1) The film gone too far was a film about the stereotypes of black people in Peckham who are divided by their culture the Africans and Caribbeans. I found the film to be culturally different and an awarding experience because through the film we can clearly see what is meant to be done in terms of the message that the director was getting through. The main character had a typical role of someone who is young and growing up in London who was trying to hide his culture but when his brother comes it changes as being African is not cool. The film is definitely a comedic one and i think it was a good film for someone trying to gain insight to another culture especially life in London. I would give the film 5/10 due to the humour and clear message that it gives. The film could've been better in terms of the actual issues that it addresses because people who are watching the film are aware of the issues and debates that the film makes clear but there isn't any actual reasons for the mindset of people during that time who were Caribbean and why they hated Africans. There were a few examples but the main interpretation was that it wasn't cool. Another thing that the film did was get rid of the negative stereotypes of Peckham and instead of making it violent and gory there where scenes where some violence occurred but it was done in a humorous way.
2) "This house believes that films featuring ethnic minorities should only be produced by those who have the ethnic identity being represented."
I think that this should be done because those who are being represented may not like the way that their ethnic group has been represented by a another ethnic group. A black director to produce a film representing a black people and to be criticised isn't as bad as a white director doing this and being criticised. This is because those who are white haven't experienced the things that black people have had to go through which differentiates them much more than the culture of both of the ethnic groups. Films which involve other ethnic groups are also taken more seriously because of the stereotypes that people have of that specific group or the negative way that they're being portrayed.
Furthermore, to try and understand someones culture and race is another thing which can cause a bias or stereotypical interpretation of what they see as the typical person from that ethnic minority group and these can also damage the people of that ethnic group because of the poor way they're being treated which has a big impact on how people view them in society after as well. If a film reinforces a negative stereotype when the film is published millions of people would've seen it by then and the stereotype of an ethnic group would just be reinforced because of someones misinterpretation that could've been avoided if there was someone of that ethnic minority making that film instead.
However people may argue against this and say if you can learn about your own culture and then why cant you do the same for another persons culture or if not they might have been raised in that culture. An example of this would be people living in London and the diverse community we have some areas are dominated by certain ethnic groups so why couldn't that have affected the way someone has been raised and what they know about another ethnic group. The film may also be about something that they've been through but is also stereotypical about a certain ethnic group. We can see this with the films 'Kidulthood' and 'Adulthood', the film is based on a group pf boys in London and what they get up to but the main character in the film is black himself and it is stereotypical for someone who is black to have the negative role in the film if they have the leading one. This is something which can damage the ethnic group but if someone of another culture decides to represent something that they've gone through with another ethnic minority group it may just be for the purpose of acting and getting the message across rather than trying to portray the life of someone who is infact black and living in London who has been apart of a gang or group.
In conclusion I think that those who are of that ethnic group should produce films that are to do with their ethnic group because they are more likely to have experienced certain things that other groups haven't and this would avoid any problems of misinterpretation.
Tuesday 29 November 2016
Monday 28 November 2016
Essay plan
To what extent does the rap music genre
reinforce negative stereotypes of black African-Americans, with particular
reference to ‘Straight Outta Compton’?
Introduction (50)
Racism in society - Past/Present (150)
Page 209 - "black people have a complicated relationship with America. For us it's painful love"
Page 210 - "I'm not trying to give up my blackness"
Main Text: Straight Outta Compton (400)
[16] http://www.themsuspokesman.com/2013/12/21/does-hip-hop-drive-negative-stereotypes-of-black-men/
"Some rappers like NWA have used songs like, “F**k the Police”, to express police brutality. A verse from Rocko’s song, “U.O.E.N.O” said “Got my killers with me right now” lets their opposition know they are ready to fight. Sex was the main message from Big Krit in, “What You Mean You Ain’t Nasty?”
“The negative stories told daily in the media and in our culture about our young African-American men tend to ignore their successes and don’t tell the full story about how young Black men are becoming leaders within our community schools,” said Gholson who also helped them organize the project.
"People are being nitpicky because what we put in the movie is the story of NWA, everything else you can Google it and there have been a thousand things said about NWA in its existence."
IDEOLOGY - The group itself within the film N.W.A stands for n*****s with attitude, due to this promotes fighting back and not conforming to the norm of society which silences their opinions. It also promotes rap record label Ruthless Records which N.W.A was signed to also rapper Eazy E himself.
REPRESENTATION - The representation of black males in the films are negative and are seen to be violent. The way they dress are seen to be as thugs which is seen to be a reason why they should be stopped randomly and searched in the street
LANGUAGES AND FORMS - The film was designed to have the specific songs to show the police brutality and the reason behind what was happening in the lives of the rappers.
NARRATIVE - The film is about the lives of rappers who are apart of the group N.W.A, it is about how they started off in the ghetto and worked their way up to becoming one of the best rap groups of all time.
Political:
Issues and Debates (300)
[11] https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/oct/10/reggie-yates-how-i-confronted-police-brutality-on-the-streets-of-chiraq
[12] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/over-3000-police-officers-being-investigated-for-alleged-assault-and-almost-all-of-them-are-still-on-10220091.html#gallery
Historical text 1: N.W.A - 'Straight Outta Compton' music video (250)
Historical text 2: Boyz n the Hood (250)
"Men of color held in esteem by the media, while entirely worthy of praise, too often personify a circumscribed spectrum of human qualities. Prowess in sports, physical achievement in general and musicality are emphasized inordinately. Common role models depicted by the media such as rap or hip-hop stars and basketball players imply limited life choices. When is the last time you have seen a black college professor, doctor, lawyer or scientist selling a product?"
Comparing the texts (250)
Page 8 - “rap artistry ensures raps existence of the margins of many black communities”
Future for black African Americans and racism (250)
Page 6 - “negative rap songs and their accompanying videos often instil erotic sadism in the black male child”
Conclusion (100)
Introduction (50)
- What the issues and debates are
- Explain what it is being researched
- Name the main text
Racism in society - Past/Present (150)
- The victims of racism
- What people have done and doing which is seen to be racist
- Who's at fault
- Why racism exists and still does
- Representation and stereotyping - Black males in America are seen to be violent and in a gang which is why people have negative representations of them.
- Media effects - Negative representations of young people and if they're in a gang then black males are usually used or other ethnic minorities to reinforce the negative stereotype.
- Stuart Hall - dominant readings
- Binary oppositions - Levi Strauss
Page 209 - "black people have a complicated relationship with America. For us it's painful love"
Page 210 - "I'm not trying to give up my blackness"
Main Text: Straight Outta Compton (400)
- What the film is about
- How stereotypes are reinforced
- Racism towards black people
- Rap Culture
- How it links to wider debates and issues
- The use of the characters
- The reason behind the actions of people
- Blumler + Katz; personal identity, personal relationships
- Subverts stereotypes; deception and Barthes action codes
- Stuart Hall - dominant readings
- Binary oppositions - Levi Strauss
[16] http://www.themsuspokesman.com/2013/12/21/does-hip-hop-drive-negative-stereotypes-of-black-men/
"Some rappers like NWA have used songs like, “F**k the Police”, to express police brutality. A verse from Rocko’s song, “U.O.E.N.O” said “Got my killers with me right now” lets their opposition know they are ready to fight. Sex was the main message from Big Krit in, “What You Mean You Ain’t Nasty?”
[18] http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/15/young-black-men-slam-medias-representation-suit-tie-music-video/
“The negative stories told daily in the media and in our culture about our young African-American men tend to ignore their successes and don’t tell the full story about how young Black men are becoming leaders within our community schools,” said Gholson who also helped them organize the project.
[3] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-03/rapper-ice-cube-on-his-film,-racism,-and-gangsta-rap-lyrics/6748328
"People are being nitpicky because what we put in the movie is the story of NWA, everything else you can Google it and there have been a thousand things said about NWA in its existence."
GENRE - The genre that this film belongs to would be music and history, we can easily identify this from the props that are there such as the cars, vinyl records being produced as they aren't produced as often now, the dates that are shown to show it's the past.
INSTITUTION - The institution that is promoted through the film is Ruthless Records with Eazy E and N.W.A were signed to, it also promotes record label Death Row records which is founded by Dr Dre and Suge Knight. Both of these record companies were associated with rap and hip-hop. The institution that produced the film is Universal pictures.
AUDIENCE - The film Straight Outta Compton would promote a younger audience who are into hip-hop and rap but also those who were growing up listening to N.W.A. The age group would be predominately between 16-45 and a slyly more male audience (60:40 split male to female). This would appeal to those who are reformers as they are the ones who don't want to conform to what society thinks you have to do to be considered normal, they want to challenge the view and do something about it.
IDEOLOGY - The group itself within the film N.W.A stands for n*****s with attitude, due to this promotes fighting back and not conforming to the norm of society which silences their opinions. It also promotes rap record label Ruthless Records which N.W.A was signed to also rapper Eazy E himself.
REPRESENTATION - The representation of black males in the films are negative and are seen to be violent. The way they dress are seen to be as thugs which is seen to be a reason why they should be stopped randomly and searched in the street
LANGUAGES AND FORMS - The film was designed to have the specific songs to show the police brutality and the reason behind what was happening in the lives of the rappers.
NARRATIVE - The film is about the lives of rappers who are apart of the group N.W.A, it is about how they started off in the ghetto and worked their way up to becoming one of the best rap groups of all time.
Social:
- Police brutality which has caused the black lives matter campaign to take flight.
- Ferguson shooting in America - Mike Brown shot down by the police
- Public Enemy - Fight the power was a political campaign song for the black people which are living in America who are seen to be inferior to everyone in society.
Historical:
- Rodney King getting beaten up by police in America.
- The LA riots that took place during 1992.
- The civil rights movement between the 1950s and 60s
Economic:
- Rap was underground music until institutions got involved.
- N.W.A was signed to Ruthless Records.
- Not seen as the political campaign it was but now a way to get money.
Political:
- Public Enemy started a political campaign through the use of their music.
- Only ever been one black president in America
- Black lives matter campaign.
Issues and Debates (300)
- Black lives matter
- Public enemy
- Stuart Hall – dominant readings
- Dyer – Stereotypes
[11] https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/oct/10/reggie-yates-how-i-confronted-police-brutality-on-the-streets-of-chiraq
"In 2015, eight African Americans were killed by police officers in the city, out of 306 across the US. Meanwhile, black-on-black violence there has reached an all-time high. There were almost 2,500 such shootings last year, of which 350 were fatal."
[12] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/over-3000-police-officers-being-investigated-for-alleged-assault-and-almost-all-of-them-are-still-on-10220091.html#gallery
"More than 3,000 police officers are being investigated for alleged assault – with black and Asian people significantly more likely than white people to complain of police brutality"
- Representation and stereotyping - Black males in America are seen to be violent and in a gang which is why people have negative representations of them.
- Media effects - Negative representations of young people and if they're in a gang then black males are usually used or other ethnic minorities to reinforce the negative stereotype.
- News Values - Always has a negative ideology on ethnic minorities and daily stories reinforce this.
- Moral Panics - Young people are joining gangs and crime rates are starting to increase due to gun violence.
- The effect of globalisation on the media - Stories such as black lives matter campaign have started to take off globally rather than just in America with the help of social media.
- The representations of black males
- The police abusing their power
- Narrative of the video
- Stereotypes of rap music and black males
- Levi-Strauss – Binary oppositions
- Gramsci’s idea of ‘common sense'
[2] http://uk.complex.com/music/2014/08/rap-songs-police-brutality/
This article is about the rap songs which have come out throughout the years which have protested against the police and policy brutality in America.
“I guess 'cause I'm black born/I'm supposed to say peace, sing songs, and get capped on.”
Historical text 2: Boyz n the Hood (250)
- How racism is represented
- The culture of people living in deprived areas
- The life choices that people are limited to
- Political movements
- Blumler + Katz; personal identity, personal relationships
- Subverts stereotypes; deception and Barthes action codes
- Stuart Hall - dominant readings
- Binary oppositions - Levi Strauss
Comparing the texts (250)
- How they all link
- How racism has changed/stayed the same
- The different messages each text portrays
Page 8 - “rap artistry ensures raps existence of the margins of many black communities”
Page 4 - “it’s undeniable that black men are in deplorable shape. The most tragic symbol of this condition, I suppose, is the black prisoner”
Future for black African Americans and racism (250)
- Is racism going to change
- What has stayed the same
- Representations of rap and racism through media
Page 6 - “negative rap songs and their accompanying videos often instil erotic sadism in the black male child”
Conclusion (100)
- State the main reasons for racism
- Why we need to change the way media portrays stereotypes of rap and racism
Monday 21 November 2016
Historical text analysis and research
N.W.A - F**k the police (1988)
N.W.A were a group during the late 80s and early 90s. The song that they produced which caused a lot of controversy was f**k the police. The song was created to describe the hate that people have for the police because of the way they treated black African Americans during the 80s in America. Racism has always been an issue for those who are black; the police have abused their power and have harassed black males/females for the stereotypes that have been created of them. This links to 'Straight Outta Compton' because one of the most iconic scenes in the film was during the concert where N.W.A were told not to play the song but ended up doing so which lead to them getting arrested. The lyrics in the song are explicitely telling the audience that it's the police who are at blame here and the black community who are the victims in this scenario.
The genre of the film itself is an historical one which is based on the music which was created by N.W.A and their lifestyle. The rap genre has always come under criticisms for the explicit things that it talks about or shows which in this film also addresses. The wider issues which the film discusses is racism and we've always had to live with it which is why people in America and all over the world who are black are stereotyped in such a negative way which portrays them as pimps, drug users/sellers and whatever else they've been compared to.
The music video for this had come out in 1988 which is now nearly coming up to 30 years and even now during this time of age we still have people who are being racially abused for the colour of their skin. The song addresses the hatred towards police which we can still see now through the black lives matter campaign and police have still been accused for abusing their power on the black community to show their authority.
The society that the artists had lived in which is in South Central La has been seen to have high crime rates, drug usres and the absue of alcohol. There has been a change from all of this whereas before we also had the gangs which dominated the steets but now rather than that being the case there has been less cases of the happening and less people joining gangs but still a high rate.
Other texts:
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton music video
2pac - Changes
Public Enemy - Fight the Power
Boyz n the Hood
N.W.A were a group during the late 80s and early 90s. The song that they produced which caused a lot of controversy was f**k the police. The song was created to describe the hate that people have for the police because of the way they treated black African Americans during the 80s in America. Racism has always been an issue for those who are black; the police have abused their power and have harassed black males/females for the stereotypes that have been created of them. This links to 'Straight Outta Compton' because one of the most iconic scenes in the film was during the concert where N.W.A were told not to play the song but ended up doing so which lead to them getting arrested. The lyrics in the song are explicitely telling the audience that it's the police who are at blame here and the black community who are the victims in this scenario.
The genre of the film itself is an historical one which is based on the music which was created by N.W.A and their lifestyle. The rap genre has always come under criticisms for the explicit things that it talks about or shows which in this film also addresses. The wider issues which the film discusses is racism and we've always had to live with it which is why people in America and all over the world who are black are stereotyped in such a negative way which portrays them as pimps, drug users/sellers and whatever else they've been compared to.
The music video for this had come out in 1988 which is now nearly coming up to 30 years and even now during this time of age we still have people who are being racially abused for the colour of their skin. The song addresses the hatred towards police which we can still see now through the black lives matter campaign and police have still been accused for abusing their power on the black community to show their authority.
The society that the artists had lived in which is in South Central La has been seen to have high crime rates, drug usres and the absue of alcohol. There has been a change from all of this whereas before we also had the gangs which dominated the steets but now rather than that being the case there has been less cases of the happening and less people joining gangs but still a high rate.
Other texts:
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton music video
2pac - Changes
Public Enemy - Fight the Power
Boyz n the Hood
Monday 7 November 2016
Critical Investigation Task #1
First scene in the film where ice cube and other black males are getting arrested.
The representation of black males is a negative one. The police in this scene are harassing the black citizens who live in that area without reason. This reinforces the negative stereotype that people have of black people as they are seen to be at the lowest position in society and even the police are abusing their power to harass them. All the officers in this scene are white males and those who are getting arrested are all black African Americans who live on that road they're being searched on due to suspicion of inappropriate behaviour because of the colour of their skin.
Throughout the scene the jackets that the police are wearing have 'police' printed on the back in yellow which makes it visible for the audience to see that the ones who are in authority are clearly the ones who are abusing their power and arresting the civilians. The clothing that the black males are wearing would be seen as 'gang clothing' which is probably part of the reason they're being searched or because they were in a large group and the officers felt like it was a threat to society or themselves so they felt the need to harass the males.
As soon as Ice Cube steps outside of the house the blue and red lights from the police cars were shining on his face and were visible throughout the whole scene which highlights the dominance that they have in the situation. The lights are an indication of the authority that they have and when it flashes onto those who live on the street and being arrested, it shows that their dominance is something that cannot be escaped because of the authority and status they have. When Ice Cube leaves the house you can't see his face due to the scene being set at night and the hat he's wearing. As soon as the lights start to flash his face becomes visible and the closer he gets towards the police the more he light flashes onto his face before they recognise he's black and start to search him. The impact this shows is that as soon as you're in the range of the police and they see the colour of your skin you're automatically a suspect. The area that the scene was shot in was run down and the colours were dull, the only colours that stood out throughout the whole scene was the red and blue which was visible everywhere. Even though the police are meant to keep us safe they also attack the innocent due to the colour of their skin and this can be seen with the colour scheme where the colours of the houses and cars are all dark which could be the black Africa Americans and then the police come who empower the area with their red and blue lights the same way they arrest people who are black due to the colour of their skin.
The lighting in this scene is low-key; this is done so that we can't see the identity of the police officers who are. This reinforces the stereotype that we have of the police when arresting those who are black due to the colour of their skin and is done during the night so we can't see who the officers are because they want to keep their identity discrete.
Dyer suggested that stereotypes are always about power and during this scene it is to do with power and race. People in America who are black are seen to have no power or status in the eyes of those who are white which is why the police officers who are white have all the power and reinforces this stereotype that the police have. It also reinforces the power that those who are black have which is having no power or respect which is why during this scene they're being searched by the police and have no respect given towards them. This can be seen during the scene where the police officer is reaching for the gun which highlights the power and dominance that they have in society and the gun reinforces this as he can decided who gets to live and die which is acknowledged as the power of God.
Police harassment scene when N.W.A are outside of the studio.
The black police officer is seen to be a sell out as he's conforming to the ideology of the police and turning on his own kind. The hatred can be seen on the faces of the group of males when they're walking back into the studio. One of the males also called the police officer a "sell out" which highlights the hatred for black officers being worse than white officers as they are victimising their own people who are stereotyped due to the colour of their skin.
Some people have been victim to racism in the past and therefore see themselves as one of the characters which are in this scene right now. This links to Blumer and Katz theory of uses and gratification. The audience would see a character which relates to them and will see themselves to have a connection with thay individual. In this case it would be someone relating to the group of black males and someone who experienced racism but could also be a police officer viewing themselves in this scene as well.
When the males were on the floor the camera angles were low and close up shots of their faces. This was done so we can see how the characters are feeling but also the low camera angle is down to show that they're the ones who are vulnerable in this situation against the police as they have no power due to this being restricted by the authority. The high camera angles are shot for the police to highlight their dominant position in the scenario and society because they're the ones who reinforce the law.
The representation of black males is a negative one. The police in this scene are harassing the black citizens who live in that area without reason. This reinforces the negative stereotype that people have of black people as they are seen to be at the lowest position in society and even the police are abusing their power to harass them. All the officers in this scene are white males and those who are getting arrested are all black African Americans who live on that road they're being searched on due to suspicion of inappropriate behaviour because of the colour of their skin.
Throughout the scene the jackets that the police are wearing have 'police' printed on the back in yellow which makes it visible for the audience to see that the ones who are in authority are clearly the ones who are abusing their power and arresting the civilians. The clothing that the black males are wearing would be seen as 'gang clothing' which is probably part of the reason they're being searched or because they were in a large group and the officers felt like it was a threat to society or themselves so they felt the need to harass the males.
As soon as Ice Cube steps outside of the house the blue and red lights from the police cars were shining on his face and were visible throughout the whole scene which highlights the dominance that they have in the situation. The lights are an indication of the authority that they have and when it flashes onto those who live on the street and being arrested, it shows that their dominance is something that cannot be escaped because of the authority and status they have. When Ice Cube leaves the house you can't see his face due to the scene being set at night and the hat he's wearing. As soon as the lights start to flash his face becomes visible and the closer he gets towards the police the more he light flashes onto his face before they recognise he's black and start to search him. The impact this shows is that as soon as you're in the range of the police and they see the colour of your skin you're automatically a suspect. The area that the scene was shot in was run down and the colours were dull, the only colours that stood out throughout the whole scene was the red and blue which was visible everywhere. Even though the police are meant to keep us safe they also attack the innocent due to the colour of their skin and this can be seen with the colour scheme where the colours of the houses and cars are all dark which could be the black Africa Americans and then the police come who empower the area with their red and blue lights the same way they arrest people who are black due to the colour of their skin.
The lighting in this scene is low-key; this is done so that we can't see the identity of the police officers who are. This reinforces the stereotype that we have of the police when arresting those who are black due to the colour of their skin and is done during the night so we can't see who the officers are because they want to keep their identity discrete.
Dyer suggested that stereotypes are always about power and during this scene it is to do with power and race. People in America who are black are seen to have no power or status in the eyes of those who are white which is why the police officers who are white have all the power and reinforces this stereotype that the police have. It also reinforces the power that those who are black have which is having no power or respect which is why during this scene they're being searched by the police and have no respect given towards them. This can be seen during the scene where the police officer is reaching for the gun which highlights the power and dominance that they have in society and the gun reinforces this as he can decided who gets to live and die which is acknowledged as the power of God.
Police harassment scene when N.W.A are outside of the studio.
In this scene the group of males are standing outside of the studio where the police come and start to harass them. During this there isn't only white police officers there is also one black one. The group of males are seen to be wearing gang related clothes such as the hats, jeans, jackets and their overall appearance and because of this are being searched whereas the officers are in uniform and are appear as being professional. This would show the audience the difference between the two types of groups in this scene but could also highlight the age of them as the group of males are in their teens which is why they appear this way. The way they appear is a stereotypical way for being apart of a gang which is why it conforms to the negative stereotype of black males in America.
The black police officer is seen to be a sell out as he's conforming to the ideology of the police and turning on his own kind. The hatred can be seen on the faces of the group of males when they're walking back into the studio. One of the males also called the police officer a "sell out" which highlights the hatred for black officers being worse than white officers as they are victimising their own people who are stereotyped due to the colour of their skin.
Some people have been victim to racism in the past and therefore see themselves as one of the characters which are in this scene right now. This links to Blumer and Katz theory of uses and gratification. The audience would see a character which relates to them and will see themselves to have a connection with thay individual. In this case it would be someone relating to the group of black males and someone who experienced racism but could also be a police officer viewing themselves in this scene as well.
When the males were on the floor the camera angles were low and close up shots of their faces. This was done so we can see how the characters are feeling but also the low camera angle is down to show that they're the ones who are vulnerable in this situation against the police as they have no power due to this being restricted by the authority. The high camera angles are shot for the police to highlight their dominant position in the scenario and society because they're the ones who reinforce the law.
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