Japanese Culture - Paper Example

Paper Type:  Course work
Pages:  5
Wordcount:  1364 Words
Date:  2021-05-26
Categories: 

Question 11: (one full page or more)

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Otaku means a subculture fan or an obsession in relation to someone. In Ian Condrys text, it specifically refers to fans of anime and manga. Therefore, when Condry says in our media saturated world we are all Otaku, he is implying that the media influences the Hip- hop art with the media playing a major influence. He is implying that the media plays a major role in influencing our thoughts in artists and their artworks, ultimately influencing the obsession of fans to these Hip- Hop artists. Therefore, as long as the media feeds us with certain kind of information, we will remain to be fans with certain obsession. In the text, we see certain artists, and fans going to the extents of copying the dressing, hairstyles and sometimes even painting themselves back to identify with the American hip- hop. Dabo uses Do-rags, platinum chains and prison walls with consortia to signify hip-hop elements. These are globally recognizable elements. Such globally recognizable elements are spread by media. The media seems to play a major role, in influencing the fans attitudes towards Hip-Hop and the extent of their obsession. Therefore, with the media everyone one way or another there will be fans and people obsessed with certain artists (Otaku).

Question 12: (one full page or more)

Condry is interested in understanding notions of hip-hop devotions in Japan. Such devotions according to him are expressed through symbolism such as style. He asserts that music in Japan comes out more of American music as opposed to being Japan music. This is to mean it does not take a national character, but is more leaned towards racial connotations. Interpretations of these connotations has led to expressions such as body language, hair styles, skin tanning and rapping. Therefore, according to Condry, how race is commoditized, and performed is critical to understanding Japans hip-hop scene. Further, he argues that despite different lenses in which music can be viewed, ideas of hip-hop are understood from a racial perspective. Therefore, different inexplicable discourses exist. These discourses in Japan link music to race and the Japaneses. Therefore, Condry likes Cornell Wests notion of a new cultural politics of affiliation because it shows how Japaneses draw inspiration from African American struggles and art; thus explores the different racialized meanings in Hip- Hop. It helps in enlightening the readers further on the assumptions which link race to Japaneses rap music. It also explores whether the assumption that Japanese rap is mere imitation of American hip-hop.

Cornells notion explores how lyrics draw together race and hip-hop. In Cornells notion diverse black music forms are analyzed. Condry also likes Cornell Wests notion because it is helpful in analyzing the notions of race and where Japanese notions of race arise from. Additionally, Cornells notion helps in understanding the different construction patterns and hence explore how transitional cultural politics can be accomplished.

Question 13: (one full page or more)

Chuck D in Hip Hop Beyond Beats and Rhymes asserts that Black Death has been pimped by Corporations. By making this statement he was making a critique regarding how the music industry, specifically hip-hop has perpetuated black animosity. Such perpetuation is seen through production and marketing of a single genre of rap gangster rap. Initially hip- hop was varied and was independently produced. Therefore, in view of this, Chuck D asserts that corporations have pimped the killings of blacks on blacks terming this as black death. He further says that it is the cancer of black manhood worldwide. According to him, the real culprit is the hip-hop industry in allowing itself to be dictated by music conglomerates because of the sought profit.

In Chuck Ds statement Hip- Hop presents a narrow and rigid definition of manhood. A real man has to have a lot of women and be tough, failure to which they will be ridiculed as being a faggot, soft, and not tough enough. The need to conformation of this narrow definition is like a trap for men. They are restricted to live the unhealthy style of masculinity. The men are restricted to project an image of themselves as being thugs; even though it is not reflective of their personalities. The vision of masculinity with violence has been a long part of American culture and identity. Masculinity is represented by guns, as a standard symbol. Therefore, as Chuck D summarizes in his statement, glamorization of violence by the society is a self- destructive element. The culture encourages black men to kill one another. Surprisingly, this killings are viewed just as natural state of events. According to Chuck D industries produce the popular culture and exploit the image of the black deaths for profits.

Question 14: (one full page or more)

Condrys argument about authenticity asserts that foreign emcees are bound by double bindings where they are expected to be authentic and the same time be original and unique. According to the author the balance in achieving originality and authenticity depends only on the listener. He uses the example of Uzi who is from the Samurai Family and contrasts him to Dabo who pretty much copies the American style of dressing. Uzi incorporates Japanese elements to his art, and this is considered as ignoring the hip-hop culture. Dabos dressing style on the other hand includes platinum chains, do-rags, and prison- walls to signify his elements. Dabos style is reliant on globally recognizable elements.

The authors perspective of authentic however, seems to use different identifiers in determining who is authentic. According to him, most of the Japanese hip-hop fans would choose Dabo as being more authentic compared to Uzi. The rationale for choosing Dabo by Japanese hip-hop fans is because of his skillful flow, provocative lyrics, and his musical production and stage performances which command the audience. Therefore, authenticity, clearly defers in definition depending on ones perspective of hip-hop and their expectations on how hip-hop artists should dress and sing. Condrys assessment of the hip-hop in Japan acknowledges the influence of westernization of Japanese culture and the importation of western cultural practices. According to him, specifies which are localized, maintain Japanese authenticity while facilitating cultural heterogeneity. Authenticity is an innovation of hip-hop that is a central element in Japanese ideological assertions. Therefore, authenticity is based on shifting assumptions which vary dramatically from one person to the next.

Question 15: (one full page or more)

In Race: The Power of an Illusion Prt 3, race should be understood as a social construct and not a biological reality because it is based on how institutions leave people differently advantaged. Part 3 focuses on how the whites are quietly advantaged. Their benefits accrue from the systematic advantages in the courts, customs, laws and segregated neighborhoods. The whites are not necessarily advantaged because of hard work, but just advantages based on the system. According to the film, after World War II, the federal policies aided the whites to build their homes in the suburbs by guaranteeing loans to whites, only less than 2% was given to non- whites. The regulations originated as explicit government policies segregating all the non- whites. European ethnics, Jews and Italians blended with the whites and received the benefits. Therefore, the whites equity and assets increased in value. Today, a black family has a net worth of an eighth compared to that of a white family. This net worth has been passed on from generation to generation; most of which comes from residential places. Accordingly, the house in which there are predominantly white people sell for more compared to areas with predominantly blacks. These advantages and disadvantages are passed on from one generation to the next.

The future generations have a line drawn in the field at different points. Studies indicate that graduation scores and performance rates scores disappear once wealth gap is accounted for. Therefore, creating equality cannot be attributed to policies, which are color blind and pretend that there is no racism. After the civil rights movement and when it was decided that race did not matter, the social inequities, and economic disadvantages to the non-whites were not addressed. Thats why Harry Blackmun in the decision of Bakke wrote that race must be accounted for, for racism to be eliminated.

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Japanese Culture - Paper Example. (2021, May 26). Retrieved from https://midtermguru.com/essays/japanese-culture-paper-example

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