Secondary Source 5

My fifth secondary source is a book written by Robert M. Entman and Andrew Rojecki analyzing how portrayals of African Americans in mass media affect and influence the common perception of African Americans by white people. The book examines how the white mind works and how it is influenced by culture and media in general. It then delves into a broader discussion of stereotypes and black power in the news and on Prime-Time Television and how that influences the white perception of black people. The book also discusses representations of race in advertisements and movies.

Robert M. Entman and Andrew Rojecki, The Black Image in the White Mind, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2000.

Secondary Source 4

My fourth secondary source is a book written by Robert Ferguson examining the representations of race in the media. The book begins with theories on race representations in general and then builds upon those theories to make claims about race in media culture. Ferguson uses case study examples to make claims about the “anti-racist” tendencies of the media and the normalizations of racial stereotypes resulting from “popular ideological support” in mainstream culture. An interesting reason that I chose this source is that it was written in England. I believe that an international perspective on race relations will add a larger context for my examination of race relations in America.

Robert Ferguson, Representing ‘Race’, Oxford University Press, New York, 1998

Secondary Source 3

My third secondary source is a compilation book edited by Yahya R. Kamalipour and Theresa Carilli examining how the culture of global society in influenced and impacted by portrayals of diverse populations in various forms of media. I will be focusing on different sections within this book including the minority portrayal in cartoons, black comedy, and ethnic humor. The section discussing minority portrayal of cartoons compares modern and early representations of ethnic minorities in newsprint and other cartoons. The section on black comedy chronicles how black situational comedy has developed through different periods: “hybrid minstrelsy, assimilationism, assimilated hybrid minstrelsy, and simultaneity and diversification” (81). The section on ethic humor discusses how group identity is established through various forms of “in-group” vs. “out-group” humor (135).

Yahya R. Kamalipour and Theresa Carilli, Cultural Diversity and The U.S. Media, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1998

Secondary Source 2

My second secondary source is an article by DeWayne Wickham responding to the controversial Martin Luther King Jr. episode of The Boondocks in which the civil rights leader return to speak to black people and in his disgust, uses the N-word. The article argues that McGruder crosses the line and that Martin Luther King Jr. would never have used the N-word in a speech addressing black people. Wickham compares the use of the N-word to other pejorative words such as “kike” and “wetback” in order to make a point that the word should not be used, especially by icons such as Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, Wickham states that this is a “dangerous gambit” for a mixed race audience who may miss the greater point of the episode and rather get hung up on the N-word.

DeWayne Wickham, “'Boondocks' steps over line in its treatment of King,” USA TODAY, January 31, 2006, Pg. 11A

Secondary Source 1

My first Secondary Source is an Article by Naomi Rockler from a volume about Studies of Media. The article documents a study comparing two cartoons that focus on African Americans in middle class life: Jumpstart and The Boondocks. Rockler proposes that Eurpoean Americans enjoyed Jumpstart better because of its lack of focus on raical issues while African Amreicans, although critical, enjoyed the Boondocks better because of it's more accurate representation of African American issues. To account for this discrepancy, the rest of the artical chronicals a study conducted by Rockler to analyze the "terministic screens" that people use by which to view these cartoons. She concludes that both European Americans and African Americans interpret these cartoons through a lense of relevancy.



Rockler, Naomi (2002) 'Race, whiteness, "lightness," and relevance: African American and European American interpretations of Jump Start and The Boondocks', Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19:4, 398 - 418

Five Minutes of Fame in Class Handout

Big Claim: Once black people enter the realm of a “Nigga Moment,” they no longer have control of their destinies but rather become pawns controlled by the self destructing cycle that ultimately results in a battle that cannot be won.

Sight becomes a limitation for black people who cannot see the bigger perspective.

· “He knows my every move, yet he cannot see”

· “As my mind tries to make sense of the impossible, he’s turned my sight into a liability.”

· Huey is destined to lose the fight, because he has choose to fight an unbeatable foe

When observed from the outside, a “Nigga moment” appears absolutely ridiculous and embarrassing for everyone involved. However, when trapped within, it seems like the only option

· “A private Nigga moment shames you. A public nigga moment shames the whole race”

· “You know, we could all be reading a book right now”

The only way to win is by not fighting, by not letting the “Nigga Moment” control you

· “Granddad the only way to win is not to fight.”

· Stinkmeaner actually was not the blind samurai but rather a blind old man who had gotten lucky. Now because he and granddad got controlled by the “Nigga moment,” stink meaner was killed.

The Boondocks - Grandad's Fight

"Blind Samurai"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3hVapJbft4&feature=related


"Grandad's Actual Fight"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxzx3jB_jXY