I cringed when I read about her statement as a born and raised in New Yorker. She will regret saying this and it will come back to bite her in the ass for a very long time. I've lost all respect for her as a human being.
My take on JLo's rant on who belongs..........if this was said by indigenous Americans to people landing here starting in the 1500's and 1600's, would it be okay to call ourselves Americans? What about their children, and their children and so on? Who among us feels good about that kind of behavior? For all who do, this is the seed of a big problem facing us now and in the future.
Because we are ALL human beings and we are part of a big nomadic tribe across the world. Where we end up or go in our lifetimes doesn't matter anywhere near as much as how we treat others wherever we go.
Why should her statement have more heft than anyone else’s? She has entertainment value but not sociological. OR maybe she does carry heft but that would be because WE gave it to her. There are lanes in life. Look to experts , not entertainers for helpful opinions.On 9/11 we were ALL New Yorkers.
I’ve lived across the river in *the sixth borough* all my life. My late husband too. Our lives, our children’s lives, were anchored in NYC.
She was born and raised in NYC. If you were born in New Jersey then you are from New Jersey. Period. You are not a New Yorker. You certainly have proximity to the city, and all that it offers, but your culture is Jersey.
I was born in Ohio. I came to New York after college in CT to go to law school. I arrived in NYC in 1979. I am a New Yorker. NY is a state of mind. I found her comments offensive.
Inclusion is just more kind than exclusion, is it not? America has (idealistically) opened her arms to all people. Also, each person is uniquely interesting and the sheer variety of kinds of people is incredibly rich. For those who feel like they are enough, exclusion of others is unscceptable. Thanks as ever, Anand, for your deep thinking.
I wasn’t born in NYC but I grew in Morningside Heights and then raised my children in Flushing where they were born. I’ve always identified as a New Yorker and always will no matter where I end up. Who is J Lo to tell me otherwise?! I love this city with my whole being. Ask my granddaughters, born and proud Floridians what their Grandmother is?
Thank you, Anand, again and again for your thoughtful responses. By any other name, yes, this is Trumpism logic. Us and Them divisiveness. Breaks my heart.
maybe only people who live in New York and ride the subway, even when they don't have movies to promote, but just to get places, are the 'real' New Yorkers (just kidding, riffing off of something you said...
Thanks Anand for your thoughts on the J.Lo controversy which I'm happy I missed this last weekend. I lived in NYC late 70's/early 80's and it had a profound effect on who I am today. I was 20 when I moved there and the great mash up of humanity I encountered was vibrant and vibrating. I met and worked with people from all over the globe and learned a ton about life and did a lot of stupid things (yeah the 20's...). I kind of feel like J.Lo is a bit of a knucklehead and not very self reflective. She's a person of privilege, a celebrity, an influencer and a major capitalist with a whole lot of side hustles. You'd think to elevate her brands she'd go the more inclusive route but I guess not. As an aside, her new movie on Netflix is a major dud. Long live NYC and everyone who has chosen it as home!
So, another rich celebrity who hasn't lived in New York for a long time wants to decide who is in the circle of real New Yorkers as the way to solve the problem of predatory capitalism? We moved here from Ohio in 1982, when the city was still reeling from the bad times of the 1970s, after the city ran out of money and "real New Yorkers" fled to the suburbs. At that time, 46% of the city's population had come from somewhere else and the city welcomed us with open arms because they desperately needed people to rebuild this city. Now she wants to negate the contributions of everyone who wasn't born here but makes this city a special place? How is that helpful? Talk about elites deciding who is in the circle and who is out.
I was born in paris france but have lived in LA for forty years . I love my city which is so diverse and consider myself an angeleno. Trying to separate people from a city they live in, work in and love is so silly.
This is a discussion that really does not matter. We belong wherever we stand today and never know where the river within us will take us tomorrow. If I look at my life I’ve travelled to over 70 countries and lived in so many other countries. I believe that I belonged wherever my heart took me. I think we simply go where we have to, we are all part of this magnificent planet and we all belong wherever we are and whoever we are. As I reflect on this issue it really doesn’t matter unless one is trying to tie belonging to having the right to live there. I still say, I’ll go where my heart takes me because in the last analysis my heart knows the way and where I should go.
Anand, I happily missed the whole internet J-Lo thing, but your sermon was right on time for me. Hallelujah brother. Please keep sharing your brilliant way of thinking about what we are living. Your real-time social analysis is so grounding in this deranged era.
I don't even understand why this is even a controversy. There are so many comments by actors/singers etc who may not have given as much thought and implications as Ananat and his readers. We really need to relax and just make our case.
It's not what a particular celebrity said that matters so much as the fact that her thoughtless comments resonated with so many people, triggering a viral internet discussion about who belongs. I understand Anand to be pointing out that this focus on who is in and who is out demonstrates how Trump's worldview is starting to influence our broader culture, and even people who don't like his worldview are falling under its spell. Anand is giving us a wakeup call. Anand said something very important about something that seemed meaningless.
Once again your intuition pierces the noise. Thank you Anand for calling out the subtle ways we can be manipulated into autocratic complicity. Like a slow hidden poison requiring constant vigilance the effort is exhausting. I appreciate all the help I can get deciphering the cacophony. Let’s make America think again.
I cringed when I read about her statement as a born and raised in New Yorker. She will regret saying this and it will come back to bite her in the ass for a very long time. I've lost all respect for her as a human being.
Thank you for that Sharon
My take on JLo's rant on who belongs..........if this was said by indigenous Americans to people landing here starting in the 1500's and 1600's, would it be okay to call ourselves Americans? What about their children, and their children and so on? Who among us feels good about that kind of behavior? For all who do, this is the seed of a big problem facing us now and in the future.
Because we are ALL human beings and we are part of a big nomadic tribe across the world. Where we end up or go in our lifetimes doesn't matter anywhere near as much as how we treat others wherever we go.
Thank you Deborah, for your insight and broad mindedness.
Why should her statement have more heft than anyone else’s? She has entertainment value but not sociological. OR maybe she does carry heft but that would be because WE gave it to her. There are lanes in life. Look to experts , not entertainers for helpful opinions.On 9/11 we were ALL New Yorkers.
I’ve lived across the river in *the sixth borough* all my life. My late husband too. Our lives, our children’s lives, were anchored in NYC.
She was born and raised in NYC. If you were born in New Jersey then you are from New Jersey. Period. You are not a New Yorker. You certainly have proximity to the city, and all that it offers, but your culture is Jersey.
I was born in Ohio. I came to New York after college in CT to go to law school. I arrived in NYC in 1979. I am a New Yorker. NY is a state of mind. I found her comments offensive.
Inclusion is just more kind than exclusion, is it not? America has (idealistically) opened her arms to all people. Also, each person is uniquely interesting and the sheer variety of kinds of people is incredibly rich. For those who feel like they are enough, exclusion of others is unscceptable. Thanks as ever, Anand, for your deep thinking.
I wasn’t born in NYC but I grew in Morningside Heights and then raised my children in Flushing where they were born. I’ve always identified as a New Yorker and always will no matter where I end up. Who is J Lo to tell me otherwise?! I love this city with my whole being. Ask my granddaughters, born and proud Floridians what their Grandmother is?
Thank you, Anand, again and again for your thoughtful responses. By any other name, yes, this is Trumpism logic. Us and Them divisiveness. Breaks my heart.
maybe only people who live in New York and ride the subway, even when they don't have movies to promote, but just to get places, are the 'real' New Yorkers (just kidding, riffing off of something you said...
I can attest to Anand riding the subway since I saw him going up the subway stairs while I was changing trains.
I don't doubt it, He made a dig on J Lo in the piece about the subway, and I was just riffing on it.
and I found his piece to be very thought provoking and important- I'm a big fan in general of his, and his team's, work
I let him know I was a big fan and a subscriber.
Thanks Anand for your thoughts on the J.Lo controversy which I'm happy I missed this last weekend. I lived in NYC late 70's/early 80's and it had a profound effect on who I am today. I was 20 when I moved there and the great mash up of humanity I encountered was vibrant and vibrating. I met and worked with people from all over the globe and learned a ton about life and did a lot of stupid things (yeah the 20's...). I kind of feel like J.Lo is a bit of a knucklehead and not very self reflective. She's a person of privilege, a celebrity, an influencer and a major capitalist with a whole lot of side hustles. You'd think to elevate her brands she'd go the more inclusive route but I guess not. As an aside, her new movie on Netflix is a major dud. Long live NYC and everyone who has chosen it as home!
great thoughts! How easily we slip into clan thinking while opposing the same thinking 🤔
So, another rich celebrity who hasn't lived in New York for a long time wants to decide who is in the circle of real New Yorkers as the way to solve the problem of predatory capitalism? We moved here from Ohio in 1982, when the city was still reeling from the bad times of the 1970s, after the city ran out of money and "real New Yorkers" fled to the suburbs. At that time, 46% of the city's population had come from somewhere else and the city welcomed us with open arms because they desperately needed people to rebuild this city. Now she wants to negate the contributions of everyone who wasn't born here but makes this city a special place? How is that helpful? Talk about elites deciding who is in the circle and who is out.
Per George Eliot: “It’s never too late to become what you might have been.” I guess J. Lo would contend that this doesn’t apply to being a New Yorker.
I was born in paris france but have lived in LA for forty years . I love my city which is so diverse and consider myself an angeleno. Trying to separate people from a city they live in, work in and love is so silly.
This is a discussion that really does not matter. We belong wherever we stand today and never know where the river within us will take us tomorrow. If I look at my life I’ve travelled to over 70 countries and lived in so many other countries. I believe that I belonged wherever my heart took me. I think we simply go where we have to, we are all part of this magnificent planet and we all belong wherever we are and whoever we are. As I reflect on this issue it really doesn’t matter unless one is trying to tie belonging to having the right to live there. I still say, I’ll go where my heart takes me because in the last analysis my heart knows the way and where I should go.
Anand, I happily missed the whole internet J-Lo thing, but your sermon was right on time for me. Hallelujah brother. Please keep sharing your brilliant way of thinking about what we are living. Your real-time social analysis is so grounding in this deranged era.
I don't even understand why this is even a controversy. There are so many comments by actors/singers etc who may not have given as much thought and implications as Ananat and his readers. We really need to relax and just make our case.
It's not what a particular celebrity said that matters so much as the fact that her thoughtless comments resonated with so many people, triggering a viral internet discussion about who belongs. I understand Anand to be pointing out that this focus on who is in and who is out demonstrates how Trump's worldview is starting to influence our broader culture, and even people who don't like his worldview are falling under its spell. Anand is giving us a wakeup call. Anand said something very important about something that seemed meaningless.
Once again your intuition pierces the noise. Thank you Anand for calling out the subtle ways we can be manipulated into autocratic complicity. Like a slow hidden poison requiring constant vigilance the effort is exhausting. I appreciate all the help I can get deciphering the cacophony. Let’s make America think again.