# Jersey Girl - J-Lo's character does something (BIG SPOILER ALERT)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 9, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492 "2003-10-09T15:27:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/1 "2003-10-09T15:27:29Z")
That’s not a spoiler. She’s in it for a very short time at the beginning.
That’s to let people who are judging the film as a “Bennifer” movie know that no, it is NOT a Bennifer movie.
**7-year old Raquel Castro is Gertie, the “Jersey Girl” in the title, not Lopez.**
Please, pass the word that people who think Lopez is the "Jersey Girl’ are ignorant folks who should check some facts before they go spouting off.
Basic plot:
Liv Tyler plays Ben Affleck’s 2nd wife, who marries her after his first wife (Lopez) **DIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM** and leaves him with a young daughter to raise.
It’s a small, sweet romantic comedy/drama, about love and family. This film is unlike anything else Kevin Smith has done. From everything I’ve heard about it, people who hate Kevin Smith movies will probably love it, while Smith’s regular slacker fans will hate it.
I love Kevin Smith films, but I think I’ll love this one too, based on what I’ve heard.
I hate hate hate the bad rap it’s getting already, for no reason. The ignorant blatherings of those trying to create bad buzz out of thin air should be counteracted.
If it’s a bad movie, we’ll find out. I don’t think it will be, and it’s insane to create bad buzz when NOBODY has seen it yet.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/2 "2003-10-09T19:41:44Z")
Look, you seem well-intentioned, **Equipoise** , but you commit at least three “Doper Don’ts” with this thread that are fundamental violations of this board:
1. You have a Spoiler in your Thread Title - great you don’t think it is a spoiler, but it is not for you to decide. Call the thread something like “Jersey Girl is worth a shot” or something…
2. You don’t indicate spoilers will be discussed with a “(Spoilers!”) in the thread title.
3. You don’t use Spoiler boxes in the thread itself.
Like it or not, a character dying in a movie is a spoiler unless the movie’s title is “so and so dies”. I am not a fan of Bennifer, but I don’t dislike them either - frankly, I don’t care. I am frustrated by your lack of netiquette…
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### Author:  [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/3 "2003-10-09T19:45:26Z")
Oh, well, great. With a Kevin Smith film, to boot.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/4 "2003-10-09T19:59:04Z")
It’s a premise, not a spoiler. If I say that Spiderman has spider powers in a thread title that’s not a spoiler either.
I like the idea of J-Lo dying at the beginning of the movie. I think that should happen in all of her movies. Now if only Ben Affleck would die at the beginning too, we might have a watchable film on our hands.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/5 "2003-10-09T20:05:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by WordMan \*
> \*\*Look, you seem well-intentioned, **Equipoise** , but you commit at least three “Doper Don’ts” with this thread that are fundamental violations of this board:
>
> 1. You have a Spoiler in your Thread Title - great you don’t think it is a spoiler, but it is not for you to decide. Call the thread something like “Jersey Girl is worth a shot” or something…
>
> 2. You don’t indicate spoilers will be discussed with a “(Spoilers!”) in the thread title.
>
> 3. You don’t use Spoiler boxes in the thread itself.
>
> Like it or not, a character dying in a movie is a spoiler unless the movie’s title is “so and so dies”. I am not a fan of Bennifer, but I don’t dislike them either - frankly, I don’t care. I am frustrated by your lack of netiquette… \*\*
As I explained in the Pit thread (wow, I got pitted!), imagine if, before the ads for the movie Signs came out, and I knew enough about the plot to say that it’s about a man trying to cope after his wife’s death (among, ha, other things).
If Jennifer Lopez played Gibson’s wife, and people started whining about how they won’t go see a movie with Jennifer Lopez, and I said:
SHE DIES AT THE BEGINNING! YOU HARDLY SEE HER AT ALL!!
well, it’s the same thing. It really isn’t a spoiler. It’s a basic plot point that must be pointed out for the rest of the movie to make any sense.
When the ads and reviews do come out, it has to be revealed immediately that Lopez’s character dies because the plot wouldn’t exist unless she died! Or else Affleck’s character would seem to be a bigamist, which would be a bit confusing to the potential audience. (“What, Affleck’s married to J-Lo AND Liv Tyler? What?? Why isn’t he in jail?”)
I care very much about netiquette, honestly I do, but it really isn’t a spoiler unless someone wants to go into a movie without having read one review, seen one preview, heard one synopsis, or overheard any talk whatsoever until the moment the lights go down. How many people go into a movie not knowing ANYTHING whatsoever? Ok, some small indie and foreign films, maybe, but otherwise.
It’s akin to revealing that Roxie Hart kills her husband at the beginning of the movie.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/6 "2003-10-09T20:10:46Z")
Premise. Yep, that’s the word I was searching for.
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/7 "2003-10-09T20:35:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Equipoise \*
> \*\*As I explained in the Pit thread (wow, I got pitted!), imagine if, before the ads for the movie Signs came out, and I knew enough about the plot to say that it’s about a man trying to cope after his wife’s death (among, ha, other things).
>
> \*\*
JEEZ! Thanks for spoiling **Signs** for me! :mad:
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [October 9, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/8 "2003-10-09T20:35:49Z")
I realize I’m violating the advice I’m about to give, here, but maybe it would be a good idea not to post to this thread until the mods have a chance to change the title. Every time you bump this thread, you’re keeping it at the top of the page, and exposing more people to the spoiler.
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/9 "2003-10-10T15:22:27Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Equipoise \*
> \*\*That’s not a spoiler. \*\*
Yeah, it is.
Don’t do that anymore, mmmkay?
– Uke, Cafe Society moderator.
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### Author:  [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/10 "2003-10-10T18:24:04Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by voguevixen \*
> \*\*JEEZ! Thanks for spoiling **Signs** for me! :mad: \*\*
Not to mention _Chicago_! :mad:
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### Author:  [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/11 "2003-10-10T19:48:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> It’s akin to revealing that Roxie Hart kills her husband at the beginning of the movie.
So it’s incorrect, then?
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/12 "2003-10-12T18:36:09Z")
Well, it’s NOT a spoiler, but since I can’t prove it until the movie actually gets close to release, I’ll defer to the mods for now.
I’m a :wally (for the Chicago mistake, not for my original thread title)
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Interrobang!? \*
> \*\*So it’s incorrect, then? \*\*
That was a very stupid mistake on my part. As I said in the Pit thread, I love **Chicago** , I saw it 5 times in the theater, so I don’t know what that brain fart was about. I guess I need to eat more fish.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/13 "2003-10-12T18:39:36Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \*
> Originally posted by voguevixen
> JEEZ! Thanks for spoiling Signs for me!
>
> \*\*Not to mention _Chicago_! :mad: \*\*
You guys are kidding, right?
Well hell, did you know **The Godfather** is about
GANGSTERS!?
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### Author:  [@Jello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jello)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/14 "2003-10-12T20:13:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \*
> \*\*It’s a premise, not a spoiler. If I say that Spiderman has spider powers in a thread title that’s not a spoiler either.
>
> I like the idea of J-Lo dying at the beginning of the movie. I think that should happen in all of her movies. Now if only Ben Affleck would die at the beginning too, we might have a watchable film on our hands. \*\*
Exactly - it’s not a spoiler, it’s a selling point.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/15 "2003-10-15T03:39:04Z")
News article:
Ben And Jennifer Downplayed In ‘Jersey Girl’ Ads
Mon Oct 13,11:00 AM ET
LAUNCH Radio Networks
Although Ben Affleck (news) and Jennifer Lopez are international A-list stars, the studio that’s distributing the couple’s next film has decided it’s better off not talking quite so much about the leads of the film. Even though folks can’t seem to get enough of the tabloid regulars, Miramax has decided to “spin” the advertising around their next film, Jersey Girl, more around director Kevin Smith (news). This is likely to be the biggest promotion that Smith has ever received, given that his films so far have been mostly cult favorites and less major-market smashes–they include Dogma, Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, Chasing Amy and Mallrats. According to PeopleNews, Miramax decided to rethink its marketing campaign following what seems to be a, quote, “Ben n’ Jen backlash.”
Lopez has only a small part in Jersey Girl and her character actually dies fairly early on into the script. The film is set for a 2004 release, following a bit of a release-date shuffle after the last Ben and Jen film, Gigli, bombed at the box office.
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### Author:  [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2003, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jersey-girl-j-los-character-does-something-big-spoiler-alert/206492/16 "2003-10-15T09:37:18Z")
Any film where Jen doesn’t sing “Taco Flavored Kisses” is a disappointment to me.