Does Jennifer Lopez Have To Go White In Order To Have A Hit Romantic Comedy Film?
Although some people believe we live in a post racial world, the truth is race still matters in pop culture. Jennifer Lopez new romantic comedy “The Back Up Plan“, her love interest is once again a white man.For instance, in order, for an actress of colour to become a mainstream movie star, her love interests must be a white heterosexual man.
If you look at Jennifer Lopez’s career, she mostly makes romantic comedies and all her love interests are exclusively white men.
Here is a list of Jennifer Lopez white male love interests in romantic comedies:
Matthew McConaughey was the male lead in the 2001 film “The Wedding Planner.”
The British actor Ralph Fiennes was Jennifer Lopez romantic partner in 2002’s “Maid In Manhattan.”
Michael Vartan was the male love interest in “Monster In Law” in 2005.
If you are paying attention, “Maid In Manhattan”, “The Wedding Planner”, and “Monster in Law”, were all hits at the box office.
In fact, the biggest hit of Lopez career was “Maid In Manhattan” the interracial comedy made $94 million dollars at the North American box office.
However, in 2006, Jennifer made the independent film “El Cantante” with her husband Marc Anthony. Although El Cantante wasn’t a great film, the fact that is Lopez’s Latino husband Marc Anthony was the male lead.
The result was, “El Cantante” only made $7 million dollars at the box office. Although, “El Cantante” wasn’t a bomb because it was an independent film it was not a hit. “El Cantante” also received vociferous film reviews.
In addition, some members of the Latino community in America believe Jennifer Lopez is a hypocrite. For instance, on the internet, some Hispanic bloggers criticized Jennifer Lopez for waiting so long to have a Hispanic man as her love interest in a movie.
In press interviews, Lopez proclaims she is very proud to be a Latina. However, another point to consider is, when it relates to making money in her movies Jennifer Lopez consistently has a white male love interest. It appears Jennifer Lopez she is following the status quo in order to maintain her fame and generate revenue.
If Jennifer Lopez is so proud of her Latin American roots, why hasn’t she chosen a Latino male actor as her love interest for her romantic comedies?
Why is Lopez’s male love interests the interchangable, bland, white heterosexual males?
It appears in Hollywood, that Jennifer Lopez she is cognizant that if she wants to have a hit movie she has to have a white male love interest. The white male love interest doesn’t need to be star. The only requirements for Jennifer Lopez white male love interests are that these men must be young, physically fit, and attractive.
We live in a society that believes white heterosexual men are the most desirable men for heterosexual women of colour.
The subversive racist message is, heterosexual women of colour in pop culture are not sexually attracted to heterosexual men of colour.
Heterosexual men of colour are emasculated because they are viewed as “the other” by Hollywood.
If you watch the ABC television show “Ugly Betty”, America Ferrera’s love interests are always white males.
The racist subliminal message is, that white men are the dominant men in society and that men of colour are inferior and less desirable.
Where does this leave male actors of colour? How many films are created with a male actor of colour and a Hispanic or white leading actress?
Male actors of colour are caught in limbo because they cannot work with an A list actress of colour such as Halle Berry or Jennifer Lopez. Latino male actors also are unlikely to have a white woman as their love interest in their movies.
The only way a Latino male actor will have a white female love interest is if he is a white Hispanic. Antonio Banderas is a white Spaniard, he is a European although he is called “Latino” by the press he is from the European Union. Banderas is still a white man. Benicio Del Toro he also has had white female love interests because although he is Puerto Rican, he is a white Hispanic as well.
The darker skinned Latino male actors are therefore segregated into “ethnic films” if these films are romantic comedies. Benjamin Bratt he has complained in the media that brown-skinned Latino men have a hard time obtaining leading men roles due to racism.
However, white heterosexual male actors can “shift” between white women and women of colour due to their whiteness. White male actors have white male skin privilege therefore they have the power to be the leading men for “all” women in Hollywood. White male actors are not “segregated” because they are white men.
For instance, Jennifer Lopez’ s comeback vehicle “The Back Up Plan”, will be released this month. Of course, Jennifer Lopez love interest is a white man his name is Alex O’ Loughlin. I have never heard of O’Loughlin, he is not a star but he’s a white male and that’s all the studio cares about.
The reason Jennifer Lopez career is very similar to Halle Berry’s career they first started to work in ethnic films and television shows. However, once Berry and Lopez reached the mainstream their love interests skin colour became lighter and whiter.
A slight difference between Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry is, that Lopez racial background is more racially ambiguous. Lopez’s mother Guadeloupe`s roots trace back to Spain.
Jennifer Lopez image in Hollywood is closer to being a white Hispanic than being a Latina. Although Lopez claims she is proud of her Latina roots, her movies tends to her erase her Latina heritage.
Cameron Diaz is another Latina actress that downplays her Hispanic heritage in order to be successful in Hollywood. For instance, Diaz’s father he is Cuban, but
Diaz is basically a white Hispanic. Diaz she has blonde hair, blue eyes, and white skin, therefore she is able to assimilate into whiteness. The marketing strategy for Jennifer Lopez is similar to Cameron Diaz, she has to erase her Latina heritage and assimilate into whiteness to make hit movies.
Another quandary is, there are a paucity of young Latino male actors that are mainstream stars. Hollywood is not interested in developing young heterosexual Latino male talent to be the love interests for Latino women.
However, there are gorgeous Latino men in Hollywood such as Adam Rodriguez and Jay Hernandez. However, Rodriguez was recently the love interest of Taraji P Henson in Tyler Perry’s movie “I Can Do Bad All By Myself”” last fall.
Since Rodriguez is a Latino male, he is considered too “dangerous” to be a love interest for Jennifer Lopez due to America’s anxieties about race. Henson and Rodriguez’s romance in “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” works because they are both actors of colour.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez doesn’t want to be viewed as a “Latina actress” she wants mainstream acceptance and appeal to white folks. Adam Rodriguez or Jay Hernandez will never be Jennifer Lopez’s love interest in her movies because they are not white.
The racist message is, the whiter the male love interest the bigger potential a movie can “crossover” and become a box office hit.
The reason Alex O’Loughlin was chosen as Jennifer Lopez love interest is due to Hollywood politics.
Although Rodriguez and Hernandez are more established than O’Loughlin, he gets the role to be the love interest due to his skin colour.
The ideology is, white people will not watch a movie with two actors of colour in a leading role especially if it is a romantic film. The Hollywood studios care about generating revenue and if a romantic comedy has two “ethnic leads” this means the film will be branded by the white media as an “urban film”.
The word “urban” is a code word constructed by the racist media to alert white people to “avoid” a movie that a film has people of colour in the lead roles.
Shouldn’t there be more romantic heterosexual movies with Latino actors in the English world? Will society ever change?
33 responses to “Does Jennifer Lopez Have To Go White In Order To Have A Hit Romantic Comedy Film?”
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Gayblackcanada 
It’s a known fact that Jennifer Lopez only represents herself as a Latina when she’s trying to sell something to them, be her music, movies or whatever. She’ll darken her hair and look Latino on occasion and once her product it sold, she’s back shunning them. She doesn’t attend Latino events if its not for publicity to promote herself, does nothing for the Latino community and when she produced the movie about Hector Lavoe, she made that movie all about her character Puchi, his wife. It’s no surprise that she stars with all caucasion men in her movies, that’s how she would have it anyway. She’s only Latina when its convenient and to her benefit.
Hi Sophie, I agree Jennifer Lopez only cares about making money she is such a hypocrite. Lopez talks about being a proud Latina but when it relates to her romantic comedies her love interest is never a Latino man.
Talk about racism…so these guys are “bland” because they’re white? lmao There’s not one thing bland about Alex O’Loughlin! She wanted to work with him because they had great chemistry together. That’s what sells tickets.
Carly, your statement is exactly the point, about Hollywood racism. Yes, Alex O’Loughlin is basically an unknown actor but he’s a white guy so his white face will sell movie tickets. Meanwhile, Freddy Rodriguez, Adam Rodriguez, Jay Hernandez, are more established than O’Loughlin but they don’t get leading man roles with Lopez.
Why does Jennifer Lopez have to have a white male love interest to sell movie tickets? Lopez is a hypocrite she proclaims in the media she is very proud of her Latin heritage. However, when Lopez makes movies her love interests are always white guys. There is a lot of disruption here. Jennifer Lopez has a lot of power when she makes her movies and she has a responsibility to her community. Lopez has NEVER had a Latino male love interest in her romantic comedies. All Lopez cares about is making money.
I don’t see how I’m making your point. I questioned your comment on why, according to you, every white co-star you listed is bland. You included Alex and he is not bland in any way. Do you know anything about him, his wit, personality, looks, acting skills? Just because you don’t agree with the race of her co-stars, does not make him bland. I also said that chemistry is what sells the tickets and she has chemistry with Alex. I don’t know if she would with the guys you listed or not. Does Alex Rodriquez even act lol? As for her hypocrisy, I can’t say either way but it sounds like you have a point there.
I disagree with you Carly, that is it just about “chemistry”. The fact remains, in America race still matters. The reason O’Loughin was chosen as the male lead is because he is white. Adam Rodriguez is definitely hotter and a better actor than that guy.
Jay Hernandez he is a another gorgeous Latino man and he is a very good actor. Hernandez or Rodriguez I believe could of done justice to this role.
However, Jennifer Lopez is motivated by money so this woman will sell out in order to have a hit film.
Alex O’Loughin, is just another one of those boring white guys that Jennifer Lopez always has in her romantic comedies.
Of course, Adam Rodriguez can act! Obviously you did not see Tyler Perry’s film “I Can Do Bad All By Myself”. Alex was in the lead and his love interest was Taraji P Henson. Alex did a convincing job as the male romantic lead.
And I disagree with you first of all that Adam Rodriguez is hotter or a better actor than Alex O’Loughlin aka “that guy”. You said you’d never heard of him so how is it that you’re equipped to critique his acting? And have you even seen a pic of him lol? He’s hotter than the sun. Why do you say he’s “one of those boring white guys”? What exactly do you consider boring about him? That he’s white? Clearly.
Jennifer Lopez was a Latina for a day, just the other day! She was on a Spanish show talking about her movie. The last time she was on a Spanish show was when she was trying to promote her music. She’s only a Latina now because she needs those seats filled at the box office. If she wants to gain by ONLY starring with white men then that is her perogative, but why should she continue to get away with her blatant hypocrite ways without being called out on it by the Latinos. I don’t understand why they can’t see through her, knowing she’s briefly switching her identity and fooling them for her OWN gain.
I’d say yes. Why, though, is beyond me.
Have you ever paid attention to Mexican media? I vacationed there a while back; I was amazed at how underproportioned the majority was.
Despite making up roughly 10 percent of the population, White people make up about 80 percent of the entire media.
I have to agree with the comment regarding Mexico’s media. Though the white population is just a small percentage, the faces on Mexico’s televison are almost all white…. This is much of a surprise considering the majority of government officials (including presidents) are almost always white!!! When was the last time anyone seen a president in Mexico that looked like Mexico’s majority brown skinned people…. Instead we see Vincent Fox (his father was an Irishman from Cincinatti Ohio) Jus the other day I seen some guy on the internet from Mexico who is some sort of politician that wants Mexico to go back to silver as money…. This guy looked like a cross between Mr. Rogers and Mr. Greenjeans… Blonde hair and white skin. This guy does not represent the racial majority of Mexico yet he is bent on writing gov. policy for real Mexicans that are brown to dark brown to almost black…. This all began hundreds of years ago when the spanish brought African slaves to replace Mexico’s Indigenous in the gold and silver mines. The spanish made dark skin people feel less than. The caste system that they forced on the Indigenous and African slaves had a long lasting impact. The deal the spanish made with the African slaves was, all children born of Indigenous/African blood were naturally born free (not slaves) with this deal surely every African slave wanted their children to be born free… The spanish had insulting names/terms for their caste system…. Anyone born of Indigenous/African blood were known as Lobos (wolves) or Zambos and Jarochos, Jarocho, in spanish means filthy pig… African slaves born Africa and brought to Mexico were called Bozales. African slaves born in Mexico were called Criollos….. The spaniards born in spain were called Espanoles while the spaniards born in Mexico were called peninsulares… The caste system in order would have went something like this: Espanoles were at the top followed by the peninsulares followed by the mestizo (Indigenous/white) next the Indio (indigenous), then the mulatto (black/white) followed by the Zambo (indigenous/Black) next the Criollo (African born in Mexico) Lastly Bozales (Africans born in Africa)… Basta Ya Mejico! Emiliano Zapata fue prieto como Tu y Yo !!!! Ten orgullo de tu raices y Tu color y la verda es que Tu color NO ES BLANCO….. Otra ves…. BASTA YA !!!!!!!!!!!
OK, I was wrong…. That guy I mentioned that is wanting to make silver money in Mexico is Hugo Price and he is white haired not blond but make no mistake, HE IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF MEXICO’S BROWN MAJORITY !!!!!!!!
first of all jennifer lopez is white. shes a white hispanic. her family is descended from spain. which is in europe. which is white. you people are so ignorant and under educated. latino is not a race.
Corneilo, when has Jennifer Lopez ever said she is a white Hispanic? When have the media ever discussed this? I am not suggesting that Lopez doesn’t have white heritage. However, I do not believe Jennifer Lopez is 100% white.
Hey…. You are RIGHT!!!!! Jennifer Lopez is definitely not 100% white. Using her parents as a measure of racial make up I’d say Jennifer is probably 75-80% european with 15-17% Boricua (Taino Indigenous)and as with most Latinos, (a’s) a percentage of Sub Saharan African blood ranging from 3-65% and in her case I’d say 3%…. George Lopez being much darker and showing facial sub Saharan African features registers at just 6-8% Sub Saharan…
Jennifer Lopez is not White, this is so stupid….anyone who is hispanic, no matter what race is mixed! Just because you can trace your roots back to Spain doesn’t make you white. I think almost everyone in say Mexico, can lay claim to some Spanish blood. Mestiza, that’s What Jennifer is, Her skin isn’t even white, and her facial features aren’t European. You wouldn’t see her on the street and be like, “Damn, that be a fine caucasian.” That girl may even have some Afro in her cause that booty isn’t made in Spain. Think of it this way, if a Nazi would not like you, chances are you don’t look white. I think Jennifer Lopez, does do it for the money. She knows what sells, and she gives people what they want. WE are a minority, for us, it would be nice to see her with a Latino Male, but it’s not likely that would happen. Jenny needs to own up to her heritage or shut up about it, don’t go around saying you are a proud latina, if you can’t play the part.
LOL…. I like reading peoples comments, especially when they aren’t very much in the know….. OK…. Let me see if I can explain it to you….. First, a big butt has NOTHING TO DO WITH her being one thing or another…. Second, MOST… I say again, MOST Latins are of three (Indigenous, African, and European blood) the degree of any of these groups vary….. If you look at Jennifer’s family (Mother, Father, Sister’s) they all have very strong European blood. Not one of them has any African facial features but they DO HAVE STRONG European features…. Jennifer does have Indigenous Cheekbones and eyes seem a little Asian looking which can be attributed to the Boricua (Taino) If Jennifer committed a crime and there was an all point bulletin out on her she certainly would not be described as an African, so we can place that on the neg. side of the board. Now, she would not very easily be described as a white female but she may be described as a Latin or possibly white female…. Yes you are correct in saying that Latins are of different colors but you were very wrong in saying that “Mexicans can lay claim to spanish blood”… Mexico has a very very very very STRONG Indigenous bloodline. If you ever read the colonial history of Mexico beginning late 1500’s up until slavery in Mexico ended in 1829. When the spanish could no longer use the Indigenous population as slaves (Indigenous were dying off from spanish diseases) they brought the African slaves into the port of Veracruz and during this time, for every one spaniard there were 30 African slaves and for every 30 African slaves there were 300 Indigenous people. Currently there are small pockets of visible Afro Mejicanos (roughly 150,000) visibly black Mexicans. The majority of African slaves in Mexico have been absorbed into the population. At the beginning of the 1900’s 2/3’s of Sinaloa’s population was Mulatto and have since continued to become absorbed by the Indigenous population. You may want to educate yourself before writing something that you apparently don’t know much about. I suggest that you find a really good library and look for a book called La poblacion Negra de Mejico or The Black population of Mexico which was written by Mexican Anthropologist, Gonzalo Aguirre Beltan in 1946. Beltan coined the term Afro-Mejicano in 1946 and received alot of FLAK from the minority whites, that run the Mexican Gov. Yes. The Mexican gov. wanted to hide the colonial slave days of Mexico and when Beltran wrote this book they had a problem with it. Beltran visited spain and searched for as many ships manifest during colonial Mexico and he found that the majority of the African slaves that were brought to Mexico were from West Africa, Gabon, and many belonged to the Mbamba tribe, hence the African slave song “La Bamba” This was a song they sang while working. In spanish all words are spelled just as they sound (this is why Mbamba became Bamba) The very first free black town in North America was created by a Slave named Nyanga. He was a prince of Gabon that was captured and enslaved by the spanish. A statue of Nyanga stands in Yanga Mexico… Yeah, you guessed. The N in Nyanga was dropped and the town was and is called Yanga Nexico. In the same area of Yanga are several other towns with African names IE Motamboa, Mozambique, Mocambo, Mandingo etc. The key is to read READ READ and READ SOME MORE before you make yourself look like you JUST DON’T KNOW any better….
First let me say, Alex O’Loughlin is attractive, sexy, masculine, and hot Aussie. I’ve seen him in almost all his movies and television appearances. I loved him in “Moonlight” a CBS canceled series.
Now to Ms. Jennifer Lopez. Once she became a big name in Hollywood and dropped Puff Daddy, she only star in movies and her love interest is white boys. Yes it would be nice to see her romantic character as a Afro Puerto Rican, Afro Cubano, or a Afro Dominican. Hispanic or Latino is not a race of people, and Hispanics can be of any race. I find many in the Hispanic or Latino community to be racist against blacks or Afro Latinos when it comes to skin color, hair texture, and facial features. I you watch all 3 Spanish speaking networks in the United States, the majority that apppear on there are white Hispanics with mostly blond hair, green or blue eyes. Light skin Hispanics/Latinos like Jennifer Lopez can date or marry whites and assimilate into white America. Cuban-American actress Gina Torres’ television credits include recurring roles on the FOX drama 24 and ABC’s Alias, as well as appearances on Law & Order, The Agency, and Angel. In nearly all her roles, however, she plays an African American. She hopes to take on more Latina roles in the future.
This article is brilliant! I;ve been reserachign this for soem time now too. What the author is saying is essentially true! Just look at the top ten Latina actresses in Hollywood today (Jessica Alba, J. Lopez, S. Hayek, R. Dawson, E. Mendez etc.).. almost all of them fit into this “Pocahantas” schema role where there is a “brown woman chasing and loving after a white male”. If this was once in a while it could be called a mere coincidence, but the fact remains that the majority of all of these Latina actresses’s movie are of this type. Its a factual pattern promoted by the systematic powers in place to glorify themselves. Its not obvious enough?..Just reverse the roles and let’s imagine that the top ten “White” actresses were consistantly chasing after and loving black males in 9 out of ten of their films…i can guarantee you that the point would be much clearer and a that a much bigger issue would be made, but as long as the schema is “white man + brown woman” it supports the traditionally racist agenda that was historically propogated on native americans, african americans, mexican americans, etc. for hundreds of years as a psychological conquest tool…(look it up)..its still going on now. Wake up, the masses are conditioned to react to certain shemas, our “tastes” are merely results of agendas forced upon us. The author of this article is really on point and perceptive. Thank you.
She’s not white. Just looking at her it’s quite easy to see that she’s atleast part Amerindian and part Black. She does not look Spanish, nor does she look to have any Spanish ancestry. Most of the mixed folk in Latin America with any Spanish ancestry should think before ‘gloating’ about it since alot of this european/Spanish blood was passed on through rape…similar to the blacks in the U.S who’s ancestors were raped by their English slave masters. When they Spanish came to the new world, they didn’t meet the natives and sit by a fire and sing Cumbia. It’s a very bloody and gruesome story. Just because her skin is not very dark does not mean she is part European since many Native/Amerindians have ‘light’ skin.
Tell me you are jking about your comments about Jeniifer Lopez and not looking spanish or the Spaniards. First of all being spanish I have seen many many different spanish looks. If you look at her parents and her mother…looks very spanish. Truth is, many people in Puero Rico and Cuba are of recent spanish lineage within the last century or two. The Taino blood was pretty much not there in many PR today. Furthermore they were a different type of native than you would find im Mexico, Central and South America. If you study this you would find this out.
Also appparently you know very little about spanish history. Spaniards for the most part from the south have a strong connection, culture and dna with North Africans from like Morocco, Mauritan and Algeria..as this was part of the Moorish rule for over 7 centuries. So spaniards have the same Berber and Arab/ North African dna.
My mother who is from the South of Spain retains about a 15% Sub saharan african breakdown and about a 25-35% middle eastern, you add them up this equates to the Moorish makeup.
So having said that,Jennifer would look way more European than my family and we are direct from Spain and our ancestry is there in Spain so we are ethnically spaniard. Also she looks much more European than same many spanish actresses, so not sure of your point. Take a look at a picture of her parents
here is one of her and her mom
If she looks black or indian…you need your head examined. She looks pretty European
Yeah I would like to see Jennifer Lopez play a role that her love interest isn’t whitey. For me I’m all about black/latino unity in the community. How about J.Lo and Denzel? Not just that but what about the DARKER skinned latinas? Man Hollywood is racist! Now we got a movie coming out soon where whitey goes to live in East Los. There are tensions within the black/latino communities (San Diego), and the media needs to make a film about US getting together and doing some things. But whitey gonna get scarred.
By the way folks here is another prime example. Spaniard from Madrid,Paloma San Basilio very spanish looking but also hs some razcos that could look african..but she is not
here is a pic
Again this could be from the Moorish rule and domination on our land.
I guess it’s just not hip to be “white” these days but J-Lo is a fully white Hispanic, not even a Mestiza. In fact, her grandparents are from Europe & her parents are 1st generation PRs. For what it’s worth, 80% of PRs (on the island) self-identify as “white” on the US Census. Hispanic is not a racial term. It is treated as an ethnicity, which is different from race. In reality, it is just a linguistic unifier.
Frankly I dont think Jennifer Lopez has any talent as an actress or singer. She may be a good dancer. But iIwouldn’t even go to see a movie that she was in if its free down the corner of my street. Jut being real.
I am truly blown away by the intense ignorance displayed in these responses. I do find it shameful whenever an interesting discussion has concluded on the last words of misinformed garbage. Thus, I must intervene. In particular, i am interested in you those of you here who have asserted with confidence that Jennifer Lopez is a “white hispanic”.
I cannot help but wonder, can any of you “experts” cite ANY single instance where Jennifer Lopez herself has confirmed this? Seeing as her ethnicity has always been a thing of fuzzy ambiguity, and I cannot recall a single example of something to confirm her as white, I can’t help but be confused by the boldness in your assertion.
Now before you even start anywhere, I want you to try and follow along with me here.
Start out by envisioning a famous actress. A rundown of her pre-fame life includes:
*Growing up in a minority-predominated NYC area.
*Beginning her road to Hollywood as a dancer, where she managed to get a small break touring as a back-up dancer for a famous rap music star.
*Landing her first TV spot, with the help of her dance background, on a minority-helmed sketch comedy show with mixed music and dance segments. She is a dancer in said music segments.
*Landing a TV acting spot on a short lived sitcom on previous show’s same network. Said sitcom is set in black south central, her role being that of a kind of stereotypical, sassy latina around the block.
*Going sometime after into several years of small-time movies roles. These roles occur overwhelmingly in urban/minority settings, or otherwise place her as an ethnic minority.
Now here is your question .
Could you even BEGIN to picture, of the life experience detailed above, that the actress involved would happen to be racially white? Fully.Racially.White (or however that’s primarily defined). Could you?
Well get this: If this story sounds weirdly familiar to you, those of you being addressed, it is because it indeed is the story of Jennifer Lopez. .
Your “white woman” Jennifer, who has to her name: Growing up in minority-dominated Bronx NY (and doesn’t report “standing out” among her peers), being a back-up dancer for MC Hammer, becoming a “Flygirl” dancer on FOX’s black sketch show “In Living Colour” (where she featured alongside famous fellow NYRican, Afro-Latina Rosie Perez)…followed by playing a character on the black FOX sitcom “South Central”. Who then went through the aforementioned movies roles, notably including: 1)Latina girlfriend to Wesley Snipes in “Money Train” 2)Slain Chicana singer Selena, of Tejano music fame 3)A Native American, dangerous “vixen”, opposite Sean Penn in “U-Turn”.
Lest we forget Jennifer’s music career. Music styles such identification as hip-hop, Caribbean salsa and merengue, contemporary R & B, soul and latin freestyle pop have been a common thread from her dancing days right up to her recording days. These of course would be music styles famously developed by blacks and U.S. latinos (mixed/black and especially caribbean), and supported by followings of such. Especially in NY and the upper east coast urban areas.
So I will ask you folks the same as before, but somewhat rephrased: Could you envision all the experiences outlined above, to tell the life story of a woman who is WHITE? And I’m not allowing for singling out of individual things. You are to perceive them combined together as one experience.
Don’t try struggling for farfetched ways in which you could stretch it as a possibility, either. The inherit purpose of the question is defeated if stretched realism, rather than PROVABLE realism is pursued.
Ultimately, you know in your minds what the immediate answer to my question is. Whether this be an American white woman, a white woman from Europe, or indeed, even a hispanic white woman we’re talking about, it would absolutely NOT be a realistic story. Otherwise I challenge you to name just ONE known white woman who has a comparable story.
Nothing? That’s what i figured.
(Okay I have more to add, but then this will be it. See it’s not just J-Lo, but other stuff that’s flat misinformed here)
One or more you claimed that Lopez “looked European”. Are any of you familiar with the concept multiracial people “passing”? Yea, it proves that the concept of “looking a race” is far too subjective. Genetics are too unpredictable for physical appearance to a determiner of race.
“80% of PRs (on the island) self-identify as “white” on the US Census.” Yep, the key there would be the prefix of “self”.
I will start by reminding you of a little slogan known as “mejoranda la raza” (“improving the race”), which reflects a mindset, historically AND presently pervasive in much of Latin America. Onto Puerto Rico.
There are certainly a few factors which differentiate PR in it’s degree of whiteness. It is designated the “whitest”of caribbean islands with some valid basis, seeing as the % of Afro-extraction in the genes of PR’s mixed is comparably smaller, leading to lighter skin tones. Then there is the real white presence on the land…which was increased over the years by massive, continual influx of European immigration. The 20th century then saw an influx of mostly mixed/Afro and poorer PRs into mainland U.S. (no legal hassle, remember). So given these occurrences, a white majority count on the island is probably not out of the question.
However, the % still unlikely to be as big as Census reports claim, and undoubtedly, is sweetened by PR leadership’s devoted white-centricism. To put it in short, Puerto Rico will instate a “one-drop rule” that is reverse to the one we know, in that the one drop of WHITE is what emphasized. (Obviously the lighter-skinned leanings of mixed-Afros is used to advantage here.)
Add to that, PR’s boasting of complete “Native extinction”, despite several decades of studies done that has slowly uncovered Taino DNA on the land (purposely ignored).
Next, some have claimed both Lopez’s parents to be from Spain. I’ve never heard anything confirming that both parents emerge from there…nor have heard of Lopez even mentioning Spain. One might think that having full parentage emanated from there would be significant enough to acknowledge, but it’s not to her? What are we to believe?
Arguably does it even MATTER? Go back and look at her life story. She doesn’t talk about Spain, and why would she? A Spaniard could not have led a life like Jen’s (just imagine Penelope Cruz as a “flygirl” and hip-hop back-up dancer)?
(One last note about Jen’s urban background. Maybe you missed the hit song she released years back, in which a black guest rapper wrote wrote HER a lyric to sing which involved dropping the “N” word in black-casual fashion. Mhm. Do I have to ask the obvious again?).
Also, it does seem a few of you were rather eager to lecture people on “hispanic not being a race”. How can I tell? By your choosing to “educate” the author on said fact, even when he DID acknowledge hispanic race differences. A few examples of what were explicitly dubbed “white hispanics” were mentioned where he was distinguishing between hispanic actors on the degree to which they experience casting bias. Maybe you should have continued reading, beyond the first mention of J-Lo as a minority?
Still, if you needed to make a point, you have used a better example of a representative actor. Any number of people, such as Cameron Diaz, Benicio Del T oro, Penelope Cruz, Andy Garcia, Lynda Carter, Antonio Banderas, Christina Aguilera, Paulina Rubio, Lorenzo Llamas or Gloria Estefan. J-Lo has little in common with them.
I guess you can tell this peeved me out a bit. I’m just not a fan of ignorance being passed off as facts. Quite weakly passed off, too. None of you seemed familiar with her road to fame, though you did Google some pictures of Spaniards an talked about Spain a lot. *Sigh* I just hope I’ve clued someone in.
Yes, Pocahontas seems about the right imagery. Is the Latin community condoning this behavior? Why do they go see these movies? Frankly, most movies are an insult to intelligence…seriously, the themes range from wicked bitch to cinderella. Fantasy is the key here. Who’s fantasy is another story.
Case in point: Maid in Manhattan. Even when the writers give the female lead brains, we’re still dealing with someone who really wants to be with “the powerful” man…Listen, everything can be sold with the right marketing. How powerful is the Latino market? I believe it’s quite big….
The fact is that racism has always existed and will continue to exist in Hollywood as long as Latinos with money do not invest in producing, writing and providing the vehicle for “true” Latino relationships (black or white) to be shown. Nevertheless, poor writing is what contributes to failures like “El Cantante.” Writing is fundamental to any good movie. Examples: It Happened One Night, The Roaring Twenties…why do I point these out? because in spite of being made in the 30s and 40s, they continue to be enjoyed by, guess what?, the younger Americans (White, Black, Latino).
I do not agree that Latinos should be pigeonholed in any way, however, there is so little representation of the Latino leading man or woman due to lack of money and good writing. Creating interest begins with independent films ….
Personally, I don’t believe there’s any real representation in Hollywood of people, only stereotypes.
I am so tired about Hispanic people thinking it is always about race if they don’t get something. Get over your paranoia.
im white and i totally understand this….I MEAN EVEN HER PARENTS ARE WHITE!! COME ON PEOPLE DONT BE DUMB. IM SOME MOVIES (THE WEDDING PLANNER AND I THINK GIGI ) HER CHARACTERS WHERE ITALIAN! THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN DENY THAT THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT THAT.
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First of all let me say this I met Miss Lopez many years ago thru a friend of mine. He works in Hollywood,California for a major studio. I was invited over to her home(unaware that I was meeting her) which I was tagged along in 2005. I never asked for an autograph nor a picture though I did take pictures of inside her home. This was right after she married Marc and she was in the middle of selling her house. It was the house(Mulholland estates) that was later sold to producer/ boutique hotel owner/nightclub owner Sam Nazarian then later to Simon Cowell(American Idol fame). I found her very corgial but distant and very lady-like. To be honest she reminds me of Madonna very good dancer,very ambitious,street smart and overly AMBITIOUS as hell. I have lived and worked around the entertainment industry and there is plenty of racial biased. You must have the right people to represent you and if not you will end up broken. The corporate structure is filled with cut-throat people who only care about what you can do for them. Faces come and go careers soar then dip,crash and burn! Fame is like death here to day then gone tomorrow so don’t be fooled. Will Smith,L.L Cool J,Queen Latifah,Denzel Washington,etc have made it in Hollywood by being non-threatening to whites who sign the checks. If you are considered trouble then you end up like Wesley Snipes,Mickey Rourke,Christian Slater,Charlie Sheen on the outside looking in. Begging old friends on the A-list for favors to get back in the good graces of the industry insiders. This is not a popularity contest this is a business …think before you swim with the sharks!