Wyatt Cenac

They pushed the boundary so far, one of which making a joke about Richard Gere that there was- Oh my God, yes. There at the time had, there had been a- We all grew up with the gerbil story.

Sure, yes. But there might be younger audience members who are not familiar with this, but there was a time where it had been intimated that Richard Gere had gotten intimate with a gerbil.

Sure, yes. But there might be younger audience members who are not familiar with this, but there was a time where it had been intimated that Richard Gere had gotten intimate with a gerbil.

Yes. Yeah. As one might. Allegedly. Yeah. And so they make a joke about that, which they got past the censors. They made a second joke that got past the censors. And both of those things were the bridge too far for Pepsi, which... where they then said, you know what? Never mind. We're going to cancel this deal.

Yes. Yeah. As one might. Allegedly. Yeah. And so they make a joke about that, which they got past the censors. They made a second joke that got past the censors. And both of those things were the bridge too far for Pepsi, which... where they then said, you know what? Never mind. We're going to cancel this deal.

Yeah, to sort of silence tiny little Fox at the time. And they went and they got Michael Jackson, the biggest pop star of the moment.

Yeah, to sort of silence tiny little Fox at the time. And they went and they got Michael Jackson, the biggest pop star of the moment.

Yes, and it sets the precedent.

Yes, and it sets the precedent.

But it also then set the precedent and set the standard for the NFL that, well, we got to do this every year now. And so then every year it became, all right, who's a giant sponsor we can get? So Pepsi, even though they initially were going to be in bed with Fox and In Living Color, They were like, ah, we're good. Oh, Michael Jackson?

But it also then set the precedent and set the standard for the NFL that, well, we got to do this every year now. And so then every year it became, all right, who's a giant sponsor we can get? So Pepsi, even though they initially were going to be in bed with Fox and In Living Color, They were like, ah, we're good. Oh, Michael Jackson?

The Super Bowl? Yeah, you can have our money. There's nothing controversial about this.

The Super Bowl? Yeah, you can have our money. There's nothing controversial about this.

But also age poorly... seven months later because the first Michael Jackson child abuse allegations came out that summer. So that Super Bowl, Michael Jackson performs, and not just performs, does a whole section about kids and wanting to love and protect the kids. We are the world with a children's choir.

But also age poorly... seven months later because the first Michael Jackson child abuse allegations came out that summer. So that Super Bowl, Michael Jackson performs, and not just performs, does a whole section about kids and wanting to love and protect the kids. We are the world with a children's choir.

And then does a thing where the audience participation is holding up little stick figures of children while he goes and stands among children and picks them up and is like doing a whole thing. That summer is when... Those allegations come out.

And then does a thing where the audience participation is holding up little stick figures of children while he goes and stands among children and picks them up and is like doing a whole thing. That summer is when... Those allegations come out.

Jocelyn Wildenstein.

Jocelyn Wildenstein.

Yeah, Jocelyn Wildenstein lives rent-free in my brain. Also, hashtag rest in peace, Jocelyn. She just passed away.