By: Sarah Rance
MIAMI- Most people have heard the phrase “give them something to talk about” and that is exactly what Shakira and Jennifer Lopez did with their Pepsi halftime show performance at the Super Bowl.
Shakira and JLo performed several of their career hits, such as Shakira’s “She Wolf” and “Hips Don’t Lie” as well as JLo’s “Jenny from the Block” and “On the Floor.” During the performance, many homages to Latina culture, as well as a subtle tribute to recently deceased Kobe Bryant occurred.
However, it is not the song choice that has people talking. Rather, the debate lies in whether or not the performance was too promiscuous, or not family-friendly. Many people decided that the performance was amazing and worthy of being admired, but many others did not agree. Shakira and JLo were accused of dancing too sexually and in such a way that demeans women, some even deeming the performance as “The Stripper Bowl.”
The people who did not approve of the show cited outfits, camera shots of the genital region, as well as sexually explicit dance moves as reasons the performance was not family-friendly. Some of the dance moves they specifically did not like were JLo’s pole dancing moves and her slide across the stage while grabbing her genital region.
On the other hand, people who support the performance claim the performance empowers women and fights back against the idea that women cannot dance or dress a certain way without being objectified. If Shakira and JLo, as well as any woman for that matter, want to dance a certain way, they should be able to without members of society calling them demeaning names.
In addition, a lot of the dance moves performed were directly from Latina culture. Just because a culture does things differently than others does not mean they cannot do things their way.
At the end of the day, these women wanted to empower girls and women in the U.S. while paying tribute to their own cultures. When they were asked to do the halftime show, the people who asked knew what they were signing up for. These women are performers who have a specific style. It will not be for everyone, just as it wouldn’t be for everyone if it were a conservative country singer who performed. However, that does not mean they should be attacked because people did not like the style of their performance. Simply turn off the tv screen during halftime and do something family-friendly on your own, or switch the channel. No one is forcing you to watch, and no one is asking for your criticism.
Niagara Wire 