Before the big game on Sunday, Madonna promised Jay Leno, "For sure, no nipples." And she did not break her word. She did, however, sing "Like a Prayer," a song that was at the cutting edge of controversy—in 1989. And she shared the stage with singer M.I.A., who hoisted her middle finger at the camera. Off-mic, M.I.A. also appeared to say, "I don't give a s‑‑‑." Immediate damage control involved NBC spokesman Christopher McCloskey saying, "We apologize for the inappropriate gesture that aired during halftime. It was a spontaneous gesture that our delay system caught late." The NFL issued its own statement, saying, "The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very 
disappointing, and we apologize to our fans." Meanwhile, viewers were again assailed by randy commercials designed more to shock and titillate than to sell products. The short list: M&Ms, Fiat and GoDaddy. [NBC, 2/5/12; AP, 2/5/12; ew.com, 2/5/12]
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