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Crackdowns at Three College Protests Lead to Nearly 200 Arrests
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Can the W.N.B.A. Make Money?
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Jennifer Lopez's Viral "The Bronx" Controversy Proves Younger Latines Don't Find Her Authentic
Jennifer Lopez has been busy. In case you missed it, the Puerto Rican singer, dancer, and actor released not one but three complementary projects to kick off the year. There's her "This Is Me . . . Now" album; a video companion/musical to said album, "This Is Me . . . Now: A Love Story;" and a documentary that dives into said love story, "The Greatest Love Story Never Told." It was an ambitious undertaking, no doubt. And one that has her being dragged across TikTok, Instagram, and X.
Part of the controversy lies in how Lopez represents herself and her native borough of the Bronx. In one scene from the documentary, Lopez tussles her curly hair while looking in the mirror and says, "It reminds me, like, when I was 16 in the Bronx, running up and down the block. Crazy little girl who used to fucking be wild and no limits, all dreams." TikTok quickly jumped on this small clip, with many users commenting on how contrived the scene felt. One user noted it allegedly took numerous takes to get the finished shot. From there, it wasn't long before social media started to mine Lopez's old interviews for any hint of inauthenticity.
In a resurfaced clip from Vogue's "73 Questions" series, Lopez shares her childhood bodega order of "ham and cheese on a roll with an orange drink . . . and a small bag of chips." This clip, too, has been flamed on social media as New Yorkers demand to know exactly what orange drink Lopez is referring to. Others have remarked that it's such a generic order Lopez can't be as bodega-bred as she claims.
And then, of course, there's the nail in the coffin: an old clip from 2014 making the rounds on social media that shows Lopez pulling up to her old house in Castle Hill and the current resident having absolutely no idea who she is.
It's not that Lopez isn't from the Bronx - of course, she is. No one can take that away from her. It's that the image she portrays, one of a tried-and-true Bronx girl who made it to Hollywood while staying true to her roots, comes off as disingenuous. Many think she's using the borough for relevance in an age that values authenticity more than anything. But how did she become so seemingly disconnected from the people she supposedly represents?
Growing up in a Puerto Rican household meant Lopez could do no wrong. She was the Fly Girl who made it big. She was Selena. And when her debut album, "On the 6," dropped, my mom had it on repeat, singing along to every word. For my mom, Lopez symbolized success. For many heads from that generation, that's what success was - not so much repping your hood but representing the fact that you made it out of your hood.
Today, however, that's not enough. That's why Lopez's actions are often perceived as self-serving. In part, it's a generational difference. This is evidenced by the fact that so few of her recent critics knew what she meant by "orange drink." For the record, I'm pretty sure she was referencing the 25-cent "quarter waters" that were a staple of bodegas back in the '90s (you'd be hard-pressed to find them now). They didn't have a proper name; you just asked for the color. But, bodega order aside, the fact that Lopez had to rebrand her tour amid slowing ticket sales shows how much public opinion has waned for a star who once sold out Vegas residencies with frequency.
In this light, it's unsurprising that people from the community and even her fans are skeptical of how she reps the Bronx - an attempt to delay the sun setting on an incredible 30-year career and energize the masses. But it's not enough to claim NYC as your birthright and expect New Yorkers to show up. Here, trust and loyalty are won the hard way. You have to put the city on your back, elevate it, and actively participate in the culture.
Cardi B made headlines when she donated $100,000 to her old middle school in the Bronx. Fat Joe helped organize a fundraiser for families affected by the 2022 Twin Parks fire, and he's well-known for routinely giving back to the community. And J Lo? Well, that's the thing. She has. In 2014, she announced a partnership with Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx to establish The Center for a Healthy Childhood, which aimed to improve children's health and overall nutrition in the surrounding communities.
But for many of us, the occasional philanthropic stint isn't enough. And the fact that it's been 10 years since her last major contribution to the borough doesn't help Lopez's case. Neither does the fact that she danced her way to an acting career, singing career, and millions of dollars along the way, but she hasn't opened a single dance academy to help others do the same. I think a Jennifer Lopez-branded dance academy in the heart of Castle Hill would be a no-brainer and would help her improve her current standing in the community.
That being said, Lopez isn't obligated to satisfy anyone's expectations but her own. And there are plenty of A-list New Yorkers who do less for their respective boroughs and are subject to far less criticism. At the end of the day, however, Lopez is unique in that she understands and cashes in on the social clout that comes with being from the Bronx. She understands that it distinguishes her from the majority of the Hollywood elite - she's someone who isn't supposed to have a seat at the table, yet now enjoys the same privileges as her silver spoon counterparts.
I once had a friend tell me that the hood is something no one can take from you. It's hardwired into you, regardless of what you achieve. The lessons the streets teach are lessons for life. I truly believe that. And I'm sure Lopez does, too. In her eyes, she'll always be Jenny from the block, regardless of what any of us have to say.
But I also believe there's no such thing as playing both sides. As someone who has slowly watched their neighborhood disappear because of gentrification and has had the landscape of his memories shift with each passing day, I wish I had the money to do something about it. And if I ever found myself in that position, in a position to give back, I would.
Johanna Ferreira is the content director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity. .
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Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Shakira Thinks the "Barbie" Movie Is Emasculating - Here's How She Missed the Point
There's no arguing that Shakira is a feminist icon. Entering the year on the heels of a very public split from her long-term partner and the father of her two sons, Gerard Piqué, she managed to take a painful experience and turn it into a shared triumph. Her latest studio album, "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran," is a testament to independence and the strength that comes with it. It's a sentiment that many, especially women, will be able to relate to. In her recent Allure cover interview published on April 1, Shakira delves into what that strength looks like and what it means to be a woman healing today. But one thing that stood out from the interview was the singer's controversial take on another feminist pop culture pillar: the "Barbie" movie.
Shakira shares her sons "absolutely hated" the film because they "felt it was emasculating." "I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men," the singer says.
And while part of me understands that reaction, I cannot help but respectfully disagree with her. Feminism isn't just a theory, it's a practice, and different people practice it differently. Shakira not liking the "Barbie" movie doesn't make her less of a feminist. However, her opinion of the film is one shared by a vocal minority, and one I've heard reiterated by a lot of men (and right-wing politicians like Ted Cruz), many of whom won't even see a "girl's movie."
So, as a man who not only thoroughly enjoyed "Barbie" but found the message to be more subtle than "men suck, women are better," I wanted to examine how so many people could misconstrue Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach's script. For starters, the movie doesn't portray men as bubbly and shallow characters just for the sake of emasculating them. The movie portrays them as what they are: victims. The Kens have been robbed of any real agency and opportunity to be anything more than eye candy by Barbieland's matriarchy, a system that, conversely, places women in every major role throughout society. Sound familiar? It is the exact opposite of a patriarchy and yet still manages to achieve the same results: oppression of the opposite sex.
Yes, much of the Kens' dilemma and ensuing takeover of Barbieland sees the dumb dial turned up to the max - taking the piss out of machismo culture. But at its core, it's a commentary on the importance of being valued on a societal level. At every corner, the Kens are marginalized in the society they serve. This puts them at odds with the Barbies - not with women. Instead, the Kens' struggle is meant to parallel the struggle women experience in real life. It also shows how patriarchy can be destructive for the men it empowers.
By adopting patriarchy, the Kens rope themselves into accepting the often rigid criteria to which men must conform to be considered manly. Hence, the overabundance of cowboy hats, trucks, horses, and Mojo Dojo Casa Houses, regardless of whether or not the individual Ken has an affinity for these things. They gain power, yes, but they are still denied individuality, only this time by their own hand.
Shakira mentions that "men have their purpose too" and that "she wants her sons to feel powerful . . . while respecting women." But this is exactly the note the movie ends on. For the first time, the Kens are allowed to decide what their role in society will be. And for the first time, it won't be centered around supporting the Barbies' wants or needs, but instead on what they want for themselves.
But what about the notion that the movie "emasculates" the men? Sure, the Kens could have had more depth than having "beach" as a job, but I don't think it would have been as funny or as effective an allegory for the loss of agency that comes with oppression. I didn't find it emasculating. But I do find the uproar around it telling.
As an afropuertorriqueño, I don't often benefit from narrative plurality, or the existence of a multitude of films, shows, or other media that showcase my people in a variety of different roles and perspectives. But as a man? Absolutely, I do. I can turn on my TV right now and find a movie about a badass killing machine who loves dogs ("John Wick"), a show about a physically lacking, neglected child who uses his wits to outsmart and outlive multiple empires ("Game of Thrones"), a movie about a reluctant savior who inherits his mother's magic and his father's kingdom and uses both to become a literal fucking messiah ("Dune"), and the list goes on. Narrative plurality means that there are enough positive depictions of characters like us that the negative depictions don't hold as much weight. Or at least you'd think.
But you make one movie in which the men - or in this case the Kens - are portrayed as superficial accessories in constant competition for the affections of a woman and have no purpose other than to service her desires, and it undoes all the rest of it. Perhaps, in the same vein, we should consider the impact of the negative portrayals of women and people of color on screen.
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Monday, April 1, 2024
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