Post-colonialism: final blog tasks

Post-colonialism: final blog tasks

1)

• Alvarado stated that representations of black people are often of them being exotic, dangerous, humorous or pitied.

• Frantz Fanon stated that black stereotypes more often that infantilizes, primitivizes, decivilizes or essentializes the community.

• Said stated that the west constructed a meaning of the east and people in it that suggest it was different, dangerous and uncivilised.

2)

Yasmin can be said to offer to some extent, a somewhat more positive view of British Muslims. Showing them as being of an assisting nature in the community, particularly through character of Yasmin herself helping the disabled children onto the bus, it's presented that members of the British Muslim community are of aid to society. However, it does still succeed in reinforcing Edward Said's Orientalism theory as Muslims are still portrayed as being quite different to those from the west. This can be seen for example, through the call to prayer and even way of dressing that they have. An aspect of superiority over them is also evident through the 'anti-Muslim' graffiti that we see in the earlier parts of the clip, showing that Muslims are almost unwelcome there.

3) 

Alvarado

Alvarado's theory is without a doubt applicable to this 'Boyz n the Hood' scene, particularly from the dangerous front. With the amount of people actually holding guns whether visible or concealed, the gunfire that ensues from them and more importantly the race of the people behind the triggers, the representation of black people here is one of sheer danger. Not only this but the location that it takes place in, Watts, being known for its adversity in terms of poverty may lead to the black community being pitied by non-white audiences watching.  

The 'Ride Along' trailer can also be viewed with Alvarado's theory in mind. Just like the clip above, the dangerous theme is something that's definitely present with black people again shown wielding guns, engaging in firefights and also physical altercations. What we also see here though in conjunction with this is the humorous theme. The idea of 'brown clowns' is something that can undoubtedly be seen here with the sheer fact that the film is a comedy.

To a lot more of a greater extent than was the case in Boyz n the Hood, this 'Pursuit of Happyness' clip presents black people in a lot more of a vulnerable state. In an obvious struggle for essentials like shelter, we see a father and son have to sleep in a bathroom against their own will. This of  course gets this pitied outlook of black people across, in that they are often subject to living below what should be basic essentials for people.

Fanon

The music video for 'Kendrick Lamar - Poetic Justice,' is one where multiple aspects of Fanon's theory can be applied. In the video we see a murder by shooting take place. This contributes to the decivilisation of the black community as they are portrayed as nothing but gun-toting gangsters. The shot of the start of the video showing a division between people at the function by colour (red and blue), provides connotations of gang culture which further decivilises the community. It could also be said though that regardless of these colours, people are viewed as still being the same, giving off this idea of essentialisation.

Just like the video above, 'Vince Staples - Norf Norf' has the same aspects of Fanon's theory applicable to it. We see members of the black community being both decivilised and to some extent, essentialised in it. With the video taking place around a police car and then in what appears to be a county jail, we see almost all of the cells being full of young black people. Some of them throw up gang signs and are are tattooed with gang membership designs and this works to decivilise as black people are mostly shown to fit in to this gangster persona. Essentialising comes in the sense that nearly without exception, all the the suspects in the video are young black males. This could lead to audiences bunching up all young black men and perceiving them as criminals regardless of their actual character.

'YG - Still Brazy' is another video that Frantz Fanon's theory is applicable to. In it, not only are black people essentialised and decivilised as all being people potentially having gang affiliations, but they are also primitvised. The dancing that YG and others in the video partake in add to this notion that black people having sporting prowess and a 'natural sense of rhythm' attached to all of them.

Said

The trailer for 'United 93' supports Said's theory to quite a great level. As is clear in the video, those from the east are being presented as different, primarily in their ideologies, and this level of difference reaches new heights when they hijack the plane. With this, they are also portrayed as being of a highly dangerous nature, actually threatening the very of those from the west.

This trailer for 'Badman 7,' also plays into Said's theory. In conjunction with black people, those from the east are represented as being quite dangerous. Engaging in a number of fights and confrontations, the vibe is got across that those from the east possess quite criminal-like behaviour, therefore decivilising them.

'Citizen Khan' exacerbates to quite a large extent, the difference there is between both western and eastern communities. Elements such as the use of a foreign language and also cultural attire work to do this to a large degree. This is without mention of the difference between how weddings are organised in western and eastern culture, as can be heard from the conversation Mr Khan and his family are having.