Jennifer Lopez cannot believe the incredibly positive reviews she’s getting over her lead role in the film “Hustlers.” She was so moved that she cried on national TV. Last week while being interviewed by Hoda Kotb, Lopez expressed her emotional reaction over the surprising reviews for her role, which some critics say could get her an Acadamy Award nomination. Here’s just a snippet of what film critics are saying about the film that made a big debut this weekend. “Hustlers asks what a movie like Goodfellas looks like with women at the center of the story,” one film critic said. “If nothing else, we get to see Jennifer Lopez command the screen as easily as Ramona does the stage, offering up a seductive awards-worthy performance that makes us remember why she became a movie star in the first place,” another said. 

There is at least one person who isn’t raving about Lopez’s role, and that’s the one who inspired the film. 

Samantha Barbash, the woman who inspired “Hustlers,” said she would have liked to have seen Cardi B in the lead role instead of Jennifer Lopez. 

Credit: Instagram/@iam_missfoxita

The 45-year-old said in an interview with Hollywood Life that rapper Cardi B should have portrayed her instead of the veteran actress, even though this is Cardi’s first film. “I said it from day one, even to the producer. Cardi doesn’t have the acting skills that Jennifer does, but Cardi could relate more to who I was because even though she wasn’t in the same club, we were in the same industry,” she told the lifestyle website. “If Cardi took some acting lessons and shadowed me, I’m sure that she would have played a better role for my character.”

Barbash goes on to say that she is flattered that Lopez wanted to play her in a movie but stresses that the film got several things wrong about her. 

Credit: Instagram/@iam_missfoxita

For starters, Barbash wasn’t a stripper at all. The film, based on a 2015 New York magazine article, shows Lopez as a stripper who ends up drugging wealthy bankers and robs them of their money. However, Barbash said she was never a stripper. Barbash actually worked at a strip club in New York City as a hostess. Yes, the other stuff about the drugs and taking their money is correct, but seeing Lopez play her a stripper didn’t sit well with her. Barbash also said that Lopez never reached out to her in order to learn about her mannerisms, which is what actors do when they’re portraying real-life characters. Even when the real-life character is deceased, actors still study old footage to learn more about the role they are playing. You may recall the extensive research Lopez said she did to portray Selena Quintanilla. She even slept in her bed to get into deep character.  

Earlier this year, Barbash said she would release her own memoir about the ordeal (which she did) that got her 5 years probation and said she planned to sue the filmmakers. 

Credit: Instagram/@iam_missfoxita

“This is a living nightmare,” Barbash said in April in the New York Post after videos leaked of Lopez on a stripper pole. “So now I’m going to have to do a lawsuit. I’m getting a gag order.” Bruno Gioffre, also said back then, that Barbash was “considering all legal avenues with the possibility injunctive relief, including a lawsuit.” The movie was made despite her legal threats. Today, Barbash is an entrepreneur and owns her own spa business. 

We can see why she would have preferred to see Cardi B in the title role. 

Credit: Instagram/@iamcardib

The Bronx rapper did admit to drugging men and robbing them, just like the characters did in the movie “Hustlers.” In 2017, Barbash was charged for conspiracy, assault, and grand larceny in exchange for five years probation. 

In March, Card admitted on social media that during her stint as a stripper in New York she too did what the “Hustlers” did in the movie. “I had to go strip, I had to go, ‘Oh yeah, you want to f*ck me? Yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s go to this hotel,’ and I drugged n*****s up and I robbed them. That’s what I used to do.” 

Soon after that post, Cardi said she it was wrong of her to do that and has since tried to make a better life for herself. 

READ: Critics Think Jennifer Lopez Gave An Oscar-Worthy Performance In ‘Hustlers’

I know I speak for many when I say there was a collective ‘WTF’ moment when news broke that LeBron James was trying to trademark the now ubiquitous phrase “Taco Tuesday.”

Sure, many of us are devout lovers (some may even say super fans) of the Mexican food classic. Like seriously, we stan all kids of tacos. Al pastor. Barbacoa. Vegano. Nopal. Bistec. Todos. But I would never think about trying to trademark a now popular phrase that has already entered the mainstream lexicon. Like maybe I’m just not that bold (slash delusional) but it just doesn’t seem like something a normal person would do.

Enter The King himself, LeBron James.

The King’s campaign to own ‘Taco Tuesday’ was flat out rejected on Wednesday.

LeBron James took a major loss today when in request to trademark the phrase “Taco Tuesday” was rejected by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. James, who has engaged his social media fans on Instagram with his videos of him and his family and friends eating tacos on Tuesday, was rumored to be looking to brand the videos and continue to do what he does best: make money.

The news that the request was denied comes from Darren Rovell, who tweeted out the decision on LeBron James’ request, which followed the L.A. Lakers’ star’s decision to try and trademark the commonly used phrase just a few weeks ago.

All this Taco Tuesday madness began when it was reported that James had filed a trademark request for the phrase.

James filed the trademark late last month through his company, LBJ Trademarks LLC, with the intention of using “Taco Tuesday” for “podcasting services,” as well as “online entertainment services… and social media posts in the field of sports, entertainment, current events and popular culture.” His company also acknowledged their plans to use the phrase for advertising and marketing services. It was only a matter of time until LeBron James attempted to monetize “Taco Tuesday”. 

For weeks, LeBron has been yelling the phrase “Taco Tuesday” on social media and it seems like he’s trying to own the phrase for social media posts and an upcoming podcast.

James applied for the trademark after he began posting Taco Tuesday posts on his social media channels, showing his family enjoying, you guessed it, tacos on Tuesdays (real original, James…)

Many scoffed at James’ trademark attempt, as “Taco Tuesday” is, as the government decided, an extremely common phrase, but according to James’ spokesperson everything went according to plan.

And let’s not forget, a Wyoming taco joint already owns the official rights to ”Taco Tuesday.”

Unfortunately, for James, even though his “Taco Tuesday” request was reviewed, according to Josh Gerben, a small Mexican restaurant in Wyoming actually already owns the phrase, which is pretty hilarious when you consider every single taco joint uses it for marketing every Tuesday night.

Given the fact everyone likes to pile on LeBron James when something like this happens, social media had some pretty A+ reactions to the news. 

That’s right people! #TacoTuesday belongs to toda la gente! I don’t care how many coins you’ve got or what you do, you can’t take that away from us.

Some speculated as to what the basketball great may try and go after next…

Throwback Thursday, Casual Friday, Hump Day, Thirsty Thursday, Flashback Friday, Man Crush Monday…are they all at risk of being trademarked these days?

Many on Twitter claimed to have already filed their own trademarks for some of these popular hashtags. Some hope to beat others to the punch. But given the reason cited by the judge who rejected James’ request – that it already enjoyed popular widespread use – none of these are likely to be approved.

Some took to GIFs to express their emotions.

I mean that’s a pretty accurate depiction of what happened in this case.

While some on Twitter were upset about the supposed double standard happening with this case.

To many on Twitter, this was a classic case of cultural appropriation at work. A person from outside one community was trying to profit and capitalize off the hard work and culture of another community. Many were left wondering where the outrage was at?

Latino Twitter wasn’t having any of this crazy publicity stunt.

Though the group was small, there were several Latinos annoyed that someone from outside the community would attempt to profit off a food that’s important to a different community.

And some pointed out that only a person of privilege and wealth would be able to attempt something like this.

And it’s totally true. There’s a steep application fee just to start the process plus, in most cases, you need a lawyer to argue your case for you. Lawyers are not cheap.

There’s just one thing that this publicity stunt succeeded at…

I’m beyond craving some good tacos right now and no, it’s not Taco Tuesday. But maybe Taco Thursday could be a thing?