(Fans reacts to M.I.A.'s Super Bowl stunt)
By Uptin Saiidi (@uptin)
If there's anyone who knows how to make headlines, it's M.I.A. On Friday she released the racy music video for "Bad Girls," then she stole thunder from Madonna's halftime show at the Super Bowl on Sunday, and now rumors are circulating that she's no longer dating her fiancé and baby daddy, Benjamin Bronfman. Meanwhile, there's still a chance she might get slapped with a fine for throwing up the middle finger. And the fines aren't cheap. In 2004, CBS was forced to pay $550,000 in fines for "indecent exposure" during Janet Jackson's halftime show performance.
But who should be held responsible? And why'd she do it? MTV News ventured to Times Square -- where the New York Giants' fans were still out celebrating--to see what people thought of M.I.A.'s flip decision.
"It was not good for her, because she's still a young and up-and-coming artist, so she should be looking for more positive publicity," Valon Jaloshey, 22, told MTV News. "That's not the way to get it when you're giving the middle finger at the biggest performance of your life."
Maureen Kelley, 26, wasn't surprised by the artist's action but thinks her timing was inappropriate. "It's definitely very M.I.A. to have done that," Kelley said. "She probably shouldn't have done it at the Super Bowl." Kelley does have some advice for dealing with a potential fine: "Maybe she could just pretend that she was wiggling her fingers, I don't know."
M.I.A.'s fellow halftime performer Cee Lo Green, meanwhile, exclusively told MTV News late Monday that he knew nothing about the flip-off until the game was long over. "Honestly, I did not hear anything about it," he said. "There was no talk about it in the dressing room afterwards and we didn't stay long after the performance, because it was honestly a relief we had had it done. So I didn't hear anything until I got up to do the morning show, 'Today.' And television is a very sensitive [thing]."