Fall 2018 - Blog IV/Reflection

We have arrived at our final blog for this semester.  I'd like you to take the time to reflect on an aspect(s) of our class which resonated with you.  Furthermore, did the film projects present evidence of this (these)?  If so, how?  Please be specific and share your comments.

Due: Wed., 12/5/18 by the beginning of class.

Fall 2018 - Blog III/Unit IV - Afrofuturism

Respectability Politics....In this unit, we've watched movies which are considered, by my definition, Afrofuturism.  This means they're a combination of an aspect of the African Diaspora as well as sci-fi or fantasy.  Yet, they also tackle issues of respectability politics involving: age, gender, and of course race.  I'd like you to analyze the dichotomy between scientific breakthroughs and respectability politics in both films.  What aspects of technological advances are evident and how are they political?  Examples might include: computers, medical science, body invasion, the sunken place, etc.  How are they used?  Finally, what does their inclusion strongly suggest?


Due by Mon., 12/3/18 by the beginning of class.

Fall 2018 - Blog II/Unit III - Black Female Humor/Laughin' while Cryin'

 

So, when watching Vera from Harlem Nights

My father has always been the family jokester.  He's the one who introduced me to classic Black comedians like: Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx, and Moms Mabley.  He explained that before there was Foxx and Pryor, there was Moms Mabley.  A Black woman who didn't reach her fame until her 60's and 70's.  When I saw pictures of her, I thought she looked like a grandma with no teeth. When I heard her, I thought, "oh my! she's a little old to be sayin that - ain't she?!"  My Dad laughed saying nothing.  Mabley was known as the 'original Queen of comedy.'  

or Tiffany Haddish from Girls' Trip,
I see another perspective of Black female comedy because of Moms Mabley.  As such, I'd like you to listen to about 10-15 minutes of her (the link is below), and compare her to what we've read and viewed this unit. Then, please share your thoughts below while remembering the Blog rubric found on the syllabus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=625pAnzD3JQ

Due: Fri., 11/9/18 by the beginning of class.

Fall 2018 - Unit I/Blog I: Some of the Firsts...

During this unit, I've hopefully introduced you to some of the first major cinematic films: the first major Hollywood blockbuster, the response to that blockbuster, and the film which birthed Blaxploitation.  While several may feel these films are problematic, I probably wouldn't disagree.  Nonetheless, I believe that film spectatorship is almost an existential experience.  You might ask what is spectatorship?  It is what Huey Newton says is missing from media audiences, and it is what Toni Morrison says she expects from her readers, to engage with the media/text through critical analysis.  As I've taught this class, I realize that films I used to enjoy, don't have the same meaning.  My spectatorship is evolving.  I'd like you to consider the films that you watch, and see whether or not you can make correlations between one of these films and a film which you enjoy.   What did you discover?  Is your spectatorship evolving or changing?  If so, please include a film to explain how and why.  Your response is due by the beginning of class on Fri., 9/14/18 (Don't forget the rubric on the syllabus).

Unit IV - Blog III

After last night's Common presentation, I'm still hype.  So, I contemplated how to combine what he spoke on with our last unit.  We've discussed Black Lives Matter, Starbucks, Mass Incarceration, the Prison Industrial Complex, Oscar Grant, Jordan Davis and others.  We've watched The 13th and Fruitvale Station.  Both offer suggestions on how to proceed, but how can we identify our role in greatness within and external to us?  Further, I'd like to ask: how will you proceed?  What type of action is it time for from you?  What can you do to (re)construct the narrative of black folks in the media, and how can this impact into our everyday lives?

Due: During class on Fri., 4/27/18 only.

Unit III - Blog II/Spring 2018

The above images are from various films we've both viewed & discussed during Unit III.
From Bulletproof Love to (re)imagined female representations, we've engaged in some thought provoking class discussions.   These films (re)present platforms as sites of resistance.  Black women serve as generals in an all-female Army & Black women are beautiful enough to wear Italian designer clothing while supporting one of their own through a difficult break-up; a Black man evokes a (re)imagined happening which we can all dream of - a bulletproof Black man.  What about the music?  I can close my eyes and hear the drum beat and the chant from "Pray for Me by Weeknd and K."  And, finally, Eric Killmonger commands intellectual respect as he 'corrects' a white woman about African history.  Each of these moments signifies the fire in the spirit of our ancestors - the fire.  Do you think the fire this time is here?  If so, how?  Which film from our discussions supports your position, and why?  Please be specific, and provide examples from both the film and our class.