Work of Art – Jaclyn Santos Infuriates Me
Another episode and another 50+ minutes of me ranting to my husband about my unapologetic loathing of Jaclyn Santos. At first, she didn’t bug me, but as the weeks have gone on my anger has grown. On last night’s episode, she was saved yet again by the untalented gods, while Ryan Schultz (who I grew to love) was cast aside. In my first Work of Art post, I was a bit hard on Ryan, but in the last couple of weeks he became an interesting and likable character on the show. Goodbye Ryan! Good luck with your art career!
Now, back to Jaclyn. I have 5 distinct reasons why she annoys me and boy I’m going to get technical and a little theoretical in this post, so please for those non-theory people bare with me.
5. The Note
During episode 6, Erik had a major meltdown and annoyed his team. The strange thing was the note, which stated “Argue with us on something insist–say it needs this. You need to convince us.” In her mind, I guess it’s chic to write in a cryptic language. The overall statement made sense, but a) passing a note is so grade school; b) she should’ve had a conversation with him. What all this adds up to is her inability to communicate effectively to others, which leads me to number 4.
4. Her Demeanor
This woman barely shows any emotions. How often is she seen talking with others? When does she ever smile, unless given a compliment on her work? An emotionless person on a reality show is not a big deal in the long run, but when mixed with other annoying characteristics and/or points of view, she then becomes the resident friendless bitch on the show.
3. Appropriating Someone’s Suggestion
On episode 4, Erik gave her a suggestion for her art piece, which of course was only relying on pictures of herself. With his suggestion to add a pen so people could make comments and write on her image, the judges fell over themselves in admiration. According to the judges she made herself vulnerable. When it came to the judging section of the show, she claimed that the idea was her own. Would it have been so hard for her to give Erik some credit? It was her ultimate artistic decision to take the advice; thus, it couldn’t have made her look bad as an artist.
2. Her Obsession with Showing Off her Body
Now, there have been 7 episodes of Work of Art. Episode 1–she brings the picture below a la the Britney Spears paparazzi car shot. Later in the episode, she has to do a self-portrait of someone else, so she can’t feature her own body. Episode 2-she has to work with technical refuse, and thus can’t feature her own body. Episode 3-she has to make a book cover for Pride and Prejudice and uses her body, because that succinctly sums up the novel? Episode 4-she has to make shocking art, so of course, she features her body and lets people write on it as per Erik’s suggestion. Episode 5-she has to recreate the Audi experience, so she takes pictures of men looking in the building, which she assumes is at her–I’ll attack this more below. Episode 6-she has to make an outdoor art piece with a group, and thus can’t feature her own body. Last night episode-she has to communicate her realization of wanting to become an artist, and thus can’t feature her own body. When she couldn’t feature her own body, she for the most part did poorly because she is lacking in range.
Yet despite that, I’m more annoyed by her own obsession with her body. Although the judges wrongly believe that she lays herself bare pun intended as a way to communicate her inner vulnerabilities, I believe she’s just a bit of a one trick pony. Perhaps, she believes that it contributes to her overall one class’s worth of Women’s Studies feminist aesthetic. I just don’t buy that, though. I think it feeds into her own insecurities and that by constantly showing off her body she invites the male gaze and receives validation. I have no problem with women asking to be looked at, but don’t demonize men when they do it. If you are an active participant, then understand the role you play.
1. Her Obsession with the Male Gaze
Ideas about the male gaze are in no way novel. It was first devised by Laura Mulvey in the seminal article “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in 1975. Did you catch that 1975. She also made a film, a very painful one in fact, called Riddles of the Sphinx in which Mulvey attempts to circumvent the male gaze by using a camera that slowly rotates in circles. Considering that in the realm of feminist film theory that the male gaze has been explored ad nauseum, I get a bit annoyed by Jaclyn who makes her work sound ground-breaking because she challenges the male gaze, especially in her Audi piece. Really judges this hasn’t all been done before? If the show wanted to go there and the judges were harsh enough, they should call her out for her gender studies retread art that only serves to showcase Jaclyn and her body issues rather than make a new statement about gender politics.
i concur …
but i looked at her blog page
http://jaclynsantos.com/blog/index.php
under “self-fulfilling prophecy”
& now feel less animosity
and hold a different perspective …
…”We are microphoned constantly and the storywriters are listening to our conversations trying to come up with a story.”…
i am still struggling with how she is portrayed …
Subjectively & Objectively suckie
As I have written before, I can only analyze the character’s that are on the screen.
I agree with you 100%. And even given the issues of editing, and being recorded constantly….she still did what she did that they showed. There’s no way she’s some sort of completely different person “off screen”.
I agree 100%. Jaclyn is obsessed with her own body. If she can’t paint or photograph herself nude or partially nude she struggles. Take the last episode. She couldn’t express how she even got into art.
I think she gets turned on by seeing people look at her body. Men may get turned on by her body, but as soon as she opens her mouth they must run away. She must be very shallow.
I enjoyed reading your blog.
Thanks!
I agree with everything you said. She drives me crazy and does not deserve to be on the show. Good art should make you feel something, so the fact that people hate her so much should count for something. However, it seems to be Jaclyn herself that creates the hatred, her actual art doesn’t make me feel anything.
Which leads me to my next statement. I don’t think Jaclyn is an artist at all. I live in LA where most of these reality shows are cast, and I also interned at a reality casting director’s office. Many of these contestants are actually actors who are just trying to get on TV. There are even agents who specialize in reality TV. She was probably contacted about the show because she put something on her resume about being able to draw. I don’t think she ever thought about being an artist before this show was created.
Regarding her obsession with her body, I think that she is either completely self absorbed, or possibly the victim of childhood abuse. The last episode at the Children’s museum where she could not talk about her childhood is another possible sign that there was some sort of abuse, as well as when she said she “used to hide in trees.” If that is the case, I feel sorry for her. If that is not the case, I feel nauseated towards her.
I know a few successful artists who started their careers simply doing what other, more insightful artist and directors told them to do. They have made a career of this and I don’t know how if we are any worse off.
Not sure the sex of everyone else that posted but I am a dude. She is the kind of women that gives the female gender a bad name. She flaunts her body and uses it as a tool and then pretends like she doesn’t know why men look at her or even want to talk to her. Pathetic. She is the kind of girl who thinks everyone in the room is starring at her and when they don’t she draws attention to herself.
It seems like the only reason she is still on the show is that other contestants are failing much worse than Jacklyn. If that isn’t the case, then its because of the many horny guys that watch the show!
I think they keep bringing her back so they can see more of her “work” – as in not her body of work but work done using her body. Her partner last night fully admitted to convincing her to take off her clothes because he knew the judges, and himself, would love seeing it again.
I’m studying art at high school and I’m required to research various artists. For some reason Jaclyn Santos came up. After looking on many sites of her and reading her blogs, as well as this page, i’ve come to realise that she is NOT an artist. Although she states the concepts behind her work shes simply a tart looking to take her clothes off and be acknowledged and famous as soon as possible for her body. She did state she wasnt popular when she was younger but thats no excuse to get naked and parade your body around at any chance you get. Art is more then being naked. Put your clothes on Jaclyn and get a clue.
Jaclyn’s work is inspired by her exploration of her sexuality…BIG DEAL! All of you conservatives and insecure jealous females hating on her… you probably have no right to comment on what is or is not art, due to the fact that your mind has been abused by society and religion. Jaclyn’s last piece on the show did not involve anything but nature and was gorgeous. The judges got that one all wrong, just like most of you leaving comments.
You’re just jealous.
If that’s your claim, then you didn’t understand the post in the first place. A woman can critique another woman and not be jealous. We are more intellectually competent than that.