http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3215525 By BILL MURPHY Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Spurred on by Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" at the 2004 Super Bowl, county officials have fine-tuned policies in the hope that similar incidents can be prevented in the future. Commissioners Court was informed today that promoters will sign contracts that highlight phrases such as one requiring that performers not use facilities for any "immoral purpose." Promoters will be required to carry at least $1 million in insurance to cover lawsuits that may result from a performer's actions, said Willie Loston, director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corp., which oversees Reliant Park. The Sports & Convention Corp. developed some of the slight policy changes in March and April, more than a year after Jackson bared her breast during a Super Bowl halftime performance at Reliant Stadium on Feb. 1, 2004. Shortly after Jackson's performance, Commissioner Steve Radack called for adding a "morality clause" to the contracts of promoters who bring in acts to Reliant Park. The changes took until this year because the matter wasn't a high priority and because officials looked at the morality-clause issue exhaustively before making decisions, Loston said. The Sports & Convention Corp. informed the court of its decisions as part of normal communications, Loston said. The highlighting of the phrase "immoral purpose" represents a change in Reliant Park contracts. But few other changes were made in contracts between the county and performers. Loston said the Sports & Convention Corp.'s board and SMG-Reliant Park, a national company that manages Reliant Park and other sports and convention venues worldwide, chose not to impose a Draconian morality clause. First, immorality, indecency and vulgarity are subjective concepts, and certain behaviors are protected under First Amendment freedom of speech provisions, Loston said. Second, Reliant Park would lose business and some performers would choose to perform in another town or at another venue if the county imposed an extraordinarily strict morality clause, he said. "We talked about how restrictive can we get and still be competitive," he said. "We would put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage to Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center and Cynthia Woods (Pavilion)." Jackson's breast-baring, which co-performer Justin Timberlake later described as a "wardrobe malfunction," created a clamor nationwide for stricter standards of decency. The Federal Communications Commission fined Viacom, parent company of CBS, and its affiliates $550,000 over the Jackson incident. Earlier this year, Congress weighed raising the maximum fines that could be imposed on broadcasters for airing indecent material to $500,000 a violation. bill.murphy@chron.com
Great. Who will decide what is "immoral?" Would a Nine Inch Nails or Marilyn Manson concert be immoral because of the imagery? An art/music exhibit that displays graphic images or nudity? Lame.
Dear God. It was just a breast. People need to get over this already. Biggest much ado about nothing ever.
You think that's bad, check out the Bob Jones University dress code. Since Abercrombie and Fitch are so "wicked," none of their close for you, Mr. & Mrs. Student. Anyone else find it ironic that their initials are BJU? http://www.bju.edu/prospective/expect/dress.html
I wonder if, lets say, WWE had a PPV event at Reliant and lets say, Trish "accidentally" pops out to everybody. Since it is a PPV and not basic TV, would they be strict about it?????
No kidding. Look people... It was a BREAST. All women have them. It's not like you can't tell through their clothes. It's not like you haven't seen plenty. You probably nursed from one of these when you were a baby. In 2004, with all the world's problems and cynicism and war and hate and selfishness and lost souls, I can't believe one piece of exposed boob flesh got more than a passing mention. You couldn't even see the nipple, for goodness sake. That metal star thing was covering it. Pictures of women's breasts are not that hard to find. Not new for anyone, except maybe young kids, who wouldn't understand what the big deal is... they're not sexualized yet, and they just nursed from one not too long ago anyway.
Whoa, that was freaking scary! I mean, Abercrombie is obnoxious, but it's not their business to tell you not to wear it. Also, no: mismatched earrings, necklines "more than four fingers below the collarbone" (and whose fingers are measuring this? ), and your mama can't wear combat boots. And HOSE for women... who wears hose anymore? Certainly not most of the time. While they're at it, do we need petticoats and corsets and garters? Whatever garters are anyway. But this is BJU... look at the dorm room rules. Lights out by midnight. Strict filters on Internet access. Can only use your car to drive home or to class for the first two years. No music of most kinds, including jazz and even Contemporary Christian rock. You're not allowed to watch videos above a G rating or attend movie theaters at all. You can't keep your own refrigerator or DVD player. And (I've heard this elsewhere about this school) ANY interaction between men and women has to be in public/ chaperoned. I really don't think living like this is going to help most people grow as Christians. You'll just become dependent on a bunch of rules instead of developing that strength within yourself. You'll have to deal with the real world sooner or later anyway. And those regulations would drive most of us absolutely crazy.
Ya'll are freaking out too much about people freaking out. They are only putting the clause in there to insure themselves against lawsuits. Is there something prudish about avoiding lawsuits? As for the Marilyn Manson concerts, I assume they'd know what they were getting into when they negotiate the show. If they didn't want Manson to come, they don't have to do business with him.
Yeah, BJU is in the city I live and yeah, it's easy to spot a BJU student in town. The dress is just a dead giveaway. Their campus is fairly nice though.
