Post-reading questions week twelve

I believe Lupe Faisco's "bad bitch" to be critically conscious because in his music video, he states how women are being portrayed as "sluts" due to what they are watching on television, the music videos they see artists make, and the magazines often displayed in stores. Not only that, but i think his video seems to be more critically conscious because it portrays how parenting can affect how a child sees the opposite sex. For example, if the roles were reverse, and the young girl was the one with the good mom, then she wouldn't dress up all revealing as she gets older. On the other hand though, if it was the younger boy who was watching the videos, he would grow up to be exactly like the girl when she got older. He would have disrespected her by trying to get at her and touching her ass. I believe the article about “Thoughts on Lupe Fiasco’s Bad Bitch” relates to me the most because I agree with what the author states. Like to some people there’s this different connotation to what “bad bitch” could mean just like what Lupe pointed out in the video. To the young girl, “bad bitch” means dressing up in revealing clothes while to the young boy, “bad bitch” means like being a hard worker, having job and taking care of your child, and dressing up appropriately. I also can relate it to the most because in the video, the author points out how the young boy turned into gentlemen because of how his mother raised him. The author states, “gender role confusion, wrought by Black women’s failure to parent their sons and mentor their daughters more proactively.” This statement I believe suggests that if parents were to control what their child watches more, then they would turn out to be more respectable when they older. For example me. I remember as I child, my parents would always monitor what I would watch or listen to. If they didn’t, I would probably end up being a girl with no manners. I think the connection between Lupe Fiasco’s music video and the quote is that well first of all, Jamila’s quote in the beginning, she states how feminist and feminism is not only addressing the issues of how women are being perceived today, but also calling to action about it. With that said, I think it relates to Lupe’s “Bad Bitch” because I believe he is doing the same. Not only is he showing how women are being mistreated, but his message clearly states that we should be doing something about it. I think what Jamila would say about this hierarchy is that it’s okay to sometimes wear revealing clothes, but not to the point where you dress up all the time to be called a “slut” and be disrespected by men all the time. I believe hip-hop as a music genre has more of a responsibility to be socially responsible because I think more teens listen to this genre more than any other music. Furthermore, I believe it has more of responsibility because to some people, the lyrics behind it have a deeper meaning than other people.

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Pre-reading questions for week twelve

I believe hip-hop can be used to further social justice but it mainly depends on the rap and hip-hop artists if they want to actually provide music that will solve social and political problems.  I think hip-hop is more seen as a tool for critiques because I have never really heard of hip-hop or rap songs that deal with social justice or equality. Their music mainly focuses on degrading women, war, and like shooting people. Furthermore, I believe it’s more of a critique because those who are in the music industry wouldn’t want to make music that would un-interest people in buying their cds. For example, if people hear lyrics that talk about social justice, it might cause some debate or oppressions within them. Hip-hop can be a powerful tool for activism because these artists producing this music can use their voice for good instead of bad. For example, rappers like maybe 50 Cent or Nelly can write lyrics that don’t have anything to do with degrading women or getting shot. Instead, they can write music that has to do with solving these types of issues or the type of problems many people go through like violence, rape, etc. I don’t necessarily believe that it is more useful for this than other genre of music because I think any music artists of any genre can produce music that deals with social justice. It all just depends on the artists and if they are willing to actually go through and deal with the oppressions of the people. Although I do believe that it’s useful for all genres, I think hip-hop and rap is a more affective tool for activism because most teens listen to hip-hop and rap more today. Like I believe its beat and sometimes lyrics has more meaning to it for some teens. I found the song “Runaway Love” by Ludacris (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BNh3PumyAE) as an example of an artist who I believe is using hip-hop in a more conscious matter. I found this to be powerful and good because in his song, he explains how these girls are getting abused by their family and no one is doing anything to help them. Although he doesn’t explain how or what we can do to help, he does explain the situations about how cruel reality can be. I think some of the barriers to hip-hop artists creating and marketing critical hip-hop are the oppression of the people. If they ever produce music that literally talks about what they have gone through or things other people have gone through, it will cause lots of debate and fights over it which will probably lead less people in buying their music. Also, other barriers might be themselves. They probably don’t want to produce music that will make them re visit their past and struggles they have gone through.

 

Words: 473

Post-reading questions for week eleven

What I thought was the most interesting in the video was how much they degrade women in music videos. Like at first I thought the rap and hip-hop artists were only doing that because of the money but after watching that video, it made me realize that they’re doing it on purpose. I was also surprised by how Nelly suddenly dropped out from the bone marrow event just because he didn’t want to hear the women’s opinions about how his music video is showing women is a negative light. It definitely made me change my mind about how I thought of hip-hop because the video opened my eyes on how hip-hop can affect the lives of many people. Like I didn’t even think about what hip-hop could mean to the whites and how rap means so more to the blacks because of the way they could express the struggles they have been through. Like I strongly believe that rap has a much deeper meaning to the black people because the whites have not experienced the hardships, slavery, and pain that the blacks have. I definitely agree with the second one on how hip-hop is both homophobia and homoerotic because in the video we watched in class, when rap and hip-hop artists show their bodies in magazines, they’re not doing it just for the women, but also for the men. Furthermore, in the video, they talked about how guys who show emotion are less of man and loose their masculinity. For example, when Busta Rhymes was questioned about black gay men when it comes to music, he said he wouldn’t want to associate with them and just walked away. I also agree with number four about how the genre hip-hip is denigrating women. Like since these music artists are showing women in a negative way, it results women in real life being treated the same way just like those women in the video. For instance, in the video they talked about how there are two types of women: the “sisters” and the “bitches”. The sisters represent those who dresses classy and appropriate while the bitches represent those who dress all reveling just like the music videos being portrayed in hip-hip and rap. Some of the similarities between how black men were represented during slavery and Jim Crow and their representation in music today are that whatever they experienced or feelings they felt during those times; they will talk about it in music. They will talk about how being a slave was torture and how they would always have to work. They will rap about how the Jim Crow law segregated them. They will rap about all the emotions they have bottled up over the years. Yes and No I do and don’t believe hip-hop can be problematic. I believe it’s problematic because not only does the music video for the genre degrade women, but it makes people think that those who are gay are not masculine enough. No I don’t think it’s problematic because like I said before, the genre addresses the issues of what the blacks have gone through.

 

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Pre-reading questions week eleven

I think issues of race, gender, class, sexuality, and social justice engage with hip-hop and the music industry is that when someone is oppressed, they often maybe write their feelings down on paper which results it turning into music. For example, I don’t know if this counts as one since its not hip hop but the song “Black or White” by Michael Jackson talks about the racism between the white and black people. Lyrics such as this song often approach the emotions and feelings of how someone might be dealing with this injustice. I think the purpose of hip-hop music is not only to entertain people, but also aware the people of how someone might be feeling about a certain topic such as their sexuality or race. For example, if someone is afraid to say what they are actually feeling, they would instead write it in a song and let the whole word know. For instance, take Frank Ocean. No one knew he was gay until he expressed his sexuality in his song “Thinking about you.” He probably didn’t want to tell anyone because he was afraid people would judge him so instead he wrote it in a song. I think the role that race plays in hip-hop is that there is this ideology that most rappers or artists are usually black people. Personally to me, I’d say that the consumers of hip-hop are racially homogenous but only because the rappers and artists of hip-hip I see are mostly black. Like I can name so many hip hop artists that are black but when it comes to naming one white rapper all I can think of is Enenim. I never really knew hip-hop was problematic but I think its so popular today because it’s what “in” today with the teens. Like hip-hop is something teens in this generation can listen and relate to. I think Rock feels the need to defend rap music because he is sick of hearing people say “Rap is garbage. How can you listen to that garbage? How can you listen to that trash?” I don’t know if this counts as some of the things that he thinks are bad about rap but he says in the video that most black rappers are killed and the government doesn’t do anything about it. Like he repeats over and over again how “the government doesn’t like rap” and I think what he means by that is if it was a different situation, like if a white rapper was always the one getting shot, then they would be all over investigating it. But when it comes to black rappers, they just ignore it. I think the positive aspect of hip-hop is like I said before; it informs the people about the oppressions some feel. I think some of its problematic aspects are that some hip-hop or rap songs do degrade women which often lead to these debates. I don’t think hip-hop is misogynistic because I don’t think the hip-hop and rap artists mean to intentionally degrade women. Like what Chris Rock said, women who love rap music wouldn’t really care. As long as the beats good, then they are okay with it. I think that’s mainly what hip-hop, rap, or the music industry is trying to do. Not to degrade women or other people of race or gender, but to basically make money in the business.

 

Words: 567

Post-reading questions for week eight

Some reasons that students maybe diagnosed with a learning disability is for one their language. Like we talked about in class, language plays a huge role and can determine how someone does well on standard tests. If they do poorly on it, especially those who do not speak English very well, then they will end up in special education class. Take for example me. When I migrated here from the Philippines as a young child, I had a hard time learning how to speak English. I don’t remember if I was put into a different class or not, but it made me realize that maybe that’s why I always had a hard time with the standard tests. Another reason why some would be diagnosed with a learning disability is because it doesn’t fit into the “norm”. Since the white are usually the one with all the power, the others “look up to them” and follow whatever they think is right. For example, the disabilities that we talked about in class- drapetomania and hysteria- were made by whites and since they are the highest on the hierarchy, people just go allow with it because its part of the “norm”. Lastly, teachers can play a huge role in diagnosing whether a student has LD or not. If a student is just lazy doing their work, then a teacher might interpret that as having an illness and will put them into a special ed class. Race, class, and gender play into this process by having this intersectionality with the ideologies made by society. For instance, in the Michael story, since he was an African American male, he was stopped by the police 3 times: one for thinking he looked like the guy who stole something, the other for thinking he was picking up prostitutes, and the other for thinking he was smoking. Back then and probably still today, blacks had or still have a reputation for being known as criminals and thieves, violent, loud, and etc which all contribute to how teacher might think that there’s something wrong with the student. Also, in his story, since Michael had dyslexia, he couldn’t get a promotion because they probably knew that about him. Lastly, just like Michael, if teachers think you have a LD, they will probably put you into a different building where all the LD students are. So basically, segregation is involved. I think the similarities between race as a social construct and disability as a social construct is they both intersect with determining whether a student has a LD or not. For example, drapetomania in the 17^th and 18^th century was known as a disease where African American slaves run away.  Because it was “considered” an illness, many believed the cure was locking them up, cutting off their feet, or making them work harder. For me, I don’t necessarily think they are different because they both intersect. I think medicine upholds our racial, gender, and class hierarchies because like I said before, since the whites were the majority in society, most doctors and nurses were probably white and making up these crazy diseases like drapetomania, hysteria, and homosexuality. Because of their high power in society, people go allow with it because they assume it’s the “norm”. I think race, class, language background or any other factors work together to set-up how we define learning disability is for example if we see someone who is not fluent in English, we automatically assume that they have a disability. If someone is black, then we automatically assume the worst of them-the ideology we have about them-and think that they should be put in a different class. If someone is living in poverty, it can definitely affect how they do well in school which often leads us to conclude that they have a LD.  I actually liked this weeks reading, especially Michael’s, and it really surprised me that there were actually crazy disabilities made by these doctors concerning African American slaves and women.

 

Words: 667

Pre-reading questions for week eight

I think race, education, and disabilities are all connected by how they play a huge role in someone’s life. For example, if someone is Black and doesn’t have a good education or cannot function right, they will most likely be treated differently or “special” than others and will most likely have a hard time making friends or getting a job. So basically, all three of them have a huge impact on how someone can live their life. Learning disabled means having certain kinds of learning problems which can disable a person from learning and using those skills at home or at school. They also depend on the individual which basically means someone who has a learning disability may be different from someone who else has it too. Mentally retard means someone who is not able to function right and who learns and develops learning skills at a slower pace than others. It’s also known as a development disability which is usually found in children who are under 18 years old. Emotionally unstable means someone who cannot handle their own emotions. I think students of color are over represented in special education classes because I believe some people think that students of color are usually the ones who are born disabled; like they don’t bother to even think of the while students. They choose to ignore them and target those who are colored. I think race, gender, and class can intersect with disability to impact how people experience their lives is by let’s say a little girl who is white and middle class has a disability. She of course would get treated differently like all the others but I think since she’s white, she would receive a much better advantage than a little girl who is black and in the lower class. I don’t really understand what Connors meant when he said “these social constructs as a means of social organization” but if I had to take a guess I would say that in society or within a community, there are certain rules that people follow in which they prefer to have someone work in their store as white-middle class, and able-bodied as suppose to those who are a working class, disabled, and colored. In a way I agree because I don’t think someone who is disabled should work because they might have a hard time getting things done but at the same time I believe the white people or those who follow the rules should give the others the benefit of the doubt. To me, it doesn’t seem fair if they don’t receive the same opportunities because of their class, gender, race, or if they have a disability. I think someone’s race, class or language background can impact their ability to do well on these tests by like how they are seen by others. For example, if you are colored and maybe Asian, some might see you as smart which means they might give you a harder test because they expect you to pass it. But personally that just seems more of a stereotype. But I do believe that if someone’s native language is not English, then they will have a hard time understanding the test because it’s in a different language. Just like the activity we did in class with Paola, if someone’s paper was in a different language like how mine was, then the person will feel lost and confused and will do poorly on the test.

 

Words: 579

Post reading questions for week six

Honestly for me, I’m still a little bit lost about intersectional theory but to put it in simple words I think its when like multiple factors such as maybe your gender or race play a huge part in your life. Like for me since I’m female and Filipina, I don’t have that much advantage as suppose to maybe those who are female and white. I don’t really know how it’s different from the other approaches that we’ve learned in understanding racial, gender, or class oppression but personally, I find this approach much better to understand. Like this approach helped me see how women, even men could be treated differently because of their race, gender, or even their social status in society. I think what Audre Lorde means in this quote is that it’s not the differences that create these different types of groups or oppressions from white women and women of color, but the way they are holding back in fixing the problem. Like I guess, she means that they are not exactly making an effort to fixing the problem. They may talk about fixing it, but are still doing nothing to change it. I think the steps that Lorde is talking about in order for all women to achieve social justice and equality is that all women should be able to acknowledge that every one of them is equal as suppose to seeing them as maybe poor or weak. That if they are able to recognize those differences and see each other as equal, then they can come together and help each other out during their time of struggles. Responding to Moraga’s statement, I would have to agree with her because she is explaining or comparing how being a lesbian is like being poor, being a color of race, and being a woman. In other words, being a lesbian means you get treated in an unfair way like those other factors too. I don’t really understand the second part of her quote when she is talking about “the danger lies in ranking the oppressions….” But to answer your question about if all of these oppressions are poverty I would have to say they are because like I stated before, being a women of color and or being a women in general means getting treated differently, and not in  good way too. Like I guess, she is saying that it’s sad to see every one get treated differently because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, and etc. But that’s just me though. I don’t really know how to answer this question. I think intersectional analysis can help us understand the lives of men also by like their sexual orientation and race. Like for example, if you were a black or African American man and were queer, then you may not get a lot of advantages as suppose to men who are white and straight. But that was back then. I don’t know if that still happens today.

 

 

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