Movie and Television Reviews

Two stars aligned to make this post relevant.

First, Merv Griffin passed away this week (R.I.P). I remember watching his show a few times as a kid and enjoying it. The interviews I've heard this week all speak kindly of him and certainly he's a man to admired for his work ethic and success in business.

Second, I watched the movie El Cantante, which I'll review later today. In one scene, Jennifer Lopez competes with a television image of Iris Chacon for husband Marc Antony's attention by dancing for him in a sort of "battle of the butts" (and earning El Cantante one bonus star in the Asymmetric rating scheme).

In a lot of ways, Lopez and Chacon are very similar. Both are Puerto Rican; both can dance well, but can't sing; and both are paid attention to for one (or two, depending on how you count) physical...umm...asset; although Iris Chacon is funnier and more likable than the imperiously obnoxious "diva," Jennifer Lopez.

Although both were popular at the same time, for reasons that had more than a little to do with the fact that I was a healthy boy of 12 at the time, I remember Iris Chacon better than Merv Griffin.*

In the interview above, Iris Chacon contrasts the female beauty ideal in Puerto Rico with that in the United States. Basically, Chacon points out that Puerto Rican men prefer a more voluptuous body (Iris, J-lo, Vida Guerra, Eva Mendes, etc.) than American Men (Elisha Cuthbert, Scarlett Johansson, with Paris Hilton the "skinny chick" apotheosis).

It seems to be true if you look at American media, but I don't think that it's a conscious decision or conspiracy on the part of men in Puerto Rico or the United States- American men didn't get together and deliberate until they decided on a beauty standard.

(Listen to a proper rendition of El Cumbanchero here)

Any difference in beauty preference between Puerto Ricans and Americans probably has to do with the simple truth that American women happen to have more slender bodies than Puerto Rican women. Assuming that people prefer that with which they're familiar, it makes sense that American men and Puerto Rican men would have different taste in women- that's what they see around them. I mean, I expect Intuit men to prefer women with those traits advantageous to cold climes and I don't expect Thai men to like Cameron Diaz.

And, when presented with women of "substance," American men have shown great enthusiasm. Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield, Sophia Loren, were all sex symbols in America. If you look at the Ask Men top ten admired women in America (I always research my posts-It's a tough job, but somebody has to so it), you'll see a large chunk of the women are of chunk, so to speak:

10. Elisha Cuthbert
9. Angelina Jolie
8. Maria Menounos
7. Shakira
6. Alessandra Ambrosio
5. Jessica Biel
4. Adriana Lima
3. Jessica Alba
2. Scarlett Johansson
1. Beyonce

I don't think most Puerto Rican men would find Scarlett Johansson disgusting, either.

Beyonce': Not exactly Twiggy.

*In the late seventies, only one television station, Univision, graced Los Angeles' airwaves, and even then, it was only on part of the day. The Iris Chacon Show was one of the variety shows shoehorned in between the telenovelas (soap operas).