Super Bowl: Are You Bothered That MIA Flipped Off The Camera?

Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show may have been met with mixed reviews, but it was what one of her guest stars did that’s really attracting attention. M.I.A., most famous for her song “Paper Planes”, threw up a middle finger during her segment of the performance. The camera briefly cut out immediately afterwards, but the knee jerk response wasn’t quick enough to block the gesture.

Naturally, the singer’s behavior caused immediate Janet Jackson comparisons from some outlets, but there’s one key difference. A middle finger is a whole lot less exciting then a nipple. Plus, MIA's questionable moment didn't occur during the big finish. There was a whole lot going on, so much in fact that many viewers probably didn't notice It did happen though, and Entertainment Weekly even captured a screen shot. Take a look below…

I wouldn’t say I’m offended by the above picture as much as I’m a bit confused by it. MIA was a guest for Madonna’s performance. She was in a supporting role, and to me, it seems a bit ridiculous to so brazenly break censor protocols in the midst of someone else’s show. Besides, I’m not really sure what point this was proving. Was she protesting something? Did she simply think it would look cool? Did she get caught up in the moment? No doubt MIA will be asked these questions shortly, but for now, all that’s left to do is wonder.

What did you think? Are you okay with MIA raising her middle finger during the halftime show? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

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Mack Rawden
Editor In Chief

Mack Rawden is the Editor-In-Chief of CinemaBlend. He first started working at the publication as a writer back in 2007 and has held various jobs at the site in the time since including Managing Editor, Pop Culture Editor and Staff Writer. He now splits his time between working on CinemaBlend’s user experience, helping to plan the site’s editorial direction and writing passionate articles about niche entertainment topics he’s into. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in English (go Hoosiers!) and has been interviewed and quoted in a variety of publications including Digiday. Enthusiastic about Clue, case-of-the-week mysteries, a great wrestling promo and cookies at Disney World. Less enthusiastic about the pricing structure of cable, loud noises and Tuesdays.