Fox rejects Super Bowl ad with actor's bare rear

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Fox T-V says Mickey Rooney's bare end zone won't be part of the Super Bowl advertising blitz. <br/><br/>A cold remedy commercial that includes a brief shot of the 84-year-old

Saturday, January 8th 2005, 10:54 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Fox T-V says Mickey Rooney's bare end zone won't be part of the Super Bowl advertising blitz.

A cold remedy commercial that includes a brief shot of the 84-year-old actor's nude behind has been rejected by the network.

Fox Sports spokesman Lou D'Ermilio says Fox's standards department reviewed the ad and deemed it inappropriate for broadcast television.

The commercial for the over-the-counter product Airborne is set in a sauna and depicts Rooney panicking when someone coughs. His towel drops as he rushes out, revealing his rear for a couple seconds.

D'Ermilio says Fox's decision was NOT affected by fallout from last year's Super Bowl halftime show on C-B-S, which included a flash of Janet Jackson's breast.

Rooney, whose films include the Andy Hardy series and ``National Velvet,'' said he was disappointed by Fox's move and hoped the network would reconsider.