she also used Twitter to apologize, writing, "New Jersey crowd was amazing!! hope you enjoyed the show and didn't mind the peek-a-boo LOL!!! #kanyeshrug #stuffhappens." We're guessing in this case her stage moves and skimpy outfit didn't mix, but at least in this case she was at a night club and not on daytime TV.

Last week Nicki Minaj's entire boob popped out of her top during a "Good Morning America" concert, and producers didn't censor out the live broadcast in time. It's not that surprising giving Minaj's racy image, but we're not used to seeing nipples on TV before we've had our first cup of coffee.

We understand that celebrities constantly have cameras following them around and that once in a while a boob could pop out while swimming in the ocean. But at the same time, you know you're a celebrity and cameras are following you everywhere and documenting your every move on stage and on the red carpet. If you were famous, wouldn't you be extra careful to be sure your girl were securely inside your top with no chance of popping out? Especially when pictures multiply and spread through the internet within seconds? Surely flashing a breast, accidental or deliberate, is not the end of the world or the end of a career, but we prefer our morning shows with a little less nip. How about you?

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