Monday, October 27, 2008

 

Homework from Dyson

Homework for Wednesday besides preparing for presentations for the afternoon class is to read chapter 5 and pull 10 arguments from the chapter and prepare to share. We will exchange arguments and in groups find the evidence to support them. Write them out with page numbers.

The early class will share Tuesday in class. Post your midterm assignment. Perhaps if we have time Thursday, you can act the skits out in the L-202E. This is the only way you can get full credit.

Comments:
Andrew Nguyen
English 201
8-8:50AM

Arguments for Chapter 5
1) Black males should be rough/tough. Tupac being the driving force behind this.
2) Real gangsters listen to "uplifting music."
3) Conflicts with the N-Word.
White fans use N-word inappropriately which cause conflict and tension in Hip Hop community.
4) Mike Tyson didn't feel protected (fondling women, and converting to Islam (which apparently, didn't help much)).

Class Thesis: Tupac Shakur's popularization of "Thug Life" was interpreted as masculinity, because people mistook the idea s a promotion of violence and drugs when in actuality he wanted to escape this.

My thesis for White fans and N-Word: Although White Fans grew up with the sound of Hip Hop, there are still tension between the community because of racial past.

In addition to the media supporting the message of violence, people are inspired by Tupac's misunderstood view of "Thug Life", but his true view is to escape that life because of it's destructive style.
 
Lisa Ryan
English 201A
MW
Prof: Sabir


1.“For the sake of the whole rap game, I think, in my mind, he crafted the image [of the gangsta] for himself. He started to live that image out and that’s what led to a lot of his troubles (169).”

2.“Blacks could call each other “Nigga,” but whites were universally forbidden the privilege (145).”


3.“No matter how terrible life was for these whites, atleast they could take solace in the fact that they weren’t niggers (146).”

4.“I think what people ought to realize that whether we like it or not, whether it’s right or wrong, whether it’s good or bad, the context of the word nigger has changed (149).”

5.“For Tupac and a host of black youth, thug life and death have come almost exclusively to define the black ghetto (151).”

6.“Isn’t the self- and not just one’s public persona, even a thug one an artistic creation (153)?”

7.“Why should the lamp or the house be an art object but not our life (153)?”

8.“The aggressive embrace of authenticity especially characteristic of the struggle to define black masculinity (158).”

9.“The obsession with authentic blackness id driven in large part by the need to respond to stereotypical and racist portrayals of black life (143).”

10.“Did Tupac draw from his own experiences, or raid the experiences of other’s to spin his haunting tales of urban woe and social neglect (157)?”
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
WHITES WHO CAN BARELY SPEAK ENGLISH WILL OFTEN MISS THE SEEMLY RACIAL POLITICS BEHIND THE TERM AS THEY REFER TO THEIR FELLOW RUSSIANS, FOR INSTANCE AS "MY NIGGAS."

"COULDN'T EVERYONE'S LIFE BECOME A WORK OF ART?
WHY SHOULD THE LAMP OR THE HOUSE BE AN ART OBJECT BUT NOT OUR LIFE"?

MACHISMO AND PATRIARCHY CONTINUE TO DETERMINE THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL PRIORITIES OF BLACK LIFE.

TYSON WAS, IN ESSENCE, BEING FORGIVEN WITHOUT HAVING CONFESSED HIS SIN.

REAL BLACKS, POSITIVE BLACKS, DON'T CALL WOMEN "BITCHES," DON'T CALL EACH OTHER "NIGGER," DON'T PROMOTE PREDATORY BEHAVIOR, AND DON'T CELEBRATE HOPELESSNESS AND CYNISISM, ESPECIALLY TO SELL RECORDS.

BURNS ARGUES THAT GANGSTA RAP LYRICS DON'T PORTRAY "THE REALITY OF MOST BLACK PEOPLE'S LIVES, NOR EVEN THE REALITY OF MOST RAPPERS' LIVES."

TIPTON
ENGLISH 201 B
 
Renee Dumaguit
Eng 201B
MW 1-2:50pm

List of 10 Arguments for Chapter 5
"Holler If You Hear Me"

1.) "Tupac's acrobatics across the abyss fed many alienated youth's almost erotic appetites for violence."(142)

2.) "The obsession with authentic blackness is driven in large part by the need to respond to sterotypical and racist portrayals of black life."(143)

3.) "The negative in black life is viewed as the pathology that inevitably accompanies concession to white sterotypes of black behavior."(144)

4.) "[...]the use of the word 'nigger'[...]"(144)

5.) "Blacks could call each other 'nigga,' but whites were universally forbidden the privilege."(145)

6.) "The easiest choice might seem to be to simply stop using [the] term over which we can excercise little control in America,[...]"(148)

7.) "Kweli argues that black youth influenced by Tupac lack the long view of history to judge the context and propriety of the terms they use."(149)

8.) "Tupac proved that he possessed a redemptive vulgarity."(151)

9.) "He was [...] subject to the harsh spotlight of political attack."(152)

10.) "Tupac's manic devotion to tracing the anatomy of the real nigga inevitably invites the question of whether his vision of authenticity is enabling or destructive."(153)
 
Treana Penn
1:00-2:50mw

Arguments for Chapter 5 of Holler if you Hear Me

1) "Tupac had become part of the folklore of black popular culture by glorifying guns, gangs, and the ghetto(142)."

2) "The obsesion with authentic blackness is driven in large part by the need to respond to stereotypical and racist portrayals of balck life. The gestures, nuances, contradictions, complexities, and idiosyncrasies that define black life crowd the artistic visions of black writer, performers-and intellectuals (143)."

3)" Some blacks wear [positive ideal] stigma as a badge of honor and relish representations of black life that challenge orthodox blackness. This is particularly true of visions of black culture that are seen as elitist and hence the fake (144)."

4)" Blacks who favor banning the term blame hip-hop culture for perpetuating racial stereotypes and for giving whites permission to extend white supremacy...(148)."

5) "Kweli argues that black youth influenced by Tupac lack the long view of history to judge the context and propriety of the terms they use."(149)

6) .“For Tupac and a host of black youth, thug life and death have come almost exclusively to define the black ghetto (151).”

7)" Rap is ideally suited as a forum to discuss these ideas since it appeals to its adherents as a unique and authentic culture (157)."

8)" There is still a lamentable hierarchy of hurt in black America (164)."

9)"They endorse a "positive" perspective that is as artificial and uncomprehending of the full sweep of black culture as is the exclusive celebration of pimps, playas, hos, macks, and thugs (168)."

10)" It would be simplistic to suggest that Tupac's death came solely from his own destructive desire to forsake the represented for the real (170)."
 
Dion Cade
Eng 201b

Ch 5 Arguements

Even though the word "nigger" is a very bad term used to degrade blacks, if it is used constantly by blacks, they can deprive it of its original meaning.

Even though Tupacs rhymes were very violent, the things that he has rapped about are situations that he has experienced but some things he says are fictional.

Though older blacks face imprisonment and health problems, younger blacks face even more problems like disease and murder.

White people saw Mike Tyson as an animal, a street fighter trapped in an athletic body, but when he met Don King, things changed from the better and they benefited from it.

Although Puff Daddy portrayed a thug persona like Tupac, he turned himself around after a near jail sentence and changed his name to P. Diddy and lowered stereotypes by changing it.

Tupac lived a destructive life, constantly getting into trouble with the law and representing his persona to the public, which eventually led to his death
 
Jakaila Scott
October 28,2008
Eng. 201 8-8:50am

Arguments

“Backs males should always be rough.”
Dyson chapter five (141-144)
In most ways Tupac was behinds this statement.

“Real GANSTERS listen to UPLIFTING MUSIC.
[Such as Sam Cooke]
Dyson Chapter five (142).

Conflict with the N-WORD. White fans use the N-WORD inappropriately which causes conflict and tension within the Hip Hop community.
Dyson chapter five (144-145).


Thesis: Although most people may agree that black males should be rough, at times that may be so because, in certain environments if not done so a person (a black male to be specific) would be portrayed as a weak and defenseless individual thus as a result they could become hurt, mistreated/ misused, and or ultimately killed.
 
Lisa Ryan
English 201A
MW 1:00-2:50
Prof: Sabir

Chapter 6 “Do we Hate Our Women”

In chapter six “Do We Hate our Women” Dyson talks about how Tupac’s relationship with women and his views about women evolved. Early on in Tupac’s life even before his music career he clearly expressed his love and respect for women, which he learned from his mother and the other positive women in his life. He opposed negative, abusive and the chauvinistic treatment of women that he witnessed in his environment from men. Tupac encouraged women to stand against this type of treatment.

Although Tupac’s true love and opinion of women never changed in his heart his treatment of them did. Because Tupac experienced rejection from women at a crucial point in his development as a man he grew to become harsh and abrasive with women. Many women saw him as being too nice and wanted a man that was more like the men they saw in hardcore rap videos, men who were disrespectful and at times abusive to their women. Tupac became the man that he felt women desired, he began to show the same level of misogyny, disrespect and disdain for women as he saw from his peers.

The chapter also delves into the subject of hypocrisy and femophobia in the hip hop community. Tupac sang songs that were disrespectful to women and rewarded promiscuous behavior but this did not define the true feelings that Tupac held for women as a whole. This behavior was a false persona that Tupac adopted in his effort to fit into the hip hop culture but it in no way identified who he was as a man and how much he loved the black woman.

1. Hip Hop Relationship to Black Women

Definition: If one looks at the lyrical content in many of the popular hip hop songs it’s easy to think that black men hate black women.

Analogy: In the beginning of his hip hop career Tupac Shakur songs were affectionate toward women, in his lyrics from “Do We Hate our Women” Tupac gives an example of how women should be treated when he states, “ “. Years later Tupac gave into the callings of thug life and his lyrics took a turn for the misogynistic side of hip hop in his song called “ I get around “ Tupac sings, “ “

Consequence: Today’s hip hop artists are not driven by love they are driven by money, so their aesthetic product reflects that: degradation of women.

Testimony: In the book “Holler if You Hear Me” Dyson states, “Hip hop has been distinguished by an assault on women that is as remarkable for its virulence or for its crushing lack of creativity.”

2. Male Entitlement

Definition: A male who feels that he has a right to take anything from woman or do anything to a woman no matter how degrading the act may be. He feels justified because he is a man.

Analogy: When Tupac was arrested and convicted for the sexual assault of a young lady. Although he claimed that he did not participate in the act but did nothing to stop it, several of his male friends forced themselves on the young lady and took what they wanted, amid her screams and pleas for them to stop.

Consequence: Male rappers are rewarded for their behaviors by securing top record deals and receiving unlimited sex from any woman of their choosing.

Testimony: Dyson states, “patriarchy has undermined the equal footing of men and women in society, despite gains of the feminist movement.’

3. Femi phobia

Definition: Fear of women.

Consequence: Many men fear women due to the negative images and deplorable actions that some women in their live have exhibited including: the acceptance of abuse from the males in their lives, substance abuse, sex for drugs and other abhorred behaviors that are prevalent in poor communities.

Testimony: Dyson states, “Rather femiphobia has become a crucial aspect of the culture of significance in rap that influences the lyrics of hip hop artist, measures authentic rap-and hence, male-identity, specifies a pervasive machismo, and forges masculine bonds within the culture.”

4. Hypocrisy

Definition: Pretending to believe one way that is contrary to your true belief.

Analogy: In Tupac’s song “Keep Ya Head up” he sings about encouraging women to never give up and commends them on their struggles. This is contrary to his lyrics in the song “I get Around” where he rejoices in his excessive indiscriminate sexual practices.

Consequence: This behavior sends a mixed message to the listeners of hip hop.

Testimony: “In its punishing hypocrisy hip hop at once deplores and craves the exuded, paraded sexuality of the “ho.”

Note: Professor Sabir, I wasn't sure if I posted this in the correct place. Your blog instructions weren't very specific to where exactly to post. It wasn't clear or it could be me, I have been a bit off lately. Help!
 
Francisco Marcial
English 201A
MW 1-2:50pm

"Chapter 5 Arguments"

1. To be one of the hardest rappers you have to shoot someone.

2. To be a real rapper you have to always keep it real.

3. Only african american's can use the word "n*gga".

4. To be a rapper you have to call women "b*tch" and "Ho*"

5. If white people use the word "n*gga" they are going to be called racist.

6. Rappers have to go to jail to be cool.

7. Men in the hip hop culture are always being portraid as tough.
 
Francisco Marcial
English 201A
MW 1-2:50pm

"Chapter 5 Arguments"

1. To be one of the hardest rappers you have to shoot someone.

2. To be a real rapper you have to always keep it real.

3. Only african american's can use the word "n*gga".

4. To be a rapper you have to call women "b*tch" and "Ho*"

5. If white people use the word "n*gga" they are going to be called racist.

6. Rappers have to go to jail to be cool.

7. Men in the hip hop culture are always being portraid as tough.
 
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