Computers and Writing

Plagiarism and remixing are commonly confused terms, although two very different concepts. Remixing is taking samples of peoples work and compiling them to present as your one single work. Plagiarism, on the other hand, is “stealing and passing off ideas (or words of another) as one’s own. Using (another’s production) without crediting the source” (Webster). One way of remixing without plagiarizing is taking parts of a work (not the whole) and applying your own style.

Chapter 8 was centered around the concept of manhood and took some different approaches to the African American male. Rice’s first approach was found in Mailer’s Essay, “The White Negro”. It describes the African American male as sexual and primitive, a stereo-type carried out even today. The next approch taken was the “angry black man”. This stereotype is projected in Real World 1’s Kevin character and Boondock’s comic strip character, Huey Freeman. The gangsta is a branch of this stereotype that also demonstrates the angry black man. Rice points out that ganster cool even developed its own form of music- ‘gfunk’ with angry black artist’s like Ghostface Killah and Niggaz With Attitude. I can see how this image could easily catch as cool very quickly. As Rice clarifies “this image allows oppressed groups of people a degree of comfort because it provides the image of fighting back against the system. Dr. Dre’s lyrics from “Let It Ride” are both angry and cool. They are an example Rice uses to convey why their image appeals to a culture of impoverished people seemingly held back by society and unable to rise above their economic standing. The chapter also represents the ‘angry black man’ in sports. Muhammah Ali is the example Rice references when claiming that African American males are usually depicted as engaged in a persistant battle with overpowering forces, discrimination, unemployment, bad housing conditions or all of them. Rice uses Ali’s battle with society to reach the conclusion, “if culture remains unable to see greatness in portions of populace , then these people should define themselves as great.” He see how Ali’s questons the right of the black male to define himself and not be defined by the culture.

The activity at the bottom of page 73 was created in reference to the hip-hop figures described just before it. Lil’ Kim, Queen Latifah, Salt ‘n Pepa and Da Brat are other female rappers I might include in that list. In Missy Elliot’s “Work It” song, she is persuasively singing about her sexuality almost as if to tempt or seduce someone into wanting her but also in a sort of braggin manner. She is clearly assuming power in her sexual relationship and I believe this also qualifies her as gangsta.

In Chapter 9, Rice references Marlene Kim Conner for her researched conclusion that, “black males need to create a powerful self-image of cool in order to defend themselves against discrimination”. Her version of this self-image is a set of rituals just as in religion. Rice then refers to the Majors and Mancini Bilson’s writings which introduce the cool pose which they say is composed of 4 main points. Playing it cool, staying in control, being tough, and particpating in violence. This cool pose can be reflected in many ways but especially in photography where Rice call is ‘fronting’. Both authors used ethnography to reach their results. Rice defines this as, “gathering information on a specific cultural group through observations and personal interviews”. It is a good tool to learn and preactice as it is also another method to use for wrting about cool.