I didn't want to put this in the ads post because I thought it was discussion-worthy in and of itself.
There was a *lot* of subtleness that was missed by the folks who were discussing "OMG NAKED! SLUTTY OUTFITS!"
Shakira celebrating her Lebanese heritage. I love her voice and think it's so under-rated when folks are busy talking about how her hips don't lie. There's an underlying ululation to it that's always intrigued me. A friend posted this article that I think has some great background and discussion of these aspects of her performance.
J-Lo's stripper pole. Directed at the Oscars for snubbing her Hustlers performance? I certainly hope so. She had Oscar talk since the movie was released. But no Angry White Men, I guess.
More important (and obvious.) Kids in Cages. Everywhere, when she and her daughter were singing. About Power. (and having it and using it) The flag of Puerto Rico on her cape. So obvious and so many complainers. But again...having power and using it. We're withholding funds for hurricane Maria relief...STILL. And since then there has been another major hurricane and a major earthquake that have devastated the country, which is our territory and we are responsible for it. We've short-changed them from day one and I thought it was fantastic for her to bring that to the stage.
Yeah, the memes about the goats etc. all felt like people were missing the point/racist. I didn't know what it was celebrating, but I could tell it was intentional. I'm glad for this explainer.
Post by secretlyevil on Feb 3, 2020 14:17:10 GMT -5
I haven't seen the halftime show in its entirety yet, only bits and pieces from news articles. However, I am already feeling some kind of way about the pearl clutching, body shaming, double standard around J Lo and Shakira's attire.
Also, if people aren't getting the reference with children in cages. They are fooling themselves.
On a superficial level, these 2 ladies were doing some absolutely amazing dancing and were so entertaining. Going a bit deeper, these 2 Latino ladies were celebrating their culture in a city that is so Latino. They were being fabulous and sexy and just showing their culture to the world. And then going deeper, the messages with the Puerto Rican flag and the kids in cages was so meaningful.
And of course, the racist white people are saying oh but lok they aren't wearing enough clothes, to take away attention from the real messages.
The more I think about it, the more pissed off I become that women's bodies, and especially non-white women's bodies, are just not acceptable in society, I guess.
I just read this & thought it highlighted important details that may have been otherwise missed (in addition to the amazing MiddleEastern inclusions)
Shakira Puts On For Afro-Colombians During Her Super Bowl LIV Halftime Performance travelnoire.com/shakira-afro-colombian-super-bowl-liv-halftime (An example of one of the really cool details) The proud Colombian pop star opened up the halftime with a majority of Black dancers front and center for the entire world to see. Although Colombia’s Afro-Colombian population is said to only be 7%, Shakira’s hometown of Barranquilla is one of the areas where people of Black/African-descent in Colombia are most populous. Her backup dancers represented that fact.
On a superficial level, these 2 ladies were doing some absolutely amazing dancing and were so entertaining. Going a bit deeper, these 2 Latino ladies were celebrating their culture in a city that is so Latino. They were being fabulous and sexy and just showing their culture to the world. And then going deeper, the messages with the Puerto Rican flag and the kids in cages was so meaningful.
And of course, the racist white people are saying oh but lok they aren't wearing enough clothes, to take away attention from the real messages.
And a group of children singing "Let's Get Loud!" while mixed with "Born in the USA"- it was a direct message. I'm very sad it was lost in this conversation.
I'll be honest, the first couple minutes after JLo came out I was a little taken aback (didn't know the history about her role in the movie) and the awkward crotch angle... But after reading up on it and thinking on it, it actually makes a lot of sense. That being said, it wasn't pearl clutchy and I certainly don't think a woman's body is anything to be embarrassed about no matter the color.
I super love the article posted in the OP because it opened my eyes to even more awesome stuff that she did. And on the second (and third, and fourth, lol) watching of the show, I caught more stuff each time.
Solid performance and omg to how much they had to bust their butts.
I’m so tired of people and their pearl clutching. They danced, had awesome costumes, showed off their strength through their curves, pushed through a message that made all of us Latinos instantly beam with pride. Shakira brought out everything she has done throughout her career. Our language, her middle eastern roots, our rhythm that originates from the Afro Latino culture of which is still very much present in Colombia, and she put that all out on the biggest stage in American sports. She could’ve just done her pop stuff and left it at that. And she said hell no.
JLo came out with no apologies for who she is and what she’s best at. Entertainment! Then she goes out with a bang with the Puerto Rican flag, and the kids in cages just in case we forgot about what the fuck is going on.
After the insulting trump ads, and the aggressive tattered flag ad, I sure as shit enjoyed watching my people say hell the fuck no, you don’t get the last word this night.
The crotch shots didn't even register to me, other than that slide. It just all looked like amazing dancing. Yeah, skirts flipped up/around to reveal the briefs underneath. That's how dance costumes are designed. I've seen skimpier outfits at dance performances I attend (on teenagers), linked with the program where I take my dance classes. Hell, I've probably worn similar or skimpier dance costumes than some of those. I agree that this is a whole lot of hand-wringing about Latinx culture because it's not WASP-y, stuffy, staid shit. OMG, these women have bodies and move them joyfully! Let's celebrate that *AND* celebrate all the layered and nuanced ways they shared their messages throughout their performance.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
I commented on the ad thread but have a few more things to say We Puerto Ricans are all about our flag. So even if she wasn’t trying to make a political statement I would have been surprised if JLO didn’t bring the flag out when she was on such a huge stage.
Since January PR has had more than 500 earthquakes registering 2.5 or more. Highest being 6.4 . People have lost homes, and many others are in shelters for fear that their homes will collapse. Many businesses in the south of the island are closed. Many schools will remain closed this semester.
But yes please let’s focus on their outfits and their butts. Let’s call them sluts. Tempting children and men with their hip shaking Afro/Middle Eastern influenced dancing, the fact that some songs were gasps! In Spanish.
And for everyone who’s pearl clutching I assure you that if your kids have access to a phone, iPad or tv, they have seen a lot more
On a superficial level, these 2 ladies were doing some absolutely amazing dancing and were so entertaining. Going a bit deeper, these 2 Latino ladies were celebrating their culture in a city that is so Latino. They were being fabulous and sexy and just showing their culture to the world. And then going deeper, the messages with the Puerto Rican flag and the kids in cages was so meaningful.
And of course, the racist white people are saying oh but lok they aren't wearing enough clothes, to take away attention from the real messages.
And a group of children singing "Let's Get Loud!" while mixed with "Born in the USA"- it was a direct message. I'm very sad it was lost in this conversation.
I didn’t watch but reading that this happened gave me the chills. What a powerful message.
Thought more about this as the day went on. I want female performers booked for every halftime show. They’ve been my favorite across the board - creative, meticulous, fun. With the notable exception of Bruno Mars, men have turned in some lazy ass, plodding bullshit.
I know people are going to come for me, but remember when Paul McCartney did the halftime show? No, you don’t, because you were hiding in the kitchen with the buffalo chicken dip.
Thought more about this as the day went on. I want female performers booked for every halftime show. They’ve been my favorite across the board - creative, meticulous, fun. With the notable exception of Bruno Mars, men have turned in some lazy ass, plodding bullshit.
I know people are going to come for me, but remember when Paul McCartney did the halftime show? No, you don’t, because you were hiding in the kitchen with the buffalo chicken dip.
Priorities... don’t mess with my buffalo chicken dip.
Thought more about this as the day went on. I want female performers booked for every halftime show. They’ve been my favorite across the board - creative, meticulous, fun. With the notable exception of Bruno Mars, men have turned in some lazy ass, plodding bullshit.
I know people are going to come for me, but remember when Paul McCartney did the halftime show? No, you don’t, because you were hiding in the kitchen with the buffalo chicken dip.
Thought more about this as the day went on. I want female performers booked for every halftime show. They’ve been my favorite across the board - creative, meticulous, fun. With the notable exception of Bruno Mars, men have turned in some lazy ass, plodding bullshit.
I know people are going to come for me, but remember when Paul McCartney did the halftime show? No, you don’t, because you were hiding in the kitchen with the buffalo chicken dip.
PRINCE! DAMMIT, ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES EVER! Bruno Mars was awesome, but... How could you forget Prince? Buffalo chicken dip can land all over my new carpet and I wouldn't bat an eye. Priorities shmiorities.
Thought more about this as the day went on. I want female performers booked for every halftime show. They’ve been my favorite across the board - creative, meticulous, fun. With the notable exception of Bruno Mars, men have turned in some lazy ass, plodding bullshit.
I know people are going to come for me, but remember when Paul McCartney did the halftime show? No, you don’t, because you were hiding in the kitchen with the buffalo chicken dip.
I still want Missy Elliott for *the whole* halftime. Not just a guest appearance with Katy Perry. I'm pretty sure she would put on one of the BEST halftime shows ever. So I'm on board with all female performers for future halftime shows.
I enjoyed the show, although I reject the idea that Emme is barely old enough to walk let alone be that composed performer we saw in stage. She's still three in my mind.
Second, sexist double standards apply even to this specific show. The male performers also did "crotch grab" style moves (I don't think anyone was doing anything blatant hence my wording) and no one is up in arms about it, only Ms JLo.
And finally, when someone pointed out Shakira's one outfit looked like Gazelle's outfit in Zootopia, I liked it even more and I really hope it was intentional.