Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Are the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton of the 2020s

As a long-time cinema enthusiast who has witnessed the rise and fall of many iconic Hollywood couples, I find myself saddened by the news of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez’s impending divorce. Their love story, filled with highs and lows, was one that I felt deeply invested in, having followed their journey since their initial whirlwind romance over two decades ago.

It’s quite heartbreaking to learn that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck decided to end their marriage on the same day they were supposed to exchange vows in Georgia last year (2022). So far, we have been privileged to follow along with their beautiful love journey.

According to an article by Stephen Rodrick for this magazine, Lopez dared her career with the album and movie titled “This Is Me… Now.” The record is filled with love songs chronicling a personal journey that helped Lopez forgive herself and accept Affleck’s love again. (They were together from 2002 to 2004, got engaged, and later reunited and married in July 2022. Their relationship was captured in Lopez’s song “Midnight Trip to Vegas,” followed by a private ceremony at Affleck’s Georgia estate the next month.) The movie, where Lopez invested $20 million of her own money, also stars Affleck as her onscreen lover in its finale. A behind-the-scenes documentary titled “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” was made about the film production, featuring Lopez and Affleck discussing the inspiration for this artistic project. In total, there were three unique creative endeavors dedicated to their love story.

1. The trio titled “This Is Me… Now” failed to resonate with the audience. Jennifer Lopez’s tour promoting the album underwent a transformation, shifting focus to her greatest hits – “Let’s Get Loud,” while avoiding personal matters. However, the tour was ultimately canceled altogether. This cancellation sparked speculation about Lopez needing time to handle marital issues. The couple’s separation and the sale of their shared home were constant sources of troubling news.

Reflecting on the outcome of “This Is Me… Now,” there’s an undeniable melancholic undertone. In the documentary, Affleck appears to be making a concerted effort to support Lopez, evident in his delight at examining her production equipment. This is a hopeful aspect. However, a chilling comment casts a shadow over the entire project: Affleck notes the irony of titling their story “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” and then, in essence, narrating it.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve noticed a pattern in their tale – a dance of history repeating itself. Their first romance, set against the backdrop of the tabloid era they significantly shaped, was a spectacle that shimmered so brightly it blinded even them. They were two vibrant stars with an affinity for turning the private into public; their engagement was declared in a candid Diane Sawyer interview, and they shared sweet moments in Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny From the Block” music video. (That video was designed to mimic paparazzi footage, which could be seen as a clever tactic to control gossip-industry production or simply an acknowledgment that, despite its intrusive nature, it can still feel fantastic to have your photograph taken when you’re with the one you adore.)

As someone who grew up during the peak of celebrity culture, I can’t help but look back and reflect on the era of the “supercouples.” The unforgettable pairings like “Bennifer,” “Brangelina,” and “TomKat” dominated headlines and captivated the public’s attention. These couples seemed to embody an aura of invincibility, with their relationships being more about branding and public image than true love.

Affleck and Lopez have always been quite flamboyant individuals who live life boldly, and their breakup was as dramatic as a daytime soap opera, with rumors about property transactions and art deals hinting at what the ex-pair were hiding. In contrast, the film “This Is Me… Now,” which portrays the Zodiac signs as celestial gods, seems to misunderstand Lopez’s journey towards self-love. The movie makes it appear as if her personal life and art are the universe’s focal points. However, there was a certain charm and emotional depth to their relationship that even power couples like Pitt and Jolie couldn’t quite match. Both Affleck and Lopez weren’t afraid to put their pride aside for love.

Affleck, following his second Oscar win for “Argo” and subsequent battles with alcohol addiction requiring two rehab stays, has recently appeared to be a man struggling with his celebrity status. Despite this discomfort, he has willingly placed himself in situations that seem awkward. Similarly, Lopez, still relatively fresh from the pinnacle of her career, following her successful Super Bowl performance and role in “Hustlers,” deliberately sabotaged her career to express her love for her husband. Due to societal biases towards women, their initial breakup had a significant negative impact on Lopez’s career trajectory. With resentment against her as strong as ever, it remains painfully uncertain how she will navigate her comeback this time around.

But don’t count her out, perhaps: Lopez, as a celebrity, is about as canny as they come, with a quality that sets her apart from her peers. Watching “This Is Me… Then,” one is struck by how completely devoid of irony it is — it’s a study in vicarious embarrassment in part because of how open Lopez allows herself to be, in service of a project that doesn’t work. She herself concedes that there’s no market desire for the project — her recent successes have been in film acting and live performance of catalog hits. “It’s not like anyone is clamoring for the next J.Lo record,” she tells the camera. But she couldn’t not do it, just as Affleck can’t not appear as her date at random awards shows he clearly doesn’t want to attend. They need to be together in public, but the publicity, in the end, is the reason why they cannot.

Instead of using their relationship for public image management, it was simply a part of their way of life. They weren’t the epitome of Brangelina in any of their relationships; they were more like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton – superstars who married and divorced twice, allowing the world to witness their tumultuous love story and professional collaborations intertwined with pain and passion. Just as Liz and Dick symbolize a different era, Bennifer too harks back to a time that feels more sincere than our current one.

2024-08-21 03:47

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Are the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton of the 2020s

Read More

Minority Mindset