The organisers of the Grammy awards have warned the stars due to converge at New York's Staples Centre on Monday for the annual music industry shindig against donning thong-type costumes that reveal the bare fleshy under-curves of the buttocks or the under-curvature of breasts.
The event - where New Zealand's own Kimbra is on the nominee list for her featured role on the Gotye hit Somebody That I Used to Know which is up for record of the year - has become notorious for the outrageous dresses - or lack thereof - sported by attendees. In 2010, Pink gyrated on stage in a nude bodysuit, while Lady Gaga once performed in a glittering green leotard. In 2000, Jennifer Lopez triggered headlines after she wore a revealing Versace dress to the event. A year later, Toni Braxton was seen in a dress that the New York Post described as loincloth-esque.
But this year, the organisers at CBS have decided that some things are better left to the imagination, sending out a Wardrobe Advisory warning stars to avoid problematic costumes.
"Please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered," it solemnly reads. "Thong-type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare fleshy under-curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples. Please be sure the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible puffy bare skin exposure."
If anyone was left in any doubt, the advisory, which was first uncovered by Deadline.com, goes on to warn that: "OBSCENITY OR PARTIAL SEEN OBSCENITY ON WARDROBE IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR BROADCAST."
Those wondering why CBS decided to issue the guidelines may find an answer in the infamous, though fleeting, Janet Jackson breast-baring wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl.
The incident led the Federal Communications Commission to slap a US$550,000 fine on the network. It was overturned on appeal - but only because the US Supreme Court found the FCC had not been clear about the bounds of decency. That has since been remedied; in the words of Chief Justice John Roberts: "It is now clear that the brevity of an indecent broadcast cannot immunise it from FCC censure."Independent