During the Super Bowl half-time show, controversial rapper/singer M.I.A. made sure to let everyone watching what she really thought of them:

Her spontaneous gesture caught both the NFL and its broadcast partners on NBC off-guard, even after they had installed a seven-second delay to prevent a similar incident in 2004, when Justin Timberlake "accidentally" exposed Janet Jackson's breast during the halftime show.

Both companies, eager to avoid a possible six-digit fine from the FCC, were quick to apologize for the incident:

"We apologize for the inappropriate gesture that aired during halftime," NBC spokesman Christopher McCloskey said. "It was a spontaneous gesture that our delay system caught late."

"The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologize to our fans," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

However, it remains to be seen whether the children of Ameria will be able to recover from witnessing such a disturbing image.