Winter 2020
Assignment:
Option 1:
Michael Omi states: “Film and television have been notorious in disseminating images of racial minorities which establish for audiences what these groups look like, how they behave, and in essence, ‘who they are.’ The power of the media lies not only in their ability to reflect the dominant racial ideology, but in their capacity to shape that ideology in the first place” (466).
Using Omi’s discussion of racial typecasting as a critical framework, consider the influence that media has on audiences and examine one of the following films: Black Panther, The Green Book, Crazy Rich Asians, Get Out, or Ghost In The Shell. To what extent do you consider today’s media culture to be racially progressive, or not? Base your argument on a close analysis of your chosen film, and its impact on audiences.
- Reference at least two of the readings on race, such as Omi, Seitz, Cooper, or Hagedorn, in order to support your claims.
Option 2:
Omi also writes: “The airwaves themselves are segregated…In spite of such segregation, many performing artists have been able to garner a racially diverse group of fans. And yet, racially integrated concert audiences are extremely rare” (471).
Today, hip hop is seen to be mainstream and its popularity continues to increase around the world. To what extent do you find today’s hip hop artists transcending racial boundaries and stigmas, or not?
- Reference at least two of the readings on race, such as Omi, McNulty-Finn, or Patterson, in order to support your claims.
- You may also cite examples of musical artists to make your argument stronger.
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A strong paper will:
- Clearly assert a debatable thesis.
- Present concrete evidence from media and the course readings to support its claims.
- Analyze this evidence in view of developing the thesis without lapsing into descriptive observation.
- Establish logical connections and transitions between ideas and paragraphs.
- Practice stylistic economy through clear and concise language.
Requirements:
- 6-7 pages in Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, with page numbers and 1-inch margins.
- MLA style in-text citations. Please refer to A Pocket Style Manual for guidance.
- A Works Cited page.
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