Jennifer Lopez at the Super Bowl? It’s the Role She Was Born to Play

"Doesn't get enough credit?" Say that about dozens of talented writers, performers, and others who didn't/don't have one tenth the public relations staff Lopez has. Sorry, but her presumed lack of respect is nonsense. Another way to say is is simple - That's show biz! Life has more than this nonsense.

It's fascinating how easy it is to guess what kind of demographic the disparaging comments stem from: generally white, middle aged, a certain level of income, sadly predominantly female. How small minded and boring... JLo calls herself an entertainer, not a singer or an actress, and what an entertainer she is! The Super Bowl half time show is about entertainment not raw talent. Many of her movies are very light entertainment, most of her music is not my thing, but she is incredibly hard-working, an absolute power house and an admirable woman, in control of her image, sexuality and career choices. If 'Hustlers' is a bad influence you haven't really understood what female empowerment is about: to be able to stand up and fight for yourself to make the best out of any situation. Isn't that what the strippers in 'Hustlers' did? Good on them! It's insulting if you fear for your daughters and also maybe you should raise them to be strong enough make up their own minds and choices.

Wow... I'm reading a lot of harsh comments on this article and on Jennifer Lopez... I choose to celebrate her for her hard work, perseverance, and continued ability to believe in herself and follow her dreams. She now has decades of success in many different artistic mediums and business platforms, and continues to evolve and explore... How many other people on this planet have done this? C'mon everyone, let's be more positive and support our fellow humans... I say, congratulations Jennifer Lopez... keep continuing to be the amazing influence to millions of people that you are. Thank you for being you

Half time offers the watchers many opportunities: a LONG bathroom break, time to fix more snacks, time to turn off the sound and doze, time to go out for a smoke, but most important. time to take a break from TV.

What woman over 50 will fault JLo for accepting the opportunity to perform in skimpy clothing, looking amazing in front of a bazillion people following her every move — on live TV? You go girl!

Here is a list of vocalists/musicians who can REALLY sing well and play an instrument with a high degree of sophistication. None of them need dancers, light shows or have to lip sync to anything. Like the vocalists of decades past...They can actually sing without any help from auto-tune or tracks. Check them out and hear what a real talented, CREATIVE, musician is like. Not some packaged, overly processed, consumer tested to the largest audience product, designed to be tossed away just in time for the next "Latest" big thing! Martin Sexton - Lizz Wright - Gregory Porter - Theo Bleckman - Laila Biali - Patricia Barber - Tierney Sutton - Ian Shaw

There are no comments here that point out that the Superbowl half-time performance is paid for by the performer. Pay to play. This is pure self-promotion, it is not about talent, it is about MONEY. If it were really about talent, we would see the best high school marching bands in the country performing at halftime (which would be very cool).

Music career? Isn't it really an entertainment career?

If I want to see lip syncing I'll watch music videos. Thanks but no thanks.

I am relieved that she was not nominated for an Oscar. OMG a movie about a stripper? What a positive glorious message for young girls and women. I can't believe more women aren't bothered by the subject of the film and how much positive attention it has received. I am going to avoid watching the halftime show if possible. My children who are teenagers now are well aware of my opinions, and I have much evidence of the harm that this type of media inflicts through the work that I am involved in. JL loves the spotlight and her professional choices reflect this.

When I was an executive at Fox Inc./20th C. Fox, one TV show I was involved in was In Living Color. A separate co., The Fly Girls, contracted to do the dance scenes. Mainly Hispanic, the stand-out was Lopez, who eventually became the choreographer at a very young age.

I agree with the 91 year old on Hustlers. I didn't even find it that titillating. J Lo was playing herself: working it. She's very likable for that, but Oscar-worthy?

Her PR manager is more responsible for her popularity than her singing or acting talents. On a scale of 1-10 of women in the industry she is deserving a rating of 3. Pandering so adroitly to her core fan base, including her ARod Page Six relationship. I will certainly be watching the Super Bowl but not her half time, tired, predictable performance. Bruno Mars is my all time favorite and indisputable showman of the BigGame....

Remember, please, that SHAKIRA is also performing and she brings her own power, stardom, passionate and off the charts dancing. Maybe not as Las Vegas as J Lo, but she IS sharing the stage. Burn it up sister!

I get Jennifer Lopez confused with Mariah Carey.

I really can't sing along to anything of hers. (That 'On the Floor' number is, to me, cringeworthy.) However, she is utterly stunning and certainly fearless, and works very, very hard. Expect she will be a great fit for the halftime performance. And ... I still recall, when her career was maybe, kinda, stalled ... how her multiple-year judging stint on "American Idol" made her a household name once again. And she's never looked back since then. (Say what you will about "Idol," it certainly has resurrected more than one host's career path. Ditto Keith Urban :) )

I don’t know her

I'm sure she works very hard but what it amounts to is a dance show with lip syncing. When you see someone like the Rolling Stones or Aerosmith they rely on their musicianship and pure talent to put on a show, they don't need lavish productions to cover up their lack of singing ability or musical talent. Unfortunately this is the direction the music industry is going. Can't sing very good, can't play an instrument, no problem as long as you have a lot of twitter followers you can be a rock star.

Please no.

JLo’s singing and acting mediocre at best. One thing she can do is dance. She can’t hold a candle to Shakira.

Have we reached the point where objectifying women is no longer acceptable except in the case of titillating entertainment?

J Lo is a BOSS. I may be a 48 year old attorney, extremely WASPy from the mid-Atlantic, surely very boring, but god I love her. I cannot wait to see her perform bc I know she will have put an extreme amount of hard work, time, creativity and effort into her show. She takes nothing for granted and therefore doesn’t wing anything. If only others had her work ethic and staying power. J Lo, millions of women will be cheering you on.

I'll wait to see Shakira.

Jennifer Lopez is multi talented but she made medicre films when she didn't need the money and after seeing several of them, I stopped buying tickets. I'd think Lopez would be great on Broadway and tell Hollywood to kiss her grits. Broadway is where true talent shines and the courage of live performances makes legends. However, this Super Bowl outing will have sexy Lopez dancing and looking amazing and after it's over it's a...Lopez been there, done that. She could tap into her core as a true artist and take real risks with her talent but if performances like this continue, she will become just another highly paid Vegas act. Her flirty, I'm so hot I'm smokin' attitude is getting old. And so will she. Challenge yourself, Jennifer. Get out of this time loop.

She’s amazing, an iconic legend like no other. She is here almost 30 years later when people were eager to write her off. She is one of a kind, and the Oscars are not relevant, Jennifer is. Can’t wait for Sunday to watch the JLO concert inexplicably surrounded by men throwing a football around.

Hustlers isn't an Oscar movie..but Toy Story 4 is? 'kay. I was just graduating high school when her album came out - love her. When people say she's a diva I think, good - she should be a diva. I would be disappointed were J Lo not a diva. And that photo of her is stunning!

JLo is a hustler (which I admire a lot), and carved her space in the entertainment business. She is a good entertainer. I will watch the half-show. Having said that, let's not carried away. She is not a good singer; she is not a talented actress. Her contribution to music (or film for that matter) is non-existent.

I think she's great- I do not think she was snubbed and I- a 29 year old woman- agree with the 91 year old Academy voter. Hustlers was an OK movie- a lot of slow motion in da club. Not much depth beyond that. She was fine, but her performance was *not* "complex and defiantly unsentimental". Let's be real.

A 91-year-old Academy voter !!?? Goodness. Dare I say, completely out of touch? Retire the voter, please.

Yeah to her. A women who is self-determining her future by saying YES to herself and filtering out al the naysayers.

If your point here is that she embodies the glitz-and-smoke machine ethos of the Super Bowl halftime show, there's no argument. But "triple-threat pop cultural polyglot"? Really? I suggest doing some research...Her music and acting performances rarely rate the interest of cultural critics. Gossip columnists and fire engine chasers, yes. But she's a by-the-numbers "star" who's never done much of anything, except become wildly famous.

I love Jlo! She exudes confidence. She's a hard worker. And she makes her own rules. She's steering her career. If she gets some more roles to play in Hollywood, maybe that Oscar won't be elusive. If she doesn't, she's going to shine anyway! She's got this.

Way too much media hype is constantly being paid to the Super Bowl halftime show. This is after all, supposed to be the premier NFL event of the year, one that features the clash of professional football's two current best-ever teams. What diehard football fan is going to lay out $5000, the average price of a ticket, for the pleasure of watching a halftime performance of music, dancing, and jingling, twisting female torsos. Put 22 fine-tuned athletes on the field of combat, and let the better team, on that particular day, revel in victory. Bring on the marching band. If you need more than that, watch the game and 60 second commercials costing 10 million dollars for all of 60 seconds.

While Tom Petty had charisma, I'd argue that it wasn't glitter-encrusted - and he wasn't "sassy" (sexy would be a matter of opinion), yet he managed to give one of the best half-time shows ever (IMO) Prince set the bar, of course.

Who exactly are these two supposed to appeal to? It isn't the male football watcher, that's for sure. We are planning to turn the TV off during halftime and play something palatable on Pandora. This is such a huge mistake for the NFL. Gotta say it: Prince was the ONLY great and truly memorable act during halftime.

JLO has nothing to prove anymore.Almost 30 years in this business and she has had success in everything. She will definitely do a great job at Superbowl, she has earned it!!!

I like J.Lo, I really do. But when it comes to singing and dancing, Shakira is the one to watch.

The death spiral of this country continues apace.

All I can say is P!nk. She would put on a spectacular show if given the chance. And she has a far more prolific catalog of hits than either Shakira or J-Lo. Maybe someday....

Artist talent is inversely related to stage props. The music can stand on its own if it’s good enough.

The Superbowl - in my view some of the most horrific half time shows for years now has finally brought in 2 of the best and brightest. I will actually watch the half time show for the first time in years. Commercials still seem on the death spiral, so mute button at the ready.