Drumline
Cultural Studies
Instructions:
1. Straight Outta Compton and New Jack City make similar statements about drugs originating in and being disseminated by nonblack communities although blacks are highly stigmatized. They also make statements about business skills and abilities that can only be expressed in illegal venues because of lack of opportunity and of police brutality. Compare and contrast how these movies make these and related points. You can focus on just one of the above points. In this assignment, be sure to pick one or two specific scenes that tie into your analysis. Important for this assignment is that in your writing, you describe aspects of mise en scene (lighting, sets, clothing, music, etc.) that support your ideas. Consider how course writers do this in their articles and how it adds to your understanding of the film. Use information from the writings to support your beliefs. You can optionally reference current events.
2. Pick one specific quote from the readings Rockabye Baby or What It Do Shorty? that offers a salient perspective of black females in hood movies. Explain how this aspect applies or does not apply to female characters in Set It Off and Straight Outta Compton. What do the women’s portrayals suggest in relationship to stereotypes or power relationships? Describe specific scenes from the film and note the colors, background, music, dialog, etc that prove your point. Quote from the textbooks or lectures and follow the discussion guidelines. Suggest the significance of the film’s representations. Important for this assignment is that in your writing, you describe aspects of mise en scene (lighting, sets, clothing, music, etc.) that support your ideas. Consider how course writers do this in their articles and how it adds to your understanding of the film. You can optionally reference current events. You can also reflect on aspects of misogyny and how you would compare representations and characters in Set It Off and Straight Outta Compton.
3. Compare Straight Outta Compton with either Drumline or House Party. What black community issues are the same? Which are different? Describe specific scenes from the film and note the colors, background, music, dialog, etc that prove your point. Quote from the textbooks or lectures and follow the discussion guidelines. Suggest the significance of the film’s representations. Important for this assignment is that in your writing, you describe aspects of mise en scene (lighting, sets, clothing, music, etc.) that support your ideas. Consider how course writers do this in their articles and how it adds to your understanding of the film. You can optionally reference current events
Remember these films are the materialization of expressions of ideologies or refutation of those beliefs that exist in society, sometimes from Hollywood, sometimes from a black perspective. Your job is to use academic writings and your own interpretations to produce an essay that analyze words, themes, mise en scene as they project beliefs. Note this paper must be uploaded into the dropbox as well as posted here.
Guidelines:
Remember the essays should contain citations and are practice for the final course paper. However they are also an opportunity to start less formal conversations and responses among group members. You must complete both aspects, so be sure to respond to at least one of your group members about what they found and/or to the comments of others who respond to your post. This assignment counts toward class participation. Copy and paste or type your discussion/essay in the discussion area and submit your file to the dropbox for a plagiarism check.
What should be included in your essay(for more detail look at the rubric attached to this discussion):
• 600 Words for initial post for Discussion/Essay
• 150 or more words for your response to one classmate
• Contains a thesis
• At least 3 proofs to support the thesis
o two from course materials
o one from your own academic or primary research
• Use of in text citations with page numbers
• Works cited with webpage links or full printing press information
• Good Grammar
• Discretionary points for Excellence
Essay Format:
This is generally the format of what your essay should look like.
Paragraph 1 — introduction to tell me where you are going. This paragraph includes or starts with a specific distinct thesis that states exactly what you plan to argue. It does not say “I will discuss…” Instead, state your argument and move on to prove it. If I have to wait until the end of the paper to figure out what your point is, you have already failed. Some students put the thesis sentence in italics or bold it. If you want to do this that’s fine. It helps me zero in immediately on what you will argue and may help you keep track of your focus.
Paragraphs 2-5 — justifications. Each subsequent paragraph proves some part of your thesis. They start with and include sub assertions. These sub assertions introduce related bits of evidence and are in effect a mini thesis that makes a refined point about SOME aspect of the thesis. In other words, it pinpoints a specific part of the thesis and explains why the information you present is relevant. After the sub assertion, include your evidence — an example, quote, and citation, for example. You must include examples from the narrative. You can combine justifications in paragraphs as long as they relate to the sub assertion, which on a larger scale connects to the thesis. Start each new paragraph with new sub assertions and justification that highlights a another different part of the thesis. Continue until all parts of your thesis are illustrated and justified. Adjust your thesis if need be.
Final Paragraph — add some deeper insight. You started with a thesis — what additional intellectual points can you add that both reflects the original thesis but seems to carry your initial concept further?
Under no circumstances are you to attack anyone personally. Thoughtfulness, creativity and clarity will work in your favor. Simply repeating what someone else has previously said will not work well in this area. You will not get credit if you do not respond in a scholarly way.
Solution
Cultural Studies
The films Straight Outta Compton and Drumline feature young Black Americans determined to succeed in life using music. Drumline uses musical instruments such as drums, while Straight Outta Compton uses Rap music that explains some of the life issues the black Americans face. The settings for the two films differ with Drumline taking place in A&T College while Straight Outta Compton features the ghetto i.e. Compton and the various locations that the N.W.A team performed their music. Despite the different settings, themes, and circumstances the two films share some issues that portray what black people go through. However, some issues differ because of the different locations and lifestyles of the films main characters. Therefore, the essay aims at comparing and contrasting the two movies and relating the same with various ideologies that exist about Black Americans.
As stated above, both films feature black youths who are talented musically, with the optimism of a good future once they showcase their musical talents. Straight Outta Compton features Dre who is skilled in composing beats and tunes and Cube who is gifted in writing lyrics. Also, Eazy has a good rapping voice and the rest of the N.W.A crew provides support through songs and ideas (Straight Outta Compton). Drumline features Devon, an exceptional drums player who joins the college to polish his art and succeed in life (Drumline). A&T College also has other black students like Sean, Laila, Ernest and Diedre, who work hard to realize their dreams. Additionally, both films use music as a central theme. Drumline incorporates hip-hop and R&B while Straight Outta Compton features rap music that exposes the plight of black people.
Moreover, both films have scenes where rivaling teams challenge each other to prove that they are the best in their art. The A&T marching band has to demonstrate that it is better than the group at Morris Brown College (Drumline). There is an instance where both bands fight while trying to protect the reputation of their bands. Mr. Wade is also featured asking Devon to betray the A&T band as a strategy to defeat A&T in the upcoming competition. In Straight Outta Compton, Eazy and Dre produce a track talking ill about Ice Cube. Ice Cube reiterates by creating a track that explains his reason for leaving the N.W.A. and uses derogatory language against Jerry, Eazy, Dre and MC Ren (Straight Outta Compton). The two films show how the individuals attach their egos to their art to the extent of having verbal and physical fights. Both films also feature stubborn people whose talents make them go against the rules. Devon depicts his stubbornness in Drumline while Ice Cube does so in Straight Outta Compton.
Some of the differences in the two films include the following: Straight Outta Compton features drug sales and usage, and how people who sold and distributed drugs were wealthy. Dre approaches Eazy to sponsor his dream of producing music and convinces him that music was a better and safer way of generating money than the drug sales. Eazy later goes back to distributing marijuana to his artists when he stops making money. Also, Drumline focuses on using education to succeed in life (Drumline), while Straight Outta Compton relies on drugs, street smarts, and rap as a key to a better life. Additionally, Straight Outta Compton highlights themes like police brutality on black Americans, rap music, and Aids (Straight Outta Compton) while Drumline focuses on the importance of education and talent. Consequently, Drumline portrays how life is easier when an individual goes to college and complies with the rules. Conversely, Straight Outta Compton depicts how rappers face life challenges, for instance, Jerry scamming the rappers through bad contracts; Dre partnering with Suge who had anger issues and conducted business in uncouth ways, and Priority Records failing to fulfill their promise of giving Cube an advance for a second album. Dressing mode is also different in the two films. The rappers at Straight Outta Compton wear baggy clothes, big chains, and caps while Drumline characters dress in band uniform and the college uniform. Therefore Straight Outta Compton provides a better picture than Drumline regarding black societies and what black people face in life.
In conclusion, black people face similar
issues when living in the ghettos. Some are involved in drugs, engage in
violence which results in premature deaths, face police brutality, and wrongful
detention and conceives at an early age. Consequently, they look for ways to
leave that lifestyle through education as was in Devon’s case or rap music like
the N.W.A’s approach. However, both methods have challenges and individuals
have to make a choice whether to move forward or go back to the ghetto life.
Drumline is evidence that black people are civilized as opposed to the notion
that they are rowdy and unable to follow authority. Straight Outta Compton
depicts that blacks have the ability to move forward in life without the use of
drugs. Therefore, despite the differences regarding setting, attire, music
choice and language use, both films are proof that determined blacks can
succeed without engaging in unethical behavior.
Works Cited
Drumline. Atlanta: Charles Stone III, 2002. film.
Straight Outta Compton. Los Angeles: F. Gary Gray, 2015. film.
