A wave is sweeping across Hollywood these days and its affecting all of the A-list celebrities. No, I'm not talking about you Lindsay Lohan, and your multiple stints in rehab centers, but rather the odd and new phenomenon that is "Wardrobe Malfunctions." It seems like this is the new in-thing when it comes to Hollywood. This idea sparked my attention when I heard about the most recent malfunction that occurred to Beyonce Knowles at an event in Toronto, Canada. She was just singing and dancing along when all of sudden she fell and her chest was exposed. These wardrobe malfunctions strike me as something quite odd, strange, and relatively new. I'm wondering if it’s just a fad or it has staying power like The Beatles and the Rubik's Cube. So, I decided to do a little searching and what I came up with was a great deal more than I could have ever imagined.

First the most recent Beyonce Knowles incident:


Janet Jackson: The Pioneer of Wardrobe Malfunctions
It was just a regular day in 2004. Families got together, people were barbequing, and everyone was anticipating the Super bowl game later that day on February 1. Though the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots duked it out in a very exciting game, the whole thing was ironically overshadowed by the halftime show performed by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Amidst singing a medley of Rhythm Nation and Rock Your Body, Jackson's clothing faltered and exposed her right breast which was adorned by a large sun-shaped nipple shield. Viacom was sued as result by Terri Carlin, a conscientious and righteous banker from Knoxville, Tennessee. Viacom ended up having to pay $550,000 in fines. What a lot of fuss over a boob.



The Price is Right: A Historical View at Wardrobe Malfunctions
Who would have thought that one of the first wardrobe malfunctions occurred on one of America's most wholesome and favorite television shows, The Price is Right. On September 14th, 1977, Yolanda Bowelsly, a contestant on The Price is Right, had her tube top slip down as she was running to the front of the audience to participate in the game show. There was some excellent banter that resulted from this incident between Bob Barker, the host of The Price is Right and Johnny Olson, the show's announcer:
Olson: "Bob, they have given their all for you!"
Barker: "whatever brought this on...this is how I want it every day from now on!"



The Hottest Wardrobe Malfunction: Jennifer Hawkins - Miss Universe
Hawkins won Miss Universe in 2004 when it was held in Quito, Ecuador. She is originally from Holmesville, New South Wales, Australia, and won Miss Australia in 2004. This wardrobe malfunction occurred in a fashion shoot that was taking place at a local shopping mall after her victory as Miss Universe. As she was walking up and down the catwalk the dress she was wearing just fell off of her exposing her gluteus, or buttocks. This is probably one of the greatest things that has ever happened to mankind and we should all give thanks for wardrobe malfunctions for a second.



Sometimes You Don't Even Know Its Malfunctioning: Tara Reid
On November 4th, 2004, Tara Reid along with a bunch of other A-list celebrities partied the night away at P Diddy's 35th birthday party. Little did Reid know before the night began that she was going to bare all before the press. While walking into the party her baggy shirt malfunctioned and just slipped right off of her. Unfortunately for her, not as much for the rest of us, her left breast was just hanging out there and she had no idea. Someone else had to actually step up and fix her dress because Reid had absolutely no idea what was going on. They're like that, wardrobe malfunctions. You never know when they might pop up.

So in today's day and age you can't really be too sure of anything anymore it seems. When I was younger, and I'm not all that old either, it seemed like clothes had a purpose and that was to stay on your body. Today, I'm not even sure you can guarantee that anymore. So as always; be smart. Be aware. Be the solution.

This post was originally written by Tyrone Schiff
University of Michigan · Organizational Studies · 24 Aug 2007