The Predictable and Not-So-Predictable Jennifer Lopez

Half Time is a nice, but controlled, glimpse into the A-lister’s work ethic.

By Salvatore Delle Femmine — Vimeo: Versace Women’s Spring Summer 2020 | Behind the scenes (view archived source), CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90166989

I’m going to be really honest with you: I didn’t really like Jennifer Lopez when I was younger. When she got really famous for her music, I must have been 14 years old, and it was all very different from what we were used to seeing on MTV. Not a lot of Latina representation in Finland in the late ‘90s.

I didn’t like her music or watch her movies. It wasn’t my thing. And J-Lo, merely with her existence, started a trend — later followed by the Kardashians and all of Instagram— that I was super envious of: women with curves.

That body shape is just not in the cards for most of us Finnish girls.

Since then I’ve spent 15 years living in Spanish-speaking countries, learned the language and become accustomed with Latin rhythms, even learning to dance some — very little, but still — salsa.

And I changed my mind about J-Lo when she was a judge on American Idol. As a wannabe singer growing up, I was a huge fan of the show and watched every episode. And J-Lo, well, she just seemed so sweet and nice. In wanted to be her friend.

In later years, it’s been impossible to not respect her. And the new Netflix…