Halftime Show

[Boardwalk Jedi]

I don't watch any of that stuff. Why? It holds zero interest to me. I don't go to see Cirque de Soleil because the tickets are expensive. Cheer competitions? Don't get me started on those. A circus? Attended one time ages ago when Ringling Brothers was still around and it was...meh. And I'm not into watching or competing in latin ballroom dancing. So there you go. But if others want to watch all that...that's cool. I just don't think that pole dancing belongs in a Super Bowl half time show. Nor do I think that children belong in big bird cages on the Super Bowl "stage" either...that looked stupid.

So are you anti-gymnastics? Honestly, J-lo wasn't removing any clothing or doing anything suggestive with the pole.

 

[kiddo76]

I don't watch any of that stuff. Why? It holds zero interest to me. I don't go to see Cirque de Soleil because the tickets are expensive. Cheer competitions? Don't get me started on those. A circus? Attended one time ages ago when Ringling Brothers was still around and it was...meh. And I'm not into watching or competing in latin ballroom dancing. So there you go. But if others want to watch all that...that's cool. I just don't think that pole dancing belongs in a Super Bowl half time show. Nor do I think that children belong in big bird cages on the Super Bowl "stage" either...that looked stupid.

Let's just say children don't belong in cages anywhere.

 

[VandVsmama]

So are you anti-gymnastics? Honestly, J-lo wasn't removing any clothing or doing anything suggestive with the pole.

None of this matters anymore anyway. The Super Bowl ended a couple of weeks ago. We can get all worked up over it again after next year's show. My opinion about gymnastics doesn't matter. Pole dancing isn't gymnastics in my opinion. If you feel it is gymnastics, that's great. If you love pole dancing, that's great. Go and have fun with it.

 

[kiddo76]

None of this matters anymore anyway. The Super Bowl ended a couple of weeks ago. We can get all worked up over it again after next year's show. My opinion about gymnastics doesn't matter. Pole dancing isn't gymnastics in my opinion. If you feel it is gymnastics, that's great. If you love pole dancing, that's great. Go and have fun with it.

It might not be gymnastics, but pole dancing is making progress to becoming an Olympic sport.
https://www.shape.com/fitness/trends/pole-dancing-could-soon-become-olympic-sport

 

[luvsJack]

I did watch it. Four times now. I just watched it again and she did it 6 times before she took the black costume off. In at least 2 cases you can very clearly see her grabbing her body. If she was trying to avoid a wardrobe malfunction she should have made adjustments to her costume. If she was trying to shield that area from the camera she should have changed the choreography. It was done intentionally.

Do you realize that a “grab” is a different hand movement than shielding with your hand?

The choreography was just that. It went with the song. She didn’t want a worse than Janet Jackson moment and she is getting slammed for it.

Why is it that women cannot just appreciate the talents and accomplishments of another woman? Why do always have to put each other down like this? It’s ridiculous.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Why is it that women cannot just appreciate the talents and accomplishments of another woman? Why do always have to put each other down like this? It’s ridiculous.

Uh yeah that's an overreach. Good lord. Heaven forbid other posters (of any gender) have their own opinions.. you're telling another woman she's supposed to feel a certain way because of her gender. Why can't we just appreciate that other people have differing opinions. I say this not even agreeing with everything people have been saying in respects to grabbing, shielding, whatever. But I'm certainly not going to tell them "you're supposed to feel a certain way because of your gender"...when did we become that way? That's ridiculous.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It might not be gymnastics, but pole dancing is making progress to becoming an Olympic sport.
https://www.shape.com/fitness/trends/pole-dancing-could-soon-become-olympic-sport

I'd totally watch that honestly. I'd be curious if it would follow the strictness that is normal gymnastics (or figure skating). Also wonder what kinds of music would be more the norm.

 

[luvsJack]

Uh yeah that's an overreach. Good lord. Heaven forbid other posters (of any gender) have their own opinions.. you're telling another woman she's supposed to feel a certain way because of her gender. Why can't we just appreciate that other people have differing opinions. I say this not even agreeing with everything people have been saying in respects to grabbing, shielding, whatever. But I'm certainly not going to tell them "you're supposed to feel a certain way because of your gender"...when did we become that way? That's ridiculous.

Oh please. Women ALWAYS do this. We always have. Put a woman on stage and there will be hundreds of women deciding she isn’t being pure and ladylike. Or she isn’t talented enough or pretty enough or thin enough or whatever.

Not liking either of these women’s music is an opinion. Not liking JLo’s movies is an opinion. Cutting them apart because someone feels morally superior is ridiculous.

Of course no one has to like something because the artist is of a particular gender. That isn’t what I said. But there is no real reason to dissect every dance movement either of them made either.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh please. Women ALWAYS do this. We always have. Put a woman on stage and there will be hundreds of women deciding she isn’t being pure and ladylike. Or she isn’t talented enough or pretty enough or thin enough or whatever.

Not liking either of these women’s music is an opinion. Not liking JLo’s movies is an opinion. Cutting them apart because someone feels morally superior is ridiculous.

Of course no one has to like something because the artist is of a particular gender. That isn’t what I said. But there is no real reason to dissect every dance movement either of them made either.

Yeah sorry you're backtracking now.

The poster said nothing of what you tried to pin on them. You don't have to like the show or think it's appropriate but that doesn't equate to putting down the entire gender and to say so becomes an easy way to discredit someone's thoughts and opinions as if they are supposed to think like every other person of their gender. It's such a regression in women's empowerment. We are not all the same, we all have our own thoughts and opinions and we don't need someone else telling us what we're supposed to think and not think.

If someone wants to say it's unladylike and she isn't being pure so be it. Don't tell them they are supposed to not have that opinion because of their gender--disagree with their opinion sure but don't tell them they aren't supposed to have it in the first place because of their gender. They can appreciate many-a women and their accomplishments and at the same time not agree with what was presented for the half-time show. You're cutting them apart far more that way than them not liking the show and talking about it.

In any case agree to disagree because it could go back and forth just on the points being specifically talked about.

 

[luvsJack]

Yeah sorry you're backtracking now.

The poster said nothing of what you tried to pin on them. You don't have to like the show or think it's appropriate but that doesn't equate to putting down the entire gender and to say so becomes an easy way to discredit someone's thoughts and opinions as if they are supposed to think like every other person of their gender. It's such a regression in women's empowerment. We are not all the same, we all have our own thoughts and opinions and we don't need someone else telling us what we're supposed to think and not think.

If someone wants to say it's unladylike and she isn't being pure so be it. Don't tell them they are supposed to not have that opinion because of their gender--disagree with their opinion sure but don't tell them they aren't supposed to have it in the first place because of their gender. They can appreciate many-a women and their accomplishments and at the same time not agree with what was presented for the half-time show. You're cutting them apart far more that way than them not liking the show and talking about it.

I never said she did. I was talking about the thing as a whole. This thread, Facebook, etc.

And no I am not backtracking. You not understanding what I said the first time does not mean I am backtracking. I never said there was anything wrong with having an opinion of anyone.

I don’t like Kristen Stewart’s acting. But I am not going to rip her apart for her looks or the way she speaks. She is obviously doing what she loves so more power to her. If instead of just saying I don’t like her opinion I started going on about her stringy hair or she is sooo skinny or she can’t complete a sentence- that criticism and passes “opinion” into judgmental. ETA: I don’t think any of that about her. Just do not enjoy her acting.

Not LIKING the show is fine and that is an opinion. Deciding that part of what they did isn’t talent or doesn’t take a lot of work is completely different. Or dissecting every little move into something it isn’t.

And I didn’t say anyone was putting down the whole gender. Good grief. I said women always put down each other. Women are quicker to criticize each other. If you don’t know that, then you aren’t paying attention.

And if you don’t want to have a conversation would you just not start one? My goodness I get so tired of you completely changing the things I say and then “don’t bother quoting” or “ agree to disagree”.

 

[mrodgers]

Why are people so fixated on that? There was so much more to the performance you know....just curious why that’s most in your head.

Because I have had young daughters in the past watching the Superbowl with us and I can relate to how the show was to parents that have young kids now.

Blame the camera man? The camera man didn't choreograph the performance, chose the spot for his camera, or tie a rope around her and drag her thrusted crotch across the stage directly at the camera.

 

[mrodgers]

My perception of it was completely different. I even went back and re-watched after reading this thread because I thought I must have been mistaken or missed something. I did not see any crotch "grabbing". On several occasions while wearing the black outfit, I noticed that she put her hand in front of her crotch. To me, it actually looked like she was shielding the area a bit from the cameras rather than being an overtly sexual gesture.

EXACTLY! Thank you!

Holding one's hand out in front of something and grabbing something is totally different and if anyone would just watch the dang performance they can see the difference.

I don't have OTA so I didn't watch the Superbowl. I read first about the performance here and in another forum I frequent (a forum for garages and cars, thus majority men much like this forum is majority women.) They on the other forum of course had a different opinion as men watching, but also the same opinion as fathers of little girls. I watched it on Youtube.

At first I agree with others as the first times it seemed she was just holding her hand there in case of a wardrobe malfunction. But the running, sliding on her knees with her crotch thrusted out grabbing herself direct at the camera sliding almost smacking into it with her crotch was definitely over the top. That wasn't shielding, that wasn't sexy Latino dancing, that was a pure stripper move and classless for a Superbowl show.

Of course I am only commenting on a discussion about a specific opinion dealing with one aspect, the aspect of having children all over the country watching with their parents. On the other hand, as a heterosexual male who's children live 30 miles away, I'll say, yes, I did enjoy watching the performance, enjoyed it very much, LOL.


We were once talking about movies at work and at that time, all the romantic comedies that were coming out that I watched with my wife, the women talk and curse like sailors. I'm no prude, a well placed curse is meaningful and as I work in a factory with only 3 out of 300 people I work with being women, I can say I as well as all my coworkers also talk and curse like sailors, but it is a time and place for it. We are respectful of the women when we are around them. One guy said, "you must not be around too many females because that is how they do talk." My response to that was, "perhaps the women I have around me have more class than that?" That is what Jennifer Lopez showed for a Superbowl halftime show, that she has no class.

 

[mjkacmom]

Let's just say children don't belong in cages anywhere.

Not to be political, but I think that was the point.

 

[declansdad]

Because I have had young daughters in the past watching the Superbowl with us and I can relate to how the show was to parents that have young kids now.

Blame the camera man? The camera man didn't choreograph the performance, chose the spot for his camera, or tie a rope around her and drag her thrusted crotch across the stage directly at the camera.

And the performer doesn't direct the broadcast.

 

[kiddo76]

We were once talking about movies at work and at that time, all the romantic comedies that were coming out that I watched with my wife, the women talk and curse like sailors. I'm no prude, a well placed curse is meaningful and as I work in a factory with only 3 out of 300 people I work with being women, I can say I as well as all my coworkers also talk and curse like sailors, but it is a time and place for it. We are respectful of the women when we are around them. One guy said, "you must not be around too many females because that is how they do talk." My response to that was, "perhaps the women I have around me have more class than that?" That is what Jennifer Lopez showed for a Superbowl halftime show, that she has no class.

Wow, so a man can "talk like a sailor" and it's ok, but if a woman does, she's classless!?

DH was a merchant marine and now is a DoD civillian on a Naval shipyard. He understands "talk like a sailor". He also knows that if you have to change the way you speak because a woman is present, you probably shouldn't be talking that way in the first place.

 

[luvsJack]

Someone asked this previously but didn’t get a response. How many of you calling these ladies “classless” and that felt the need to shield your children from watching felt the same way about Michael Jackson’s performance (and not getting into the whole accusation thing here, just his performance).

His Super Bowl performance has been called one of the greatest ever. Did anyone count how many times he grabbed his crotch? Or is that just reserved for women?

 

[mnrose]

I also thought about Bruce Springsteen's "knee slide" toward the camera during his performance at the Super Bowl. Huge fan of his, and it's something he does a lot at his shows, but his crotch was on view for all to see in a move much more suggestive than anything I saw from JLo. Sure don't recall a lot of hue and outcry about THAT. Is it different when a man does it? If so, why? There's so much "slut shaming" over this, and it's just sad. Get over it.

 

[dish rag]

I also thought about Bruce Springsteen's "knee slide" toward the camera during his performance at the Super Bowl. Huge fan of his, and it's something he does a lot at his shows, but his crotch was on view for all to see in a move much more suggestive than anything I saw from JLo. Sure don't recall a lot of hue and outcry about THAT. Is it different when a man does it? If so, why? There's so much "slut shaming" over this, and it's just sad. Get over it.

I guess it is different when a man does it. Societal norms I guess. Just the way it is.

 

[tzolkin]

Someone asked this previously but didn’t get a response. How many of you calling these ladies “classless” and that felt the need to shield your children from watching felt the same way about Michael Jackson’s performance (and not getting into the whole accusation thing here, just his performance).

His Super Bowl performance has been called one of the greatest ever. Did anyone count how many times he grabbed his crotch? Or is that just reserved for women?

Yeah, I just watched a gif of JLo's slide (so, on repeat like 30 times) and I still just see a flat hand IN FRONT OF her "crotch". There is absolutely no "grabbing" in my perception and her hand never goes between her legs. Definitely not anything like Michael Jackson's crotch grabbing. I looked up his Super Bowl show and he starts off Billie Jean with a deep grab for an extended period of time while thrusting to the beat of the song. I was a kid when that aired, but I do not remember any outrage over it. I probably watched with my parents and grandparents.

 

[luvsJack]

Yeah, I just watched a gif of JLo's slide (so, on repeat like 30 times) and I still just see a flat hand IN FRONT OF her "crotch". There is absolutely no "grabbing" in my perception and her hand never goes between her legs. Definitely not anything like Michael Jackson's crotch grabbing. I looked up his Super Bowl show and he starts off Billie Jean with a deep grab for an extended period of time while thrusting to the beat of the song. I was a kid when that aired, but I do not remember any outrage over it. I probably watched with my parents and grandparents.

Exactly!

This one show has caused more "outrage" over nothing. And the double standards are mind blowing!!