Editing Wardrobe malfunction

{{Short description|Accidental exposure of nudity in public}}
[[Image:Xavier Sager Woman at the beach.jpg|thumb|An artist depicts torn clothing that uncovers a woman's buttocks]]
A '''wardrobe malfunction''' is a [[clothing]] failure that accidentally exposes a person's [[intimate part]]s. It is different from deliberate incidents of [[indecent exposure]] or [[exhibitionism|public flashing]]. [[Justin Timberlake]] first used the term when apologizing for the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy]] during the [[2004 Grammy Awards]], saying that he accidentally revealed [[Janet Jackson]]'s breast instead of just her brassiere. The phrase "wardrobe malfunction" was in turn used by the media to refer to the incident and entered [[pop culture]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Puente |first=Maria |title=Will 'Wardrobe Malfunction' Live On? |work=[[USA Today]] |date=February 4, 2004|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-02-03-wardrobe-malfunction-main_x.htm |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121209063332/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-02-03-wardrobe-malfunction-main_x.htm |archive-date=December 9, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> There was a long history of such incidents before the term was coined and it has since become common.

==Etymology==
The [[American Dialect Society]] defines "wardrobe malfunction" as "an unanticipated exposure of bodily parts".<ref>{{cite web |author=American Dialect Society |author-link=American Dialect Society |title=Word of the Year |date=January 7, 2005 |url=http://www.americandialect.org/2004_Words_of_the_Year_Final_Vote_.pdf |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211181356/http://www.americandialect.org/2004_Words_of_the_Year_Final_Vote_.pdf |archive-date=February 11, 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> The term was also one of the new entrants into the ''[[Chambers Dictionary]]'' in 2008, along with words like ''[[electrosmog]]'', ''[[carbon footprint]]'', ''[[credit crunch]]'' and ''[[social networking]]''.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7559875.stm Electrosmog enters the dictionary]," [[BBC]]</ref> The dictionary defines it as "the temporary failure of an item of clothing to do its job in covering a part of the body that it would be advisable to keep covered."<ref>"[http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24185007-5016480,00.html Dictionary suffers a wardrobe malfunction]," ''[[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]]'', 2008-08-15</ref>

===Origins===
The term was first used on February 2, 2004, by singers Justin Timberlake and [[Janet Jackson]] in a statement attempting to explain the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy]], during which Jackson's right breast was exposed. Timberlake apologized for the incident, stating he was "sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl..."<ref>{{cite news |date=February 2, 2004 |title=Apologetic Jackson says costume reveal went awry |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson |access-date=April 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424081101/http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/ |archive-date=Apr 24, 2008}}</ref> The term ''wardrobe malfunction'' appeared in numerous stories in major US consumer and business publications, newspapers, and major TV and radio broadcasts.<ref>Rich Eisen, ''[[iarchive:totalaccessjourn0000eise|Total Access]]'', page 36, Macmillan, 2007, {{ISBN|0-312-36978-6}}</ref> Journalist [[Eric Alterman]] described the incident as "the most famous 'wardrobe malfunction' since [[Lady Godiva]]."<ref>Eric Alterman, ''[[iarchive:whywereliberalsp00alte|Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America]]'', page 186, Penguin USA, 2008, {{ISBN|0-670-01860-0}}</ref>

===Related terms===
The American Dialect Society had a number of related terms for [[word of the year]] nominations in 2004, including ''Janet moment'' ("unplanned bodily exposure at a public function"), ''boobgate'' ("scandal over Janet Jackson's exposed breast"), ''nipplegate'' (like boobgate, "but used earlier in squawk over Jackson's possible nipple ring"), and ''wardrobe malfunction'' ("overexposure in a mammary way").<ref>{{cite web |last=Glowka |first=Wayne |author2=American Dialect Society |author2-link=American Dialect Society |title=2004 Words of the Year Nominations |url=http://www.americandialect.org/Glowka_ADS_2004_Words_of_the_Year.pdf |access-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819130159/http://www.americandialect.org/Glowka_ADS_2004_Words_of_the_Year.pdf |archive-date=August 19, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> People came up with clever terms to describe an occurrence of ''accidental nudity'', like ''nipple slip'' or ''nip slip''. The term has been translated into other languages to describe similar incidents, including ''{{Lang|nl|garderobedefect}}'' (Dutch),{{citation needed|reason=seems to appear frequently only in automatically translated texts|date=December 2012}} ''{{Lang|fr|incident de garde-robe}}'' (French), ''{{lang|it|disfunzione del guardaroba}}'' or {{lang|it|incidente del guardaroba}} (Italian),{{citation needed|reason=I am a native speaker and this doesn't even sound like Italian|date=October 2016}} and ''{{Lang|es|mal funcionamiento de vestuario}}'' (Spanish).{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

==Instances==
In April 1957, Italian actress [[Sophia Loren]] was being welcomed to Hollywood by [[Paramount Pictures]] at a dinner party at Romanoff's restaurant in [[Beverly Hills]]. American actress [[Jayne Mansfield]] arrived last and went directly to Loren's table. Mansfield had previously engineered several stunts exposing her breasts. On this evening, she was seated between Loren and her dinner companion [[Clifton Webb]]. Braless and wearing a deeply plunging neckline, Mansfield at one point stood and purposefully leaned over the table, further exposing her breasts and her left nipple. Photographer [[Delmar Watson]] pictured Loren staring at Mansfield's breasts, and Joe Shere [[Jayne Mansfield-Sophia Loren photo|also recorded the incident]]. Shere's picture received international attention, and was published worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sophia vs Jayne: The OTHER Photos Behind That Sideways Glare |url=https://www.messynessychic.com/2013/04/01/sophia-vs-jayne-the-other-photos-behind-that-sideways-glare/ |website=Messy Nessy Chic |access-date=25 March 2019 |date=1 April 2013}}</ref>

After [[Brigitte Bardot]] gained international fame in 1953 as the [[Bikini]] girl of the [[French Riviera]], [[paparazzi]] popularized revealing accidents or staged events with women's swimwear throughout the decade. For one of many instances, a [[Glamour photography|cheesecake]] photo of rising starlet [[Daliah Lavi]] adjusting her bikini after it broke while at a [[Rio de Janeiro]] swimming pool was widely circulated by [[Associated Press]] in 1959.<ref>Horsley, Edith, ''The 1950s,'' Bison Books Ltd. London 1978, p. 236, picture and caption top left.</ref>

On February 1, 2004, the [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show|halftime show]] of [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]] was broadcast live from Houston, Texas, on the CBS television network in the United States. During the show, Justin Timberlake [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|mistakenly removed a portion of Janet Jackson's costume]], exposing for about half a second her breast adorned with a nipple shield. This was the first recorded usage of the term "wardrobe malfunction".<ref name="apologeticjackson">{{cite news |author=Moody |first=Nekesa Mumbi |author-link=Nekesa Mumbi Moody |date=February 3, 2004 |title=Janet Jackson Apologizes for Bared Breast |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SUPER_BOWL_JACKSON?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040203025228/http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SUPER_BOWL_JACKSON?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |archive-date=February 3, 2004}} Also published by CNN.com as "[http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/02/superbowl.jackson/ Apologetic Jackson says 'costume reveal' went awry]".</ref> The incident, sometimes referred to as Nipplegate,<ref name="jacksonresponsible">{{cite news |author=Bauder |first=David |date=February 4, 2004 |title=Spike Lee says Janet Jackson's breast baring a 'new low' for entertainers |newspaper=[[U-T San Diego]] |agency=Associated Press |url=http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/features/20040204-0213-superbowl-jackson.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040411114159/http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20040204-0213-superbowl-jackson.html |archive-date=April 11, 2004}} CNN.com published this story in an earlier version as "[http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/04/jackson.apology.ap/index.html Janet Jackson takes responsibility for breast-baring] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231165752/http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/04/jackson.apology.ap/index.html|date=2007-12-31}}".</ref><ref name="Hilden2004-02-20">{{cite news |author=Hilden |first=Julie |date=February 20, 2004 |title=Jackson 'Nipplegate' illustrates the danger of chilling free speech |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/20/findlaw.analysis.hilden.jackson/ |url-status=live |access-date=July 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618110244/https://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/20/findlaw.analysis.hilden.jackson/ |archive-date=Jun 18, 2007}}</ref> was news worldwide. MTV's chief executive said that Jackson had planned the stunt and Timberlake was informed of it just moments before he took the stage.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.today.com/popculture/mtv-points-finger-blame-jackson-wbna4153422 |title=MTV points finger of blame at Jackson |date=February 3, 2004 |work=[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]] |access-date=July 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Walls |first1=Jeannette |last2=Pearson |first2=Ashley |date=February 3, 2004 |title=Jackson's Super stunt was planned |work=[[Today (U.S. TV program)|Today]] |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/jacksons-super-stunt-was-planned-wbna4100763 |url-status=live |access-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928005910/https://www.today.com/popculture/jacksons-super-stunt-was-planned-wbna4100763 |archive-date=September 28, 2017}}</ref> The stunt was broadcast live to a total audience of 143.6 million viewers.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ryan |first=Joal |date=March 2, 2004 |title=Kids Watch Super Boob |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/46764/kids-watch-super-boob |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203010116/https://www.eonline.com/news/46764/kids-watch-super-boob |archive-date=Feb 3, 2014 |access-date=April 1, 2014 |publisher=[[E!]]}}</ref>

In July 2012, when Australian model [[Miranda Kerr]] at one point leaned over to buckle her son into a car seat, she inadvertently revealed her [[thong]] to create a [[whale tail]]. The ''[[Huffington Post]]'' described this episode as a "wardrobe malfunction".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/miranda-kerr-thong-photos_n_1687134 |title=Miranda Kerr Thong Unfortunately Sees Light Of Day (PHOTOS)|date=July 19, 2012 |access-date=January 2, 2024 |work=The Huffington Post }}</ref>

The Huffington Post was not the only outlet to describe such an incident as a wardrobe malfunction. In a November 2013 article describing a similar event where English model [[Abbey Clancy]] revealed a whale tail while lifting her daughter into a car, the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' also described the event as a "wardrobe malfunction".<ref name="Robertson2013">{{cite web |first=James |last=Robertson |url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/abbey-clancy-flashes-knickers-shows-2682597/|title= Abbey Clancy accidentally flashes her G-string and shows off her perfect figure ahead of Strictly rehearsals|work=The Mirror |date=November 6, 2013 |access-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref>

At the 2016 [[NFL draft combine]], American football player [[Chris Jones (defensive tackle, born 1994)|Chris Jones]] ripped his compression shorts in the crotch during the [[40-yard dash]], and his genitals were seen live on television.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bonner |first1=Michael |date=28 February 2016 |title=Chris Jones runs into a wardrobe malfunction at combine |agency=USA Today |url=https://sports.usatoday.com/2016/02/28/chris-jones-runs-into-a-wardrobe-malfunction-at-combine |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807161120/https://www.usatoday.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.usatoday.com%2F2016%2F02%2F28%2Fchris-jones-runs-into-a-wardrobe-malfunction-at-combine |archive-date=Aug 7, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=NFL hopeful's embarrassing wardrobe malfunction |url=https://wwos.nine.com.au/news/penis-of-nfl-hopeful-falls-out-during-sprint/4553c82b-25eb-4140-ab8e-7ee2af8b9715 |access-date=30 April 2020 |agency=Wide World of Sport |date=28 February 2016}}</ref>

On August 16, 2023, during a livestream, American internet personality [[IShowSpeed]] jumped up from his seat while playing ''[[Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach]]'', and accidentally flashed his penis to a live viewership of 25,000 people.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-17 |title=YouTuber IShowSpeed receives flak for inappropriate gesture on live stream! Here's what happened |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/youtuber-ishowspeed-receives-flak-for-inappropriate-gesture-on-live-stream-heres-what-happened/articleshow/102805806.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-08-18 |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> He subsequently ended the livestream out of embarrassment. Viewers uploaded the clip onto social media, and the term "IShowMeat", in reference to the slang word ''[[wikt:meat|meat]]'', meaning penis, began trending on [[Reddit]] and [[Twitter|X (formerly Twitter)]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pathak |first=Trisha |title=American YouTuber IShowSpeed accidently flashes his privates on live stream |url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/american-youtuber-ishowspeed-accidently-flashes-himself-on-live-stream-626361 |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=[[WION]] |date=17 August 2023 |language=en-us}}</ref>

==See also==
{{commons category|Accidental nudity}}
* [[Dress code]]
* [[Exhibitionism]]
* [[Voyeurism]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Nudity}}{{Justin Timberlake}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wardrobe Malfunction}}
[[Category:Clothing controversies]]
[[Category:English phrases]]
[[Category:Nudity]]
[[Category:2004 neologisms]]
[[Category:Sexual euphemisms]]