England’s Problem Child

One thing that the citizens of the United States stereotypically have is a heart that pumps patriotic, red, white, and blue blood through their veins. Patriotism, after all, is a huge part of what makes our country what it is. Patriotism unites our people of all different backgrounds so that we can persevere over any task. Really, our country has prided itself on patriotism since we first earned our independence by defeating the tyrannical British Empire.

However, while our desire to separate from the British and learn from their mistakes drove our need to rebel, most would say that the United States and England act like a pair of countries instead of individual, separate nations. Like mother, like daughter.

Even in the modern day, England’s legacy is plagued with memories, stories, and histories of oppression and tyranny. The saying “The sun never sets on the British Empire” was really true at some points. England has long been the dominant leader of Imperial ideologies. Unfortunately for us, that might a position the United States holds today.

Since the start of the 20th century, the United States has been involved in the most wars, military actions, and “peacekeeping” efforts. We seem to follow Machiavelli’s words, “To be feared is better than to be loved.” As a country, we’ve established a healthy fear of us for the rest of the world through reckless combat missions, a bully-first, negotiate later international policy, and recently, unpredictable and sometimes idiotic decision making. Through this manufactured fear, we’ve established ourselves as the international hegemonic influence on all others. American culture is integrated into international culture.

A Map of Every Country that England has Invaded (Shown in Pink).

These descriptions of the United States would all be applicable to the British Empire as well. In fact, just as we’ve done in the last century or two with our constant interference and invasions of other countries, England has invaded all but 22 of the countries in the world. Furthermore, British culture also used to be the international hegemonic standard, and could still be considered to be at least a decent portion of today’s international culture due to its influence on American culture. While our country prides ourselves on being our own nation, and a unique one at that, we really follow in the footsteps of our mother country.

 

Combating Racecraft

Racecraft, a term coined by Karen Fields and Barbara Fields in their book, “Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life,” is roughly defined as “the illusion of race produced by the practice of racism.” This definition states that race is an illusion, and that it is created by those who demonize the unique aspects of other cultures as being due to their race.

Combating racecraft is a herculean feat because the entire concept of race has become so heavily integrated into our national culture that not a day goes by without race being a factor in some conflict, or being discussed online or in the news. There are those who would seek to combat racecraft and racism by repeating that race is a social and economic construct, and that we are all one human race, but that is to belittle the struggles of those who are affected by racism every day.

So, how might one attempt to combat racecraft? In my opinion, there is very little that can be done due to who has the majority of the power in our culture: The very wealthy. That being said, those who lack that wealth, or even the righteous people who possess that wealth and still seek to do right, can spread messages of positivity through ART!

One message to spread is that all “races” have their struggles, and acknowledging the severity of those struggles in the people around you can push everyone to respect each other’s differences.

To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar, for example, is a fantastic hip hop album that discusses many of the trials and tribulations of being black in America, including issues with the police and other races. Reel Injun is a fantastic documentary made my Native American filmmakers which examines how they’ve been portrayed grossly in cinema.

Another tactic to combat racecraft is to reinvent our perceived races all in better lights. A prime example of this, as detailed in my previous blog post seen here, is the recent Black Panther film.

Racecraft and racism seem to be the prevailing social issue of our time. When considering the future, visions can be bleak, but through proper use of the arts and good-hearted people persevering through whatever challenges they face, we just might see racism fade into the past.

Does Nonviolence Work in the 21st Century?

Protesters at the Site of the Dakota Access Pipeline

In the seminar for my Humanities Core class last Thursday, the students were divided into two groups for a debate: Those who would argue that violence is “the best method to use to resist and achieve independence from a foreign ruling power,” and those who would argue that violence is far from the BEST strategy to escape that oppression. One point that the nonviolent side came to, (which may have been my point), was that, even though there has always been a history of violence to gain independence, the 21st century is the best time ever to promote nonviolence. This blog post will examine the use of nonviolence in recent years, and attempt to come to a conclusion on the viability of nonviolent protest.

When discussing how nonviolence has become a more viable strategy to use to gain independence, one must first consider what methods of nonviolent protest are best. The first form of nonviolent protest that comes to mind for most is marching.

The Huge Crowd Gathered for the Women’s March

Marching has been used constantly since the last election cycle. There have been peaceful marches for Women’s Rights, protesting Trump’s Travel Ban, in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline, and much more, but have any of them successfully accomplished their goals? The Dakota Access Pipeline, for example, was successfully delayed for a few months, but the plans still went through, even after all of the suffering from the protesters, and the other protests and marches were generally dismissed by the government. It appears that, even though these marches are great for acquiring more supporters and voicing one’s issues, they don’t get much done immediately.

Another form of protest that’s becoming increasingly common is protesting through social media. The most recent viral twitter protest, for example, is the #MeToo movement, which has completely transcended twitter to become a popular slogan in the real world. Unfortunately, the movement is too young to tell just how effective it is, but I believe that the strength of nonviolent movements will be shown in the results of the years to come.

If there is little to no success from the repeated protests, hashtags, and petitions, perhaps it is too early or too late for nonviolent protesting to be the most efficient form of protest. However, if the attention that these movements have drawn continues to increase, and they see legitimate answers from those that they call out, then perhaps now truly is the perfect time to protest nonviolently. With the increase in attention from international media on events such as the thousands of people gathered in major cities to protest the President’s comments on women, nonviolent protests may just be more efficient than ever.

How Black Identity is Being Reinvented

Ryan Coogler, Director of Black Panther (2018)

The topic of cultural reinvention is not one that I previously considered to be going on around me, that is, until I read A Tempest by Aime Cesaire while also studying Martin Chambi’s photographs of Andean people. Chambi’s photographs of the Andean people served to help them build their own identity after it had been tarnished by hundreds of years of Spanish oppression. In A Tempest, the character Caliban brings up many interesting points about how his oppressor, Prospero, is the one who taught him his language and made his identity as an underling slave.

These two factors combining in my head brought me to a conclusion that I’m sure can have much more analysis than this post will allow: The black community is reinventing itself in a much more positive light through Film (and many, many other things, I’m sure.)

For starters, Caliban in A Tempest is made to be a black slave by Cesaire. The character’s tragic back story is one that many people would sympathize with, but by writing him in as black specifically, Cesaire makes a powerful point about the identity of black people. Centuries of oppression has left black identity a topic of much debate. Different cultures have different ideas of their own identities, and of others’ identities. Keeping this in mind, I believe that black identity in the eyes of most other races was manufactured by their oppressors, and their true identity has been tarnished immensely in the last century by the media. However, is being reimagined through the efforts of modern day heroes.

One of the first examples to come to mind is the new film Black Panther, directed by Oakland native Ryan Coogler. Though I am yet to see the film, it is being applauded internationally for its positive depiction of Africa and its people. This article by the New York Times may speak about it better than I ever could. In it, the author describes how African culture has been suppressed by fear of being stereotyped (he discusses how watermelon is sacred in many African cultures, but the stereotype of black people eating watermelon in the U.S. has become so prevalent that some avoid eating the fruit in front of white people). Through films such as Black Panther, or even some of Coogler’s earlier work, Fruitvale Station for example, the identity that black people have for themselves is being broadcasted internationally, establishing a more positive identity for them in the eyes of the world.

What Would the Spaniards and Inca Think of Modern Masculinity?

Tyler, The Creator at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards

During lecture, Professor O’Toole discussed the role of masculinity in Spanish/Inca interactions during the early stages of their communication. The idea of the Spaniards and Inca flaunting their masculinity like peacocks strut their feathers was puzzling to me. Most of me didn’t quite understand why that would be the case, or what either side would have to gain from that.

That is, I felt that way until I realized that modern society does much of the same thing, depending on perspective and location.

Though the discussion on “modern music” is ridiculously played out, and fairly redundant, one important aspect of today’s popular music, namely Hip-Hop and R&B, is masculinity. Rather, the important theme is male dominance. Many parents turn on their radios in the morning and hear songs filled with lyrics that seem to undermine the struggles of women. The songs can sometimes be almost dehumanizing in their approach to female sexuality.

Recently, however, mainstream music is growing more diverse. Just as there are more artists who churn out unimaginative and demeaning lyrics, there is a growing wave of artists actively working against those harmful practices. Nowadays, children can find role models to mimic no matter what their backgrounds are.

One very important artist from this past year is Tyler, The Creator. Tyler has been a role model for young, lost American teens since 2011, when his name leapt from the sidelines of the Hip-Hop world onto the MTV stage when he won the Best New Artist award. Since that moment, Tyler has been in the eyes of the younger generations, even as he’s slipped out of mind of more out of touch ones.

Tyler’s recurring message has been one of positivity for children. He has always been a figure who is open about his thoughts and opinions, and his antics are outgoing to say the least. “Think for yourself,” he loves to tell his young fans (or Find Your Wings).

However, his most important message may have come with the release of his last album, “Flower Boy.” In several tracks, Tyler references his own sexuality, especially his own homosexual feelings. Upon another analysis of his career, many have found “hints” about his sexuality throughout his music, drawings, and even clothing designs.

This raises one distinct question in my mind: Does open male sexuality cease to be masculine when it involves another male?

Tyler has long been a role model for masculinity for teenagers, but does that masculinity disappear when his sexuality appears to change?

Certainly the Spaniards wouldn’t approve of this new idea of masculinity, but upon examination, one finds that the Inca were surprisingly(?) accepting of homosexuality. In the 1570s, Viceroy Francisco de Toledo moved to eliminate many aspects of Inca society that didn’t reflect Catholic values. “Toledo and the proselytizing priests were aghast to find that not only was homosexuality widely accepted in several regions of the country, but also that the indigenous population placed no particular importance on female chastity and made no prohibition against premarital sex.” 

Any analysis of the Inca and Spanish in the 16th century proves that the Inca were, in fact, more similar to modern culture than the Spanish were, as the Spanish pushed what are now very outdated and overly strict Catholic teachings. Furthermore, if Tyler is still to serve as a model for masculinity, (and why shouldn’t he?), modern masculinity is more aligned with Inca culture than Spanish culture.

The Role of Minorities in America’s Most Celebrated Films

In the last few weeks of both my Humanities Core and Sociology classes, the topic of race has been hotly discussed. Race has been extremely central to my life of late, there’s even been a Neo-Nazi slogan, “It’s OK to be White,” plastered all around my campus. In a world where the number of hate groups in the U.S. has increased two years in a row, white people apparently feel more attacked than ever. The entire conflict is as confusing as it is important, and with so many different opinions to track and groups to monitor, making sense of it all seems borderline impossible.

The idea of White Americans feeling “oppressed” while still essentially monopolizing the entire country reminded me of the arguments supporting the old Western Canon as opposed to the evolving Canon that includes a diverse background of writers. Being myself, I wondered if the Western Canon included any work that I admire, particularly movies, but after doing some research, I learned that the Western Canon doesn’t actually include film! Ridiculous! I’m confident that will change some day.

The discussions about race have inspired me to analyze how minorities are portrayed in celebrated movies. Until there is an established Western Canon for film, I will be using the IMDb top 250 movies (which is a terrible list) to select some very popular and commonly praised films to analyze.

Morgan Freeman as Red in The Shawshank Redemption

The number one movie on the list is The Shawshank Redemption. Before I even looked at the list and chose my films to analyze, I developed the hypothesis that most of the films would portray minorities in a negative light. The Shawshank Redemption does this, but in a sly manner. While Morgan Freeman’s character, Red, is characterized as a positive influence and supportive person, in reality, he is playing out a common stereotype for African Americans. Spike Lee dubbed the term, the “Magical Negro.”

“The Magical Negro” refers to “a black character whose sole purpose is to help the white protagonist” (Daily Nation). Spike Lee even believes that this character trope is “recycling… the vanishing Indian,” which my class has mentioned in the last couple weeks when discussing Manifest Destiny in the West (Daily Nation). Both of these tropes have been established by the dominant White population, and both serve the purpose of creating a demeaning stereotype for an otherwise proud people. By manufacturing stereotypes such as these, the ruling class in the social hierarchies of their respective times are able to dominate other groups by setting them up to be secondary citizens.

Samuel L. Jackson as Jules in Pulp Fiction

The next notable film from the list that grabbed my attention is Pulp Fiction, which is ranked 7th on the IMDb list. In this movie, several important characters are Black men. The most important minority character, Jules, who is played by Samuel L. Jackson, is a hitman. His gangster boss, Marsellus Wallace, is the other Black lead. Both characters play the roles of vulgar criminals, a despicable stereotype that plagues the Black population constantly. Not only this, but the N word is used several times in the movie, very casually. By having Samuel Jackson’s character witness this and not react, the word becomes more accepted. Even if he isn’t directly saying he’s okay with it, the lack of objection to the word teaches audiences that it’s not as bad as they may think. It feels like talking about that in a Quentin Tarantino film is almost cheating, considering how his scripts are plagued with it, but that doens’t change the revolting nature of the word.

Two Black men in Taxi Driver

The third and final movie that I’ll be discussing is Taxi Driver, which comes in at #89 on the list. In this movie, none of the main characters are played by minorities, but the main character, Travis, observes stereotypical Black men throughout New York City. However, these caricatures of Black men may actually be less harmful than the aforementioned Black characters. In this context, Travis is racist, and he sees the Black men in the city as he believes they are, instead of how they truly are. Essentially, the men all being pimps or gangsters is a result of Travis’ fractured mind, not because every Black man in the city is really one of those. Even so, displaying any stereotypes as though they’re the standard can be extremely detrimental to the Black community. Not all people understand the influence that Travis’ character has on his surroundings, and the reality of the Black characters may go completely unobserved.

Though I thoroughly enjoy many “classic” movies and all of the characters in them, an analysis of those types of films reveals that minority characters are consistently made to be stereotypical versions of real people. Unfortunately, even if the minorities in film give off positive sensations, those characters could still be cleverly disguised stereotypes that ultimately hurt their respective populations.

P.S.

This is where I was trying to get with my previous blog posts, but I only now feel like I’ve done a good job at writing one. Thank you for reading.

Art in My Life

Rousseau questioning whether studying the arts is useful or not really piqued my interest. Art has historically been a catalyst that’s led to many important events. After watching Taxi Driver, John Hinckley attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan. The Birth of a Nation (from 1915, not 2016) moved the nation further backwards in the fight for civil rights. During the Vietnam War, music served as a rallying cry for the anti-war movement. But all of that was before me, and at the end of the day, I’m one of my favorite people. So, I’m going to use this blog post to look back on the most important works of art in my life, or ways that art has significantly affected my life.

I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty (2015)

The obvious place for me to start is music. Growing up, the only music that I remember is my Dad playing Santana around the house, (to this day I have Corazon Espinado in some of my playlists just from hearing it as a kid), but it’s safe to say that that music hasn’t had that large of an impact on my life or my own taste. My music taste has been developed essentially on my own since about 7th grade, as I never listened to music outside of the car until around that point in my life. From then until the present my music taste has been constantly evolving, as is the case for many people. I’ve gone from loving only Classic Rock music to my current taste, which everyday includes some mixture of Jazz, Rap, R&B, Folk Rock, and most things in between. That all being said, I think the biggest impact that music has had in my life is that it helped me connect with my girlfriend. One of the first important moments in our relationship, really it was about a week before we had a relationship, was late at night in my car when we each talked about our favorite albums and listened to them in full (I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty and Here by Alicia Keys, though her opinion has changed since then). Just a few weeks ago I went to a Carnival/Music Festival with her called Camp Flog Gnaw, and it was one of the happiest times of my life. Music absolutely carries loads of emotional weight in my life, and I’m pleased to say that it’s almost entirely positive, or therapeutic.

Here by Alicia Keys (2016)

Film, on the other hand, has had a much less therapeutic role in my life. I once wrote in some lost journal of mine the following idea: Film (and other similar media) romanticizes negativity in its characters so well that it manipulates my generation into committing self-destructive acts in an attempt to gain the same attention and sympathy that those characters receive from the viewers and other characters. (Now that I think about it, I’d be willing to bet that this was the case long before my generation, but I’m thinking about me right now.) For example, the most important film in my life is my favorite movie, Taxi Driver. I happened to be the most vulnerable I’ve ever been around the time I watched this movie, and it somewhat pains me to think about how relatable the protagonist, Travis Bickle, was at the time. My brain was legitimately suffering for over a week after I saw the movie, and I was constantly struggling with my emotions and questioning a lot of my life. At this point I think it should probably be noted that I never wanted to harm anyone, or anything of the sort, and that I was questioning a lot of my life in general before I saw the film. Still, the movie amplified lots of the emotions I was already feeling, and may have steered me away from healing myself.

Taxi Driver starring Robert De Niro, directed by Martin Scorsese (1976). Also, the only picture on my blog that isn’t somehow related to music, even though the score for this movie is fantastic.

In my eyes, there’s so so so much value in art. It’s impossible to determine whether or not it is useful overall, but I know that it both hurts and helps most people. Even though it isn’t always sweet, I’m constantly awaiting new art to devour in order to learn more about it, myself, and everything else.

Empires in Hip Hop and R&B (Part 2)

The most dominant Empires of the Music Industry are Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, which control 29.85% and 29.29% of the market, respectively. Though they control over 50% of their market, they are not immune to the voices of independent artists.

Music Labels have become increasingly synonymous with “suppression” in the last decade. As music (especially Hip Hop and R&B) approaches a political weight that it hasn’t seen since the 70’s, more and more labels are restricting their artists in order to maintain their strict agendas. Prince himself even described contracts to record labels as slavery.

I probably make it sound like all music labels oppress their artists in an attempt to shut down any and all free speech, but that’s not the case. While many of the independent artists that I mentioned in my first post are the ones who attempt to spread their opinions far and wide, there are those who manage to convey their messages with the support of more sympathetic labels.

The agendas of Music Labels have become a mystery of late, but the artists that most commonly find their music being altered are the Hip Hop and R&B artists of our time. There could be many reasons for this, but they’re purely speculation. That being said, speculation can be fun, so let’s speculate.

Frank Ocean performing at Panorama Music Festival

In my first post I mentioned one of my favorite artists, Frank Ocean. His album, Blonde, has become one of the most well known albums by my generation. However, Ocean has been openly against major labels because of their interference with his album. Ocean is known for a few things in his music: the heart wrenching break-up anthems that spread like wildfire in a sad environment, his open discussion about his sexual fluidity, and, lately, his distaste for the government.

So what might a music label have to gain from suppressing someone from being open about his life and his opinions?

The obvious answer is that music, to some, is at least as much about politics as it is about making good sounds. Record labels have to sustain certain images, and not every label can afford an artist making an image for them that won’t sell. Even so, music like Ocean’s has been tremendously popular in recent years. Having him on your record label would mean nothing but success. It must have to do with the popularity of the messages he’s spreading.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the open sexuality of Ocean is a political statement that some labels wouldn’t want to be tied to, but Ocean’s distaste for the government’s role in everyday life seems more likely to draw negative attention.

In 2015, the Universal Music Group Empire’s leadership changed. The new head of public affairs, Eric Berman, has been involved in government for over two decades.

Eric Berman, 2015

There’s much more to say, perhaps in another blog post, but Berman’s hands-on involvement with his work is an indication of his potential tampering with the album. Considering the predictable success of Blonde, Berman would have been involved with the production and release of the album.

Prince said that having contracts with major labels is like being an indentured servant. The products you give the company must meet a certain standard, and you are held to them by law, whether you like the deal any more or not. Ocean most likely felt this exact pressure when attempting to speak his mind, demonstrating the power that the Empires of the Music Industry have over the citizens in their domains.

Empires in Hip Hop and R&B (pt.1)

This is the Billboard Hot 100 list, a chart of the most popular records in the United States that updates every week. By the time that this article is proofread and posted, the most popular songs on the chart are almost guaranteed to change. While half a century ago there would be no Hip Hop songs among the most popular records in America, contemporary lists place more and more Hip Hop songs closer to the #1 spot.  As of October 11th, 2017 there are five Hip Hop songs in the top ten alone.

As Hip Hop and R&B gain popularity, the influence of these records around the world grows as well. The music industry’s reach is constantly expanding due to online streaming services and huge social media followings for today’s artists. However, even though it may seem like the artists are the only ones to benefit from their huge fan bases, much of the money goes behind the scenes to a handful of record labels.

While there are hundreds of record labels in the Hip Hop industry alone, almost all of the most popular labels are owned by three large parent organizations: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. For example, Kendrick Lamar, whose 2017 album sold approximately 1.7 million units in the first three months since its release, is signed to a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Another Hip Hop superstar, Drake, who this year became the first artist to reach 10 billion streams on Spotify, founded his own record company, OVO Sound, which is a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The popularity of these artists and the existence of OVO Sound introduce an interesting  question: If these artists are so popular, why do they go through parent music labels to sell albums?

The business done by the record labels that control the music industry is important to some, but mysterious to most. In this article by The Guardian, author Helienne Lindvall explains that major labels help greatly with marketing and distribution. However, some labels have been known to tamper with their artists’ projects in order to appeal to a wider audience. Rapper ScHoolboy Q has been particularly outspoken about this topic. At a listening party for his 2016 album, Blank Face LP, Q explained that his record label, Aftermath Music, forced him to include a song on the album in hopes that it would be a radio hit.

 

ScHoolboy Q and his daughter, Joy, at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards

The despotism of parent labels has inspired many artists to make their living independently. Many artists, like Frank Ocean (who is the header image of my blog), begin their careers under large labels, but realize their distaste for label interference while already under contract. For Ocean, the solution was to release a project in order to fulfill his contractual obligations before releasing his passion project under his own independent label, Boys Don’t Cry. Other artists, like Chance the Rapper, have been independent of any labels for their entire careers. During his 2017 “Be Encouraged” tour, Chance took the opportunity to ridicule some of the larger in over 40 cities around the world.

The three great empires of the music industry still vie for dominance, but the rebellious independent artists of the new age make their mark. What was once a three-sided war between humongous rival companies has shifted to a potential revolution by independent artists against the tyrannical oppression of overbearing music labels. There’s no telling who will emerge victorious or how long it will take, the only guarantee is that the overwhelming success of some independent artists has and will continue to strike fear into the hearts of every empire in the music industry.