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.