Of all the fan-made and artist-inspired monikers, none is as renowned as ‘J. Lo’. Withstanding the tests of time and trendiness, Jennifer Lopez has built a brand to outlast the eras of the Puff Daddies and Snoop Doggs whose images were defeated at the turn of the century. Durable and adorable as the 45-year-old has proven to be, J. Lo has also ventured to prove that her moniker comes with an identifier: her bottom.
On September 18, J. Lo released the official music video for ‘Booty’ featuring her Aussie counterpart, Iggy Azalea, with curves down under to rival the original Fly Girl herself. These two femme queens make the most of four minutes and some-odd seconds, showing audiences more dance moves to highlight your rear-end than ever previously imagined. Of course, this is no surprise as the newly ranked Billboard Hot 100 track uses J. Lo’s trademark body part as its namesake.
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| Jennifer Lopez in the music video for "I Luh Ya Papi" ft. French Montana. Courtesy of jennifer-lopez.net. |
For decades now, the frame through which consumers view J. Lo has been through the recognition of her Latina allure and her best asset. This is to say that the identity and purpose that Lopez serves in the media is conveyed in such a way that audiences interpret her strengths as a star to be dependent on her minority identity. As an actress she has lent beauty and relatable nature to the archetypal Latina maid, the Latin pop star and the unlikely female suitor to the fair-skinned McConaughey-male leads. As an energetic performer, she made us believe that love don’t cost a thing in the presence of catchy choruses and truly bootylicious dance moves (our apologies to Beyoncé, CC: Destiny’s Child).
Perhaps it is Jenny from the Block’s identity as a minority and as a Latina that contributes to her resistance identity as a curvaceous female. Deserving of the resistance identity title, J. Lo’s media framing keeps her from fitting in with her female counterparts, even within her latest music video alongside Iggy Azalea, because of her warm skin and the rhythmical aptitude, which stereotypes would suggest is all too telling of her Latin upbringing.
In one of the most watched role reversals of mainstream media, Lopez made a satire of the modern music video for her song “I Luh Ya Papi” featuring French Montana. Joining in on the recent trend of female pop stars advocating for gender equity, Lopez “turns the male gaze on its head,” as stated in this music video review from the Huffington Post. Breaking the dichotomy of gender roles and the spectrum of objectification, Jennifer Lopez and her female counterparts make a mockery of men as mere décor—an effort that equity-conscious consumers can surely get behind.
What’s more important than the media frame that permits J. Lo’s booty to precede her in music and movies alike, is the way that she has taken this resistance identity, put on some gold hoop earrings, and has run with it. It is not out of defiance that this Latina from the Bronx has remained a name to know, no matter the monikers you choose. It is with compliance and maybe a little help from a stylist, that J. Lo has embraced her outlier of a silhouette in order to make the most of her Latina identity and to frame her biggest asset for decades on end.
You are such a good writer, totally hooked me into your blog post. I wrote about Sofia Vergara's pedestal stunt at the Emmy's last week which remotely relates to this post of yours. It's as if they are accepting and inviting the objectification that society expects of women. By using their body to correlate to their overall identity is causing more and more of this idea to be reflected in media by big time stars and ultimately followed by many more.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alexandria! I completely agree that Vergara and J.Lo slip into the same, curvaceous category in the public. I found this article, "The Myth of the Latin Woman (http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/amccann10/Myth_of_a_Latin_Woman) written by Judith Ortiz Cofer where she says that Latin women are always pigeon-holed into the "Hot Tamale of the sexual firebrand" in our media outlets. They are given power, no doubt, in their roles as actors or singers, but how much of their power is defined by their sexual prowess, in comparison to their male counterparts? They have a following, and hopefully the Latinas in power now are able to work on the re-branding of Latinas.
DeleteI liked how you incorporated the relation between J Lo with her music, movies, and Latina aspects together. Talking a little about her past and bringing it back to her latest release made this very enjoyable to read.
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about he ways that J.Lo has been branded for her appeal as an attractive Latina, it's so important to talk about the numerous portals she appears on because it gives heed to the idea that she and few other women hold the power to influence a new path for Latina women to be idealized in our society. Thanks for noticing that, Alex. Cheers!
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