Today we learned that in the wake of the Super Bowl halftime show, novelist Jennifer Weiner and many of her “middle-age mom” Facebook friends felt personally implicated by 50-year-old Jennifer Lopez’s physique—or, to put it in Weiner’s words, “judged by dat ass.” In a New York Times opinion piece, Weiner waxes in disbelief that “at 50, [Lopez] is a force of nature, a woman who looks so amazing it’s like evolution took a tiny step forward, just for her.” Some of Weiner’s Facebook friends were “in awe” at this alleged evolutionary masterpiece, while others, like herself, also felt the pull of unfavorable personal comparisons.
, and both are direct products of middle-aged women’s sexual invisibility. In that halftime show, as with her existence on any stage or screen, J. Lo demonstrates the possibility of being a 50-year-old sex symbol, an older woman on display. There is cognitive dissonance here, because women of her age are so infrequently seen in this way: sexy, vivacious, and worthy of the camera’s zoomed-in gaze.
Of course, invisibility is often a tough pill to swallow. That is the motivation behind all manner of snake-oil youth serums, and possibly the middle-aged woman I recently saw getting fine metal threads sewn into her cheeks to allegedly activate collagen on, in not being so relentlessly watched—by individual humans beings as well as the culture at large. It can feel like permission to step away from beauty routines that previously felt externally mandated.
Thus, J. Lo is received as both personal affront and “impossible.” In this light, Lopez is first and foremost seen as “a woman flaunting her age in public,” as Vanessa Friedman, as opposed to a woman showcasing her body, voice, or dancing skills.: “‘50 Years Old in 1985,’ read one side, with a shot of Rue McClanahan from ‘Golden Girls,’ in period-appropriate feathered hair and a dowdy-looking sweater.
Of course, J. Lo suggests that somebody could be watching, and that goes against everything we have been told about women and middle age. This admittedly fills me with ambivalence: It’s the opening up of new pressures, and it’s also an ever-so-slight expansion of possibility and visibility. All I can hope is that one day there will be a choice between more than the limiting dichotomy of a woman “mocked as...
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
See all the Super Bowl commercials that aired during 49ers vs. Chiefs in Super Bowl LIVFor some, the Super Bowl is not about the game: it's about the commercials. See all the ads that have been released already for the NFL's big game.
Read more »
Super Bowl: Jennifer Lopez Stuns in Versace With Political Flag Statement, 27K Crystals and Sequins'We designed 213 costumes and 143 pairs of shoes for this 6-minute show, while for her tour we did 140 costumes for a two-hour show.' Stylists Rob Zangardi breaks down Jlo's SuperBowl halftime show wardrobe
Read more »
Jennifer Lopez, daughter share stage with Shakira at Super Bowl halftime showJennifer Lopez, daughter Emme share stage with Shakira at Super Bowl halftime show.
Read more »
Critic's Notebook: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Super Bowl Halftime Exorcised Maroon 5 Demons'Most Super Bowls, you have to rise to the level of 'Slightly less good than Prince,' but for Super Bowl LIV, it was probably enough to be 'Slightly better than Maroon 5.'' TheFienPrint reviews JLo and Shakira's halftime performance:
Read more »
Review: Jennifer Lopez Doesn’t Need an Oscar, She Just Won the Super BowlOscar nomination, schmoscar nomination. There’s no Academy for this, but Jennifer Lopez, in tandem with Shakira, earned some kind of unofficial award Sunday night for managing to pull off something…
Read more »
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez bring a necessary punch to 2020 Super Bowl halftime showShakira and Jennifer Lopez bring a necessary punch to 2020 Super Bowl halftime show: Review
Read more »