A particularly intriguing part of Beltran’s article is when she asks the reader vital questions surrounding Lopez’s star persona. She asks, “Can connections be found between this highly body-oriented publicity and Lopez as a Latina or as a so-called cross over success? Does crossover necessarily involve containment; must it ultimately be a hegemonic process that keeps nonwhite stars in their place? (73). By laying out these questions, Beltrain pinpoints the central focus of her writing. It is alarming how the term “body-oriented publicity” seems applicable to almost any female star. While her article surrounds Jennifer Lopez’s image, I feel that this term extends far beyond her.
As Dean writes in his post, there are many examples of white women whose bodies are photographed and written about in the media. Thus, women stars, despite their races, are subject to “body-oriented publicity”. This type of publicity narrows in on one particular body part, in this case being their butts. Not only is it degrading, it is misleading. "Body oriented publicity" scrutinizes women and analyzes their body types, failing to recognize anything about that person besides their outward appearance. Further, this type of publicity makes it seem as though the star wants people to focus on their figures, and gain popularity from it. While some argue that stars use their figures to gain popularity and establish their image, I feel that any type of "highly body oriented publicity" uses female stars' bodies against them, degrading them to purely what they appear like from the outside.
While reading Beltran's article, I thought the exact same thing. While Beltran narrows her subject to the "Latina" body, using J-Lo as a case-study, I agree with Natalie's point - "It is alarming how the term 'body-oriented publicity' seems applicable to almost any female star. What's more, "star" isn't circumscribed to "film star" - it applies to musicians, comedians, designers, and even Olympians. This fact is known and true in the industry, and I think it's interesting that when a star's figure does not serve to ADVANCE the star's physical appeal, this fact in itself must be talked about, and their body must serve an alternative agenda. Specifically, I am thinking about Adele, Amy Schumer, Simone Biles. These stars, noted as deviants from the Hollywood body standard, are at worst criticized, and at best hailed for their status as "body-positive, all-inclusive" bodies. While the latter isn't necessarily a bad thing, my point is that we can't just talk about their talent... it seems that if you're a female in the limelight, your body WILL be publicized.
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