British rap artist M.I.A. sure knows how to get her name in front of potential fans.
This is a good thing, since many of the estimated 100 million people watching the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show worldwide Sunday night probably had no idea who she was or why she was up onstage during the halftime show, singing and dancing with Madonna and Nicki Minaj.
Mature Content: Uncensored M.I.A. Super Bowl Halftime Video
M.I.A. took matters into her own hands, literally, when she decided to flip off the camera during a close-up shot of the rapper as she performed her part of the new collaborative Madonna single, "Give Me All Your Luvin'". In the midst of her Super Bowl halftime show middle finger fiasco, M.I.A. barely dropped her voice in time for a racy line in the pop-rock-rap fusion song that goes, "I don't give a sh**!"
Sean T. and Adam W. of Tucson, AZ, were watching the halftime show at a Super Bowl party, and told us they had no idea who the rapper was. A female companion recognized M.I.A. from her single a few years back entitled, "Paper Planes". However, none of them noticed the raised middle finger at the time. Upon another viewing, however, it is clear to see the British rap artist fully intended for everyone to see it.
The NFL and NBC have apologized to viewers for the obscene gesture that made it past NBC censors. A small burred spot appeared on screens around the world about a second too late to obscure M.I.A. and her profane finger, and if the artist did enunciate the S word, it was barely audible and not quite offensive enough to have been worthy of a bleep. NBC says the NFL hired the talent for the Super Bowl halftime show, and an NFL spokesperson has stated that M.I.A. didn't give any indication that she would, well, indicate in such a way during the live show.
You can check out uncut video of this portion of the rapper's halftime show performance here. Warning: This video is intended for mature audiences only, and may be deemed offensive by some viewers.
M.I.A. wasn't the only semi-famous female to express herself in a less than family-friendly way during the 2012 Super Bowl. Model Gisele Bundchen, wife of New England Patriots QB Tom Brady, unleashed the F-bomb on a Giants fan who heckled her outside a stadium elevator after the Giants won the game. More on that story, including video of Gisele losing her cool in front of the cameras, here.
For more 2012 Super Bowl coverage, visit the following links:
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