M.I.A. faces possible fines for Super Bowl halftime show

If you weren’t one of the 152 million people watching the Super Bowl this weekend past, then you might have missed M.I.A. flipping her audience off during her appearance in the halftime show, as part of Madonna’s song “Give Me All Your Luvin’.” While such an action might seem almost natural for a liberating, almost nonchalant artist like M.I.A, she may well pay the consequence – literally.

If the FCC chooses to come down on the NFL for her hand action, it’ll be M.I.A who will bear the brunt of the cost due to a contractual agreement she has with the NFL. According to TMZ, “M.I.A. agreed to indemnify the NFL for any money it might be
forced to pay if the FCC comes down on the Peacock Network [NBC].”

Of course, this isn’t the first time such legal action has been threatened come to be a reality. Back in 2004, if you remember, the FCC fined NBC over half a million dollars when janet Jackson’s breast made its television debut. Thankfully – for Jackson, at least – the fine was dropped in appellate court. M.I.A.’s accountant may well be hoping for a similar fate.

Watch the whole half-time show below: