Backbone.js el is not working

App.Views.VideoView = Backbone.View.extend({
    initialize: function() {
        _.bindAll(this, 'render');
        this.model = this.options.model;
        this.render();
    },
    render: function() {
        JST.video({
            model: this.model
        });
        return this;
    }
});

App.Views.PlayListView = Backbone.View.extend({
    el: $("#playlistWrapper"),
    initialize: function(videos) {
        _.bindAll(this, 'render');
        this.modelViews = $.map(videos.models, function(model, i) {
            return new App.Views.VideoView({
                model: model
            });
        })
        this.render();

    },
    render: function() {
        var that = this;
        $(this.el).clear();
        $.each(this.modelViews, function(i, modelView) {
            $(that).el.append(modelView.render().el);
        });

        return this;
    }
});

i am always getting below error

$(this.el).clear is not a function
[Break On This Error] $(this.el).clear(); 

it seems my el of PlayerListView is empty.

i have div with id playlistWrapper.

if i use jquery selector for playlistWrapper it gives proper element.

what am i doing wrong.