I think it made sense that J. Lo was cast as Selena.
Honestly, I’ve never seen Selena, nor
do I know anything about Selena except what was in the readings for today, but
from what I can tell, it’s a good fit. I don’t have an issue with the fact that
she is a Puerto Rican playing a Mexican. I’m not Latina, so maybe I don’t have
a place in saying that, but there are a few reasons why I have come to that
conclusion. First, Negron-Mutaner discusses how there is not a lot of PR
presence in Hollywood, so if Puerto Ricans are solely allowed to play Puerto
Ricans, they have very little opportunity for visibility in Hollywood. Second,
white actors put on an accents and play British, Irish, or other ethnicities
all of the time. People like Meryl Streep are praised for it. If white people
can portray people from other countries, why can’t Latinas? Third, it is
mentioned several times that Selena was later in her career seen as a Latina,
not just a Tejana once her reach expanded. Lastly, it seems like there are many
similarities in Selena and J. Lo’s careers that qualify the casting decision.
Their similar appearances and body types certainly justify the decision, but
additionally, as Latina women who grew up in America, they both entered and
were accepted into a white world.
I think Lopez’s confidence in her body is incredibly
inspirational. This is where the difference between Selena and J. Lo is
apparent. They both realize that they are not the “ideal American woman” due to
their curvy bodies and huge butts, but while there are confirmed sources that
say that Selena tried to hide her body, J. Lo embraces it. Selena got lipo and
tried to conform to what she believed would make her feel less insecure and
more similar to the definition of American perfection. Conversely, J. Lo brought attention to
her butt. She was proud of it. She knew it was part of her and did not see
reason to change. Having a big butt is often associated with excess and
obesity, but J. Lo doesn’t let that get to her. Just because she has a booty
doesn’t mean she doesn’t eat healthy and work out. It just means she has a
butt, and that’s that. As someone with a big butt, I admit I wish I was more
like J. Lo in this sense; it’s something I’m working on.
I think it’s incredibly commendable that J. Lo brings
attention to something that most women would be embarrassed of and when she
does this, she is praised for it. What this tells me is that maybe if women
weren’t so dead set on trying to become the modern idea of the perfect woman (which
is totally unrealistic and not true) and instead started focusing on the
uniqueness of their bodies and what made them special, that maybe women
everywhere would start being praised for their curvy, voluptuous bodies. If
curves work for J. Lo, why can’t they work for other women?
Lastly, it’s really sad that there has to be a “crossover”
for ethnic actors. Personally, I never thought of J. Lo as a Latina actress. By
the time she was relevant to me, she had already crossed over. I just thought
of her as a very famous actress, not a Latina actress. In my eyes she is
comparable to any other A-List actor, but it is pretty awful that it wasn’t always
that way. It’s like ethnic actors have to prove themselves to white America
that they can be trusted with normal roles that aren’t associated with a
specific race. But, in casting, the market really is in ethnicity right now, so
maybe things will change.
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