Super Bowl booking for Timberlake brings cries of ‘white male privilege’

NEW YORK — The booking of Justin Timberlake for the Super

Bowl halftime show has triggered a backlash from women, minorities and others who say Janet Jackson was unfairly forced to pay a far higher price than he faced for that breast-baring “wardrobe malfunction” at the big game in 2004.

The hashtag #justiceforjanet trended on social media this week after the NFL announced Timberlake would perform Feb. 4 in Minneapolis.

Some argued that Jackson fell victim to a sexist and racist double standard and received harsher treatment over a decade ago than Timberlake did.

“His body was not criminalized and demonized in the way that hers was, and that has everything to do with being a white man,” said Janell Hobson, an associate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at the State University of New York at Albany.

The NFL said no one has been banned from the halftime show but didn’t elaborate on the decision to invite Timberlake back or comment on Jackson specifically.

Thirteen years ago, as Timberlake sang the lyrics “Bet I have you naked at the end of this song,” he ripped Jackson’s costume to reveal her right breast, bare except for a nipple ring. Jackson later said her lace undergarment was supposed to remain intact but accidentally pulled away.

She was barred a week later from the Grammy telecast, where she had been scheduled to perform, and her star power diminished, though she eventually rebounded. Her

2015 album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, and she is now on a top-selling tour.

This will be Timberlake’s third time at the halftime show, the most for any performer. He first performed there in 2001 with his boy band NSYNC.