The Movie Django
Gary L. Willis
AFRS 55T (T&Th@3:30)
Dr. T. Hasan Johnson
02.23.13
Extra Credit
The Movie “Django Unchained”
The objective of this paper is to review some of the results of the discussion-panel’s analysis of certain aspects of this movie that relate to the Hip-Hop culture.
On Thursday, February 21, 2013, I attended a panel discussion hosted by the Africana Studies Department of Fresno State University. It was conducted at the African American Museum, Fresno California. Its purpose was to evaluate this movie’s effect on us (basically Black-Americans), by analyzing elements of this movie.
This movie presents Black masculinity and femininity during the 1860s slavery era of America using characters that portray slaves as childish and stupid (the Betina or D'Artagnan), violent (the Mandingo or Django), hypersexual (Sheba) and cowardly (all the black male slaves).
These slavery created representations of Black masculinity (the Buck) and femininity (the Jezebel/Mulattoe) are relevant to Hip-Hop because they are the predominate characters being proffered as entertainment in the overwhelming majority of Hip-Hop videos.
The stereotypical persona of “The Buck” in the videos is the Gangsta/Thug and “The Jezebel/Mulattoe” is the Bitch/Ho— both are slavery created stereotypes. The Jezebel/Mulatto (Bitch/Ho) The Buck (Gangsta/Thug)
Another aspect of this movie relevant to Hip-hop culture is the word “nigger”, used incessantly in the movie, just as, its morphed version, “Nigga” is used incessantly by Hip-Hoppers, in conversation and in their videos. Since language is one of the seven essential element of all cultures, the usage of the word “nigger” was discussed by the panel and audience and as a result of this discussion, we agreed that—without the use of the word “nigger”, “Django Unchained” would not be authentic; because, in this movie, “nigger”
AFRS 55T (T&Th@3:30)
Dr. T. Hasan Johnson
02.23.13
Extra Credit
The Movie “Django Unchained”
The objective of this paper is to review some of the results of the discussion-panel’s analysis of certain aspects of this movie that relate to the Hip-Hop culture.
On Thursday, February 21, 2013, I attended a panel discussion hosted by the Africana Studies Department of Fresno State University. It was conducted at the African American Museum, Fresno California. Its purpose was to evaluate this movie’s effect on us (basically Black-Americans), by analyzing elements of this movie.
This movie presents Black masculinity and femininity during the 1860s slavery era of America using characters that portray slaves as childish and stupid (the Betina or D'Artagnan), violent (the Mandingo or Django), hypersexual (Sheba) and cowardly (all the black male slaves).
These slavery created representations of Black masculinity (the Buck) and femininity (the Jezebel/Mulattoe) are relevant to Hip-Hop because they are the predominate characters being proffered as entertainment in the overwhelming majority of Hip-Hop videos.
The stereotypical persona of “The Buck” in the videos is the Gangsta/Thug and “The Jezebel/Mulattoe” is the Bitch/Ho— both are slavery created stereotypes. The Jezebel/Mulatto (Bitch/Ho) The Buck (Gangsta/Thug)
Another aspect of this movie relevant to Hip-hop culture is the word “nigger”, used incessantly in the movie, just as, its morphed version, “Nigga” is used incessantly by Hip-Hoppers, in conversation and in their videos. Since language is one of the seven essential element of all cultures, the usage of the word “nigger” was discussed by the panel and audience and as a result of this discussion, we agreed that—without the use of the word “nigger”, “Django Unchained” would not be authentic; because, in this movie, “nigger”