:''"Nude" and "Naked" redirect here. For other uses, see Nude (disambiguation) and Naked (disambiguation). "Nudes" also redirects here. For the 2001 folk rock album, see Nudes (album). "Clothes free" redirects here. For the preference for nudity in non-sexualized social settings, see naturism.''

Nudity or nakedness is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations (such as a need for warmth or protection from the elements) and social considerations. In some situations the minimum amount of clothing may be socially acceptable, while in others much more clothing is expected.

Origin of Clothing[link]

Modern humans are the only survivors of several species of naked apes who may have worn clothes, according to DNA studies of clothing lice. This study suggests that clothing may have been used as long ago as 650 thousand years ago – much longer than previously thought. Embarrassment and shame may be consequences of the prolonged infancy of human offspring whose care implies a state of monogamy for some long time, together with the reduction of the temptations of infidelity

Social attitudes[link]

People, as individuals and in groups, have varying attitudes towards their own nudity. Some people are relaxed about appearing less than fully clothed in front of others, while others are uncomfortable or inhibited in that regard. People are nude in a variety of situations, and whether they are prepared to disrobe in front of others depends on the social context in which the issue arises. For example, people need to bathe without clothing, some people also sleep in the nude, some prefer to sunbathe in the nude or at least topless. Many people are prepared to disrobe for a medical examination, while others are nude in other situations. Some people adopt nudism as a lifestyle.

Though the wearing of clothes is the social norm in most cultures, some cultures, groups and individuals are more relaxed about nudity, though attitudes often depend on context. On the other hand, some people feel uncomfortable in the presence of any nudity, and the presence of a nude person in a public place can give rise to controversy, irrespective of the attitude of the person who is nude. Besides meeting social disapproval, in some places public nudity may constitute a crime of indecent exposure. Many people have strong views on nudity, which to them can involve issues and standards of modesty, decency and morality. Some people have a psychological aversion to nudity, called gymnophobia. Many people regard nudity to be inherently sexual and erotic.

Nudity (sex-related or not) is also to be found in visual arts (see also art nude, nude photography, nudity in film), also on the Internet, and in performing arts. It is a factor in adult entertainment of various types.

Terminology[link]

Full nudity refers to complete nudity, while partial nudity refers to less than full nudity, with parts of the body covered in some manner. The term partial nudity is sometimes used to refer to exposure of skin beyond what the person using the expression considers to be within the limits of modesty. If the exposure is within the standards of modesty of a given culture and setting (e.g. wearing a bikini at a non-nude beach), terms such as nudity, partial or otherwise, are not normally used. If however, the degree of exposure exceeds the cultural norms of the setting, or if the activity or setting includes nudity as an understood part of its function, such as a nude beach, terminology relating to nudity and degrees thereof are typically used. Toplessness is regarded by most people as partial nudity.

Full frontal nudity describes a state of full nudity with the subject facing forward with the whole front of the body exposed, including intimate parts such as a man's penis or woman's vulva. Partial frontal nudity typically only refers to the exposure of the breasts. Non-frontal nudity describes nudity where the whole back side of the body, including the buttocks, is exposed, or a side-view from any other direction.

Community facilities[link]

An individual's personal attitudes to modesty have an impact on their attitudes to their own nudity as well as that of others. Some people regard any display of bare skin as erotic or offensive, while others are more relaxed about nudity. The attitudes to nudity are strongly dependent on the context in which it takes place, so that what may be considered inappropriate in one context (e.g. on a public street) may be acceptable in another context (e.g. in the home). These are individual subjective standards. Even personal standards take into account exceptional situations, when standards are waived or qualified, as in the case of medical examinations.

Public facilities generally reflect generally accepted community standards of dress. The same applies to public toilets, changing rooms, etc., where some degree of disrobing must take place. In those situations, gender-specific facilities are usually provided so as to reduce embarrassment of users of these facilities to predictable levels. Some countries allow non-gender-specific open space changing rooms with individual cubicles or stalls, and in some cultures communal showering, non-segregated saunas and other bathing facilities are also accepted. In some cultures and for some individuals, nudity may be considered inappropriate and embarrassing.

Public nudity[link]

A society's attitude to public nudity varies depending on the culture, time, location and context of an activity. There are many exceptions and particular circumstances in which nudity is tolerated, accepted or even encouraged in public spaces. Such examples would include a nude beach, within some intentional communities (such as naturist resorts or clubs) and at special events.

In general and across cultures, more restrictions are found for exposure of those parts of the human body that display evidence of sexual arousal. Sex organs and often women's breasts are covered, even when other parts of the body may be freely uncovered. Yet the nudity taboo may have meanings deeper than the immediate possibility of sexual arousal, for example, in the cumulative weight of tradition and habit. Clothing also expresses and symbolizes authority, and more general norms and values besides those of a sexual nature. Another common distinction is that ''gratuitous'' nudity is perceived as more offensive than the same degree of physical exposure in a ''functional'' context, where the action could not conveniently be performed dressed, either in reality or in a fictitious scene in art. The intent can also be invoked: whether the nudity is meant to affect observers; e.g. streaking can be considered unacceptably provocative, and nude sun tanning viewed mildly as rather inoffensive.

Social nudity[link]

Some people take part in non-sexual public nude events. These may be in a naturist resort or club or at a nude beach. Outdoor nude recreation can take place in private or rural areas, though generally limited to warm weather.

Others practice casual public nudity. Topfree sunbathing is considered acceptable by many on the beaches of Finland, France, Spain, Italy and most of the rest of Europe (and even in some outdoor swimming pools); however, exposure of the genitals is restricted to nudist areas in most regions. In the United States, topfree sunbathing and wearing thongs are not common in many areas, but are limited to nude beaches in various locations. It is normally acceptable for men in the U.S. to be barechested or shirtless when engaged in outdoor recreational activities. Where the social acceptability of nudity in certain places may be well understood, the legal position is often less clear cut. In England, for example, the law does not actually prohibit simple public nudity, but does forbid indecent exposure. In practice, this means that successful prosecution hangs on whether there is a demonstrable intention to shock others, rather than simply a desire to be nude in a public place. Specifically, using nudity to "harass, alarm or distress" others is an offence against the Public Order Act of 1986. Occasional attempts to prove this point by walking naked around the country therefore often result in periods of arrest, followed by release without charge, and inconsistencies in the approach between different police jurisdictions. Differences in the law between England and Scotland appear to make the position harder for naked ramblers once they reach Scotland.

Photography of installations of massed nude people in public places, as made repeatedly around the world by Spencer Tunick, claim artistic merit.

Means of attracting attention[link]

Nudity is at times used to draw attention to a cause, with the participants remaining anonymous. Nude events are at times staged as a forum for usually unrelated messages, such as clothing-optional bike rides. At times, the cause is merely a personal justification for taking part in a nude event, which are popular in their own right. Many nude calendars are produced each year featuring naked men or women. Some of these are produced to raise money for charities or other causes. Nudity, like sexuality, is also used to draw attention for a commercial purpose, such as for promotion or advertising.

Children[link]

Home[link]

There are differences of opinion as to whether, and if so to what extent, parents should appear naked in front of their children. Gordon and Schroeder report that parental nudity varies considerably from family to family. They say that "there is nothing inherently wrong with bathing with children or otherwise appearing naked in front of them", noting that doing so may provide an opportunity for parents to provide important information. They note that by ages five to six, children begin to develop a sense of modesty, and recommend to parents who wish to be sensitive to their children's wishes that they limit such activities from that age onwards.

Bonner recommends against nudity in the home if children exhibit sexual play of a type that is considered problematic.

A U.S. study by Alfred Kinsey found that 75% of the participants stated that there was never nudity in the home when they were growing up, 5% of the participants said that there was "seldom" nudity in the home, 3% said "often", and 17% said that it was "usual". The study found that there was no significant difference between what was reported by men and by women with respect to frequency of nudity in the home.

In a 1995 review of the literature, Paul Okami concluded that there was no reliable evidence linking exposure to parental nudity to any negative effect. Three years later, his team finished an 18-year longitudinal study that showed that, if anything, such exposure was associated with slight beneficial effects, particularly for boys.

Depictions of nudity[link]

Depictions of child nudity or children with nude adults appear in works of art in various cultures and historical periods. These attitudes have changed over time and have become increasingly frowned upon particularly in recent years, especially in the case of photography. In recent years, there have been a few incidents in which snapshots taken by parents of their infant or toddler children bathing or otherwise naked were challenged as child pornography.

In May 2008, police in Sydney, Australia, raided an exhibition by the photographer Bill Henson featuring images of naked children on allegations of child pornography. Comparable artworks by Henson had been exhibited without incident since 1975, perhaps indicating that this sensitivity has heightened in recent years.

In June 2008, it was reported in ''The Age'' that police would have no basis to prosecute Henson over his photographs of naked teenagers, after they were declared "mild and justified" and given a PG rating by the Australian Classification Board, suggesting viewing by children under the age of 16 is suitable with parental guidance. Out of protest, the Art Monthly Australia magazine published an image of the 6-year-old Olympia Nelson taken by her mother, Polixeni Papapetrou. According to the then-11-year-old Olympia, she did not believe the photograph amounted to abuse and was upset with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's remark that he hated it. Olympia's father, art critic Professor Robert Nelson, defended it, saying: "It has nothing to do with pedophilia. The connection between artistic pictures and pedophilia cannot be made and there is no evidence for it."

Children seeing nudity[link]

Attitudes toward children seeing nude people vary substantially, depending on the child's culture, age and the context of the nudity (see also the section ''Home'' above).

Television and radio regulations in many countries require broadcasters to avoid transmitting images or language considered inappropriate for children from 5:30 am to 9 pm (the so-called "watershed"). In the United Kingdom, the Broadcasting Code states, "Nudity before the watershed must be justified by the context." In the U.S., the safe harbor rule forbids depictions of nudity between the hours of 6 am and 10 pm. Violators may be subject to civil legal action and sanctions if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determines the broadcaster did not meet its standards of "decency". "Material is indecent if, in context, it depicts or describes sexual or excretory organs or activities in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium."

Attitudes to nudity vary substantially throughout Europe. Male and female nudity in Scandinavia is not uncommon. The region has a very open attitude about nudity, although it strictly prohibits children's access to pornography.

Communal showering[link]

Another issue has been the nudity of children in front of other children.

In continental Europe, students tend to shower communally after physical education classes, separated by gender. Fathers taking their young daughters or mothers taking their young sons into the gender-separated changing rooms is mostly viewed as non-controversial, although some public baths have introduced family changing rooms. Some private gymnasiums have instituted rules specifically banning family members of opposite genders taking their children into single-sex locker rooms.

In the U.S. and some of the English-speaking majority of Canada, students at public schools have historically been required to shower communally with classmates of the same sex after physical education classes. In the U.S., public objections and the threat of lawsuits have resulted in a number of school districts in recent years changing policy to make showers optional. Private boarding schools and military academies in the U.S. often have communal showers, since the focus there is on 24-hours-a-day education and rooming, rather than just acting as day schools. Students in these establishments need places to clean themselves daily. A court case in Colorado noted that students have a reduced expectation of personal privacy in regards to "communal undress" while showering after physical education classes. According to an interview with a middle school principal, most objections to showering at school that he had heard were actually from the students' parents rather than from the students.

Children participating in naturism[link]

Naturism is usually practised in family groups without age limits, so it may involve nudity of children and children seeing nudity.

Modern technology[link]

Visual media[link]

Mainstream art generally reflects – with some exceptions – social standards of aesthetics and morality of a society at various periods of time. Beyond mainstream standards, artistic expression may be merely tolerated, or be considered as fringe. Since prehistoric time, humans, both male and female, have been depicted in all states of dress, including all states of undress. Nudity in all styles has been and continues to be found in art. Nudity is also a subject of many literary works and in film. All professionally-produced works of art use stylised compositions to depict the nude body. This also applies to cinema, where even nude scenes are staged and rehearsed.

The erotic aspect of nudity in the arts has been an important factor in its attraction, and has come to be associated with certain states and emotions, such as innocence, playfulness, vulnerability, etc. Pornography does not necessarily involve a naked person, but it involves sexualized scenes, and usually it does not claim to have any artistic merit.

The visual arts were at times the only means available to the general public to view a nude body. Today, the opportunities available for the viewing of the nude body are very wide, and these include magazines, television, films, and the Internet.

Personal privacy issues[link]

Unlike arts in general, which traditionally relied on composed works and professional artists, the invention of photography and then the video camera has opened the art of capturing images of people and of scenes at a relatively low cost to the true amateur. Furthermore, a person could now capture images in both public and private situations. A feature of most of these private photographs and videos is that they are not intended for viewing outside of a very limited range of people, and seldom if ever by the general public.

Vernacular photography, which included nude photography and which previously has been produced for personal enjoyment, is increasingly being more widely disseminated by the medium of the Internet, at times without the knowledge and consent of the subject of the photograph, and to their subsequent embarrassment. Also, the use of secret photography to capture images of an unsuspecting person (undressed or not, and whether for personal use, or intended for posting on the Internet) creates additional personal privacy issues.

Full body scanner[link]

A full-body scanner is a device that creates an image of a person's nude body through their clothing to look for hidden objects without physically removing their clothes or making physical contact. They are increasingly being deployed at airports and train stations in many countries.

One technology used under the name "full-body scanner" is the millimeter wave scanner, the active form of which reflects extremely high frequency radio waves off the body to make an image on which one can see some types of objects hidden under the clothes. Passive millimeter wave screening devices rely on only the raw energy that is naturally emitted from the human body or objects concealed on the body; passive devices do not transmit millimeter waves. Another technology in use is the backscatter X-ray.

Western culture[link]

Functional nudity[link]

Functional nudity for a short time, such as when changing clothes on a beach, is sometimes acceptable, while staying nude on the beach generally is not. On nude beaches it is acceptable to be nude.

In some locations, most particularly within western societies, a woman breastfeeding in public can generate controversy. For example, in June 2007, Brooke Ryan was dining in a booth at the rear of an Applebee's restaurant when she found it necessary to breastfeed her 7-month-old son. While she said she attempted to be discreet, another patron complained to the manager about indecent exposure. Both a waitress and the manager asked her to cover up. She handed him a copy of the Kentucky law that permitted public breastfeeding, but he would not relent. She ended up feeding her son in her car and later organized "nurse-out" protests in front of the restaurant and other public locations. Most U.S. states (40 as of January 2009) have laws clarifying a woman's right to breastfeed in public.

Toplessness and "topfreedom"[link]

In many western societies and in appropriate settings, such as while suntanning, the exposure of women's breasts is not, of itself, normally regarded as indecent exposure. In the United States, however, exposure of female nipples is a criminal offense in many states and not usually allowed in public (see Public indecency), while in the United Kingdom, nudity may not be used to "harass, alarm or distress" according to the Public Order Act of 1986.

Prosecutions of cases has given raise to a movement advocating "topfreedom", promoting equal rights for women to have no clothing above the waist, on the same basis that would apply to men in the same circumstances. The term "topfree" rather than "topless" is advocated to avoid the latter term's perceived sexual connotations.

Naturism[link]

Naturism (or ''nudism'') is a cultural and political movement practising, advocating and defending private and public nudity. It is also a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social preference.

Naturists reject contemporary standards of modesty which discourage personal, family and social nudity, and seek to create a social environment where people feel comfortable in the company of nude people, and being seen nude, either just by other naturists, or also by the general public.

Nude bathing[link]

The trend in some European countries (for instance Germany, Finland and the Netherlands) is to allow both genders to bathe together naked. Many German spas allow mixed nude bathing. For example the Friedrichsbad in Baden-Baden has designated times when mixed nude bathing is permitted. There may be some older German bathhouses, such as Bad Burg, which remain segregated by gender, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Most German (not to mention French, Spanish and Greek) beaches and swimming pools offer FKK (clothing-optional) areas. In general, continental Europeans have a more relaxed attitude about nudity than is seen in the British-influenced world. Some have attributed this difference to the influence of Queen Victoria's husband Albert, who was raised in a very restricting religious sect (see Victorian morality). The sauna, originating from Finland, is attended nude in its source country as well as in most Scandinavian and in the German-speaking countries of Europe. This is true even when a swimsuit must be worn in the swimming pool area of the same complex. Saunas are very common in modern Finland, where there is one sauna for every three people and became very popular in the remainder of Europe in recent decades. Gender segregation is more the exception than the rule in modern European sauna facilities.

Sexuality[link]

Nudity in front of a sexual partner is widely accepted, but not in all cases. For example, some partners insist on nudity only at the time and place of sex, or with subdued lighting; during bathing with the partner or afterward; covered by a sheet or blanket, or while sleeping.

Non-Western attitudes[link]

Attitudes in Western cultures are not all the same as explained above, and likewise attitudes in non-Western cultures are many and variant. In almost all cultures, acceptability of nudity depends on the situation.

Cultural and/or religious traditions usually dictate what is proper and what is not socially acceptable. Many non-Western cultures allow women to breastfeed in public, while some have very strict laws about showing any bare skin.

Africa[link]

The curse of nakedness[link]

In Africa, the idea of a woman stripping naked on purpose, is a curse even in modern times. The idea is that women give life and they can take it away. "The curse is invoked only under the most extreme circumstances and men who are exposed are considered dead. No one will cook for them, marry them, enter into any kind of contract with them or buy anything from them." The curse extends to foreign men as well, who will go impotent or mad or suffer some great harm. The threat has been used successfully in mass protests against the petroleum industry in Nigeria and by Leymah Gbowee during the Second Liberian Civil War.

Clothing and nudity[link]

Different traditions exist among, for example, sub-Saharan Africans, partly persisting in the post-colonial era. Whereas it is the norm among some ethnic and family groups including some Burkinabese and Nilo-Saharan (e.g. Nuba and Surma people) in daily life or on particular occasions not to wear any clothes or without any covering below the waist – for example, at highly-attended stick-fighting tournaments well-exposed young men use the occasion to catch the eye of a prospective bride.

Liberia[link]

In modern Liberia, soldiers under General "Butt Naked" Joshua Blahyi fought naked in order to terrorize their opponents. Nude except for lace-up leather shoes and a gun, the general led his fierce ''Butt Naked'' Battalion into battle on behalf of the warlord Roosevelt Johnson, who hired the unclothed warriors for their fearlessness and fighting skills.

Brazil[link]

In Brazil, the Yawalapiti, an indigenous Xingu tribe in the Amazon Basin, practice a funeral ritual known as Quarup, to celebrate life, death and rebirth, and also involves the presentation of all young girls who have begun menstruating since the last Quarup and whose time has come to choose a partner.

Asia[link]

In Japan, public baths are very common. Bathing nude with family members or friends of the same (or sometimes opposite) gender in public bath houses, saunas, or natural hot springs (Onsen) is popular. In Korea, public baths (Jjimjilbang) are also widespread and communal nude bathing is normal, although nudity is not permitted in unisex areas. In the south Asian region, public nudity is totally restricted.

In India nude beaches can be found in Goa. In many Muslim countries, public nudity is illegal.

Historical overview[link]

It is not clear when humans started wearing clothes. Anthropologists postulate the adaptation of animal skins and vegetation into coverings to protect the wearer from cold, heat and rain, especially as humans migrated to new climates; alternatively, covering may have been invented first for other purposes, such as magic, decoration, cult, or prestige, and later found to be practical as well. For men and women, public nudity was at least permissible in ancient Sparta, and customary at festivals.

In some hunter-gatherer cultures in warm climates, near-complete nudity has been, until the introduction of Western culture, or still is, standard practice for both men and women. In some African and Melanesian cultures, men going completely naked except for a string tied about the waist are considered properly dressed for hunting and other traditional group activities. In a number of tribes in the South Pacific island of New Guinea, the men use hard gourdlike pods as ''penis sheaths''. Yet a man without this "covering" could be considered to be in an embarrassing state of nakedness. Among the Chumash peopled of southern California, men were usually naked, and women were often topless. Native Americans of the Amazon Basin usually went nude or nearly nude; in many native tribes, the only clothing worn was some device worn by men to clamp the foreskin shut. However, other similar cultures have had different standards. For example, other native North Americans avoided total nudity, and the Native Americans of the mountains and west of South America, such as the Quechuas, kept quite covered.

In 1498, at Trinity Island, Trinidad, Christopher Columbus found the women entirely naked, whereas the men wore a light girdle called ''guayaco''. At the same epoch, on the Para Coast of Brazil, the girls were distinguished from the married women by their absolute nudity. The same absence of costume was observed among the Chaymas of Cumaná, Venezuela, and Du Chaillu noticed the same among the Achiras in Gabon.

Forced nudity[link]

During witch-hunts, the alleged witches were stripped to discover the so-called witches' marks. The discovery of witches' marks was then used as evidence in trials.

Nudity (full or partial) can be part of a corporal punishment or as an imposed humiliation, especially when administered in public. In fact, torture manuals have distinguished between the male and female psychological aversion to self-exposure versus being disrobed.

Nazis used forced nudity to attempt to humiliate inmates in concentration camps. This was depicted in the film ''Schindler's List''.

In 2003, Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad gained international notoriety for accounts of torture and abuses by members of the United States Army Reserve during the post-invasion period. Photographic images were circulated that exposed the posing of prisoners naked, sometimes bound, and being intimidated and otherwise humiliated, resulting in widespread condemnation of the abuse.

Religion[link]

Hinduism[link]

A religious sect known as ''Naga sadhu'' (monk) can be seen nude. These sadhus usually remain naked or some wear a loin-cloth around their waist and ashes smeared over their body. They usually remain in their Akhara (group, also means a wrestling arena) or deep forest and come out in public only during the Kumbha Mela festival. They have a very long history and are warrior monks, who usually also carry a ''talwar'' (sword), ''trishul'' (trident), ''bhala'' (javelin) or such weapons, and in mediaeval times have fought many wars to protect Hindu temples and shrines.

Similarly, the Aghori, followers of mystic tantric rituals and who usually stay in isolated place or cremation grounds, can be found naked. But they do not appear in public nor do the general public go to meet them. Sightings of Aghori in public places is very rare.

Jainism[link]

In Jainism, there is a major sect of Digambar Jain, whose monks remain naked.

Judaism[link]

In Judaism, a person who enters a ritual bath (a ''mikvah'') does so without clothing. This includes jewelry and even bandages.

Christianity[link]

In the early Christian Church, nudity was considered acceptable in some contexts such as working outdoors. For example, the Gospel of John ( King James Version) describes Simon Peter being naked ("for he was naked") while fishing from a boat, but then dresses in order to meet Christ.

The first recorded liturgy of baptism, written down by St. Hippolytus of Rome in his 'Apostolic Tradition', required the removal of all clothing for both men and women, including all foreign objects such as jewellery and hair fastenings. This practice is reflected in early Christian art depicting baptism.

When artistic endeavors revived following the Renaissance, the Catholic Church was a major sponsor of art bearing a religious theme, many of which included subjects in various states of dress and including full nudity. Painters sponsored by the Church included Raphael, Caravaggio and Michelangelo, but there were many others. Many of these paintings and statues were and continue to be displayed in churches, some of which were painted as murals, the most famous of which are at the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo.

Islam[link]

In Islam, the area of the body not meant to be exposed in public is called the awrah, and while referred to in the Qur'an, is addressed in more detail in hadith. In the Sunni tradition, the male awrah is from the navel to knees. Other denominations have differing interpretations. For women, there are different classifications of awrah. In public, many Muslim women wear the hijab and long dresses which covers most of their head and body, with only specific body parts such as hands and face allowed to show. But in front of direct family (parents, children, siblings), the awrah is relaxed further, allowing them to uncover, except between the chest and the thighs. Sharia law in some Islamic countries requires women to observe purdah, covering their entire bodies, including the face (see niqab and burqa), However, the degrees of covering vary according to local custom and/or interpretation of Sharia law.

See also[link]

Burlesque

Naturism

Nudity in combat

*Heroic nudity / Hero

*Punishment

Nudity in sport

*Barechestedness

References[link]

;Notes

;Further reading

Brandom, Robert, "Critical Notice of Blind and Worried", ''Theoria'' 70:2–3, 2005.

Etymology OnLine- various lemmate &

Rouche, Michel, "Private life conquers state and society," in ''A History of Private Life'' vol I, Paul Veyne, editor, Harvard University Press 1987 ISBN 0-674-39974-9

Storey, Mark ''Social Nudity, Sexual Attraction, and Respect'' Nude & Natural magazine, 24.3 Spring 2005.

Storey, Mark ''Children, Social Nudity and Academic Research'' Nude & Natural magazine, 23.4 Summer 2004.

Dennis Craig Smith, ''The Naked Child: The Long-Range Effects of Family and Social Nudity'' Palo Alto: R & E Research Associates (1981) ISBN 9780865480568

Dennis Craig Smith, ''Growing Up Without Shame'', Elysium Growth Press, book, 1986

Smith, Dennis Craig, ''Naked Fear'', Ultraviolet Press, 2010

External links[link]

20 century Nude in the "History of Art"

''Nudity in Ancient to Modern'' Cultures by Aileen Goodson (This chapter excerpt is from Aileen Goodson's Therapy, Nudity & Joy)

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name	Jennifer Lopez
alt	A middle aged woman, wearing a brown hat and tan dress
birth name	Jennifer Lynn Lopez
birth date	July 24, 1969
birth place
occupation	Actress, businesswoman, dancer, recording artist
years active	1986–present
spouse	Ojani Noa (1997–98)Cris Judd (2001–03)Marc Anthony (2004–present, divorce filed)
partner	David Cruz (1984–94)
children	2
relatives	Lynda Lopez (sister)
signature	Jennifer Lopez Signature.png
signature size	80px
website	}}

Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American actress, businesswoman, dancer and recording artist. Often referred to as J.Lo, she is reportedly the highest earning actress of Latin American descent. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, she enrolled in singing and dancing classes as a child and grew up in a musically influenced household. She started her career as a fly girl on the television comedy program ''In Living Color'' and a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson. Lopez gained recognition in the action-thriller ''Money Train'' (1995). Her first leading role was in the biographical film ''Selena'' (1997), which was her breakthrough role, earning her an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress and Golden Globe nomination. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in ''Out of Sight'' (1998), which made her the highest-paid Latin actress. She has since appeared in various films including ''The Cell'' (2000), ''The Wedding Planner'' (2001), ''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002), ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004), ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), ''The Back-up Plan'' (2010) and ''What to Expect When You're Expecting'' (2012).

In 1998, Lopez began recording her debut album and released ''On the 6'' (1999), which spawned the hit singles "If You Had My Love" and "Waiting for Tonight". Her second album ''J.Lo'' (2001) reached number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 the same week her film ''The Wedding Planner'' led the box office, becoming the first person to achieve a number one film and album in the same week. It spawned the number-one single "I'm Real" which spent five weeks atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and "Love Don't Cost a Thing". She released ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'' (2002), which became the first number-one remix album in the United States. Her third and fourth studio albums, ''This Is Me... Then'' (2002) and ''Rebirth'' (2005) reached number two. In 2007 she released her first full Spanish album ''Como ama una Mujer''. Returning to music in 2011, she released her seventh album ''Love?'', which spawned her most successful single "On the Floor", one of the best-selling singles of all time.

By 2010, Lopez had amassed estimated sales of over 55 million records worldwide, ''Billboard'' ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade. In 2010, Lopez became a member of the judging panel for the American reality television competition ''American Idol''. She was selected for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. She led ''People en Español''s list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in February 2007. That year, Lopez made the ''Forbes'' magazine's list of "The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment," ranking ninth. In 2012, ''Forbes'' placed her number one on their list of "100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the World". She has appeared multiple times on ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s Annual Actress Salary List, and is the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood.

Lopez also has a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement. She has worked with L'Oreal since 1999. A fashion icon, several of her dresses have received considerable media attention, most notably the Jungle green Versace dress which she wore at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000—voted the fifth most iconic red carpet dress of all time. Lopez advocates for human rights and vaccinations, and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2011 she was named the most "Beautiful Person" by ''People'' magazine in its annual issue. As of 2012, her net worth is estimated to be $250 million—she has been named one of the wealthiest and most influential Hispanics in the United States. Lopez's personal life has also garnered media attention, particularly her high profiled relationships.

Life and career [link]

1969–94: Childhood and early work [link]

Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969 in the Castle Hill neighborhood of The Bronx, New York. The middle child of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe Rodriguez and David Lopez, she has an elder sister, Leslie, and a younger sister, Lynda (born June 14, 1971). David worked the night shift at the Guardian Insurance Company, before becoming a computer technician at the firm, while Guadalupe was a homemaker. When Jennifer was born, the Lopez family was living in a small apartment. A few years later, her parents had saved up enough money to be able to purchase a two-story house, which was considered a big deal for the relatively poor family.

By the age of five, Lopez began taking singing and dancing lessons. She toured New York with her school when she was seven years old. Her parents stressed the importance of work ethic and being able to speak English. They encouraged their three daughters to put on performances at home, singing and dancing in front of each other and their friends so that they would stay "out of trouble". Raised as a Roman Catholic; Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School. In school, Lopez did gymnastics, ran track on a national level and was a member of the school's softball team. She excelled athletically rather than academically, competing in national track championships. In 1984, at age fifteen she began dating David Cruz, her first boyfriend.

While attending her final year of high school, Lopez learned about a film casting that was seeking several teenage girls for small roles. She auditioned and was cast in ''My Little Girl'' (1986), an low-budget film co-written and directed by Connie Kaiserman. Lopez acted as Myra, a young woman at a center for troubled girls. After she finished filming her role in the film, Lopez knew that she wanted to become a famous movie star. To please her parents, though, she enrolled in Baruch College, only to drop out after one semester. She told her parents her dream of becoming a movie star, but they ensisted that it was a "really stupid" idea and that "no Latinos did that". The differences in opinions led Lopez to move out of their family home and into an apartment in Manhattan. During this period, Lopez performed in regional productions of the musicals: ''Jesus Christ'', ''Superstar!'' and ''Oklahoma''. From there, she was hired for the chorus in a ''Golden Musicals of Broadway'', which toured Europe for a period of five months. She was unhappy with the role, as she was the only member of the chorus not to have a solo. She later got a job on the show ''Synchronicity'' in Japan, where she acted as a dancer, singer and a choreographer.

Lopez gained her first regular high-profile job as a Fly Girl dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color'' in 1991. She applied for the job after one of the cast members was unavailable to continue with the show. Out of two thousand applicants, Lopez made it to the finals. She became the runner-up, but eventually received the role when the winner was unable to accept the job. She moved with Cruz to Los Angeles to film the series and remained a regular cast member until 1993 when she decided to pursue an acting career. After her departure from the show, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson; also making an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes". Lopez received her first professional acting gig in the direct-to-video drama film ''Lost in the Wild'' (1993), co-starring alongside Lindsay Wagner and Robert Loggia. In 1993 and 1994 Lopez starred as Melinda Lopez in the CBS television series ''Second Chances'' and its spin-off ''Hotel Malibu''. Both shows ran for only a brief period, receiving negative reviews.

1995–98: ''Selena'' and first marriage [link]

Lopez's received her first high-budget film role in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama ''My Family'', playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s. After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in ''My Family'', which earned her a Independent Spirit Award nomination, Lopez starred in the action film ''Money Train'', opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1996, she reportedly beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy ''Jack'' starring Robin Williams. She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller ''Blood and Wine'' (1996).

Lopez's first big break came in 1996, when she was chosen to play the title role in ''Selena'', a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena. Despite having previously worked with the film's director on ''My Family'', Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before she was cast in the film. Lopez played Selena in her twenties, while Rebecca Lee Maza played Selena in her younger years. During pre-production, Mexican-American activists were highly critical that Jennifer Lopez, a New York City native born to Puerto Rican parents, was selected to play Selena. They preferred an actress with Mexican roots. However, after seeing Lopez's portrayal of Selena, they revised their opinions and were more accepting of Nava's decision. Lopez earned widespread outstanding reviews and praise from critics for her portrayal of Selena. Kenneth Turan from ''Los Angeles Times'' film critic Kenneth Turan while giving the film a mixed review, he wrote that ''Selena'' was not just a celebration of Selena's life, but the actress who played her. Joe Baltake said that Lopez was "is sensational in the title role" and complimented her for pulling off lip-syncing to Selena's original tracks as her own, as she was not a trained singer at the time. She garnered multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy".

On February 22, 1997, Lopez married Cuban-born Ojani Noa, who she met while he worked as a waiter in a Miami restaurant; they were divorced by January 1998. Later that year, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film ''Anaconda'' alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River. Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned. Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film ''U Turn'', which is based on the book ''Stray Dogs'', starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton. In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in ''Out of Sight'', Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role. That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film ''Antz''. Around this time, Lopez started dating rap mogul Sean Combs. Combs allegedly showered Lopez with diamonds and jewelry, the inspiration for her 2000 hit, "Love Don't Cost a Thing".

1999–2001: ''On the 6'', ''J.Lo'', ''The Wedding Planner'' and second marriage [link]

By May 1999, publicity for Lopez's debut album had begun and the news spread fast. Lopez's debut album ''On the 6'', a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill, was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. Her debut single, "If You Had My Love" was released on May 21, 1999, and reached the top spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the week of June 12, 1999. The song stayed on the chart for a total of 25 weeks. It was proceeded by the release of "Waiting for Tonight", which peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and was a dance club hit. Prior to the release of "Waiting For Tonight" as a single, a Spanish language Latin-flavored ballad with Marc Anthony "No Me Ames" was released and failed to chart on major charts. ''On the 6'' featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, however failed to reach the top 50. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category of the 2001 Grammy Awards. "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year. ''"No Me Ames"'' received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards – "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video". In addition, Lopez was nominated for more awards then any other at the 1999 The Billboard Music Video Awards, scoring seven nominations in total, leading the likes of Christina Aguilera.

On February 23, 2000, Lopez showed up to the 42nd Grammy Awards with Combs wearing a plunging exotic green Versace silk chiffon dress, which became known as the "Green Versace Jungle Dress" by Lopez. The dress, known for its low cut neck that extended before her navel and its open back, caused much controversy and garnered media attention. Images of Lopez in the green dress were downloaded from the Grammy website 642,917 times in just 24 hours after the event. Lopez was surprised by the enormous media coverage, declaring in an interview: "It was a nice dress. I had no idea it was going to become such a big deal." Versace later revealed that the dress was the turning point of her career, saying that the media now had confidence in her own work, after the death of Gianni Versace. With the release and promotion of ''On The 6'' over, Lopez had successfully converted herself from film star to pop star within 12 months. Around this time, Lopez's fans started to dub her as "J.Lo". Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film ''The Cell'', released on August 18, 2000. She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box-office success, opening at number one.

By August 2000, Lopez had begun work on her sophomore album. ''J.Lo'' was released on January 23, 2001, and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, exceeding sales of 270,000 copies in its first week. In addition, the album dethroned The Beatles from the top spot. At the same time, her romantic comedy film, ''The Wedding Planner'', which she starred in alongside Matthew McConaughey led box office receipts, making Lopez the first female to have a film and an album at number one in the same week. ''J.Lo'' was more urban oriented than ''On the 6''. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. The album's third single "I'm Real" reached number one on the Hot 100, as well as spending over a year on the chart, with a total of 62 weeks. "I'm Real" was controversial for using a sample of the song "Firecraker"; which singer Mariah Carey had wanted to sample first. It was later shockingly announced that Carey's ex husband, Tommy Mottola had instructed record executive Irv Gotti to give Lopez the sample before Carey, and Lopez was unaware of this. "Ain't It Funny" was released; however it did not receive proper commercial promotion in the United States therefore ineligible for charting on the Hot 100. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs ("I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny), which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). "Ain't It Funny (murder remix)" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for several weeks, and led Radio Airplay and Pop Songs charts. On July 24, 2001, She re-released ''J. Lo'' on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the ''Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert''. ''J.Lo'' has sold 4 million copies in the United States alone. On September 27, 2004, a box set was released by Epic Records featuring ''On The 6'' and ''J.Lo'' combined.

Lopez next role was in a supernatural romance film, ''Angel Eyes'' which disappointed at the box office and garnered mixed reviews. Lopez's boyfriend, former back-up dancer Cris Judd—who she met on the set of the video for "Love Don't Cost a Thing"—proposed to her at a barbecue and they were married on September 29, 2001. They traveled to Italy for their honeymoon, and later stayed at the home of designer and a longtime friend of Lopez's, Donatella Versace.

2002–03: ''J to tha L-O! The Remixes'', ''This Is Me... Then'' and Bennifer[link]

Following the success of the re-release of ''J.Lo'', Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remix effort, releasing ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'', on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart, selling over 150,000 copies in its opening week. Featured artists on ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'' include P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the third all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's ''Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', The Beatles' ''Love'' and Madonna's ''You Can Dance'', having sold a total of 1.5 million copies as of October 2010. In addition, it dethroned Alan Jackson's ''Drive'' from 3 consecutive weeks at the number-one spot on the chart. ''J to tha L-O: The Remixes'' sold 624,000 copies within its first month, and stayed in the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200 for a month, too. It remained the only album to debut at number one in the United States for nearly 10 years, until Justin Bieber's remix effort in 2011 debuted at the top spot with similar opening sales. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" which was previously on her ''J.Lo'' album was released as a single; impacting the charts by July 2002 and reached the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" spent 23 weeks on the chart. The track "Alive" written by Jennifer and Cris Judd was released as a single from the remix album.

In May 2002, she starred in the thriller film ''Enough'' as Slim, a woman abused by her husband and on the run from him. The film garnered negative reviews; however the fight scene at the finale of the movie was praised. In addition, the film was considered a "kick-butt, female empowerment" movie.

In June 2002, Lopez filed for divorce from her husband Cris Judd when she began publicly dating actor Ben Affleck. Judd's father, Larry Judd blamed Affleck for the break up of his son's marriage. He told ''New York Daily News'' that Judd was the "best thing that happened to [Lopez]" and thought that "Mr. Affleck would honor a married women. [They'd] be happier if they just told the truth." Lopez and Affleck announced their relationship at her thirty-second birthday. They were engaged months later. The media dubbed them "Bennifer" during their relationship, and became a prominent supercouple in the media.

Lopez released her third studio album, ''This Is Me... Then'', on November 26, 2002. Unlike previous albums, it was more R&B; oriented and much of its lyrical structure were about her relationship with her fiancé, Affleck. The songs from the album, in particular the fifth track, "Dear Ben" detailed her romantic relationship with Affleck. The album sold over 310,000 copies in its first week, Lopez's highest first-week sales to date, and reached two on the charts in the United States, and was on the charts for a total of forty weeks. Prior to its release, the album's lead single "Jenny from the Block" was released. It reached 3 on the Hot 100, and was known for its controversial music video featuring Affleck. The song is about Lopez remaining modest and intoning her childhood roots vowing she wishes to remain simple despite her diamonds. "All I Have", a duet with LL Cool J served as the third single from ''This Is Me... Then''. It became Lopez's fifth song to top the Hot 100 charts. "I'm Glad" and "Baby I Love U!" were released as the final singles from ''This Is Me... Then'', both commercial disappointing, failing to match the success of her previous singles; however the music video for "I'm Glad" received four nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards the following year. The video recreated scenes from the 1983 film ''Flashdance'', leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed. ''This Is Me... Then'' has sold over 2.5 million copies to date in the United States, her last album to reach over a million copies in sales in that country.

After the release of ''This Is Me... Then'', Lopez took time away from music to focus on films. After two consecutive critical and commercial failures in the films ''Enough'' and ''Angel Eyes'', Lopez bounced back with the box office hit ''Maid in Manhattan'', released on December 13, 2002. Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician, who she falls in love with. ''Maid in Manhattan'' was a box-office hit, opening at number one. ''The New York Times'' compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, 'Jenny From the Block', Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots."

Lopez and Ben Affleck eventually succumbed to overexposure from the media, however, which caused public interest in their romance to result in less admiration and negatively affected their careers. ''Gigli'', a film which Lopez starred as a lesbian opposite Affleck, was released on August 1, 2003. The film was considered a box office failure, and is often considered one of the worst films ever made. Once again she starred in another movie with Affleck, ''Jersey Girl'', but only grossed $36 million at the box office and received poor reviews.

Lopez and Affleck canceled their wedding, which had been scheduled for September 14, 2003 on the Californian Coast, citing the media's interference with the event as the reason. Months later their wedding was canceled once again, four days before the event. Lopez was seen without her ring, and it was later confirmed that the 18-month romance ended on January 20, 2004, just three days after Affleck returned to Los Angeles from the Sundance Film Festival.

2004–05: ''Shall We Dance?'', third marriage and ''Rebirth''[link]

In August 2003, (after the international flub of "''Gigli''") it was announced that Lopez was star in ''Shall We Dance?''. The move was released in 2004, in which Lopez starred as Paulina alongside Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon; it reached the third spot at the Box Office. ''Shall We Dance?'', grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, ''Shall We Dance?'' grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide. By this time, Lopez was well established as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Two months after her break up with Affleck, Lopez was publicly seen dating Marc Anthony, they were married secretly on June 5, 2004 at her Beverly Hills Mansion and maintained a quiet relationship away from the media unlike her previous. Two men attempted to ransom a private wedding video which was stolen from the couple for $1 million dollars, and they were arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of conspiracy, attempted grand larceny and possession of stolen property.

Lopez released her fourth studio album, ''Rebirth'', on March 1, 2005. The lead single was "Get Right", reaching 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was a dance club hit. The song reached number one in the United Kingdom. The video for "Get Right" has Lopez portraying many different characters in a nightclub and sporting several different looks and occupations. Following the release of "Get Right", the album debuted (and peaked) at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 261,000 copies in its opening week. It quickly fell off the charts, and produced one more single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the Hot 100 while it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia. The song "Cherry Pie" was intended to be released as a single, however due to low sales (despite a high start) of ''Rebirth'' these plants were scrapped. ''Rebirth'' was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA; selling over 700,000 copies so far in the United States, and has enjoyed international success. In May 2005, the film ''Monster-in-Law'' was released. It was Jane Fonda's first movie in several years. It featured Lopez as Charlie, an artist who is pitted against her fiance's conniving mother when she does not accept her as her son's girlfriend (or soon-to-be wife). However, the $43-million film became a box-office smash debuting at number one, earning $83 million ($154.7 worldwide) during its theatrical run in summer 2005. Lopez received $15 million for her role in ''Monster-in-Law'', remaining one of her highest paychecks for a movie yet. Later, she starred in a film entitled ''An Unfinished Life'', which did not do well; only reaching 11 at the Box office.

2006–08: ''Como Ama una Mujer'', ''Brave'' and motherhood [link]

In 2006, Lopez was featured in LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, Lopez's first collaborative Top 10 Hit in the U.S. since 2003. Also that year, she was in the movie ''Bodertown''; The movie is based on a series of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, a ''maquiladora'' border city across the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) from El Paso, Texas. Estimates of the murders conflict, yet, conservatively speaking over four hundred women, maybe many more, have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered since 1993 in and around Ciudad Juárez. Lopez garnered a few awards and recognition for this part. The film was not a large success, though. Jennifer was one of the recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award, after her appearance in ''Bordertown''.

It was reported that Lopez was to release a full Spanish language album. Contactmusic.com said that Lopez would "prove critics wrong" and prove that she actually has a voice, through this new project. Upon the eve of the album's release, Lopez explained that she had previously aimed to sing in Spanish, however her career took a different path. Her first full Spanish album, ''Como Ama una Mujer'' was released on March 23, 2007. It debuted at 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200, making her one of few to reach the top ten with a Spanish album. The album was a natural and large success within the Latin community, reaching number one on ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums, where it remained for seven weeks. Worldwide, it was a moderate success, reaching the top ten in several countries such as Italy and Germany. thumb|left|Lopez with husband Marc Anthony (right) and Greek singer Kostas Martakis (left), who opened her September 2008 concert in Athens. ''Como Ama una Mujer'' marks the highest debut sales in the United States for a Spanish album and the highest digital sales for a Spanish album. ''The York Press'', on the album, stated that "Lopez stunned many with her Spanish-language ''Como Ama una Mujer'', which at last proved that she is a major musical force." For promotion of ''Como Ama Una Mujer'', Lopez traveled back to the Bronx, to meet fans and sign copies of her album in her old neighborhood. Over 500 people attended. In an interview, Lopez stated "It touches my heart to be able to bring this album back to my neighborhood, back to my home." ''Como ama una Mujer'' produced a single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do") which peaked at 86 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play. She performed the song on ''American Idol'', in the same week she was a mentor; she is the first person to perform a Latin song on the hit show. On July 24, 2007 (Lopez's birthday) ''Billboard'' magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29. The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. On the finale date of their tour, Lopez and Anthony announced that they were expecting a child, her first and his fourth. Later that same month, it was reported that Lopez was having difficulties with her pregnancy. These reports were deemed false by per rep, stating that "she is very healthy and continuing with her schedule as planned." In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, ''El Cantante'', with Anthony. Lopez, who also co-produced the film, "does enough acting for the two of them in her role as Puchi, Héctor's wife" while creating a very interesting and edgy performance. The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics.

In August 2007 Lopez began work on a new English studio album, titled ''Brave'' For ''Brave,'' she collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Released on October 9, 2007, it debuted at 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200; commercially, it is her least successful album to date. It spawned two singles "Do It Well" and "Hold It, Don't Drop It", which both reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, but failed to make further impact. It was her first album to fail to produce a top twenty song. ''Brave'' earned mostly mixed to negative reviews, Rashod D. Ollison from ''The Sun'' said that "Brave – was not to daring". However, there were a ''few'' positive reviews. ''The York Press'' compared ''Brave'' to Britney Spears' album due for release around the same time. Praising Lopez for not needing digital enhancement of her voice in "Brave" compared to Spears, they turned their favor to ''Brave'' instead of ''Blackout'' despite praising Spears' for delivering a "decent album". ''Brave'' has sold over 160,000 copies (which sales are comparable to that of Lopez' previous ''first'' week sales of her first four albums).

On February 5, 2008, Lopez confirmed that she was having twins. On February 22, Lopez gave birth to a son Maximilian David Muñiz and a daughter Emme Maribel in Long Island, New York. The twins were introduced in the March 11, 2008 issue of ''People'' magazine, for which the magazine paid a reported $6 million for—the photographs of the twins became the most expensive celebrity picture ever taken. Following the birth of her twins, Lopez took a break from her career in 2008.

2009–11: ''American Idol'' and ''Love?'' [link]

While pregnant with twins Max and Emme, Lopez had been writing material for her seventh studio album ''Love?'', with a planned release for the summer of 2010. On what to expect of the album, she said "Once you get past the party on the album, and you listen to some of the words, you will see that I really talk about the power of love but also the devastation of it and everything in between." A song titled "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single. It topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the Hot Dance Club Play chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would guest-star on an episode of ''How I Met Your Mother'' as Anita Appleby, a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to mold men into "relationship machines" through the power of denial. In February 2010 Lopez and her record label of ten years, Epic Records, parted ways. Lopez's manager, Benny Medina, confirmed the news, saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist... She is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together." Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?'. Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Island Def Jam, and was working on new material for ''Love?'' with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart). In April 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy ''The Back-up Plan''. The film debuted at the top spot at the Box Office. While the film didn't meet positive reviews, Lopez's performance as "Zoe" was praised and called a "winning performance". In June 2010, following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from ''American Idol'', it was reported that Lopez was in talks to join season ten's judging panel. However, it was then reported that Lopez was out of the running due to "outrageous demands", something which returning ''Idol'' producer, Nigel Lythgoe responded to by saying "[Jennifer] is in no way a diva, I've worked with her on quite a few occasions and I have never yet seen her be a diva." He did not confirm or deny reports of the contract negotiations between Lopez and the other ''Idol'' producers. Both Lopez and husband, Marc Anthony, were being considered for a role on ''The X Factor'' for their appeal to 'Latin' and 'International' markets. Lopez's involvement in ''The X Factor'' was ruled out when the media reported that she had accepted an offer to become a judge on season ten of ''Idol'', despite being offered roles on both shows. The announcement was made official on September 22, 2010. MTV said "the deal was mutually beneficial to all those involved" whilst CNN reported that Lopez was viewing it as a decision to revive her career while ''Idol'' producers believe Lopez and Steven Tyler's appointments will strengthen viewing figures. The public agreed that Lopez was a more suitable judge replacement for Ellen, as she had experience within the music industry, which DeGeneres lacked.

In January 2011, Lopez's new single "On the Floor" featuring Pitbull (their second collaboration) surfaced online and it was later announced as the lead single from ''Love?'', produced by RedOne, who predicted that it was going to be a "big hit". "On The Floor" was a commercial success, debuting at nine on the Hot 100 and peaking at three, her highest-charting song in eight years. It's accompanying music video premiered on an episode of ''American Idol'' on March 3, and has since become the highest viewed video by a female artist on YouTube, with over 510 million views. The song sold 8.4 million copies, becoming the fourth best-selling digital single of the year. ''Love?'' produced two more singles, the Taio Cruz produced "I'm Into You" featuring Lil Wayne, and "Papi", which became her 10th and 11th chart-toppers on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs chart. ''Love?'' was finally released on May 3, 2011 and reached the fifth position on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was a moderate success, and viewed as a humble comeback from Lopez, as many had considered her recording career over.

On July 15, days before Lopez's forty-second birthday, following seven years of marriage to Marc Anthony, the couple's representative announced that they were separating and Anthony later filed for divorce on April 9, 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. In November, she was named "Women of the year" by ''Glamour Magazine''. Lopez was featured on will.i.am's single "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)". On December 13, 2011, ''Los Angeles Times'' named her the "World's greatest musical comeback act", a ranking from an accuracast, a digital search that analyzed over a billion Google searches since 2004. Lopez ranked ahead of comebacks from artists such as Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin. She was also named "Best Comeback" act by Billboard.com Reader's Poll, leading with 47% of votes for the title, beating out Kelly Clarkson (17%) and Evanescence (12%).

2012: ''¡Q'Viva! The Chosen'' and Dance Again World Tour [link]

Lopez returned as judge on the eleventh season of ''American Idol'', reportedly earning $US20 million, compared to the $US12 million she earned last year. Lopez worked with ex-husband Marc Anthony and director-choeographer Jamie King on the talent series ''¡Q'Viva! The Chosen'', created by Simon Fuller. It follows Lopez, Anthony and King as they travel across 21 countries in Latin America to find new talent. It premiered on January 28, 2012 on Univision and was a ratings hit for the channel. In late 2011, it was confirmed that Lopez would be releasing a greatest hits album in 2012, with her vocal producer Kuk Harrell and The-Dream confirming their involvement in the project. L.A. Reid, chairman and CEO for Epic Records, confirmed on his Twitter account that a greatest hits album is in production. Later confirming an upcoming release herself, Lopez said the basis for her album was again "Love". Island Def Jam Records' Senior Vice President of A&R;, Chris Anokute stated in an interview that he is working with Lopez on a dance album. In April 2012 Lopez released the lead single from her greatest hits album, "Dance Again" featuring American rapper Pitbull. It charted at 17 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and also became her twelfth number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs. Later that month, Lopez was featured on Wisin & Yandel's song "Follow the Leader" from their upcoming album. Lopez is also working on two possible new songs, entitled "Clothes Off" and "Goin' In". Three new songs will appear on Lopez's upcoming greatest hits album. Lopez recorded "Goin' In" with Flo Rida for the film ''Step Up Revolution'' (2012). She debuted it at the finale ''American Idol'' with a performance medley that included "Follow the Leader", and the song made its premiere on Ryan Seacrest's radio show ''On Air with Ryan Seacrest'' on May 24, 2012 and will be released as a single on June 19, 2012.

During an interview with ''Extra TV'' Lopez confirmed that she had been working on a possible tour; she had previously talked about the possibility of a tour after the release of ''Love?'' around June 2011, which never materialized, as it could have jeapordised her position as a judge on ''American Idol''. On June 23 and 27 Lopez will perform for her first headlining concert in Brazil for the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo. Reporters said that Lopez would tour Latin America, with plans of visiting Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile. Sources later announced that Lopez was planning her first ever global world tour, which will have legs in United States, South America, Europe and Asia; consisting of over 60 dates. It was announced on April 30, 2012 that Lopez would be going on a co-headlining tour in the United States with Enrique Iglesias. The tour will earn her an estimated $US13 million. Speaking of it, Lopez said that "it's going to be one of the most historic tours ever. […] There's never been something like this, where Latinos come together like this. […] I just think it's very groundbreaking. I was honored to be asked to be a part of it." Before this begins, Lopez will begin her Dance Again World Tour which will carry out throughout her tour with Iglesias, and is set to begin in Panama City, Panama on June 14. The Dance Again World Tour will include legs in Asia, Europe and South America.

Lopez is involved in multiple films, the first time she has been in years. She starred as Holly — a woman who adopts a baby from abroad with her husband after difficulty conceiving — in ''What to Expect When You're Expecting''. The film was released to theaters on May 18, 2012. Lopez voices Shira in the upcoming animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'' which is the fourth movie in the ''Ice Age'' series. Another film which Lopez has shot her parts for, ''Parker'' will be released in 2013. Director Taylor Hackford has stated that the movie development has gone well, praising Lopez in a comment stating "I'm not kidding, this woman can really act. The last several years she's been doing romantic comedies – that's a talent, but as a dramatic actress she's got fantastic chops." On May 16, 2012, ''Forbes'' placed Lopez first on their "Celebrity 100 List", in turn naming her the most powerful celebrity in the world for their 2012 edition. She beat out Oprah Winfrey and Lady Gaga for the title, having earned $US52 million from May 2011–May 2012. Dorothy Pomerantz from ''Forbes'' staff said that it was due to her role as judge on ''American Idol'', endorsement deals, fragrances and her much publicized personal life in the past year. This was a considerable jump on the list, considering the previous year she was number 50.

Products and endorsements [link]

In 2003, Lopez was in a Pepsi commercial featuring Beyoncé Knowles and David Beckham entitled "Samurai". She endorses several L'Oréal products, and was named "L'Oréal Paris Global Brand Ambassador" In December 2010. She has shot several adds for the endorsement deal. Lopez's recent L'Oreal EverSleek campaign made its debut during the Golden Globes ad break, kicking it off in a big way. Products that Lopez has endorsed for L'Oreal recently include El Vive Triple Resist, True Match, Color Riche, GlamShine, and Voluminous Lashes commercials, the EverSleek commercial and print ads, and the Infallible Lip Color and ElVive Triple Resist print ads. In 2011, Lopez endorsed and promoted a variety of products. In addition to L'Oréal, lopez endorses Gillette women's products, such as the "Get Your Goddess Showing" project. She was named the first ever "Gillette-Venus Global Ambassador" In 2011, too. She recorded a cover of "Venus" by Shocking Blue for her Gillette-Venus advertisement. Lopez is a spokesperson for Harmon Kardon home surround sound system. Lopez is the face of TOUS Jewelry. Lopez is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials. As of late 2011, she promotes FIAT cats in the United States. Her advertisements for the brand have garnered negative reviews, and in January 2012 a United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) group told Lopez to end her endorsement for problems with the FIAT brand which "freely does business with a regime that is developing an illegal nuclear weapons program."

Fashion lines [link]

Lopez launched a lifestyle brand in 2001. Called J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez, the line included different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie, a jewelry line, and an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarves. Lopez participated in the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign. In February 2005, Lopez unveiled her fashion line entitled "Sweetface" at New York Fashion Week. She worked on the line with Andy Hilfiger. The launch at New York Fashion Week received mixed reviews, mainly positive, Metanoya Webb, from ''InStyle Magazine'' reviewed: "It's a step up from her teen-age, pop line. It's definitely more mature, and it's more of a replica of what Jennifer does. It was a reflection of her, and I liked that." Some also noted that the launch of "Sweetface" focused more on the show and arrangement rather than the clothes, themselves. Lopez has a lingerie line with Victoria Beckham.

Lopez's frequent use of animal fur in her clothing lines has brought the scorn of people concerned with animal rights. At the Los Angeles premiere of ''Monster-in-Law'', more than 100 protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration to highlight their concerns. Director of marketing, Charlie Ross said "Jennifer Lopez is a great lover of fur. She is always photographed wearing fur and it was a material she loves and wanted to use. Sweetface is a luxury label and Jennifer wanted her furs. She told me her favourite piece in the collection is a fabulous bleached silver fox coat with strips of the fox stitched onto a chiffon back."

In late 2007, Lopez retired JLO by Jennifer Lopez and launched a new juniors' line called JustSweet. In June 2009, it was announced that "Sweetface" was put on hiatus, and later announced that it was closed down. In 2011, Lopez and her ex-husband, Marc Anthony launched a joint fashion line at Kohls; Anthony would work on the menswear and Lopez on the female clothing line. The lines were described as "high-quality contemporary." Lopez labelled her personal line as "affordable and completely her style." The line was released in October 2011. Anthony's line, too was released around the same time. They both worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fashion lines. Anthony, at the grand opening of the line at a Jersey department store, said that they collaborated on the work, and noted how hard Lopez had worked on her line, he said he was "very proud of her."

Fragrances [link]

Lopez is credited for bringing back celebrity perfume endorsements, which was "dead" since the late 1980s. Lopez said that she wanted Glow to be "Sexy and sensual." ''Glow by J.Lo'' has a scent of orange, grapefruit, jasmine, orris, Irises, vanilla and musk. Still by Jennifer Lopez was released as the third major fragrance in October 2003; it is described as "the scent of a woman," and "A scent that captures the way a woman feels when she has discovered herself. Real and true. Serene and sensual." Glow by J.Lo and Still were very successful in the fragrance market.

In 2005, Lopez launched three new fragrances: Miami Glow, Love at First Glow and Live. In 2006 she released Glow After Dark. In 2008, she released Deseo, Deseo Forever, Deseo for Men (her first male fragrance) and Live Platinum. Sunkissed Glow and My Glow were released in 2009, My Glow was inspired by the birth of her children. TLC, a division of Discovery Communications Inc, had signed Lopez to an unscripted reality series about the launching of her new fragrance, but the series never materialized. Her next fragrance was Blue Glow. Her 15th fragrance Love & Glamour was released in October 2010. Her 16th fragrance is L.A. Glow, inspired by L.A. Nightlife. She launched her 17th fragrance Love & Light on HSN In July 2011, where it sold 51,000 bottles in six hours, her most successful fragrance launch to date. Her 18th fragrance, Glowing has been announced. Apart from Fragrances, Lopez has endorsed several other products.

Philanthropy [link]

Lopez is an avid supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and was presented with the Children's Humanitarian Award at the hospital's inaugural Noche de Niños gala in September 2004. Lopez continues to attend the annual red carpet event and is a regular visitor to the hospital. The singer participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefiting the hospital in 2008.

On February 14, 2007, Lopez received the Artists for Amnesty International award "in recognition of her work as producer and star of ''Bordertown'', a film exposing the ongoing murders of hundreds of women in the border city of Juárez, Mexico". Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta presented the award to Lopez at the Berlin International Film Festival. She also received special recognition and thanks from Norma Andrade, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May Our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association"), an organization consisting of mothers and families of the murdered women of Juárez. Lopez has also been involved in promoting vaccination for whooping cough. Lopez is working with Sounds of Pertussis and March of Dimes to promote awareness about the disease and encourage vaccination of adults to prevent spread of disease to infants.

Lopez has been featured in two charity singles. In 2001, along with several other popular artists, Lopez was featured on an album featuring verses of the song "What's Going On" under the name "Artists Against AIDS Worldwide", to benefit AIDS foundations in Africa. Other notable artists featured are Britney Spears, Ja Rule, Nas, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, Destiny's Child, Wyclef Jean, Backstreet Boys among numerous others. Produced before the September 11 attacks, after the attacks the proceeds were given to American Red Cross, too. The same month, Lopez was featured on the song "El Ultimo Adios (The Last Goodbye)" along with 60 other Latin artists, in memory of the September 11 attacks to help raise money for families and charities involved or affected.

Lopez owns a foundation with her sister, Lynda Lopez, entitled The Maribel Foundation. The foundation was publicly launched In June 2010. The foundation's purpose is to bring wellbeing to mothers and children from under-privileged communities, in particular people who cannot afford medical services; and give people information about critical child and health care topics. The Maribel Foundation worked with Telemedicine clinics abroad and near to increase healthcare for serious cases. "Telemedicine" is a delivery system that uses technology (telecommunications) to conduct medical diagnoses, consultations, treatments, transfers of data, education of physicians, and dissemination of public health alerts and/or emergency updates.

Lopez had previously announced the foundation in 2008 at the Woman's Conference. The foundation's slogan is "Where children are concerned, there is no time to lose." Lopez has stated that inspiration came to her to build ''The Maribel Foundation'' after she discovered a bump on her daughter's head days after her birth; Emme turned out to be fine however Lopez felt that there are mothers out there and children, who don't have adequate access to medical information and she felt that she had to help in some way. For her foundation, Lopez recording a song, "One Step At a Time", dedicated to her twins. It was included on an album for the foundation, ''Every Mother Counts'' a CD which was released exclusively to Starbucks. The album was devoted fully to mothers. Lopez was one of the recipients of Love Our Children USA's "Mothers Who Make A Difference" awards in 2009. On October 25, 2011, ''The Maribel Foundation'' received a $500,000 dollar donation pledge from Samsung and Best Buy. An advertisement featuring Lopez promoting Samsung products for ''The Maribel Foundation'' has aired.

Artistry[link]

Musical style and themes[link]

Lopez grew up with a heavy influence and love of music from her mother, who played records and sang constantly. During her early days in the music industry, she was viewed as a teen pop culture icon; despite being in her late-twenties, it was for the reasoning of her brand and music appealing to a younger generation. Lopez's music and the genre which it has been perceived as, has ranged from pop and Latin pop, to Dance, Funk and R&B;. She has stated that the basis for her music is always the subject of Love, "I've been singing about Love since my first album. Its a really complex topic, and now that im at a really good place in my life, in a really good relationship [...] i can look at it in a different way." In her debut single, "If You Had My Love" Lopez confronts her lover with questions and ground rules before they can begin commit to a relationship. The lead single from her sophomore album ''J.Lo'' (2001) "Love Don't Cost a Thing" is the tale of a materialistic relationship—critics have questioned the song, believing that it's inspiration came from her high-profiled relationship with rapper Sean Combs. Lopez's third studio album, is more adult-oriented R&B; and was much of its lyrical themes speak of her love for her then-fiance Ben Affleck. During the production of the album, Lopez stated "I wrote a lot of songs inspired, in a way, by what I was going through at the time that this album was being made, and he [Affleck] was definitely a big part of that." Songs from the album such as "Baby I Love U! and "Dear Ben" gush about her being a hopeless romantic. "I, Love" from ''Rebirth'' (2005) is a mid-tempo song, in which Lopez wants to convince her lover that she truly cares for him, suggesting that their romance is real despite his ignorant behavior. The title track from her full-Spanish language album ''Como Ama una Mujer'' (2007) lyrically speaks about listening to the heart's desire and first instinct regardless of the relationship's outcome. In her seventh studio album, entitled ''Love?'', Lopez covers topics such as her past loves in her songs, "One Love" and "(What Is) Love?" which she goes into details through lyrics about her remaining an optimistic about love. In "(What Is) Love?" Lopez sings about struggling in the search for true love, talking about how she's had blind dates, dated church boys and musicians but is tired of it all.

Lopez has a classic soubrette vocal type; her voice has been called limited. Many critics have said that Lopez has never had a strong voice, but observe that she is the complete package performer with a thin voice. Lopez has always had an insecurity about the strength of her voice from the start, “The voice was always there, I was just so insecure about it in the beginning," she said in an interview. She has also said that "I’m very proud of who I am as a vocalist from where I started." Tom Sinclair from ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted that she has always had her "way" with hooks, and works with a variety of producers. Lopez has received critiscm for her voice not being strong enough over the course of her music career. Adam Markovitz from ''Entertainment Weekly'' has said that "despite the star power she emits on screen, her vocals have always been less than stellar" and that she "often sounds limited and nasal, with a flatness that can feel downright Rebecca Black-esque at its worst." Wheresoever, others have said differently; fellow ''American Idol'' judge Randy Jackson said that "She doesn't have the biggest voice in the world, but she can sing. It's the (complete) package [...]" Jackson also said "While we're sitting there judging she's always singing these songs and I go, 'You really do sing!'" Daniel Chang from ''The Spectator'' said "Lopez will achieve more success as an actress than she will as a singer. Which is to say, Lopez can sing, but there are better introductions to Latin and R&B; music out there."

In late 2007, ''The York Press'' wrote "So far into her career, Lopez is at last making great records. Her voice now has greater depth and is infused with Latin passion, which frankly was missing on her earlier records. Her material is also far stronger," around the releases of ''Como Ama Una Mujer'' and ''Brave''. ''The York Press'' also complimented Lopez for not needing as much "digital enhancement" on her voice compared to Britney Spears. They also said that "Lopez stunned many with [...] Como Ama una Mujer, which at last proved that she is a major musical force." A writer from ''The Sun'' said "'On the 6' makes it clear she can sing. [Jennifer] Lopez has no trouble handling the material presented to her [...] No doubt about it, as a singer, Lopez has a lot of talent and stylistic range. Instead, she ends up doing impressions, singing as other, more distinctive, performers might have. So when producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs fabricates a lush, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-type groove, she responds by offering her best Janet Jackson imitation." He went on to say: "It isn't as if Lopez is merely a chameleon, without a sound to call her own. Her breathily romantic duet with Marc Anthony, the Spanish-language love song "No Me Ames," reveals depths and resonance unheard in other tracks. Likewise, there's a sassy confidence beneath the romantic dismissal of "It's Not That Serious" that suggests Lopez may yet attain the awesome power of diva-hood." Tom Sinclair of ''Entertainment Weekly'' commented on Lopez's vocals saying, "There's no way to know if Jennifer Lopez's voice is mechanically altered or not, but on the recorded evidence of her sophomore album, ''J.Lo'', her singing seems to be in key". In a review of her seventh studio album, ''Love?'', Alex Macpherson from BBC Music complimented Lopez, "(She) possesses both a lightness of touch and the effortless confidence of one of nature's own divas, which means that whenever she hits the floor to essay up-tempo swagger tracks she convinces without being as overbearing. ''Love?'' seeks to showcase her vulnerability and depth of feeling."

Influences[link]

From a musical perspective, Lopez has viewed Madonna as a big influence. In an interview with ''NY Rock'', when asked who was her ''first'' biggest musical influence, Lopez stated "I think Madonna. For my era growing up, [she] was the quintessential performer, and a push-the-envelope type of person. I don't think that I'm a push-the-envelope type of person. But I think Madonna was so visionary. And in her shows, she was so expressive. So that was very inspiring for me as a young girl. I remember seeing a lot of her shows." According to Fouz-Hernández, female pop performers like Lopez were like "Madonna's daughters in the very direct sense that they grew up listening to and admiring Madonna, and decided they wanted to be like her." Other musical influences for Lopez include Selena, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Gloria Estefan, Deborah Gibson, Paula Abdul, Spice Girls and Salt-N-Pepa. Lopez has credited Barbra Streisand as her idol, saying that she felt that she "graduated" from music when she sang Streisand's music. Pop music critic Gene Stout commented that Janet Jackson in particular has influenced a younger generation of performers including Lopez. Lopez has also stated that newer artists have also more "inspired" her rather than influenced her as an artist, such as Lady GaGa. Lopez told ''MTV News'' that "I'm always motivated by other artists and inspired by them. They inspire me because when i see other people doing great things, it makes me want to do great things too. I never am one to look at other people and try to do what they do. I always feel like a true artist does what they do and it is very very individual to who they are. I love her [Gaga] sense of lyric and melody, I feel like she’s very interesting. It’s just not something you’re gonna hear everyday. I really love the records she worked on and was glad to be able to take those and make them my own and actually have that collaboration with her. I feel very lucky to have done that." After motherhood, Lopez also credited her twins as a huge influence in the direction of her music, "You can't help but put not only your kids into it, but to put anything you are going through in your music. That's the only thing you can really sing or write is stuff that you know. The more music you make and the more that you get into it and the more you write, the more you realize that's all you can write." Lopez has credited former husband Marc Anthony for giving her confidence to sing, stating in a 2012 interview with Vogue Magazine "He always told me what a beautiful voice I have He was like, ‘It’s in there; you just gotta let it out. It’s a confidence thing with you.’ Then all of a sudden one day I was like, ‘I’m good at this!’"

Music videos and choreography[link]

Lopez is well known for her upbeat pop songs and Latin-pop influenced dancing abilities. She is professionally trained dancer—initially beginning her career as a dancer ("fly girl") on ''In Living Color'' from 1991 to 1993, before venturing into acting and later a recording career. She began to learn and master different dance techniques from self-paid dance classes, and became a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson. When she was a child, she specialized in ballet, jazz and flamenco dancing. She has worked with well known choreographers Dave Scott, Cris Judd (her former husband), Brian Friedman, Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Travis Payne, Jeri Slaughter, Laurie Ann Gibson, Mia Michaels and Tina Landon. Top 10.com ranked Lopez 5th on their "Top 10 All Time Best Dancers in the World" list, placing her ahead of Gene Kelly, Janet Jackson and M.C. Hammer, describing her as both a glamour queen and a terrific dancer. In her 2004 film ''Shall We Dance'' in which she starred opposite Richard Gere, Lopez and Gere danced many genres, including Salsa dance and Ballroom dance. In the film, her dance technique received praise.

Lopez's music videos are well known for having dance breaks, including her music videos for "If You Had My Love" (1999) and "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (2000)—she brought back dance breaks in her later music videos for "I'm Into You" and "Papi" (2011). Her debut music video, for "If You Had My Love" directed by Paul Hunter, is notable for its theme of voyeurism; Lopez sings and dances while others watch her from various other locations through different types of screens. The video also includes her "signature" dance break. Her third single Waiting For Tonight's music video is set at a party counting down to The New Year (in this case, being 1999, a "millennium party"), the song's success on the charts was due to the video's anticipated theme towards the year 2000. Lopez's music video for "I'm Glad" (from her third studio album ''This Is Me...Then'') was described as one of he more "complicated" videos which recreated scenes from a 1983 film ''Flashdance''. In the music video for "Get Right" (2005) directed by Francis Lawrence, Lopez sports several different characters including a bartender, stripper, nerdy girl and a superstar among several others all at a nightclub. The video for her comeback single, "On the Floor" (2011) was praised for its sex appeal which was compared to her music video for "I'm Gonna Be Alright" (2002). Matthew Perpetua from ''Rolling Stone'' said it was "classic Lopez tweaked for 2011" with upgraded dance-pop style, and a high fashion wardrobe as eccentric as that of Rihanna and Lady Gaga. The music video for "On The Floor" allowed Lopez to enter social media charts and ''Entertainment Weekly''s Tanner Stransky said that the clip brought back the old Lopez that everyone knew and loved, and also added that it was "Sexy and sultry". Her follow up video, "I'm Into You" was praised, Kyle Anderson from ''Entertainment Weekly'' applauded her natural beauty and said "that time-out at the three-quarters mark is as sharp as any diva dance break you’ll see." In her music video for "Papi", Lopez consumes a chocolate chip cookie which will allow her "love" to come back, given to her by her apartment mail attendant; she takes too large a bite, resulting in the magic of the cookie to become effective—groups of men chase her around town until her true love finds her. The video received positive feedback, a writer from Huffington Post wrote "Ms. Lopez has still got it —'Jenny from the Block' breaks into a signature group dance number and kills it!" After the release of the video for her single "Dance Again" which featured Lopez's real-life boyfriend, Casper Smart, John Mitchell from MTV News looked back on Lopez's previous videos, saying that she had a "history" of flaunting her men in videos.

Lopez has been nominated for a total of 18 MTV Video Music Awards, winning two throughout her career. She was ranked at number twenty-one on VH1's "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era" list. Throughout her music videos, she has worked with several directors and choreographers, including working with Paul Hunter, Francis Lawrence and Dave Meyers several times. She is considered a sex symbol through her music videos. Jennifer Lopez considers Janet Jackson a big influence on her dancing and music videos. She has lauded Jackson's videography, stating her music videos "had such an impact on me as a fan but also as an artist." Lopez has named Jackson's music video for "The Pleasure Principle" as her favorite dancing music video of all time.

Legacy[link]

Lopez has been described has having "epitomized the definition of America's sweetheart," having crept into millions of homes with her music, movies, accessories and clothing lines. Her manager, Benny Medina, who Lopez said is her "creative soulmate" has described Lopez as "the best all-rounded entertainer of our generation." Patricia J. Duncan wrote of Lopez in her 1999 Unauthorized biography, calling her a "force to be reckoned with." Ray Martin from 60 Minutes said "She's a rarity," calling one of the "few Hollywood stars you can actually admire [...] when you meet her she's just as gorgeous, just as likeable, as she is on screen." Martin also said that Lopez is "up there with Madonna," having starred in movies alongside leading men like George Clooney, Robert Redford and Jack Nicholson adding that she is a merchandising marvel, too. Lopez is well-known for being the first Latina actress or singer to be so commercially successful in the limelight; growing up she looked up to puerto-rican born Rita Moreno, as she stated that there were "Zero Latinos on TV, so Rita Moreno was the only one I identified to." Nobel prize recipient, Jose Ramos Horta called Lopez a remarkable women and true inspiration after seing her work on the film, ''Bordertown''. Cindy Pearlman from ''The Record'' said that Lopez is responsible for welcoming a "Latina presence to a film industry" as for most of its history it had been a whites-only preserve. In his book, ''Icons of American Popular Culture'', Robert C. Cotrell described Jennifer Lopez as being a Latina Oprah Winfrey, writing that Lopez was the embodiment of the American dream, by "Boasting far more authentic rags-to-riches tale". Cotrell also called her a "multidimensional artist who had turned into a financial powerhouse." He continued on to say the impact she had on both Hollywood and the Spanish world, "In a largely singular fashion, Lopez had demonstrated that a Latina could remain on the Hollywood "A" list, to be a top recording artist, and operate as a major player in the corporate world, with her prefumes alone pulling over $500 million annually." The head of Interscope Records who appears on ''American Idol'', Jimmy Iovine said Lopez has "got that power. She is a force. She brings the whole package—there is very little missing in Jennifer Lopez."

Lopez has had much praise over the course of her career, with several citing her as an inspiration for their own careers. Fellow Latin music artist Kat DeLuna, who is relatively new, said "Jennifer helped pave the way for Latinas like myself. I love her." Actress Kerry Washington also cites Lopez as the actual reason for her career, during an interview with ''Essence'' in 2012, she said "I grew up blocks away from Jennifer Lopez. She and I went to the same Boys & Girls Club. She was like the dancer who made it big and moved to Hollywood. I don't know if I would've taken a risk in my career if it weren't for you (Jennifer)." Popstar Britney Spears says Lopez has become a major "beauty" icon and Idol for herself; Spears said "Jennifer Lopez is my idol – she's so beautiful and even though she's gotten older, she hasn't aged at all. She looks more amazing than ever and I really admire and respect that." Kelly Osbourne said that she admires Lopez, stating that "Jennifer Lopez was voted The Most Beautiful Woman in the World by People magazine. I couldn't agree more. I've met her and she's stunning."

Co-star and singer Cheryl Cole has stated that she wants to have a body like Jennifer Lopez. In fact, Lopez's body has had such an impact on the world (in particularly women) that in a 2011 survey by "Nutrisystem Diet Index", it was proved that most American women would have Lopez's "lean legs and bubble butt". Reality Television star Kim Kardashian has named Lopez a style icon, Kardashian branded Lopez's personal fashion sense/style as "fun and flirty and sexy, just feminine. I love her!", and said she is a major style inspiration for her. Raquel Castro, her co-star from ''Jersey Girl'' (Now 17 years old and was a contestant on American singing show ''The Voice''), had stated she had a strong bond with her on-screen mother from the film, and that Lopez had been her main role model for her career from the start; "Jennifer Lopez has been my role model from the start. I wore out my VCR tape of the movie Selena, probably watching it a million times; when I found out I had been chosen to play her daughter in a feature-film, OMG I was screaming like crazy." Australian R&B; singer Jessica Mauboy has said stated that she is a big fan of Lopez. Singer-songwriter Michael Doughty said that Lopez was a key inspiration for reviving his music career as a solo artist after leaving his band, Soul Coughing "One of the key moments was seeing a Jennifer Lopez video (around 1999) [...] She's a year older than me and she's in this video and she's in the Bronx and going out clubbing and going to the beauty salon. I'd thought, well I'm 29, my life's over, I'm elderly. And I looked at her and thought, she's 30, how is she walking? [...] the revelation came watching a Jennifer Lopez video." Nicki Minaj has stated "I love J-Lo. I love what she's done for pop culture I have nothing but respect for her." Actress Anna Kendrick who was her co-star in the film ''What to Expect When You're Expecting'' (2012), has described her as "the most beautiful creature on the planet" and said that "The way she looks in person is mind-blowing."

Lopez also is well known for her fashion sense and style. ''Us Weekly'' named Lopez as Style Icon of the 2000–2010 decade. Lopez's most memorable Fashion moment in her career was the Green Versace "Jungle Dress" that she wore at the 42nd Grammy Awards In 2000. A poll by Debenhams, published in the ''Daily Telegraph'', voted it the fifth most iconic dress of all time. It has been cited along with the Elizabeth Hurley's black Versace dress as being the top dresses that made Versace a household name and the turning point in designer Donatella Versace's career after the death of her brother Gianni Versace. The dress is currently on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. For her Fashion sense, Lopez has earned several awards including a VH1 Award and Vogue Fashion Award in 1999 for "Most Fashionable Female Artist", achieving multiple other awards since for outstanding achievements and recognition. Lopez was complimented in an article for ''Elle'', in which the author wrote – "She wears little visible makeup, and with her hair in a bun, huge hoop earrings, and a long halterdress on, she's squarely in casual-mother mode, a style Diane von Furstenberg describes as "exotic and earthy." Lopez cites Urban, Edgy Bronx style as a contribution to her continuing fashion style. Lopez says she is a fan of "Glamour" and "Old Hollywood Movie Stars" as a fashion sense. Aside from her fashion sense in clothes, Lopez has changed her personal appearance multiple times, scoring several different hairstyles over the years. Lopez's two-piece (eventually stripped down to a body-suit) "train dress highlighting her curves and flawless skin" at the 2011 American Music Awards was both welcomed and praised but was received mixed and negatively, too. Despite popularity and favoritism with her outfits, Lopez has also received negativity; the dress she wore in 2011 to the BAFTA Gala gave her the title of "Worst Dressed" of the evening along with others, most likely due to her open-abs section. Apart from her image as a public fashion icon, Lopez has constantly displayed disappointment in a continuing rumor that states she is a demanding "diva", however at the same time is considered a talented "diva" too. Several others such as her '''American Idol'' co-worker Nigel Lythgoe has stated these rumors are wrong. The popularity of her personal life in the media has been a focus too, Jacqueline Springer reported in 2001, "'bling bling' to the fullest, she is high fashion's sole voluptuous mannequin and to the tabloids, well, she's more return value that an annual Travelcard."

Lopez is the wealthiest Hispanic in Hollywood, and is described as the most influential Hispanic performer in the United States. As of 2010, Lopez has sold an estimated 55 million records worldwide, making her one of the best selling musical artists of all time. In addition to this, ''Billboard'' ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000–2010 decade. VH1 ranked her 16 on their list of "100 Greatest Women In Music" In 2012. In November 1998, Lopez was named "Sexiest Woman of the Year" by ''Details'' magazine. Lopez appeared on ''FHM'''s 100 sexiest women list multiple times, notably being listed as No. 1 in 2000 and 2001, No. 4 in 2002, No. 6 in 2003, No. 7 in 2004. She is the first woman to top the list for two consecutive years. In ''People en Español''s list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" addition in February 2007, Lopez was listed first; the Top 100 also included the likes of Shakira and Enrique Iglesias. On ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s Annual Actress Salary List, Lopez has appeared in 2004, 2003 and 2002. She is the only Latina actress to accomplish this, or even appear within the top ten of this list. Her role in the 1998 film ''Out of Sight'' earned her a paycheck of over $1 million, making her the world's highest-paid Latin actress. In 2001, Lopez became the first female to have a film and album both be number one at the same time in the United States. In 2011, she was named "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People's Choice magazine.

Lopez comeback to music in 2011 with her single "On the Floor" in addition to her multiple endorsement deals, clothing line and appointment as judge on ''American Idol'' is considered the best comeback of the year, and is regarded as one of the best comebacks of all time. Her music video for "On The Floor" was viewed 454 million times in the space of 2011, to become the most-viewed video of the year, the most-watched video by a female artist, and the second most viewed video of all time, behind teen-idol Justin Bieber's "Baby". In 2012, ''Forbes'' placed her number one on the most powerful celebrity list with earnings of $US52 million in the past year.

Filmography [link]

;Leading roles

1997: ''Selena'', Selena Quintanilla-Perez

1997: ''Anaconda'', Terri Flores

2000: ''The Cell'', Catherine Deane

2001: ''The Wedding Planner'', Mary Fiore

2001: ''Angel Eyes'', Sharon Pogue

2002: ''Enough'', Slim Hiller

2002: ''Maid in Manhattan'', Marisa Ventura

2005: ''Monster-in-Law'', Charlie

2006: ''Bordertown'', Lauren Adrian

2010: ''The Back-up Plan'', Zoe

2012: ''What to Expect When You're Expecting'', Holly

Discography [link]

;Studio albums

1999: ''On the 6''

2001: ''J.Lo''

2002: ''This Is Me... Then''

2005: ''Rebirth''

2007: ''Como ama una Mujer''

2007: ''Brave''

2011: ''Love?''

;Compilation albums

2002: ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes''

Tours [link]

;Concert tours

Juntos en Concierto (2007)

Dance Again World Tour (2012)

Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez in Concert (2012)

;Concerts

Let's Get Loud (2001)

Live in Portugal (2007)

Live in Athens (2008)

Live at the Mohegan Sun (2011)

Q'Viva! The Chosen Live (2012)

See also [link]

Personal life of Jennifer Lopez

List of Puerto Ricans

List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart

List of best-selling music artists

List of best selling music artists in U.S.

Notes [link]

References [link]

External links[link]

Official website for Jennifer Lopez fragrances

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:American dancers Category:American dance musicians Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American fashion businesspeople Category:American fashion designers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American voice actors Category:Hip hop singers Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Hispanic and Latino American women Category:Idol series judges Category:Krav Maga practitioners Category:Latin pop singers Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Notaries Category:People from the Bronx Category:Puerto Rican actors Category:Puerto Rican female singers Category:Spanish-language singers

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name	Jean-Yves Blondeau
birth name	Jean-Yves Blondeau
birth place	Aix-les-Bains, France
nationality	French
other names	Rollerman
known for	Inventing the 31-wheel roller suit
occupation	Designer
alma mater	École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art
parents	Paul BlondeauMicheline Blondeau
website	}}

Jean-Yves Blondeau (born 1970, Aix-les-Bains), also known as "Rollerman", is a French designer who is best known for inventing the 31-wheel roller suit.

Biography[link]

Jean-Yves Blondeau was born in 1970 in Aix-les-Bains, Savoy, France to Paul Blondeau and Micheline Blondeau. He has four brothers and a sister.

Buggy rollin[link]

Jean-Yves Blondeau is the inventor of the 31-wheel roller suit (also known as the wheel suit or buggy rollin). This suit places a number of rollers (similar to those found on rollerblades) on most of the major joints, the torso, and the back. The wearer can ride in a variety of positions (upright, prone, supine, on all fours, etc.) at speeds of up to 70 mph (116 km/h) in downhill. He has been featured on television shows in several countries on all continents. The buggy rollin wheel suit can be practiced on any similar surface as roller skate.

He carried out the roller suit as part of his graduation project at the industrial design school École nationale supérieure des arts appliqués et des métiers d'art (also known as the Olivier de Serres) in Paris. The study theme was: "systems that underline the sensations caused by the displacement of the human center of gravity in relation to support points in order to move into space". The research phase lasted for 6 months, followed by 1 month of synthesis and 2 months for producing the prototype. Then followed a year of secret patent application writing, finally published in June 1995.

Since then, six generations of buggy-rollins have been elaborated. They include different creations from the most basic kneepad with rollers to the most sophisticated one called "Super Rollin Bionic Woman" (SURBO). The prototypes have evolved into safer, more comfortable and easier machines that can be adapted to all different morphologies.

Two of his suits can be seen in a short scene partway through the end credits of the 2008 Jim Carrey film Yes Man. Two other suits were featured in a commercial for Mennen filmed in South Africa and intended for distribution in South America in 2010. He also featured in a commercial for Megapass, a broadband telecommunication service in South Korea. In 2011 he took part in Stan Lee's Superhumans TV program.

See also[link]

Inline speed skating

Road skating

References[link]

External links[link]

Buggy Rollin Official Website

Jean-Yves Blondeau at YouTube

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:French designers