End Post

http://201subjects.blogspot.com/2011/04/feminism-and-hip.html

http://201subjects.blogspot.com/2011/04/racism-and-rat-pack.html

http://201subjects.blogspot.com/2011/03/todays-trickster.html

Of my posts, I think my Feminism post is the best.  I do believe that women play a large part in the Hip culture and are actually ridiculed by men due to the feelings of inadequacy among the males of this genre.  It is evident that the men feel less than women while attempting to exaggerate their own lives, skills and actions, while putting down those that allow them to express themselves in this manner.  I enjoyed writing the Trickster/politician blog and truly believe that politicians are playing a game, based on loose definitions, which allow them to be flexible and not tied down to any specific point of view.  This benefits them by acceptance of many different spectrums of our society, dependent upon the issues at hand.  The racism blog I wrote based on personal knowledge learned while growing up in Las Vegas.  It describes the complexities of a society struggling with racial equality.  What I failed to include in the piece is the fact of Sinatra and Dean joining Davis, Jr at the Moulin Rouge on a nightly basis.  Even they had a tendency to snub the system and do what they felt was morally right.

My ideas of hip culture have most definitely changed this semester, providing an outlook that I often ignored and ridiculed.  While I continue to believe that a lot of current “Hip” is absolute BS, I have a better understanding of where it came from and the direction it is now travelling.  This has definitely given me a broader perspective of the society I live in.

I would have to say, reluctantly, that I have performed rather well this semester as I have opened up, slightly, and communicated with others in class.  I have a propensity to ignore those that are not in my social class, if you will (that social class as being a disgruntled vet that wants the world to slow down, greatly, and return to days of small towns, farmer’s markets, ranches and solitude.)  I am living a pipe dream, internally, yet hope that someday we will return to those values, at least on a small scale.   But I am happy with my overall performance in class and am thankful for those that shared with me during the semester, even if you didn’t know that the words you spoke to me reassured my sense of community.  My strengths are my honesty, brutal at times, in my statements, along with what I believe is good descriptions of what is occurring.  That being said, honesty is also my weakness, more so than a strength, as I am overly truthful and express my feelings and beliefs, no matter the audience.

If had to grade myself, I would give a B.  I think my writing has been decent, not exceptional, definitely rough around the edges, but overall, not bad.  Participation in class has been active, mostly.  A few of the topics I have forced myself to not comment on, but they have been some eye openers, personally.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and definitely believe it has been a great learning experience.  I look forward to continuing in this field. 

The Shape of Hip

Tim Riley

Scott Weaver

ENGL 201-001

4/20/11

The Future of Hip: An Annotated Bibliography

Best, Steven, Douglas Kellner.  “Rap, Black Rage and Racial Indifference.”  Enculturation, Vol. 2, No. 2, Spring 1999.  Web.

The authors give a brief history of rap culture, its creator’s and the defining characters in today’s rap music industry.  They explain the mindset of the artists and the communal feelings among them of indifference from society, directed towards racial groups, specifically young black males.  Sexism is briefly touched upon, but the overall sense of the article is of support for the young rapper and, de facto, a repressed black society. 

Smallwood, Scott.  “Speaking for Animals or Terrorists.”  Chronicle of Higher Education Interview with Steve Best.  Chronicle of Higher Education.  August 5, 2005.  Web

Smallwood provides a glimpse into the career and associates of Steve Best, Professor of Philosophy and voice of the Animal Liberation Front.  There are many peculiarities of Best, shared throughout the interview, that suggest he is more than what he proclaims to be.  So much that he was removed from his department chair at UTEP by fellow professors, highlighting their non-acceptance of his terrorist links.

            Riley 2

            Smith, Rebecca.  “ECOTERRORISM”?: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE

VILIFICATION OF RADICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS

AS TERRORISTS.  Environmental Law.  March 22, 2008.  Web

Rebecca Smith briefly explains her arrest and conviction of federal crimes relating to her attempts at preventing logging in Montana.  She continues throughout the piece to explain her actions, along with those of her associates, as saviors that have been vilified by the federal government and labeled as ecoterrorists.  She attempts to explain away her criminal activity as actions deemed necessary for the salvation of our planet.

            Chalecki, Elizabeth.  A New Vigilance: Identifying and

Reducing the Risks of Environmental Terrorism.  Global Environmental Politics.  February 1, 2002.  Web.

Chalecki provides descriptions of ecoterrorism and environmental terrorism, sharing the differences through graphic descriptions.  She provides insight into government responses to these forms of domestic terrorism and how they affect our daily lives.

Eagan, Sean.  From Spikes to Bombs:  The Rise of Eco-Terrorism. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism.  January 1, 1996.  Web.

Eagan studies the growing trends in domestic terrorism, its many forms, and the candidates most likely to be seen conducting these horrific acts.  He shares the psychology of the actors and some of the recruiting tools utilized to create a conducive mindset.

           

Feminism and Hip

I see the sexism of hip, the controlling men carrying their women around as attachments.  The hip male secure in his superiority, treating his woman, or women, as mere chattel, trading them around when the situation benefits them.  I see the accepted culture allowing this to occur, from the beginnings of hip to rap, excited delirium surrounding these bitches and whores.

I also see a tremendous, powerful impact of the feminine in hip.  Imagine today's hipster attempting to rap about society, crime, drugs, the totality of that which holds him down, without the past success of women in the hip culture.  I see today's renouncement of the feminine as another ridicule of that which holds artists down, the matriarch, the girlfriend that actually controls the strings that make the performers dance.  Say what you will about past female performers, along with their success, but you cannot fail to recognize the impact they, along with every mother, wife or girlfriend, have upon the hipster. 

Hip is replete with feminine figures that dominate the scene.  Ella Fitzgerald, Carol Burnette, Lucille Ball, Jennifer Lopez.  All successful, all dominant.  How can a culture be dominated by sexist males that perform side by side with such domineering women as these?  Easy, feminism allows it.

Racism and the Rat Pack

Las Vegas is divided by a scar that runs through the middle of the valley.  It is known as the Union Pacific Railroad.  It runs north-south, creating the east side which holds the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street, and the West Side, home to Gerson Park and the Moulin Rouge.  One will often hear old-timers refer to the West Side, simply known as the Side, yet new-comers fail to recognize the significance as the Side is in the center of the valley, surrounding the downtown area.

Las Vegas of the 1950's and 60's was much the same as the rest of the country, a population divided by black and white.  The Las Vegas Strip was growing and large profits were being made through performances of that era's superstars.  The house bands performing behind these stars were often filled with black musicians who were not allowed on the east side of the tracks unless they were working.  Casino owners went so far as to build neighborhoods for the employees on the west side of the tracks.  This neighborhood, now the center of the valley, became known as the West Side, the wrong side of the tracks.  Fame and ability played no part in acceptance to the east side, as all blacks had to leave the area immediately after their shifts in the casinos. 

A strange dynamic began with the publicity of the Rat Pack, specifically Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.  Sammy, being black, was not allowed to stay in the hotels he was performing in and was forced to retire each night to the West Side, to stay with his people.  Again, no matter the fame or ability, black was black and must live with black.  This created harsh feelings among the group of performers, as Sammy was treated like an equal, however on a part time basis only.

The Moulin Rouge was built in 1955 and was advertised as the first fully integrated hotel.  It has weathered many storms over the years, going through multiple owners and closures, never fully attaining the grandiosity of the downtown hotels or those along the strip.  The Moulin Rouge mainly became known as the place the colored entertainers lived.  Its heyday lasted only six months, as it closed and the owners declared bankruptcy.  It is now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places but damages from several fires and years of abuse have left it vacant and in rapid decay.

Hip is said to be timeless.  It is, especially when referring to the racial undertones and racist bent of the performances.  It can also be seen in the treatment of it's most famous performers, as seen in the treatment of Sammy Davis, Jr.

All this and rabbit stew

This cartoon begins with the typical representation of the African-American persona of the time.  It is highly charged with racial undertones, depicting the hunter as slow and dim-witted as he is out-smarted by Bugs.  The writer plays on societal stereotypes, using the current feelings as his base for humor, neglecting the feelings of an entire population in order to create a humorous cartoon.  I fail to see any love in this representation, just a mean spirited attempt, albeit successfull, painfully so, at humor.  Most humor is aimed at mistakes or misfortune of an invividual or a group, yet this cartoon crosses the line at respectful.  However this is not to say this is unaccetable for the times it was written for, as the humor creases the current feeling of that time.

It is a painful, yet significant, reminder of a not so distant past that our country lived through.  It literally hurts to watch the cartoon, yet it is important in that it highlights a society's acceptance of unacceptable behavior.

Trickster revisited

I got a copy of Bamboozled from NetFlix and watched it over the weekend.  I now have a better understanding of the statement made of the film and am at a loss as to who the greater Trickster is.  Dunwitty for working Delacroix with his jive talk and black wisdom, essentially forcing Delacroix to create a powerful piece of work, or Delacroix for creating the work as a huge slam against Dunwitty and his desires for the perfect show.  Either way, they both lost in a major way, more so Delacroix.  Even the Mau-Maus lost out in the end, as their statement was lost in their own death, except for 1/16, as he was the only white member of the gang and not killed by the police.  This brought up another Trickster idea as he was handcuffed and screaming "I'm black too, why didn't you kill me?"

The Trickster

I missed the first part of the movie due to work and have been unable to find a copy of it in order to watch it in it's entirety.  The last half of the movie I watched in class on Tuesday and it left me quite disturbed.  First off, I've never really examined race relations in America and wasn't aware of the manner in which generations of American's have treated African-American's.  This movie, if viewed with the correct perspective, highlights the discrimination visited upon a cultural group, along with the utter disregard for humanity in another cultures perspectives.  Secondly, this movie is a form of entertainment, made to send a message, yes, but also a means in which to make a profit.  I have never seen a Spike Lee movie, but now having experienced one, I recognize the importance of his statement, yet disagree with the manner in which it was made.  He seems to be making money while making a mockery of himself, short-changing his culture and highlighting the racial divides among our country.  I walked away from this with a feeling that he wants that divide there, needds it there in order to continue making his cultural comments.

As for the Trickster, I believe I missed the boat on the definition of this character.  I see the Trickster as someone using knowledge for personal gain, not enlightenment.  I guess I have a mind that is twisted towards the deviant, but in my experience, those that are playing with definitions and withholding information, are generally so self absorbed, they forget that they are a small role in a large production and fail to see the damage they create through their actions.