In 2004, in the SuperBowl halftime show finale, 19 year old Justin Timberlake ripped off 37 year old Janet Jackson's top. Her breast was exposed on screen for nine sixteenths of a second. A pop icon and role model for many black women, and an outspoken ally for the LGBTQI+ community, the moment derailed Jackson's career for many years, while Timberlake's thrived.
But who was invested in the backlash? Who became obsessed with blocking her success? Who joked over her humiliation? How have all those involved profited since?
What does all this have to say about the demographics of who controls the media, and the scrutinising of black women in the public eye?
Nine Sixteenths joins theatre maker Paula Varjack with choreographer/maker Pauline Edwards, actress/director Endy McKay and choreographer Julienne Doko for a cultural odyssey, to work out what happened, and what is happening still…
We caught up with Paula Varjack to learn more.
The show sounds incredibly dynamic, mixing fast-paced theatre with elements of dance and visual storytelling. How do you balance entertainment with the deeper themes you wish to explore?
With everything I make I am always interested in striking a balance, between entertaining and making people think. As an audience member I need both, but I also want to engage with both as a theatre-maker. I find that humour for example, can be an incredibly powerful tool for landing complex questions, and difficult emotions. I think a lot about audiences as I make a new work. I want them to come into the themes I have been thinking about, and wrestle with them. Yes to come away with more questions, but also to have a great night out. So within that there's thought around the emotional journey you are creating for the audience. The metaphor I often come to is that of a DJ. A great DJ, in my opinion, doesn't just play the tracks you know and want. They don't just play bangers. They build you to that point and keep you dancing, but they introduce you to new music too. My approach to making shows is also very adjacent to documentary (I trained as a filmmaker before I began making theatre and documentary was one of my favourite forms). So by the time I’m devising and writing I've been totally immersed in research and visual reference. All of this informs the experience of making the show. Often this starts with images - I still have a very cinematic brain when it comes to storytelling.
With everything I make I am always interested in striking a balance, between entertaining and making people think. As an audience member I need both, but I also want to engage with both as a theatre-maker. I find that humour for example, can be an incredibly powerful tool for landing complex questions, and difficult emotions. I think a lot about audiences as I make a new work. I want them to come into the themes I have been thinking about, and wrestle with them. Yes to come away with more questions, but also to have a great night out. So within that there's thought around the emotional journey you are creating for the audience. The metaphor I often come to is that of a DJ. A great DJ, in my opinion, doesn't just play the tracks you know and want. They don't just play bangers. They build you to that point and keep you dancing, but they introduce you to new music too. My approach to making shows is also very adjacent to documentary (I trained as a filmmaker before I began making theatre and documentary was one of my favourite forms). So by the time I’m devising and writing I've been totally immersed in research and visual reference. All of this informs the experience of making the show. Often this starts with images - I still have a very cinematic brain when it comes to storytelling.
The cast of four black women over 40 sounds quite unique for contemporary theatre. What was the inspiration behind casting in this way?
Very early in the development of the show I knew I wanted to have an ensemble. I initially thought of them like a kind of contemporary Greek chorus. I knew I wanted to have an ensemble because Janet Jackson would never perform on her own. I also thought if I'm going to be evoking a pop diva, I have to have backing dancers. It can't be a solo show. But other than that I wasn't clear on who that ensemble would be. Initially I thought about them being peers, in terms of being other performers. The main thread of the show to me then was about controlling your narrative, and what happened when you as an artist lost control of that narrative. So I had ideas about working in collaboration with different existing companies, a bit like the way a pop artist might tour with a support band. But the as we got into one of the first R&D phase, there was a lot of discussion about the themes of role models and representation. That's when it was put to me that the ensemble should all be black women aged 40 or older, like me. I couldn't even imagine it. With all the experience I had in the arts, across countries and organisations and even artforms I had never been in a room working with 3 other black women my age or older. The more we talked about my not even being able to imagine it and what that meant, the more it became clear that this was the only casting that made sense. It spoke to the both the power of that representation and
the lack of it. From the moment that room was created I was amazed how powerful the dynamic felt.
Very early in the development of the show I knew I wanted to have an ensemble. I initially thought of them like a kind of contemporary Greek chorus. I knew I wanted to have an ensemble because Janet Jackson would never perform on her own. I also thought if I'm going to be evoking a pop diva, I have to have backing dancers. It can't be a solo show. But other than that I wasn't clear on who that ensemble would be. Initially I thought about them being peers, in terms of being other performers. The main thread of the show to me then was about controlling your narrative, and what happened when you as an artist lost control of that narrative. So I had ideas about working in collaboration with different existing companies, a bit like the way a pop artist might tour with a support band. But the as we got into one of the first R&D phase, there was a lot of discussion about the themes of role models and representation. That's when it was put to me that the ensemble should all be black women aged 40 or older, like me. I couldn't even imagine it. With all the experience I had in the arts, across countries and organisations and even artforms I had never been in a room working with 3 other black women my age or older. The more we talked about my not even being able to imagine it and what that meant, the more it became clear that this was the only casting that made sense. It spoke to the both the power of that representation and
the lack of it. From the moment that room was created I was amazed how powerful the dynamic felt.
Your work seems to challenge the audience's preconceived notions about media portrayal. In what ways do you hope "Nine Sixteenths" will impact its viewers?
As much as Nine Sixteenths is a show about Janet Jackson, my journey from fan to performer, and the hopes and dreams of myself and the ensemble, it is also very much a show about how media has changed in the last 20+ years. From the rise and fall of MTV, to that of YouTube. The birth of social media, the move from tv to smartphone. But also its's an interrogation about the danger of media conglomerates. What power do those behind the scenes have? What happens when that power goes unchecked. What does that mean not only for those that work in the entertainment industry but for all of us who consume the content. I really hope the show makes audiences think more critically about how the use their attention, the currency of it. I hope they will value it more, and appreciate it has value.
As much as Nine Sixteenths is a show about Janet Jackson, my journey from fan to performer, and the hopes and dreams of myself and the ensemble, it is also very much a show about how media has changed in the last 20+ years. From the rise and fall of MTV, to that of YouTube. The birth of social media, the move from tv to smartphone. But also its's an interrogation about the danger of media conglomerates. What power do those behind the scenes have? What happens when that power goes unchecked. What does that mean not only for those that work in the entertainment industry but for all of us who consume the content. I really hope the show makes audiences think more critically about how the use their attention, the currency of it. I hope they will value it more, and appreciate it has value.
With the mention of "Nipplegate," can you elaborate on the controversy surrounding this moment and its implications, particularly for Jackson's career compared to Timberlake's and how it shaped this piece?
In 2004, at the height of her career, as part of the finale of the Superbowl halftime show, (annually the most watched event on American television) 23 year old Justin Timberlake ripped off the right cup of 37 year old Janet Jackson’s bustier, revealing her nipple on screen - for nine sixteenths of a second. Justin Timberlake coined the term ‘wardrobe malfunction’ and the media at the time referred to it as nipplegate. It was a pop culture moment spawning endless debate and discussion. Was this a planned publicity stunt, or an accident? Subsequently, Timberlake's career thrived, while Janet Jackson’s suffered. (I'm pleased to say that since then Janet Jackson has had her most successful tour of all time, in 2024, and Timberlake's most recent album has been less than successful).
In 2004, at the height of her career, as part of the finale of the Superbowl halftime show, (annually the most watched event on American television) 23 year old Justin Timberlake ripped off the right cup of 37 year old Janet Jackson’s bustier, revealing her nipple on screen - for nine sixteenths of a second. Justin Timberlake coined the term ‘wardrobe malfunction’ and the media at the time referred to it as nipplegate. It was a pop culture moment spawning endless debate and discussion. Was this a planned publicity stunt, or an accident? Subsequently, Timberlake's career thrived, while Janet Jackson’s suffered. (I'm pleased to say that since then Janet Jackson has had her most successful tour of all time, in 2024, and Timberlake's most recent album has been less than successful).
When you speak to people who remember this moment, the main conversation you'll run into is theories on whether it was planned or not. But having researched the show over several years, this question for me is the least relevant part of what happened, because regardless, the backlash that followed Janet Jackson was deeply unfair and disproportionate. For several years she was a punchline. But there were also career implications to appearances and radio play. A performance at the Grammys was cancelled, her music was taken off many American radio playlists and her music videos were no longer played on MTV. Damita Jo, Jackson’s 8th studio album released at the time, tanked.
I had not given it much thought since the halftime show, which I didn't see at the time as I was bartending at a club in London. But then I saw Janet Jackson live for the first time at Glastonbury in 2019. She was amazing and so clearly an icon, I found it so strange it was her first time headlining. On the coach home I looked up her Wikipedia page, I discovered albums, music videos and films I had never heard of. This encouraged me to research that period of her life and the backlash within media to the incident. What I discovered, about a conservative right wing lobbyist, a predatory studio executive and the co-founders of YouTube, led me to a story I had no idea of. One that went well beyond the questions about a “wardrobe malfunction” and had much darker implications around who decides what we see on our screens.
As "Nine Sixteenths" prepares for its UK tour, what are you most excited for audiences to experience about the show?
I don't think there is one specific element I am excited for them to experience (well maybe there is one thing towards the end, but I don't want to give any spoilers…). Seriously though, I think the thing I am excited about is just for audiences to experience it, because it’s such a rich and wild ride of a journey. It unpacks some very big issues, tracks some major media milestones (some more public than others) but also its just so much fun. The soundtrack is like the ultimate noughties playlist and there's all this great choreography, and lipsyncing. When we did the premiere run at the Pleasance in November 2024 audiences really loved it, and since then we've reworked it and made it even better. I'm really thrilled to get it in front of an audience again. I feel very confident they will have a good time, but also a thought provoking one.
I don't think there is one specific element I am excited for them to experience (well maybe there is one thing towards the end, but I don't want to give any spoilers…). Seriously though, I think the thing I am excited about is just for audiences to experience it, because it’s such a rich and wild ride of a journey. It unpacks some very big issues, tracks some major media milestones (some more public than others) but also its just so much fun. The soundtrack is like the ultimate noughties playlist and there's all this great choreography, and lipsyncing. When we did the premiere run at the Pleasance in November 2024 audiences really loved it, and since then we've reworked it and made it even better. I'm really thrilled to get it in front of an audience again. I feel very confident they will have a good time, but also a thought provoking one.
What was the first piece of theatre that had a big impact on you?
The very first show I remember seeing, that made me want to work in theatre was an RSC production of the Tempest at the Barbican. (I know people are often surprised when they find out I'm a former Shakespeare geek, but it was definitely as much about the costumes and set as it was the text. I wanted to work in stage production then and it was the first step to my wanting to be a stage manager). The first show I remember seeing that made me think about being a performer was probably a production of the Vagina Monologues I saw in my late teens or early twenties. It was the original production, so a solo show where Eve Ensler performed all of the roles, and it was based on interview material. Up until then I had never seen a solo show, had never seen theatre based on interview. It completely upended what I thought theatre could be.
The very first show I remember seeing, that made me want to work in theatre was an RSC production of the Tempest at the Barbican. (I know people are often surprised when they find out I'm a former Shakespeare geek, but it was definitely as much about the costumes and set as it was the text. I wanted to work in stage production then and it was the first step to my wanting to be a stage manager). The first show I remember seeing that made me think about being a performer was probably a production of the Vagina Monologues I saw in my late teens or early twenties. It was the original production, so a solo show where Eve Ensler performed all of the roles, and it was based on interview material. Up until then I had never seen a solo show, had never seen theatre based on interview. It completely upended what I thought theatre could be.
What keeps you inspired?
So much keeps me inspired from day to day. I make a real point of nurturing the act of seeking out inspiration and reflecting on what inspires me and why. I write a (mostly) monthly newsletter that is a diary of sorts on this. You can find back issues here https://us2.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=b1eb180a07f96785d51f506e6&id=3b6b4c9c1b
I share whatever I'm reading, watching and listening to, because I love sharing recommendations with people, but also because the act of writing it keeps me tapped in. I am an artist who makes across artforms and is most inspired when I am engaging with art across artforms. Another thing that makes me deeply engaged with making work is collaborating with artists on their work. By being inside someone else's creative process, I find new ways of collaborating and approaching my own. Finally, teaching or leading workshops with participants interested in exploring their creativity, is an act I always find very fulfilling. There are so many things I love about teaching and facilitating, but at the
heart of it is the sense of a dialogue. To articulate why I make in a certain way I have to constantly question myself. To be in these spaces keeps me current and open about how and why I make art in the first place.
Where can audiences see the show and follow your journey?
If you're in the UK it's probably easier for me to say where we aren't going we're really covering most of the country! But we kick off in Bristol in February and will be making our way around the country until we're back to London for our homecoming run of two weeks in late May at Brixton House. I'm pretty active on Instagram so you can follow me there at @paulavarjack. All the tour dates are on the show page of my website https://paulavarjack.com/9-16ths/ or you can subscribe to my newsletter https://paulavarjack.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=b1eb180a07f96785d51f506e6&id=3b6b4c9c1b
Paula Varjack is an artist working in video, performance & participation.
Her latest show Nine Sixteenths is a fast, fun, multimedia examination of iconic black female role models featuring the rise, fall and rise again of Janet Jackson and what that says about how black women, especially older black women, are treated by the media. It opens an extensive UK tour at Bristol Tobacco Theatres on 9 and 10 February and continues through to two weeks at London’s Brixton House in late May. See https://paulavarjack.com for details.
Paula was born in Washington DC to a Ghanaian mother and a British father, out of many places she has lived she now considers east London ‘home’.
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