Janet Jackson exposes a culture of sleaze

Janet Jackson did the country a favor. Her so-called "costume reveal" during Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show made America finally sit up and take note of just how sleazy our culture has become.

For those who hadn't noticed — and apparently that includes television executives and the Federal Communications Commission — television has become increasingly sexualized and raunchy in recent years as media executives push the limits of decency in search of fat profits.

Jackson's flash-seen-'round-the-world didn't happen during a Mickey Mouse Club number. The entire halftime show oozed raw sexuality, from singer Nelly's crotch-grabbing to Jackson's simulated intercourse on stage with Justin Timberlake.

It's ridiculous for CBS and the National Football League to say they were caught off guard and disgusted by the sexually charged number during what's supposed to be a family-oriented celebration.

The Hollywood Reporter quoted the chairman and CEO of CBS, Leslie Moonves: "We regret that we were so deceived by them."

CBS should have known what it was getting into when it hired MTV to produce the halftime show. MTV is owned by Viacom, the same company that owns CBS. Haven't any CBS executives watched MTV lately?

The music videos and reality shows offer viewers the same kind of crass, sexually explicit entertainment that football fans saw on stage. At the very least, CBS should have deemed the racy lyrics inappropriate for the Super Bowl audience.

The FCC has launched an investigation into the incident, which was beamed live around the globe. Swift, stiff fines would help push television executives to clean up their acts.

Television has been heading in an ugly direction. Crude reality shows, sexualized commercials, bad language and general smut have seeped into cable channels and networks. Sometimes it takes crossing the line to see just how far the line has moved.