"Hill, what are you doing, you guy! Didn't you say Janet Jackson wouldn't speak out of turn?"
"She did promise me that, damn it! She's playing us! Blacklist her! We must blacklist her! Janet Jackson will never set foot on the Grammy stage again."
Inside the stadium, the heads of the two TV stations and Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) were originally discussing how to resolve the matter while also achieving their own goals.
Hill Caufman and Charles Ricklands, as core executives of the two TV stations, knew very well that this time they were going to use Janet Jackson as a scapegoat.
Their big boss had already reached an agreement with the conservative party to use this Super Bowl, which had nationwide attention, to create a major event to push for a bill amendment and re-establish industry standards.
Before they could even finish discussing, they suddenly received a report that Janet Jackson was being interviewed, and what she was saying was not what they wanted to hear. The three could only rush over to stop her.
As for why Janet Jackson was chosen? Because her various labels were truly perfect for taking the blame.
Firstly, Janet herself was one of the pop divas, with considerable influence worldwide, and even stronger influence in America alone. She was an absolute A-list female celebrity, bringing her own traffic and attention.
Secondly, she was Michael's biological sister. Michael had a huge dispute with Sony just last year, which led to a global boycott of Sony for a period of time.
It caused Sony Group's stock price to plummet by nearly 8 billion USD, and in the end, they compromised and let Michael leave as a free agent. It has only just barely recovered since then.
During that time, a series of eye-catching events such as sexual assault, suicide, court trials, and perjury broke out, generating immense heat.
Even though Michael's case has now been clarified, some people still stubbornly oppose him. Targeting his sister not only caters to the needs of these people but also pleases capitalists like Sony.
Furthermore, compared to older singers like Madonna, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey, whose influence was gradually weakening, Janet's momentum had been relatively better since the new millennium.
In other words, she occupied others' positions. Under her influence, it was very difficult for some newcomers with similar image styles to rise.
If this situation occurred in the Chinese music scene, it wouldn't have much impact, as veterans would still dominate even a decade later.
Even if newcomers were promoted, not many people would buy into them, as their professional abilities were simply too poor.
Only a handful of people like G.E.M. truly emerged, while Joker Xue, Li Ronghao, and others belonged to the middle generation.
Pop music was absolutely mainstream, while rock, heavy metal, jazz, R&B, folk, and other genres could never be widely promoted, having limited audiences and further affecting listeners' appreciation abilities.
The music scene was not only increasingly desolate but also overrun with ballads. Aside from ballads, other styles of songs found it very difficult to gain traction.
This point was remarkably similar to TV dramas; whether it was xianxia, wuxia, workplace, or suspense, any genre could be turned into a melodramatic romance.
Bad audiences give rise to bad movies, and bad listeners give rise to bad songs; it's a continuous line.
However, this phenomenon was very unfavorable in the European and American music scenes.
Because the music industry here is relatively mature, and the professional level of newcomers is also relatively high.
And for major labels, promoting newcomers earns more money than promoting veterans. The veteran market affects profits; continuous iteration is the way to make money.
So, Europe and America have a tradition of a major reshuffle every ten years.
In short, for various reasons, they all wanted to bring down Janet Jackson.
As for Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia), he certainly didn't know so many inside stories. He was just a subordinate who followed orders, merely being used as a pawn.
If the task was accomplished, the master would reward him with a few dates to eat.
But if an accident happened like today, then it would be hard to say.
"Hill, Charles, what should we do? The situation is very unfavorable for us!"
Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) asked as he walked. As the executor, he bore the brunt of it.
But in response to his concern, the two remained silent, only rushing to the exit, and then they heard the last part.
As the three appeared, dozens of people instantly surrounded them. Security personnel used all their might to barely hold them back.
All sorts of questions were fired like cannonballs.
"Justin, look here Justin, aren't you going to say something?"
"Justin, Janet accuses you of making an indecent gesture towards her. Was all of this part of the performance? Can you explain?"
"Justin Timberlake, did you do this to hype up news? You wanted to overshadow Britney and Madonna's kiss, didn't you?"
"Justin, what exactly was your intention? What reason prompted you to tear off the clothes? How did it feel to get a slap?"
"Hill, as the producer of this show, was MTV aware of the reason? Was Janet right? Did Justin act on his own initiative?"
"Charles, as the broadcaster, what does CBS have to say about this? Was it a show or an unexpected incident?"
Facing these sharp questions, the three had not yet come up with a perfect answer.
Originally, Hill Caufman wanted to release the rehearsal video to prove that Janet was involved, and that the accident happened because she suddenly changed her mind and didn't cooperate.
But all of this had to be based on the premise that his side accepted the interview first and outputted their views to the public first.
The problem was that Janet played a trick on him, stating her position first: "I did participate in the rehearsal, but after rehearsing, I felt it was inappropriate, so I refused."
Then it's normal for you to have video recordings of my participation in the rehearsal. How would I know the effect was so bad if I didn't rehearse!
As for why there was only a rehearsal video, but no video of her refusal.
Does it even need to be said?
It must be that the TV station deliberately hid that part, wanting to pin the blame on me.
Facing two influential TV stations, how much say can a small singer like me have? I can only cry alone!
Moreover, once the video is released, it will bring an even bigger problem.
That is, it would be tantamount to admitting that CBS and MTV were also involved, confirming that the two TV stations led the way in staging vulgar performances to attract attention.
Getting themselves into trouble was clearly not a wise move, so this path was blocked.
If the video is not released, given the current situation, it is even more unrealistic to force Janet to take all the responsibility alone.
It will eventually turn into a war of words, with everyone blaming each other.
Then it's uncertain who will benefit, but the unluckiest one will definitely be Justin Timberlake, who made the move in plain sight.
Noticing the three being reprimanded, Janet pretended to kindly look over and said, "Hill, Charles, we are all victims in this matter, we were all used."
"I hope you can tell the truth, and I hope you can handle this impartially."
"This is not a complicated dispute. Millions of eyes saw it clearly, and everyone understands what happened."
"Please don't let an innocent woman be harmed, don't let someone who wanted to bring joy to the audience suffer. Please!"
Oh.
This tearful plea immediately won the sympathy of all the Female Reporters present. In the workplace, they had all experienced some degree of unfair treatment.
Serious cases included sexual harassment from superiors, while lighter ones involved salary, working hours, workload, and so on.
While sympathizing, they pressed the three big men even more sharply.
"FUCK! That bitch's disgusting expression, she's practically a she-wolf!"
Hill Caufman cursed in his heart, just about to retort, but Charles Ricklands poked him in the lower back.
After glancing at the other person, Hill Caufman swallowed his words.
Charles Ricklands nodded slightly: "Janet... Janet, she's right. As for why this happened, we don't know either. Neither CBS nor MTV expected it at all."
"After the incident, Hill and I were very heavy-hearted."
"Knowing Janet was about to leave, we rushed over to express our apologies to her."
"Just now in the conference room, Justin Timberlake has already admitted his mistake to us. Everything was his own doing."
"Justin, you should apologize to Janet, and you should apologize to the national audience. This kind of attention-seeking, traffic-grabbing behavior goes completely against public order and good morals."
Suddenly stabbed in the back by his teammate, Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) immediately widened his eyes. He wasn't really a complete idiot; if this big blame was pinned on him, he would be in deep trouble.
In anger, Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) pushed Charles Ricklands and shouted, "What are you saying! What on earth are you saying!"
"When did I ever admit my mistake? You're slandering me! This show was clearly something we all participated in, something we planned together."
"A trap! I understand now, it's all a trap! You and Janet Jackson teamed up to frame me!"
"I demand to see the video, I demand the rehearsal video be released. This isn't my fault alone."
"So you admit you're wrong, Justin?" The New York Times reporter keenly caught the loophole in Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia)'s words.
"What! No, it has nothing to do with me! I'm the real victim. From beginning to end, this was a trap. Everyone wants to harm me."
Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) was both angry and anxious. The plot was going wrong, it shouldn't be like this. It should have been the three of them slandering Janet Jackson, but now it was the other way around.
Charles Ricklands said with a solemn expression, "Justin, admitting a mistake isn't that hard. You should be a man."
"Show some courage, just like in the lounge just now, and say those words again for everyone to hear."
Although Hill Caufman hadn't fully understood, he also chimed in, "That's right, Justin, you should be a man and take responsibility for your actions!"
Being cornered by the two old men, unable to speak, and surrounded by the reproaches of all the reporters, Justin Timberlake was furious.
You betray me and still want me to take the blame? Damn it, I'm not playing this game anymore, no one gets out alive.
"Justin, no."
Bang!
Sneak attack!
As Charles Ricklands opened his mouth, he felt a sharp pain in his head, then his eyes went black and he collapsed to the ground.
Having knocked down a fifty-something-year-old man with one punch, the enraged Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia) then aimed at Hill Caufman beside him, 'Damn you, don't even think about running.'
Another punch landed, and Hill Caufman also fell to the ground. He was sixty-nine years old, even older than Charles Ricklands.
OH!!!
The sudden physical altercation caused an even greater commotion. Security personnel quickly restrained Jia Renzha (Scumbag Jia), while reporters frantically pressed their shutters.
Big news, absolutely sensational. This Super Bowl was damn exciting.
At the same time, some people advised Janet to leave quickly, lest the deranged Justin Timberlake harm her again.
Janet had said all she needed to say and was looking for an opportunity to escape. She immediately pushed through the crowd, got into a car, and drove away.
On the way to the airport, joyful laughter filled the Lincoln sedan.
"OMG! I really didn't expect this scene. Justin Timberlake actually dared to hit someone. He's really gone mad, hahahaha."
Eric looked at the secretly recorded video: "Wow! The force of those two punches doesn't look light. Look closely, Hill Caufman's cheek is even deformed."
"He probably got at least a concussion from that hit. If it's serious, he won't be out for several months."
"Hahahaha, replay it, I want to watch it a few more times. I originally didn't want to drag CBS and MTV into this, but it seems they've already learned their lesson."
Michael shook his head slightly: "Justin Timberlake's career is completely over, but those two punches were well-aimed, solidifying his mistake."
"It seems he's really angry, probably thinking you guys set him up. He was played badly, looked like a clown the whole time, and finally snapped."
"Definitely so, I would think the same," Eric agreed with this point.
"What surprised me more was how decisively Hill Caufman and Charles Ricklands abandoned ship to save the general."
Janet: "But this approach is already the optimal solution in the current environment. Although they can't sacrifice me, sacrificing Justin Timberlake works just as well."
"Eric, didn't you say someone wanted to create a big event? The impact of this event has probably already exceeded many people's expectations."
"Even if the process might not be what they envisioned, the outcome is not entirely unacceptable."
Eric took a deep breath: "Yes, I think that's why they suddenly turned their guns."
"It's okay, as long as there are no negative effects on you, it's fine. Many media outlets will definitely want to interview you recently, so perform well."
"Hmm, by the way, Eric, looking at it this way, have we directly achieved victory?"
"Victory? Are you talking about The Voice?"
"What else could it be? Justin, this scumbag, is a newly hired judge for this year's American Idol. Now that he's in trouble, and the show is less than a month away from airing, there's no time for reshoots."
"What will the audience's reaction be when this scumbag appears on the TV screen?"
"Let alone waiting for the show to air, Fox will probably receive a massive number of complaints in the next few days. Doesn't that mean we've won?"
Michael nodded: "It seems this war has ended early. American Idol will definitely demand compensation from Justin Timberlake."
"And endorsement companies, advertisers, and his record label, JIVE Records. After he went solo from *NSYNC, JIVE spent a lot of money to promote him."
"For something like this to happen before they even made their money back, Justin Timberlake is very likely facing over a hundred million dollars in compensation."
"Serves him right! Scumbag!" Eric and Janet spat out in unison.