It’s been three weeks since Maroon 5 took to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to deliver what many are calling the ‘worst Super Bowl Halftime Show’ in recent memory (click here to watch), but that hasn’t stopped critics from  weighing in on more controversial aspects of the performance – namely the portion that saw the group’s frontman, Adam Levine, perform shirtless.

Cries of ‘foul’ and ‘gender inequality’ rang over Twitter at the time of the incident as many recalled the backlash superstar Janet Jackson received when her breast was accidentally exposed during the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show.  In an attempt to score justice for the Pop icon, some took to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – the United States’ “primary authority for communications law, regulation, and technological innovation” – to complain.

Details inside:

Our friends at THR report: 

More than 50 people filed [formal] complaints with the FCC about the Maroon 5 frontman’s decision to take off his shirt during his halftime performance, according to documents obtained by The Hollywood Reporter on Friday [February 22].

The backlash pales in comparison to what Jackson faced, and that’s precisely what most of the people who contacted the agency are upset about.

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Granted, while the outrage over Jackson’s breast baring reportedly sparked letters and emails from over 500,000, it should be taken into account the incident occurred pre-social media.  During Maroon 5’s show, many opted to use the hashtags #JusticeForJanet, #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay, and more on various outlets to discuss their disgust with the bias (in place of email or letter sending).

As of time reported the FCC has not announced any plans to penalize the ‘Animals’ performer for his exposure.

[photo source:  Getty Images]

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