Dylan Moran Blog Post

Dylan Moran

Blog Post

When people think of the star Jennifer Lopez, she is immediately associated with her famous backside.  Her butt is often associated with her star persona. Before Jennifer Lopez became famous, Latino American actresses were rarely given speaking roles in film. Most actresses that are popular in cinema are white. While the Hispanic community is becoming America’s largest minority, it is important for films to include Latina actresses for commercial purposes. That is why Jennifer Lopez became such a prominent figure once she reached her status of stardom. 

Most in the Hispanic community do not like to see woman extremely skinny like most white audiences like to see. Hispanic people consider woman with a little meat on their bones to look “healthy” and “successful.” This is why the obsession of Jennifer Lopez’s butt made her so widely accepted. What is interesting about this is the reality of Jennifer’s background. Her ethnicity is Puerto Rican and she grew up in the Bronx, yet she often portrays roles meant for a Mexican-American. Take the film Salena for example, that character isn’t meant to be played by a Puerto Rican, but because of her commercial appeal she was cast for it. 

She became very popular in Spanish-American media; she often showcased her backside in the Spanish version of People magazine. After success of the film, “Out of Sight” was met with critical and commercial acclaim, Lopez became a big star. During interviews, she was not as much questioned about her acting chops, but more so on her famous buttox. She became incredibly famous not because of her talent, but for her body. 

Jennifer Lopez is an interesting star to study because of her ethnicity and what she is best known for in our society. I cannot imagine a similar star coming to prominence in the ‘Golden Age of Cinema’ for doing what J Lo is known for. She disturbed the social order of how stars can become famous, and many others fallowed her path afterwards. Even at the age of 45 she released a music video called “booty” featuring Iggy Izalia showing off their bodies throughout the entire thing.