# Wardrobe malfunction
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{{Short description|Accidental exposure of nudity in public}}
thumb|An artist depicts torn clothing that uncovers a woman's buttocks
A '''wardrobe malfunction''' is a [clothing](/source/clothing) failure that accidentally exposes a person's [intimate part](/source/intimate_part)s. It is different from deliberate incidents of [indecent exposure](/source/indecent_exposure) or [public flashing](/source/exhibitionism). [Justin Timberlake](/source/Justin_Timberlake) first used the term when apologizing for the [Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy](/source/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII_halftime_show_controversy) during the [2004 Grammy Awards](/source/2004_Grammy_Awards), saying that he accidentally revealed [Janet Jackson](/source/Janet_Jackson)'s breast instead of just her brassiere. The phrase ''wardrobe malfunction'' was in turn used by the media to refer to the incident and entered [pop culture](/source/pop_culture).[{{cite news |last=Puente |first=Maria |title=Will 'Wardrobe Malfunction' Live On? |work=[USA Today](/source/USA_Today) |date=February 4, 2004|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-02-03-wardrobe-malfunction-main_x.htm |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209063332/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-02-03-wardrobe-malfunction-main_x.htm |archive-date=December 9, 2012 |url-status=live}}] There was a long history of such incidents before the term was coined and it has since become common.
==Etymology==
The [American Dialect Society](/source/American_Dialect_Society) defines "wardrobe malfunction" as "an unanticipated exposure of bodily parts".[{{cite web |author=American Dialect Society |author-link=American Dialect Society |title=Word of the Year |date=January 7, 2005 |url=http://www.americandialect.org/2004_Words_of_the_Year_Final_Vote_.pdf |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211181356/http://www.americandialect.org/2004_Words_of_the_Year_Final_Vote_.pdf |archive-date=February 11, 2006 |url-status=live}}] The term was also one of the new entrants into the ''[Chambers Dictionary](/source/Chambers_Dictionary)'' in 2008, along with words like ''[electrosmog](/source/electrosmog)'', ''[carbon footprint](/source/carbon_footprint)'', ''[credit crunch](/source/credit_crunch)'' and ''[social networking](/source/social_networking)''.["[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7559875.stm Electrosmog enters the dictionary]," [BBC](/source/BBC)] The dictionary defines it as "the temporary failure of an item of clothing to do its job in covering a part of the body that it would be advisable to keep covered."["[http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24185007-5016480,00.html Dictionary suffers a wardrobe malfunction]," ''[The Mercury](/source/The_Mercury_(Hobart))'', 2008-08-15]
===Origins===
The term was first used on February 2, 2004, by Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson in a statement attempting to explain the [Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy](/source/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII_halftime_show_controversy), during which Jackson's right breast was exposed. Timberlake apologized for the incident, stating he was "sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl..."[{{cite news |date=February 2, 2004 |title=Apologetic Jackson says costume reveal went awry |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson |access-date=April 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424081101/http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/ |archive-date=Apr 24, 2008}}] The term ''wardrobe malfunction'' appeared in numerous stories in major US consumer and business publications, newspapers, and major TV and radio broadcasts.[{{Cite book |last=Eisen |first=Rich |url=http://archive.org/details/totalaccessjourn0000eise |title=Total access : a journey to the center of the NFL universe |date=2007 |publisher=New York : St. Martin's Press |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-312-36978-1}}] Journalist [Eric Alterman](/source/Eric_Alterman) described the incident as "the most famous 'wardrobe malfunction' since [Lady Godiva](/source/Lady_Godiva)."[Eric Alterman, ''[Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America](/source/iarchive%3Awhywereliberalsp00alte)'', page 186, Penguin USA, 2008, {{ISBN|0-670-01860-0}}]
===Related terms===
The American Dialect Society had a number of related terms for [word of the year](/source/word_of_the_year) nominations in 2004, including ''Janet moment'' ("unplanned bodily exposure at a public function"), ''boobgate'' ("scandal over Janet Jackson's exposed breast"), ''nipplegate'' (like boobgate, "but used earlier in squawk over Jackson's possible nipple ring"), and ''wardrobe malfunction'' ("overexposure in a mammary way").[{{cite web |last=Glowka |first=Wayne |author2=American Dialect Society |author2-link=American Dialect Society |title=2004 Words of the Year Nominations |url=http://www.americandialect.org/Glowka_ADS_2004_Words_of_the_Year.pdf |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819130159/http://www.americandialect.org/Glowka_ADS_2004_Words_of_the_Year.pdf |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |url-status=live}}] People came up with clever terms to describe an occurrence of ''accidental nudity'', like ''nipple slip'' or ''nip slip''.
==Female==
After [Brigitte Bardot](/source/Brigitte_Bardot) gained international fame in 1953 as the [Bikini](/source/Bikini) girl of the [French Riviera](/source/French_Riviera), [paparazzi](/source/paparazzi) popularized revealing accidents or staged events with women's swimwear throughout the decade. For one of many instances, a [cheesecake](/source/Glamour_photography) photo of rising starlet [Daliah Lavi](/source/Daliah_Lavi) adjusting her bikini after it broke while at a [Rio de Janeiro](/source/Rio_de_Janeiro) swimming pool was widely circulated by [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) in 1959.[Horsley, Edith, ''The 1950s,'' Bison Books Ltd. London 1978, p. 236, picture and caption top left.]
On February 1, 2004, the [halftime show](/source/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII_halftime_show) of [Super Bowl XXXVIII](/source/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII) was broadcast live from Houston, Texas, on the [CBS](/source/CBS) television network in the United States. During the show, Justin Timberlake [mistakenly removed a portion of Janet Jackson's costume](/source/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII_halftime_show_controversy), exposing for about half a second her breast adorned with a nipple shield. This was the first recorded usage of the term "wardrobe malfunction".[{{cite news |author=Moody |first=Nekesa Mumbi |author-link=Nekesa Mumbi Moody |date=February 3, 2004 |title=Janet Jackson Apologizes for Bared Breast |agency=[Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) |url=http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SUPER_BOWL_JACKSON?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040203025228/http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SUPER_BOWL_JACKSON?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-date=February 3, 2004}} Also published by CNN.com as "[http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/ Apologetic Jackson says 'costume reveal' went awry]".] The incident, sometimes referred to as ''Nipplegate'',[{{cite news |author=Bauder |first=David |date=February 4, 2004 |title=Spike Lee says Janet Jackson's breast baring a 'new low' for entertainers |newspaper=[U-T San Diego](/source/U-T_San_Diego) |agency=Associated Press |url=http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/features/20040204-0213-superbowl-jackson.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040411114159/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20040204-0213-superbowl-jackson.html |archive-date=April 11, 2004}} CNN.com published this story in an earlier version as "[http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/04/jackson.apology.ap/index.html Janet Jackson takes responsibility for breast-baring] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231165752/http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/04/jackson.apology.ap/index.html|date=2007-12-31}}".][{{cite news |author=Hilden |first=Julie |date=February 20, 2004 |title=Jackson 'Nipplegate' illustrates the danger of chilling free speech |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/20/findlaw.analysis.hilden.jackson/ |url-status=live |access-date=July 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618110244/https://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/20/findlaw.analysis.hilden.jackson/ |archive-date=Jun 18, 2007}}] was news worldwide. [MTV](/source/MTV)'s chief executive said that Jackson had planned the stunt and Timberlake was informed of it just moments before he took the stage.[{{Cite news |url=http://www.today.com/popculture/mtv-points-finger-blame-jackson-wbna4153422 |title=MTV points finger of blame at Jackson |date=February 3, 2004 |work=[Today](/source/Today_(U.S._TV_program)) |access-date=July 12, 2017}}][{{Cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jeannette |last2=Pearson |first2=Ashley |date=February 3, 2004 |title=Jackson's Super stunt was planned |work=[Today](/source/Today_(U.S._TV_program)) |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/jacksons-super-stunt-was-planned-wbna4100763 |url-status=live |access-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928005910/https://www.today.com/popculture/jacksons-super-stunt-was-planned-wbna4100763 |archive-date=September 28, 2017}}] The stunt was broadcast live to a total audience of 143.6 million viewers.[{{cite web |author=Ryan |first=Joal |date=March 2, 2004 |title=Kids Watch Super Boob |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/46764/kids-watch-super-boob |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203010116/https://www.eonline.com/news/46764/kids-watch-super-boob |archive-date=Feb 3, 2014 |access-date=April 1, 2014 |publisher=[E!](/source/E!)}}]
==Male==
Wardrobe malfunctions have also affected male celebrities, wherein its usually an accident. For example, American streamer and cultural ambassador [IShowSpeed](/source/IShowSpeed) had an incident[{{Cite web |title=IShowSpeed confronts his father for viral ‘IShowMeat’ video {{!}} indy100 |url=https://www.indy100.com/viral/ishowspeed-meat-darren-watkins-sr |access-date=2026-05-16 |website=www.indy100.com |language=en}}] which was subsequently called IShowMeat, when he accidentally exposed his [penis](/source/penis) during a stream, although he avoided a YouTube ban due to the fact it was accidental.[{{Cite web |last=Ocho |first=Alex |date=2023-08-17 |title=IShowSpeed Avoids YouTube Ban After Accidentally Exposing Himself |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/alex-ocho/ishowspeed-avoids-youtube-ban-after-accidentally-exposing |access-date=2026-05-16 |website=Complex |language=en}}] On occasion, the media may treat wardrobe malfunction as more sensational when a family member witnesses the incident or the press frenzy aftermath, as mentioned for instance for [Zoë Kravitz](/source/Zo%C3%AB_Kravitz), in relation to her father [Lenny Kravitz](/source/Lenny_Kravitz) when his ripped trousers on stage in Sweden in 2015 accidentally exposed his genitalia.[{{Cite web |last=Bayley |first=Leanne |date=2015-08-06 |title=Zoe Kravitz and Chelsea Tyler mortified by #PenisGate |url=https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/lenny-kravitz-penis-picture-on-stage-in-stockholm |access-date=2026-05-16 |website=Glamour UK |language=en-GB}}]
An inconsistent two-tier application of the wardrobe malfunction mechanism by media can be viewed as [lookism](/source/lookism), featureism, [phallophobia](/source/phallophobia) or morphological discrimination if a set of men with the same outfit are treated differently. For example, the media dubbed the male crotch bulge of [Linford Christie](/source/Linford_Christie) and [Henrik Rummel](/source/Henrik_Rummel) as a "[lunchbox](/source/lunchbox)"[{{Cite news |last=Jeffries |first=Stuart |date=2024-07-25 |title=Linford review – the scenes about the racist fetishisation of his genitals are heartbreaking |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/jul/25/linford-review-bbc-documentary |access-date=2026-05-16 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}] and "package"[{{Cite web |last=Zeigler |first=Cyd |date=2012-08-07 |title=Rower Henrik Rummel Addresses His Podium ‘Package’ |url=https://www.sbnation.com/london-olympics-2012/2012/8/7/3225586/rower-henrik-rummel-address-his-podium-package |access-date=2026-05-16 |website=SB Nation |language=en-US}}] in 1992 and 2012 respectively, whilst glossing over their track and rowing teammates who also wore a spandex outfit, leading to double standard allegations of disparate treatment and discrimination towards [megalophallic](/source/megalophallic){{efn|When the penile crotch bulge of a man with macrophallism is commodified via a neutral sense it may be called phallic fetishization, whereas when a macrophallic man is commodified in a negative sense it may be called genital objectification, a subset of sexual objectification.}} men when their male genital outline is discernible through clothing.[Tate, Shirley Anne. "Introduction—Iconicity: Black British Women’s Bodies as (In) Visible Spectacles." Black Women’s Bodies and The Nation: Race, Gender and Culture. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2015. 1-16.]
==See also==
{{commons category|Accidental nudity}}
* [Dress code](/source/Dress_code)
* [Exhibitionism](/source/Exhibitionism)
* [Voyeurism](/source/Voyeurism)
==References==
===Footnotes===
{{notelist}}
===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Nudity}}{{Justin Timberlake}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wardrobe Malfunction}}
Category:Clothing controversies
Category:English phrases
Category:Nudity
Category:2004 neologisms
Category:Sexual euphemisms
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wardrobe malfunction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardrobe_malfunction) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardrobe_malfunction?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.