Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Entry #2, Week #3: Back in Black: Black Culture as a Commodity
"Hip-hop is my supermarket, shopping cart full'a fake hip-hop artists" - Phone Home, Lil' Wayne, Tha Carter III (2008)
In this example, the black product is basically the contemporary hip-hop world. Weezy states that the rappers themselves are merely manufactured products, to be sold in said supermarket. However, rather than saying that these rappers are available for anyone to buy, he claims it is HIS supermarket, implying that not only is he the best rapper alive, but also that he has the power to own any other inferior rapper. With the added knowledge that his shopping cart is full of these fake hip-hop artists, we know that Weezy doesn't just have the ability to buy them, but that he actually plans to! Additionally, by calling the buyable rappers "fake", Weezy is implying that he himself is genuine or real, and separating himself from the herd. This theme of Wayne's individuality and uniqueness is explored throughout the album, but especially in this song, in which he calls himself rare, an alien, a martian, and even the best.
Soulja Boy Tell 'em - Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)
The main theme of this music video is the catchiness of Soulja Boy's song and dance, and its implicit marketability. It begins with a record executive being shown the song and dance by his kids, which results in a record deal for Soulja Boy. Throughout the video we are shown various black people of all ages enjoying the dance while record executives drive around. The video seems to deliberately set up the song and dance as a viral trend, with Soulja Boy even taunting the audience to "do it like [him]" and then mocking their inability to perform it as well as he does. The black product in this video is an easy to learn hip-hop song and dance, but you probably won't be able to learn it perfectly unless you buy it from the record company, who have just signed Soulja Boy!
Also, the song is about ejaculating on a woman's back.
In this example, the black product is basically the contemporary hip-hop world. Weezy states that the rappers themselves are merely manufactured products, to be sold in said supermarket. However, rather than saying that these rappers are available for anyone to buy, he claims it is HIS supermarket, implying that not only is he the best rapper alive, but also that he has the power to own any other inferior rapper. With the added knowledge that his shopping cart is full of these fake hip-hop artists, we know that Weezy doesn't just have the ability to buy them, but that he actually plans to! Additionally, by calling the buyable rappers "fake", Weezy is implying that he himself is genuine or real, and separating himself from the herd. This theme of Wayne's individuality and uniqueness is explored throughout the album, but especially in this song, in which he calls himself rare, an alien, a martian, and even the best.
Soulja Boy Tell 'em - Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)
The main theme of this music video is the catchiness of Soulja Boy's song and dance, and its implicit marketability. It begins with a record executive being shown the song and dance by his kids, which results in a record deal for Soulja Boy. Throughout the video we are shown various black people of all ages enjoying the dance while record executives drive around. The video seems to deliberately set up the song and dance as a viral trend, with Soulja Boy even taunting the audience to "do it like [him]" and then mocking their inability to perform it as well as he does. The black product in this video is an easy to learn hip-hop song and dance, but you probably won't be able to learn it perfectly unless you buy it from the record company, who have just signed Soulja Boy!
Also, the song is about ejaculating on a woman's back.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Entry #1: Week #2: Media Culture: Finding the Other - Gran Torino (2008)
Characters
Walt
I can't see myself in Walt too much, but I can sort of identify with his cynical outlook. He is most certainly a stereotypical grumpy old man. I don't think he ever appears as an object, but he is definitely the subject most of the time.
Thao
I can't see myself in Thao, either, besides the fact that he is a young male. Thao is definitely not a stereotype, he is just a nice, reserved, meek kid. Thao is mostly a subject, although in a way he does function as the object or catalyst for the changes that Walt undergoes.
Sue
I can't see myself in Sue, although I can identify with her outspoken nature. She does not seem to be a stereotype, nor is she really an object or a subject.
I think Thao is probably the furthest from myself. We are both straight males, but he is Hmong, lives with his mother, sister, and grandmother, and he has no job until he begins working for Walt. He is very quiet and meek, and it seems that a future of crime is unavoidable with his older cousin's gang constantly trying to recruit him.
Walt
I can't see myself in Walt too much, but I can sort of identify with his cynical outlook. He is most certainly a stereotypical grumpy old man. I don't think he ever appears as an object, but he is definitely the subject most of the time.
Thao
I can't see myself in Thao, either, besides the fact that he is a young male. Thao is definitely not a stereotype, he is just a nice, reserved, meek kid. Thao is mostly a subject, although in a way he does function as the object or catalyst for the changes that Walt undergoes.
Sue
I can't see myself in Sue, although I can identify with her outspoken nature. She does not seem to be a stereotype, nor is she really an object or a subject.
I think Thao is probably the furthest from myself. We are both straight males, but he is Hmong, lives with his mother, sister, and grandmother, and he has no job until he begins working for Walt. He is very quiet and meek, and it seems that a future of crime is unavoidable with his older cousin's gang constantly trying to recruit him.
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