Ok, I have to admit it. I should’ve bet on the oscars 🙂 I was extremely accurate. There were a few surprises, but I’m willing to say they were political moves.
1. Pan’s should’ve won best foreign film
2. Melissa Etheridge shouldn’t have won best song
3. Little Miss Sunshine shouldn’t have won best original screenplay
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed watching the oscars this year. I thought it was an entertaining show and Scorcese finally won an oscar (bout time).
Last night I attended “The Vagina Monologues” at Utah Valley State College. It was a very impactful show, filled with some very good performances and some amazing monologues. I’ve heard about the vagina monologues for some time now (the yearly performance has sparked quite a controversy in the small conservative town that I live in). After last night, I think all of the controversy the program has received is unwarranted. The performance is definitely not for the prudish, but the pay off is extremely rewarding. It seems that many people don’t have the capacity to maneuver through performances they initially find offensive. What’s so offensive about vagina’s anyway? Abuse is so pervasive because it something that we are afraid to discuss. The puritan in us likes to pretend that abuse doesn’t exist, meanwhile society decays as the rate of rapes and abuse each year remain static or increase. Many women are made to feel slutty instead of sexy, ashamed instead of proud, while they remain subjugated by men who objectify them. The monologues highlighted women from around the globe. Stories of Afghani, Bosnian, Iraqi, Japanese, and American women left the room silent, haunted by the harsh realities of global abuse. The monologues were also very hilarious, many of them discussing the ins and outs of having a vagina. The crowd roared in laughter through intimate details of being a woman. The second to last monologue was an illustration of the many unique orgasmic moans. The performance was a success. I left, slowly absorbing the monologues and what they meant to me as a man. What can I do to more fully appreciate and protect my wife, my mother, my sister, and the many women relatives and friends I have? It was a wonderful experience.
It was a pretty insightful film. It was innovative, in that Byron Hunt actually turned these questions (which are not new by any means in the academic world) on the performers and owners of record labels themselves. I think the film will be useful in beginning dialogue. I don’t think it is necessarily groundbreaking, but I think it is an important beginning point to further discuss the issues brought up in the film. Hunt’s film looked at Machismo, Misogyny, and Homophobia in hip-hop. It was interesting to hear the perspectives of many of today’s most popular rap performers. It would’ve strengthened the documentary to have more opinions from more artists. He interviewed Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Chuck D, and some other industry professionals. However, this group is hardly representative of modern hip-hop culture (not that they aren’t a
representation. All of these artists have been successful and had long careers). The interviews with those waiting to get into the rap game were some of the most insightful interviews of the documentary. Hearing what the young emcee’s felt they had to say and the image they had to portray to ever make it in the rap game was especially informative. Comments made by social critics and professor’s were very thought provoking, but once again, I was personally more interested in hearing what the people who are actually perpetuating these stereotypes have to say. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining and important documentary that will hopefully spark more dialogue and discussion concerning the implications in the film. The issues highlighted are undoubtedly major concerns, not only for hip-hop, but for American society as a whole.
I’m extremely excited to see this documentary airing on PBS tonight. I listened to the director, Byron Hunt, talk about his documentary on NPR today. Apparently, the documentary deals with “machismo in hip-hop.” The documentary seeks to explore issues of misogyny, homophobia, and violence in hip-hop. I’m really interested in these issues and the alienation that occurs due to these aspects of hip-hop, or more specifically, mainstream rap music. I’ve become kind of the regional expert on hip-hop because of my understanding and participation in hip-hop over the last 15-16 years or so. A lot of people that I know are opposed to hip-hop without ever having the opportunity to listen to the diverse array of lyrics and topics that hip-hop offers. An hour later after I’ve properly “schooled” them to BDP, Public Enemy, Rakim, Common, The Roots, Talib Kweli, and more, their eyes light up and you can see an evident paradigm shift. I’m anxious to see what sides of the issue this documentary explores. From what I understand, the documentary is descriptive and doesn’t seek to be prescriptive. I’m sure it will touch on big business and the role that major record companies play in perpetuating these stereotypes. So… with that said, tune in tonight on PBS and see what Mr. Byron Hunt has to say about the music that many of us love and grew up on. Read more about the documentary here.
Here are some previews:
You know you live in a weird culture when a beer commercial makes you nostalgiac for your childhood:
From The Bronx to Japan: An Analysis of Hip-Hop and Globalization
Hip-hop has seen tremendous growth, both economically and culturally, on a global scale, making it a prime source for the study of globalization. Previous studies on the globalization of hip-hop have emphasized the need to view how a media form, such as hip-hop, is localized to a new region. Anthropologists, such as Ian Condry, have offered great insight into the role of Anthropology and actual site ethnographic research in seeing first-hand how various cultures actually interact with these media flows, despite pervasive theories of cultural imperialism. However, previous studies fail to recognize the regionalization that occurs before an art form even leaves its origin, treating hip-hop as a stagnant, non-organic package being delivered to a new culture. This neglects to acknowledge the adaptive nature of these media flows, which leads to a superficial understanding of the descent of the art form and ultimately to a shallow comprehension of how global cultures interact with media flows. In this presentation, I seek to illustrate how thoroughly researching the evolution of hip-hop provides a more exact view of how global cultures interact with it.
I went to The Roots and Lupe Fiasco concert in Park City last night. I thought it was amazing. I’ve been a fan of The Roots since I was around twelve years old or so. The venue was Harry-O’s. It was a nice venue with a very good sound system. It was Lupe’s birthday, and he gave a very good performace. After Lupe’s set, The Roots played for nearly two hours with a seven or so piece band. They played songs from their new album (Game Theory), their old albums, funk, jazz, Bob Dylan, a James Brown tribute and more! It was the best concert I’ve ever been to. If The Roots Tour comes near your hometown, check it out!
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