Let’s get two things out of the way up front, shall we?
FIRST, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez are extremely talented at singing and dancing.
SECOND, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez are extremely good looking women.
Neither of the above statements are in dispute by anyone who watched the artists take to the stage in Miami on Sunday night during halftime of Super Bowl 54.
But there is one issue/question/controversy now hanging over the performance, which featured two sort of middle-aged women showcasing their talents for an audience of nearly 100 million viewers.
And that issue/question/controversy is this:
Did Shakira and Jennifer Lopez empower women with their moves, gyrations and outfits at midfield?
Or did they set the women’s movement back several decades?
Those who would answer in the affirmative to the first option would make the following argument:
Shakira is 43 years old! Jennifer Lopez is 50 years old!
Did you see how well they sang? How well they danced?!? The sort of positive example they set for women — minority women, especially, given the heritage of each artist — across the globe by utterly dominating their 14-minute set?
What possible takeaway could anyone have from the dual act (below) than to be in awe of both Shakira and Lopez and to applaud them for making it clear that women do, on occasion, run the world?
Conversely, there are those who think Shakira and Lopez simply objectified themselves by wearing skimpy outfits, sliding down stripper poles and relying on their sexuality above all else.
These critics would point to the following GIF and basically rest their case:
"The @SuperBowl halftime show was just a bad strip show," tweeted @AUBeard, for example, adding:
"We have had so much positive discussion about not treating women like sexual objects, then they go & do this. You can’t cry that women need to be treated better then support this display of sexual objectifying."
That’s one argument, we guess.
But here’s another:
Indeed, Adam Levine went shirtless at the Super Bowl in 2019 and there wasn’t a single cry of sexism or objectification at the time.
Everyone pretty much just drooled over the Maroon 5 frontman and then moved on — after perhaps taking a few minutes by themselves first or at least sharing photos such as the ones featured above with all their online friends.
So, why can a famous man flaunt his sex appeal on stage and only receive glowing feedback…
… while famous women do the same and then someone actually Tweets something such as this:
In general, the dance-heavy show earned praise from most observers, including former halftime headliner Lady Gaga.
".@JLo and @shakira and all the special guests were so incredible!!!" wrote the singer, who performed during the 2017 Super Bowl, concluding:
"I danced and smiled the whole time. Such powerful sexy women!!!! On camera and off!!!!! Love you beautiful sexy talented women."
Did you do the same? Or did you furrow your brow and frown the whole time?
Let your voice be heard in the poll below: