MEST4 Coursework: October 2015

WORKING TITLE

How and why does the representation of black youths differ from the representations of the older black generation in contemporary historical dramas such as the The Butler and Straight Outta Compton?

ANGLE

How did the representations post 9/11 change after 9/11?

Is the representations of the black older generation better?
Why/ what caused this?
Is there a historical events that caused this moral event?

Did the 9/11 change Americas perception and treatment of black people better?

How are they represented differently?

HYPOTHESIS

The representation of the black older generation is significantly better in historical dramas than the representation of black youth.

LINKED PRODUCTION PIECES

12 years a slave (2013 Steve McQueen)

A historical drama about the an older black individual.A free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Subjected to the cruelty of one malevolent owner (Michael Fassbender), he also finds unexpected kindness from another, as he struggles continually to survive and maintain some of his dignity.

Hot n*igga (2014 music video Bobby Shmurda)

This is a music video that shows the way young black youths in america represent themselves, the constant action of pointing a gun, may make them appear threatening to other members of the public, living up to the dominate representation of black youths.

American Promise (2013 Joe Brewster)

This film looks at the academic process of young black individuals in america, and how the lack of a safe environment and expectations has led to the majority of these kids failing. Film-makers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson follow their son and his best friend through the U.S. educational system. Though both boys start out at the prestigious Dalton School, circumstances later force one into a public high school.

MIGRAIN

'The Butler'

Media Forms and language.

This movie was to show the the divide between the black and white community, it also discusses the financial issue the black people faced due to them getting paid less then the white people because they were black, this was shown by the costume that black people wore it looked more worn out and some even resulted to making their own clothes. The setting was showing the civil rights movement from and active protester, from multiply presidents point of view and also from a man who knows nothing else but serving white peoples point of view. So the setting was created to suit each point of view, the presidents always looked at the civil rights movement to reduce violence so they were watching it from a TV in a luxurious space, with prestige colours such as white walls red carpet and black furniture. From the active protesters view it was in a motel room with a couple of other young people automatically showing the people that they are trouble.

Most of the music in the film is contrapuntal to this historical drama. all the music is soul or gospel music which was significant and mostly associated with slavery and the civil rights movement. it also shows how high spirited the black community were and how much they relied on god and church during hard times. The language and dialect used by the white people was different to the way the black people spoke exaggerating the extent they were different in.Most of the camera work is used to emphasis facial expression, so when the camera is taken from a long shot it shows the posture the main character has at work, which was proper and respectful in comparison to cecile at his home, he had a tall and wise posture showing that he is the man of the house.

Institution

The Butler is distributed by a public service institution 'The Weinstein Company'. This is the institution that also produced the king speech making it the base line production group for historical dramas. Therefore it can be concluded that this institution aim is to educating individuals on historical events. The CEO of the Weinstein company is Ben Weinstein which is the brother of the founder of that company. The butler was distributed both in cinema and on DVD as well as online streaming such as google play and Netflix, this film had to be renamed due to people associating this film with Warner brothers entertainment institution.

Genre

This is a historical drama inspired by true events between 1940s to 2008.The butler is a historical drama on real events and people during the 34-38th presidents reign.The main iconography are the impact that all those social conflicts and even change can have on a persons life. the denotation for the movie was man which was an average mundane obeying person who questions his faith due to his sons political view and rebellion about the rights he deserved as a human which happened to be black. The major conventions were differences in skin colour the white people in the united states of America didn't think that the black people in America weren't the same as them therefore did not deserve the same level of respect. However after many years of fighting for equality you would think that society has changed meanwhile the representations of black people still remains, but more on the black youths being misrepresented as dangerous and drug abusers. this is mainly due to the media exaggerating the news about gang violence when a black individual is involved. (eg. violence being associated with black people)

The themes presented in this film is the role of black people in america due to them being second class citizens the felt like they didn't belong there although it was there country aswell as the white communities country. It also shows how different people deal with situations differently, it shows how people are shaped because of their struggles it can either result to a revenges personality of a wise personality. so the main theme in my opinion is the impact an individuals characteristic can have on whether the person lives a happy life or a dangerous life.

The film was shown from multiple prospective so we has a range of different views as to the issues that were occurring. we were shown the civil rights movement from and active protester, from multiply presidents point of view and also from a man who knows nothing else but serving white peoples point of view. so the setting was created to suit each point of view, the presidents always looked at the civil rights movement to reduce violence so they were watching it from a TV in a luxurious space, with prestige colors such as white walls red carpet and black furniture. From the active protesters view it was in a motel room with a couple of other young people automatically showing the people that they are trouble.

Representations

The representations in the movie shows the divide between the black and white individuals, which is an accurate representation of the issues that where going on in America between 1920s to the 1960s. However the misrepresentations of black individuals in the news is not fair or accurate however I do believe the main reason for this the way those black individual represent themselves in music videos, enforcing that representation of them being a threat and dangerous. This is a historical drama set in the 1960s which was a significant earner for the African Americans due to civil rights movements which embarked both political and social arguments about the role of black people in America. This shows the traditional representations of black people being labelled as second class citizens in comparison to the whites of America. However there are alternative representations of black people in this film, this is mainly due to the main character Cecile Gaines is a black butler being treated as a friend by the white president of the united states. the friend role he plays defeats the dominate representation of black people being worthless and ignored.

Due to the differences in skin colour the white people in the united states of America didn't think that the black people in America weren't the same as them therefore did not deserve the same level of respect. However after many years of fighting for equality you would think that society has changed meanwhile the representations of black people still remains, but more on the black youths being misrepresented as dangerous and drug abusers. this is mainly due to the media exaggerating the news about gang violence when a black individual is involved. I think an interview or a documentary on misrepresented individuals would be significant in created awareness on the reasons why its wrong to have preconceptions and the impacts it can have on an individuals life. This movie does creates awareness to some extent but it shows what can happen when a black individual is treated in a good manner, it shows how it can impact their lives positively.

Audiences

The demographic for the butlerABC1, because most of the audiences would want to be interested in the struggle of black people inorder to educate themselves, the psychographic being reformers and aspires. The audiences are most likely seeking status or an image and all the people in this film are successful people so watching them would make them feel like they are achieving a statues. or they are seeking discovery to make them more relate able looking for experiences inside a film. this film is most likely to be broadcaster after watershed because there are some levels of violence and even rape so it is not suitable for family viewing. although it was rated 12 on sky and Netflix. I think due to it being based on black history and came out on the month of black history a large number of people saw the film, and the popularity was kept high due to the celebrities that were staring in it. In addition due to it being about black history it would attract allot of people to watch it as it is something majority of the population feel touchy about so the only way, also the psycho graphic group that are likely to see this film is very mainstream therefore allot of viewers. The best uses and gratification this film has on the audiences is surveillance as it lets them know about a significant american history, also this can be used as relationships to improve social status of the person. the personal relation ship with characters can be implied here as there are lots of different characteristics presented in the film, which might make audiences feel like they can relate to certain characters.

Ideology

The major theme is violence vs peaceful protests and the an individual can have on a majority. It was to educate the audiences about historical events, therefore the name of the film had to be eye catching to the public aswell as giving away the genre of the film. in my opinion the billboards and the the name of the film can really present the film in a way that is must see to the audience. also it had allot of well known people in the film which would of further promoted it.

Narrative

The narrative in 'The Butler' is chronological it makes it easier for the audience to follow the story ad sympathies with the protagonist when difficult events happen because they understand his history therefore can show more sympathy.This historical drama is inspired by true events, so it showed significant times of the protagonists life so it showed when he was eleven when him and his mother and farther worked at a cotton farm, in one day his mother was raped by a white man and his farther was killed by that same man, it showed the struggles he faced after his mother became paranoid and crazy, which really shaped the kind of man he is, bit by bit it was showing how his struggles made him into a caring wise and polite individual which later opened a door for him to work in the white house as the presidents butler. so the narrative is organised chronologically which made it easier for the viewers to follow.

In 'The Butler' there is no clear distinguished between hero and villains because it shows situations from multiple different prospective. for example most of the black people blamed the president for their mistreatment however this film shows there was a limit to how much the presidents can do, and when they exceed those limits there are bad consequences such as being shot (J.F kennedy) or being forced to resign. it showed that that time was a difficult time for everyone living in that society. the main heroes were the protagonist, non violent protesters and to some extent the political leaders. the main villeins were the traditional white people which refuse or change to take place.The sound such as gospel music was used to show sadness and loss when the main characters son died or when JF kenedy was shot, it was also used to move on the narrative. the iconography was mainly used in the editing to exaggerate some features when an event was going on so the audience was given an insight as to the reactions of people of that time.the dramatic genre was created through the narrative because there was a constancy of seriousness therefore the audiences know that this a drama, and because it was set in a long time ago they know its a historical drama.

SHEP

Social

This film tackles some controversial social issues such as racism and inequality in america, the big argument these days is the extent to which these inequalities are still exist.
'The butler' also touches upon other social issues and debates on american history such as the; vietnam war, voting rights, and the ways this influences the black community of America.
The miss representation of black individuals exist but more on youths rather than the older black individuals. influencing some parts o the community to be afraid because of them being presented as dangerous and a threat to society.

Historical

My topic is mainly the extent to which historical events caused the representation of the black community to change, making my main focus 9/11, caused the people of america to move their fear and frustrations towards muslims.
The civil rights movements and the effects this has had on the change in perception for the black community in america can be questioned. This text shows the guilt and some white people in America felt during the civil rights movement.
i think the miss representations of black youths started with 'the black panthers' during the 60s, which were a group of young black individuals that thought the only way to have their voices heard is through violence towards white people of America.

Economic

The main divide the black and white community through the duration of this film is mainly financial, the black people tend to live in gettos/ poorer areas of america. where as the majority of white people lived on opposite sides with some form of luxury.
My topic is mainly based on historical dramas, the black people in both of the text i am looking at are treated as second class citizens. They were paid 40% less that an average white civil servant.
Giving them no choice but to live the crime life inorder for them to survive, creating fear int he other members of the community.

Political

The film showed the historical events from the presidents prospective allowing the audiences to see the black community from a political prospective.
Most of the political opinions in 'The butler' was shown through the political parties commenting on the news of the black community protesting, (most of the comments negative as most of the protests shown were violent protests).
Obama is trying to create lost of opportunities for black youth in order to change peoples preconception if them being a threat to society, (eg. scholarships to universities)

ISSUES AND DEBATES

Representations and stereotypes

The stereotypes of black youths is them being reckless and unsuccessful. 'Straight outta Compton' supports this dominate stereotype as the young black individuals are mostly associated with police and violence, meanwhile some alternative stereotypes are shown also, as the film continues the more successful the youths become. The traditional representations of black people being labelled as second class citizens in comparison to the whites of America. However there are alternative representations of black people in this film, this is mainly due to the main character Cecile Gaines is a black butler being treated as a friend by the white president of the united states. The friend role he plays defeats the dominate representation of black people being worthless and ignored.

Moral panics

The extent to which the increasing violence of of black youths shown/described in the newspaper being a moral panic can be questioned. some research shows that crime rated by young individuals as fallen in the last year suggesting that the obsession with black youths being violent may just be a moral panic. Furthermore my critical investigation allows me to see how the representation of black youths pre and post 9/11 and whether or not that has caused the moral panic towards black people to change.

Post 9/11 and the media

I believe that the representation of the black community could of been worse, but the 9/11 allowed the people of america to move their panic towards another group of people. In addition pre 9/11 representation of black individuals was dangerous and the association with gangs, post 9/11 i don't think those representations changed but i think he extent to which they are being associated with those behaviors has changed. Those fears are passed on to the Muslim community in america, and there are evidence for Americas islamaphobia. I think the main reason for these bad representations and association, is because of the way they represent themselves in their rap music.

Regulations and censorship

Sky has rated 'The Butler' as 12, the United Kingdom incorporated the European Convention, and the guarantee of freedom of expression it contains in Article 10, into its domestic law under the Human Rights Act. However, there is a broad sweep of exceptions including threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior intending or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress or cause a breach of the peace (which has been used to prohibit racist speech targeted at individuals)., making this film after watershed so children are not influenced by the film.

Media effect

The main reason for the misrepresentation on my opinion is they way they represent themselves through the rap music. Suggesting that the media has a significant effect on the was audiences see different groups of individuals. The news also creates significant impact on individuals preconception of other individuals, and the news only show the negatives when it comes to the black community leaving the individuals with a negative representation of them.

THEORIES

Semiotics

The denotation for this film about black people in a white dominated society, the connotation is the misrepresentation of those black people and ways they could overcome it. Furthermore another connotation is the impact that all those social conflicts and even change can have on a persons life. The denotation for the movie was man which was an average mundane obeying person who questions his faith due to his sons political view and rebellion about the rights he deserved as a human which happened to be black.the significance of the texts connotation is the impact of change, and also the way problems and conflicts going on can affect the relationship between husband and wife but also between farther and son. it also shows the hate that was going on in that society not only to the black people but the way black people treated the whites was also shown.

Audience Theories

The demographic for straight outta Compton is CD, which a psycho graph group of aspires, this is because their audiences are most likely people that want to be just like the characters in the film.The demographic for the butler ABC1, because most of the audiences would want to be interested in the struggle of black people inorder to educate themselves, the psycho graphic being reformers and aspires. The audiences are most likely seeking status or an image and all the people in this film are successful people so watching them would make them feel like they are achieving a statues.

Genre theory

The gender theory considers the relationship between the audiences and the media text. In the butler this connection id created by the cinematography showing events from the characters point of view creating that special relationship between them. Richard dyer says that genres are pleasurable because it offers escapist fantasies into fictional worlds, which links to the ending of the both the film showing success and achievement of the black characters, creating that utopia of success for their audiences.

Marxist and hegemony

Antonio Gramsci developed the idea of hegemony, which means that ones view point becomes accepted by the public opinions common sense, making it difficult for opposition groups to make an effective challenge. this can be applied to the representations of black youths, because the media sees them as reckless therefore the public accepted those viewpoints making it difficult for them to be seen in a different light. Karl Marx a sociologist suggests that society is dominated by capitalist structures which maintain the hegemony of ruling class and lead to the exploration of workers. this can be applied to my study because the media is mainly controlled by the middle class and the middle classes views of black youths from the getto is presented through the media, giving no choice but the public to comply with those views.

Gender and ethnicity
These aggressive representations of the black youths are mostly representaions of the black males. The psychological and cultural aspects of behaviour associated with masculinity and femininity, acquired through socialisation, in accordance with the expectations of a particular society. My critical investigation does not challenge these tradition views of gender roles but supports that.

RESEARCH PLAN

Media texts

The Butler (2013 Lee Daniels)
Straight outta Compton (2015 F. Gary Gary)
12 years a slave (2013 Steve McQueen)
Hot n*igga (2014 music video Bobby Shmurda)
American Promise (2013 Joe Brewster)

TV documentaries

Educating black boys (2013 Tony Harris, presenter of Al Jazeera) talks about how america failed the black youths and how black youths are the easier target for the police.
Walking High (2012 Robin Petgrave) talks about the at risk youths of america
Race riots US, (2015 BBC Reggie Yates)looks at how he death of Michael Brown (a black teenager killed by a police man), effected the position of black youth in America.
KKK: the fight for white supremacy,(2015 BBC Dan Murdoch) looks at how the racism on black people are still going on and the reasons for the hatred.
Negro soldier (1944 Stuart Heisler)

Academic Books

Black Youth and the Boys in Blue: Police(2008 Joanna Marie Lee August)
Racial stereotypes and child development (2012 D.T. Slaughter-Defoe)
Race Identity and Representations In Education(2005 Cameron McCarthy)
Black Folklore and the Politics of Racial Representation (2013 Shirley Moody-Turner)
Black-Latino Relations in U.S. National Politics:(2013 Rodney E. Hero, ‎Robert R. Preuhs)
Backlash 9/11 (2009 Anny Bakalian, ‎Medhi Bozorgmehr)

Internet link

http://amherststudent.amherst.edu/?q=article/2015/10/14/straight-outta-conformity-what-makes-%E2%80%9Cstraight-outta-compton%E2%80%9D-speciabl

This is a review on the film, it talks about the struggles faced by young black people around the 80s to early 21st century by talking about the highly influential gangster rap group N.W.A., focusing on its three most enduring members: Eazy E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube.

" It is the convergence of the racial tensions that have been brewing in the area"

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCQQqQIoADABahUKEwiVwpCF_8HIAhUKWRQKHSaRDAk&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhiphopdx.com%2Fnews%2Fid.35868%2Ftitle.jerry-heller-addresses-straight-outta-compton-inaccuracies-regarding-eazy-e&usg=AFQjCNGr570DU8hrs1u_YfVa_CSn2Wv13A

Jerry Heller Addresses the Inaccuracies of "Straight Outta Compton", this article talkes about his opinons on how they were and still are glamorising, the reckless youth gang lifestyle.

http://boom92houston.com/22147/mc-ren-addresses-straight-outta-compton-authenticityb/

This is an interview link with N.W.A. lyricist MC Ren speaks on several topics including the accuracy of the film Straight Outta Compton. MC Ren reveals that certain aspects of the film were thrown in for entertainment value, and later added that he’s content with his portrayal in the film.

"But you gotta realize a few things in there they threw in there just for the sake of entertainment"
"They could’ve showed more of, but like I said, it’s hard to get everything in two and a half hours."
"The stuff we was saying back then still happens to this day, the police brutality and all of that"