This time Naptural85 shows her audience how to create styles for wearing to graduations and specifically under the graduation cap.
By posting this video she automatically sets up a positive representation; compared to the "gangsta" rep, Naptural85 is reflecting an audience that is intelligent, articulate, healthy and successful without having to alter "who" they are. And she always smiles at the end, reinforcing her positive, strong persona and encouraging the audience to smile back :-)
Monday 27 February 2012
Sunday 26 February 2012
Urban dictionary: four definitions of "gangsta"
Relevant theories: David Gauntlett (Media 2.0), Jacques Lacan (Mirror theory), Judith Butler(gender performativity)
1.
One who willfully promotes and participates in destructive and self-serving culture in an effort to project a particular image of 'toughness' or to make oneself intimidating. Willingness to blatantly and horrifically misuse English is a necessity, as is a low IQ and sub-par education (or at least the appearance thereof).
"I'd love to be a gangsta, but I fear I'm not stupid enough."
2.
A perversion of the established title given to the early Italian and Irish mafias, used haphazardly today as a self-described social label on mostly young people, generally black, in a far-flung game of make believe. These "gangstas" being entirely incapable of coming up with original ways of finding their identity, like to adopt Italian names from famous mafia movies as well as Italian mobster clothing. This is when, in fact, the mafia and its gangsters were built around organized crime of racketeering, protection, and highly intricate systems of providing what the people want while benefiting the immediate community, as well as adhering to codes of honor established in medieval Italy. "Gangstas" consider wildly running around in ridiculously baggy clothing, listening to music that has to bearing on reality, and selling crack because it's cool while refusing to allow themselves to climb up in society, like the Italian mobsters wanted their children to be able to do, as "gangsta".
3.
A gangsta is a complete and utter MORON. Often, the word "gangsta" is used as a taunt, or a witty but insulting comeback. Some prerequisites to be a gangsta are:
- Ignorance
- Inability to read
- Inability to spell
- Inability to wear a hat properly
- Inability to hold a gun
- Inability to choose the proper size of clothing
- Smoke crack cocaine
- Claim to dodge bullets and be poor, so to be be recognized by a group of idiotic 13 year olds as an "idol"
- No common sense
- Don't feel like working hard enough to get a real job
- Kill people because it's "cool"
- Buy $200 dollar shoes
- Buy a huge "bling bling" chain. Or, better yet, dip a chiwawa in chrome and wear it around your neck. Oops, I meant, "yo" neck, holmes.
- Be tough (This is an odd requirement. Most gangstas are tough, but get angry when a white person says the n- word)
- Be black (Not always required - a new fad has started in the previously clean and awesome suburbs: white kids seem to want to live in the ghetto, a disgusting place full of thieves, murderers, pimps, extortionists, drug dealers...
4.
Something that it is NOT good to be, despite people seeming to think so. Basically, this generally refers to people forced into a harsh life due to their low socio-economic status, who probably feel forced by circumstances beyond their control to live a certain lifestyle and commit crimes to get by.
As far as I can say, any "real" gangsta would either be dead, or in jail serving a life sentence for murder. People like to praise gangstas, but what's praiseworthy about commiting murder?? I don't think that committing crimes is a prerequisite of gangstaness. If gangsta is to be used as a positive term, it should be used to describe people who successfully and legally make their way out of the ghetto and improve their status in life. We should pity those who live in dangerous areas and constantly have to watch their backs, but we should not praise them for committing crimes.
1.
One who willfully promotes and participates in destructive and self-serving culture in an effort to project a particular image of 'toughness' or to make oneself intimidating. Willingness to blatantly and horrifically misuse English is a necessity, as is a low IQ and sub-par education (or at least the appearance thereof).
"I'd love to be a gangsta, but I fear I'm not stupid enough."
2.
A perversion of the established title given to the early Italian and Irish mafias, used haphazardly today as a self-described social label on mostly young people, generally black, in a far-flung game of make believe. These "gangstas" being entirely incapable of coming up with original ways of finding their identity, like to adopt Italian names from famous mafia movies as well as Italian mobster clothing. This is when, in fact, the mafia and its gangsters were built around organized crime of racketeering, protection, and highly intricate systems of providing what the people want while benefiting the immediate community, as well as adhering to codes of honor established in medieval Italy. "Gangstas" consider wildly running around in ridiculously baggy clothing, listening to music that has to bearing on reality, and selling crack because it's cool while refusing to allow themselves to climb up in society, like the Italian mobsters wanted their children to be able to do, as "gangsta".
3.
A gangsta is a complete and utter MORON. Often, the word "gangsta" is used as a taunt, or a witty but insulting comeback. Some prerequisites to be a gangsta are:
- Ignorance
- Inability to read
- Inability to spell
- Inability to wear a hat properly
- Inability to hold a gun
- Inability to choose the proper size of clothing
- Smoke crack cocaine
- Claim to dodge bullets and be poor, so to be be recognized by a group of idiotic 13 year olds as an "idol"
- No common sense
- Don't feel like working hard enough to get a real job
- Kill people because it's "cool"
- Buy $200 dollar shoes
- Buy a huge "bling bling" chain. Or, better yet, dip a chiwawa in chrome and wear it around your neck. Oops, I meant, "yo" neck, holmes.
- Be tough (This is an odd requirement. Most gangstas are tough, but get angry when a white person says the n- word)
- Be black (Not always required - a new fad has started in the previously clean and awesome suburbs: white kids seem to want to live in the ghetto, a disgusting place full of thieves, murderers, pimps, extortionists, drug dealers...
4.
Something that it is NOT good to be, despite people seeming to think so. Basically, this generally refers to people forced into a harsh life due to their low socio-economic status, who probably feel forced by circumstances beyond their control to live a certain lifestyle and commit crimes to get by.
As far as I can say, any "real" gangsta would either be dead, or in jail serving a life sentence for murder. People like to praise gangstas, but what's praiseworthy about commiting murder?? I don't think that committing crimes is a prerequisite of gangstaness. If gangsta is to be used as a positive term, it should be used to describe people who successfully and legally make their way out of the ghetto and improve their status in life. We should pity those who live in dangerous areas and constantly have to watch their backs, but we should not praise them for committing crimes.
Thursday 9 February 2012
SHEENA’S A2 MEDIA Thurs 9th Feb
I am in a meeting, please follow the instructions below
P1&2: MD-A2-U6-A1
P3: MD-A2-U6-D1
http://www8.georgetown.edu/centers/cndls/applications/postertool/index.cfm?fuseaction=poster.display&posterID=2396
Download Bamboozled from the A2 Media folder and watch the rest pls. It is LONG so when SPOILER ALERT! Mantan is taken hostage you can stop if you want.
Read the yellow sections in the link above and make notes, then consider all Qs in the red left hand column EXCEPT 2&7. The questions should trigger links to the theories we have covered.
Use your notes and findings as part of your essay plan. You are to write the essay for 1st lesson back. 700-1000 words. Easy if you've been listening and taking proper notes. Keep checking Twitter and blog for notes and tips.
Theory tips: Manny Otiko to start, use Lacan (mirror) with Butler (gender). Hegemony (Antonio Gramsci) is the domination of other social classes/groups by a small, dominant minority. The Propaganda Model (Noam Chomsky) goes well with hegemony as it explains the ways the dominant few control mass audiences through media ownership. All this will go up on the blog...email/tweet for help.
Have a great break, stay classy.
P6&7
I AM TEACHING THIS LESSON!
P1&2: MD-A2-U6-A1
P3: MD-A2-U6-D1
http://www8.georgetown.edu/centers/cndls/applications/postertool/index.cfm?fuseaction=poster.display&posterID=2396
Download Bamboozled from the A2 Media folder and watch the rest pls. It is LONG so when SPOILER ALERT! Mantan is taken hostage you can stop if you want.
Read the yellow sections in the link above and make notes, then consider all Qs in the red left hand column EXCEPT 2&7. The questions should trigger links to the theories we have covered.
Use your notes and findings as part of your essay plan. You are to write the essay for 1st lesson back. 700-1000 words. Easy if you've been listening and taking proper notes. Keep checking Twitter and blog for notes and tips.
Theory tips: Manny Otiko to start, use Lacan (mirror) with Butler (gender). Hegemony (Antonio Gramsci) is the domination of other social classes/groups by a small, dominant minority. The Propaganda Model (Noam Chomsky) goes well with hegemony as it explains the ways the dominant few control mass audiences through media ownership. All this will go up on the blog...email/tweet for help.
Have a great break, stay classy.
P6&7
I AM TEACHING THIS LESSON!
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Napturals85
As a direct result of media texts like Good Hair and the My Black Is Beautiful campaign, there is a growing trend among young black women reverting to their natural hair and learning to care for it.
With the advent of new media technologies audiences and social groups become more able to create UNMEDIATED representations of themselves. This in turn leads to the repetition and reinforcement of new values and beliefs. As positive comments are made between members of the audience, new behaviours are encouraged and new rituals emerge.
David Gauntlett proposes a new model of communication called "Media 2.0". He states that, as new media technologies and our capacity to communicate grow. the "media" becomes "democratised". This means that audiences are now able to create media representations and texts without the input of a major company; the audience are equal to producers, and USER GENERATED CONTENT can be just as valid as content made by big studios and conglomerates. This is proven in the trend for internet memes and videos going "viral", and also in our new habit of using social networking sites.
Napturals85 is an American woman who has become a role model for young black women worldwide through her hair tutorials. She uses YouTube as a means of communicating with people like her that she would not be able to access without these technologies. In making these tutorials she is creating a new, unmediated representation of young black women; one that is not mired in body shape, appearance or status in relation to a man, but one that is independent, intelligent and comfortable with herself.
YouTube tutorial
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=UlqdBltyxRU
Interview on "GoodHairBlog"
http://healthyghb.blogspot.com/2010/12/captured-curls-whitney-aka-naptural85.html
Interview on UK blog (a bit annoying but it's good for seeing the social implications of social media on international trends.
http://slimtingz18.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/everyday-inspiration-naptural-85/
With the advent of new media technologies audiences and social groups become more able to create UNMEDIATED representations of themselves. This in turn leads to the repetition and reinforcement of new values and beliefs. As positive comments are made between members of the audience, new behaviours are encouraged and new rituals emerge.
David Gauntlett proposes a new model of communication called "Media 2.0". He states that, as new media technologies and our capacity to communicate grow. the "media" becomes "democratised". This means that audiences are now able to create media representations and texts without the input of a major company; the audience are equal to producers, and USER GENERATED CONTENT can be just as valid as content made by big studios and conglomerates. This is proven in the trend for internet memes and videos going "viral", and also in our new habit of using social networking sites.
Napturals85 is an American woman who has become a role model for young black women worldwide through her hair tutorials. She uses YouTube as a means of communicating with people like her that she would not be able to access without these technologies. In making these tutorials she is creating a new, unmediated representation of young black women; one that is not mired in body shape, appearance or status in relation to a man, but one that is independent, intelligent and comfortable with herself.
YouTube tutorial
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?v=UlqdBltyxRU
Interview on "GoodHairBlog"
http://healthyghb.blogspot.com/2010/12/captured-curls-whitney-aka-naptural85.html
Interview on UK blog (a bit annoying but it's good for seeing the social implications of social media on international trends.
http://slimtingz18.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/everyday-inspiration-naptural-85/
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