A Brief History of Accidental Nudity on Live Television

Image via Complex Original

Air date: 1950s; 1962

The first incidence of on-air nudity (sort of) dates from TV's Jurassic period, and a children's show broadcast in the Detroit area. Lunch With Soupy starred Soupy Sales, and one day during the show's Motown run (1952-60), the crew played a practical joke. When Soupy went to answer the door at the back of the set, a nude woman holding a balloon was there to greet him. As the legend goes, Soupy saw her, and thought her Eisenhower-era pontoons were going out to impressionable youths, but the crew had actually switched the video feed. So, no tits for tots, we're afraid.

Since the show was live, video from that episode doesn't exist. The stunt was recreated in 1962 when the show was in Los Angeles, and that clip is online and totally findable.

Air date: April 2, 1974

At the Academy Awards in 1974, David Niven had a typical Oscar-night job: Stand there in his tuxedo and in his foppish way introduce Elizabeth Taylor, who hadn't made a decent movie in seven years. It was, in other words, the perfect time to leave the room for nature's call. But those who remained watching on the couch were treated to the sight of Robert Opel streaking across the stage flashing a peace sign along with his bits and pieces.

Niven proved himself sort of a badass when he turned to the audience and ad-libbed, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen. But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" Long live The Niv!

Air date: 1977

You know the drill: When Rod Roddy said, "Come on down!" back in the day, the desperate housewife whose name had been called would sprint down to the front row with the crazed enthusiasm of a woman who knows it's her day to win the Showcase Showdown.

Just how many times did a boob nearly pop out on TPIR? We have to think it was an almost daily occurrence. But one woman is famed as the champion popper-outer, and that's Yolanda Bowersley, whose tube top completely failed.

Air date: March 23, 1998

Judd's dress was a sexy number slit all the way up to her private area. Remember that old rhyme that goes, "I see London, I see France..."? Well, it only works if there are underpants to see. So, it would have not worked for Ashley Judd on this particular star-studded night as she strutted to the mic on stage.

Air date: February 1, 2004

It's the Citizen Kane of televised nip-slips—so unexpected, and on such a large stage, that nothing else will ever come close. If Beyoncé were to whip out both breasts and put on a puppet show with them when she performs this year in New Orleans, it would rate as just the second most shocking Super Boob display. Janet's strangely ornamented right nipple is a living legend, and so is Justin Timberlake's terrified reaction.

Air date: September 26, 2006

On these celebrity dancing shows, there's always the threat that a partner will miss a catch or flub a lift and the girl will come crashing to the floor. It is less likely, though still possible, that a contestant's ass will fail to hold up her dress, and it will slink south. As Monique danced with Louis van Amstel that fateful night, the moon began to rise, unexpectedly, with every shimmy.

Air date: October 4, 2008

Wetten, Dass...? is a German TV show—its name translates as Wanna Bet?—that features normal people trying to do wacky tasks. It also features celebrities from around the world who partake in some wacky stuff, too. Salma Hayek had to put on a dirndl, which was clearly too small for her impressive bust. It's so small, in fact, that it seemed like they wanted her breasts to pop out on national television! Which, come to think of it, was some serious programming smarts. 

Air date: December 7, 2008

It was 2008, the NFL season was winding down, and the Minnesota Vikings were about to claim their first divisional title in eight years. They'd just dispensed with the Detroit Lions 20-16 and the mood in the locker room post-game was evidently free-spirited. Coach Brad Childress was addressing the team, and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, as athletes have done since antiquity, was listening to Coach's wise words wearing nothing but a doo-rag and smudged eyeblack.

Um, you do see that Fox Sports camera crew over there, don't you Visanthe?

Air date: June 7, 2011

Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian hit the worst show on TV, Fox & Friends, to self-promote with Gretchen Carlson, Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade. Was it a TV show they were flogging? A marriage to an athlete or semi-celebrity? Mutual jealousy toward Kim? Who can remember? All we know is Khloe's left nipple peeked through some sheer fabric and stole the show. Admittedly, that's not that hard to do on Fox & Friends, but still.

Air date: June 18, 2011

Three years after Salma Hayek busted nearly loose on Wetten, Dass...? J.Lo performed a fully exposed boob hang. Anything you can do, Salma, J.Lo can do better.

Air date: August 5, 2011

The funny thing about this one is that it is one of the most blatant slips on this list, but people were reluctant to believe their own eyes. It's Nicki Minaj, after all, queen of the silly wardrobe choice. Was it a nipple, or just some strange, stray bit of costume? It was most surely a nip.

Air date: September 26, 2011

If there is poetic justice in nipple slips, this is it. The self-righteous and unbearable Nancy Grace popped a boob on DWTS and proceeded to deny it even though the videotape evidence was incontrovertible. She's guilty of nip-slippage in the first degree. The jury is still out on a secondary charge: that she farted, also supposedly captured on tape.

Air date: October 4, 2011

We're opening up a can of worms when we start including stuff like this. Bailando por un Sueno is a dancing show with a history of bared breasts. "Strip Dance" is even one of the categories, right there next to waltz and foxtrot. But when a girl "accidentally" removes her thong and proceeds to finish the dance number fully and frontally nude, that's crossing a line. Cinthia Fernandez crossed that line.

Air date: March 16, 2012

Real or staged? After challenging the Silver Fox to a push-up contest, Bethenny gets down to do the deed with Anderson and, whoosh! Her skirt flies up and exposes (we are told) her pink panties. Somehow, this sort of thing could only happen to a reality TV housewife.

Air date: January 6, 2013

You live by the cleavage, you die by the cleavage. Pamela Anderson was being her Pamela Anderson self on Dancing on Ice (a British show) when her partner flung her in a way her dress wasn't expecting, and pow! Her boobs were out like it was her Playboy Playmate centerfold shoot. She was, fortunately (or unfortunately) wearing pasties, so it wasn't the completely scandalous moment it might have been.