We love Jennifer Lopez. She’s sexy, smart, and seems to have it all together. We’re pretty sure she hiccups glitter and greatness. But even she can mess up.
On last night’s premiere of the final season of American Idol (can we all breathe a sigh of relief that monster is finally ending?), judge J.Lo told auditioning contestant Lindita Hamili that she “sings like a heavy girl,” according to an AJC.com recap of the episode. Um..come again, J.Lo?
Evidently, Hamili told the Idol crew she had once been heavier, but she dropped some pounds and became a personal trainer, which is probably why J.Lo thought her comment was totally valid. We get it. Her waist size is slimmer, but she’s still got those powerhouse vocals you might expect to here from curvier musicians like Adele or Brittany Howard. But let’s be clear: slim women can still knock a crowd to their knees with their killer vocals (RIP Amy Winehouse), so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to J.Lo when someone who wears a sample size brings you to tears with the power of their pipes.
Obviously, having hips isn’t an insult, and J.Lo probably meant zero harm with her little comment. After all, she told Hamili she “nailed” her audition. But still, this is one weird little comment we could have lived without. Why not scream “YASSS” or whatever it is celebrities do when they experience joy? Why not tell her she’s got a powerful voice that’s killing the game or treat her like any other contestant who hadn’t mentioned he or she used to be heavier? But we know every conversation always has to circle back to the number on the scale, so it makes sense that Hamili’s ability to hit a high note would land next to the fact that she used to wear a larger dress size.
We still have a shrine to J.Lo, especially because she is one of the few celebrities with curves who Hollywood wants to see in a naked dress. But this comment doesn’t sit well with us. Some Idol viewers on Twitter agreed:
“She sings like a heavy girl.” What the hell does at mean @JLo. Sounds like fat shaming to me. #AmericanIdol
— Annie Pettit (@LoveStats) January 7, 2016
“She sings like a heavy girl” — judges already getting problematic on #IdolPremiere
— Ray Rahman (@RayRahman) January 7, 2016
That was a stupid comment, she sings like a heavy girl? Really J. Lo? People can sing regardless of their weight #AmericanIdol
— IG:SunniShelly (@Sunnishelly) January 7, 2016
Let us know what you think about this J.Lo gem in the comments.
Related links:
It’s Insane That Adele Wonders If She’s Successful Because She’s Curvy
Meet Lizzo the Singer Who Thinks It’s Crazy We’re Still Missing the Point About Size
