Top 10 Controversial TV Moments of the 2000s
#10: Madonna Kisses Britney & Christina “2003 MTV Video Music Awards” (2003)
The kiss between Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera is now the stuff of TV legend. The image of Madonna and Britney locking lips in particular has become an iconic piece of entertainment history, although it caused a bit of a stir at the time. It was just taboo and explicit enough to get certain groups up in arms, and instantly became the talking point of the 2003 MTV VMAs. Nowadays, such a kiss might barely register on Twitter. But at the time, this was television history in the making, and it generated buzz and headlines the world over.
#9: “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein” “Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-)
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For a while, it was the lost episode of “Family Guy.” In “When You Wish Upon a Weinstein”, Peter tries to convert Chris to Judaism, as he considers Jews are smart and successful with money. Fox did not like this particular storyline, as they thought it was anti-Semitic, and refused to air the episode on television. It didn’t surface until 2003, when it was included on the season three DVD. It’s honestly pretty tame stuff compared to modern “Family Guy” standards, and it just goes to show you how bold television has gotten since the early 2000s. After the DVD release, the episode was finally broadcast on Adult Swim in 2003, with a Fox broadcast to follow the next year.
#8: Clone High’s Depiction of Gandhi “Clone High” (2002-03)
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Set in a high school that’s secretly a military experiment, “Clone High” is certainly a . . . unique show. The school is populated by young clones of various historical figures, including Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc, JFK and Mahatma Gandhi. In the show, Gandhi is portrayed as a hyperactive party animal known for his outrageous behavior and stunts. This wildly inaccurate depiction of Gandhi caused a massive uproar in India, resulting in hundreds of protesters mounting a hunger strike and threatening to withdraw MTV’s broadcasting license. The network was quick to apologize, and “Clone High” was cancelled soon afterwards. The show’s co-creator, Christopher Miller, stated that he pitched a second season without Gandhi, but the idea was rejected.
#7: The Death of Louis Conradt “To Catch a Predator” (2004-07)
This infamous reality show documented sting operations to apprehend pedophiles. One of the men caught in the web was Louis Conradt, a district attorney from Texas. Conradt was allegedly caught soliciting nude photographs from someone posing as a 13-year-old boy. A SWAT stormed his house, but as they entered, Conradt committed suicide via gunshot. This prompted a scathing indictment in Esquire, which criticized the show for shoddy detective work and legal violations, like filming on private property without a warrant and manipulating law enforcement. The show’s legal and journalistic integrity were hotly debated and criticized, and Conradt’s sister sued NBC Universal for emotional distress and civil rights claims.
#6: “South Park” vs. Scientology “South Park” (1997-)
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Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s animated sitcom has always courted controversy. Just look at the episode “Trapped in the Closet”, a scathing attack on Scientology. It’s been reported that Isaac Hayes, who voiced Chef, was pressured into quitting the show by his Scientologist associates. The media also got involved, claiming that Tom Cruise prevented a rebroadcast of the episode - though both Cruise and his representatives denied this. Regardless, it generated enormous interest in the episode, and Trey Parker has attributed the Tom Cruise controversy for making “South Park” even more popular. A few weeks later, they aired an episode depicting a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding on its congregation, and the whole controversy train started up again.
#5: Ashlee Simpson’s “SNL” Gaffe “Saturday Night Live” (1975-)
“SNL” has aired a few bombs in its lifetime, but nothing compares to the infamous Ashlee Simpson goof of October 2004. As she was starting her song “Autobiography”, “Pieces of Me” started playing instead, revealing that Simpson had been lip-synching . . . which is a big no-no for performers on “Saturday Night Live.” Rather than rolling with the mistake, Simpson awkwardly danced off stage. She later said she’d decided to lip-sync due to acid reflux. The debacle tarnished her career, and she was subsequently booed at the Orange Bowl the following January.
#4: “Blame It on Lisa” “The Simpsons” (1989-)
By 2002, “The Simpsons” had already been losing steam, but the episode “Blame It on Lisa” certainly didn’t help its reputation. In the episode, the Simpsons travel to Rio so Lisa can meet up with an old correspondent. The episode spawned a hostile reaction from Brazilians, who noted its many clichés, stereotypes, and misrepresentations of their culture. For example, the citizens have Spanish accents and love the conga and macarena, none of which is associated with Brazil. The episode also portrayed the Rio as a violent, rat-infested slum. The perception was so bad that the tourist board of Rio considering suing Fox but were eventually discouraged due to the First Amendment’s protection of parody..
#3: Balloon Boy
On October 15, 2009, a giant helium balloon was released by Richard and Mayumi Heene, who subsequently claimed that their son Falcon was trapped inside it. The balloon reached 7,000 feet, rescue operations were launched, and Falcon became a media sensation. However, things took a fishy turn when authorities found Falcon hiding in the attic of the Heene house. Wolf Blitzer then interviewed the family, and Falcon indirectly admitted that the entire thing was a hoax perpetrated for media attention. Following an official investigation, the county sheriff concluded that it was indeed a hoax, and both Richard and Mayumi were given jail time.
#2: “George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People.”
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Kanye West has always been a lightning rod of controversy, a character trait that’s been going strong since at least 2005. Everyone knows about the infamous Taylor Swift debacle, but perhaps even more polarizing were his comments about George Bush during “A Concert for Hurricane Relief”. Held on September 2, 2005, the benefit concert was held to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Going off script, West proclaimed that then-president George Bush “doesn’t care about black people,” causing an immediate camera cut and awkward glances from both Mike Myers and Chris Tucker. The public reaction was decidedly mixed. Bush later called it the “one of the most disgusting moments [of his] presidency.”
#1: The Janet Jackson Wardrobe Malfunction
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When it comes to TV controversies, nothing beats Nipplegate! During the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in 2004, Justin Timberlake tore away part of Janet’s costume, revealing for a brief instant her breast and nipple-shield. It was later blamed on a “wardrobe malfunction”. The media went absolutely nuts. Viacom blacklisted Jackson’s music, the FCC fined CBS over half a million dollars, and there was a broad crackdown on sexual content on TV. Some argued that the incident represented America’s declining morality, while others countered that the public reaction was overblown and puritanical, and demonstrated sexual double standards. It was an epic controversy that raged across the nation. All over a less-than-one-second shot of a nipple.
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