The Super Bowl halftime show wouldn't be the Super Bowl halftime show without some controversy. In 2004 [1], Justin Timberlake infamously ripped open part of singer Janet Jackson's costume. This year, controversy arose in the form of a backup singer, using her middle finger to draw attention to herself.
British pop star Maya Arulpragasam, better known as M.I.A., raised her middle finger to the cameras [2] during the Super Bowl halftime show, and appeared [3] to sing something to the effect of "I don't give a (expletive)."
This isn't the first time M.I.A. has used her singing to stir up controversy. CMI noted in [4] 2010 that M.I.A. composed and sang a song with favorable references to suicide bombers and the Taliban. M.I.A. is an outspoken supporter [5] of a violent Sri Lankan separatist organization known as the Tamil Tigers [6], which has been designated a terrorist organization [7] by the EU. Her views are so radical that even the New York Times Magazine called [8] her music "Agitprop Pop" in 2010.
So flipping off 100 million viewers [9] - an offense against propriety - is nothing compared to condoning crimes against humanity. NBC and the NFL quickly apologized [10] for M.I.A.'s actions, the network saying it's "system was late to obscure the inappropriate gesture." But if you invite outspoken radicals to perform, you're willing to court controversy - and you shouldn't be surprised when it arises.