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Eve Desires Awakening

Autobiography of Eve is the response to the ode of sex and desire in the “fallen woman “. Elkins wrote this following a trial of the band Pussy Riot and while watching movies filled with unrepressed seductress. She wasn’t prepared to publish this poem until she was able to find a pivotal point in the moment between good girl and bad girl a moment like Eve soliloquy in Paradise Lost. This is why there’s an allusion to that in line 8 of her poem. She needed a moment to reflect on liberation, felt at the first moment; a moment of desire become in transgression. She realizes there is radical act of rebellion within the imagination, which is a fantasy of herself. Elkins also uses the word “snake print boots “to allude to the moment in the garden between Eve and the devil. The next four lines demonstrate how she knew she messed up so she was stuck between Heaven and her earthly desire. There is a conflict within herself of obeying the commands of God or falling into temptation of the flesh. The mysterious echo was interpreted as being the snake, since it said it shook her awake, and then she didn’t know she was naked, or she was very naïve to it was going on, and obeying God‘s word, given to her through Adam, blindly without much consideration or questioning.

-tt

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“Wearing nothing but snakeskin/boots, I blazed a footpath, the first/radical road out of that old kingdom/toward a new unknown.” Ansel Elkins’ Autobiography of Eve

-tt

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Ideology of LBS

Long Black Song has three different ideologies attached to it. Long Black Song has realism, naturalism, and modernism. The realism aspect is due to the faithful representation of material reality. This is evident in the text due to Sarah‘s heightened desire for intimacy postpartum. It also parallels with her desire for the clock, and knowing she must consider, the financial means before accepting the clock. The naturalism aspect is introduced due to the harsher treatment of the power of social government and the jungle on an individual psychology. This is also viewed through Sarah due to losing the love of her life and not being happy at home with the man who has provide a stable home and income for her, which is why she was so easily tempted by the salesperson. Yet, the salesperson brought in a racial aspect to the conversation, causing her to be very hesitant. It was obvious her marriage wasn’t her issue with letting that man be intimate with her, it was the issue of the salesperson being white. Naturalism is also observed through the husband due to him having that momentary rant in the story of how the white man is always taking something from him, as a black man, no matter how much he’s working towards it. This relates to a very quick depression, or a final point for him as he was willing to give it up completely and willingly accept there was going to be shootout between him, the white man, and his fellow comrades. The naturalism is viewed in the basic structure of the story, and what they represent.  Sarah’s house was an entrapment acting as a separation from her and nature. Sarah correlates to nature as narrated in a very vivid description of the nature of around her and her reaction to it, and how that seems to be her happy place yet as soon as the house is mentioned, it becomes dark and gloomy for Sarah. This demonstrates her connection with the nature and how the house is being a societal structure for her, limiting her, disabling liberty.  This is a literal and metaphorical demonstration of her disabling liberty as she is a black woman in the southern south in the early 1900s. Modernism is highlighted throughout the story due to, the break of function of language in the conventional form. This is seen with the dialogue between Sarah and the sales person and how her language presents a very relaxed African-American vernacular dialect, while the sales person speaks the societal deemed “proper “English and you can see this throughout their dialogue with one another.

-tt

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Hayden and Hayes: Poetic Debate

Robert Hayden is critiquing his father for being mean and unloving during in his childhood, but he eventually realizes that his father had a lot on his back while enduring pressure. The issue with Hayden’s poem was him having repression of expression in his poem and believing that is acceptable, which is why he contradicts with the black arts era and why Terrence Hayes must respond. Robert Hayden, a more traditional black artist and writing before the black art era, he believed in repressing the black expression due to the model of writing he grew around and grew into. Hayden has a question directed to Terrence Hayes. His poem is also retrospective, he contrasts himself against his father, due to the notion of believing he will have more understanding and forgiveness as well as grace in his heart compared his father returning that, and vice versa. Yet, Terrence Hayes focused on the line “chronic anger “and response to this one line through an entire poem. Terrence uses literary element of rhetorical questions to respond to Hayden, indirectly creating dialogue.

-Tt

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Often times, people have controversial views regarding entertainment pieces and these views date back to the beginning of the entertainment industry. However, one specific piece caught my attention as it seemed to be one of the most controversial comedic television shows of the late 1900’s. The tv show is called “Julia,” and as the storyline goes, a young, well-mannered widow is working as a nurse and single mom to raise her son in a nice apartment. Since this was the first comedy that showcased a Black family, the tv was turned into a battlefield of the war we still fight today about the way African Americans are represented in the media and entertainment world. Diahann Carrol was often heavily criticized and blamed for the role of 'Julia’. The fact that the father was absent from the mother and son’s lives is what raised the most criticism. Many Black viewers compared the absent father to the white slaveowners who broke up Black families. The Black community felt that the absence of the Black father played into the stereotype that Black men are unsuccessful and are not capable of creating a happy, healthy family environment. Television shows like these controversial ones are what caused people to began thinking creatively about how they display their ideas in the world of entertainment, specifically Black entertainment.

-Chloe Flowers

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The Black community has struggled with representation, especially in the areas of popular entertainment and politics. I know I have talked about this in a previous blog post but I want to speak on the topic of representation once more because I feel that that is the most important step to successfully achieving the goals of our community. The 1960’s seemed to be a time where tremendous headway was made for the Black Community. Specific television shows and films forced its audiences to, at least, second-hand experience what Black people had to endure first-hand. In one film called, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” Sidney Poitier’s portrayal of a well-mannered Black doctor with a white fiancée, six months after interracial marriages were made legal in all states. A television show by Alex Haley named “Roots,” confronts viewers with the brutality and rupture of American slavery, and horrors that African Americans experienced at the hands of white slaveholders. Entertainment segments like these were the works that forced everyone, apart of every race and ethnicity to see the injustices Black people had to face. Although One has to want to make a change for it to be successful, many American’s eyes were opened by these films and finally made people acknowledge the Black community as an equal to everyone else.

-Chloe Flowers

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The Black Arts Movement was a movement that began in the mid-1960s, that solidified the arts-activism of Amiri Baraka. Amiri Baraka was a Black American writer who wrote in the genres of poetry, drama, fiction, and music criticism. Baraka, a New jersey native, used his ideas, and platform to publish provocative works that underlined the oppression and suppressed anger of Black people in America. His work was often considered highly inappropriate and he was thought of as a radical person politically. He even was discharged from the U.S. Air force because he was suspected to have communist affiliations. Though his works were raunchy and were not necessarily acceptable for institutional purposes, they gave some of the most accurate explanations of the feelings Black people had towards the injustices they were facing during that time. When Malcom X was assassinated in 1965, Baraka and those who embraced the Black Power Movement called for poetry, novels, visual arts, and theatre works to be created to reflect black pride in black history and culture. This call for Black art that was an affirmation of autonomy of Black artists to create African American art for Black people gave means to awake Black consciousness and achieve liberation. The Black Arts Movement began here, in 1965, when Baraka opened the Black Arts Repertory Theater in Harlem, New York. The movement spread from New York to Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco and its biggest impact was in the areas of theater and poetry. In Chicago, Illinois, two men named Hoyt Fuller and John Johnson made the Negro Digest which prompted the works of new Black literary artists. In Michigan and California, publishing companies began publishing Black Literature as scholarly journal to make way for more Black studies in the world of academia. While this movement seems rather peaceful, its raw shock value usually embraced violence within both the black and white mainstream culture. Many of the works within this movement were considered sexist, racist, homophobic, and anti-sematic. As for Black women during this movement, they used and sacrificed their voices to produce pieces about Black hyper masculinity in response to the humiliation and degradation of Black men.

I know Baraka’s movement was inappropriate for the purposes of academia, but I believe that is what prompted society to use their voice for the good of everyone. The Arts movement showed Black people that they could, in fact, change the world with just establishing the injustices they faced and displaying that in creative, artistic ways. This was shown towards the end of the movement when Baraka and other figures achieved cultural recognition and economic success as their works were beginning to be celebrated by White mainstream society. These were achievements unthought of before the movement began. This movement was necessary to happen after the assassination of Malcom X because he prominent place in society left the Black community fearful of what could happen to them if they were as outspoken as Malcom X. The Black Arts Movement left so many timeless pieces of literature, poetry, and theater and headed what we now know today as African American Literature.

-Chloe Flowers

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thinking about the conversation we had in class about Malcolm X and if learning can be done in isolation. I think that it can be done in isolation and I think a good learner looks at different perspectives even in isolation. But I also think that in order to be the type of person or learner that actively seeks out contrary opinions and thoughts there has to be a high level of self-awareness that must people don’t reach. I don’t think that isolation is necessarily the problem when it comes to learning but rather the ability to understand oneself and critique oneself that is the pitfall of self-education. Another thought that I had was about knowledge itself. I think that we as humans have corrupted knowledge, we try to attain it in order to gain power rather than just gaining knowledge for knowledge sake. People don’t learn new things just because they’re curious but rather in hopes of gaining something out of it, and that leads to corruption and destruction. There’s no reason for humans to know how to make nuclear weapons and missiles other than the power it gives them over other humans, on a more domestic level I feel like many people go to college and major in stem not because they actually love chemistry or biology but because they want the money and influence that comes with being a doctor. And of course this isn’t true of every human but I believe that generally speaking this is the case. I’ve asked many people why they’re biology majors or chemistry majors and they said because they want to be a doctor, but there’s no real passion for learning anything about science the appeal is only in the outcome. And we as a society have made this okay and acceptable, but this mindset that we’ve allowed doesn’t actually lead to anything beneficial.

-Samir Kalam Id-Din

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Our blog’s very first post by Samir is a quote from Tom Feelings. I love the quite that Samir used because it directly correlates to our topic and makes way to what we will be discussing on our blog, which is the Black entertainment industry from the late 1900’s to present day. We analyze the inter working of tv shows, movies, and books and make analysis on what these things mean and how and why they have changed from then to now. Tom Feeling’s quote was about the creativity of Black people and how we should use out creativity for the betterment of our Black community as a whole. Feeling’s believes that we should stay very connected within the community because we are still under the shackles of oppression and we need each other. Moreover, I feel that Feeling’s quote shows how African American Literature is a version of art and is tied to Black entertainment and tv shows. 

-Chloe Flowers

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I grew up watching Disney Channel most of my childhood, it shaped several feelings I felt as a child. My experience with television is what drew me to Libby’s post about how much more diverse children’s television is in todays society in comparison to when we were children. I like Libby’s subject matter because it shows a positive way that the Black community has progressed. Black people are now being more appropriately represented in children’s shows, which gives kids messages about diversity band inclusion for all people and races. However, Libby also discussed the negative side to this more diverse tv era, which is that as the audience progresses in age, the television shows became less inclusive and don’t seem to be trying to drive the same message. I hope that this topic begins to be grouchy to light in the entertainment industry so that as children get older, they will learn appropriate representation for Black people, just like other races have. 

Chloe Flowers

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One thing that I've noticed about entertainment, particularly children's entertainment, is that it is increasingly more diverse. I just visited family, including my 3 year old cousin. Every time I visit her, I notice that she is watching something that is more racially inclusive that much of what I would have watched at that age. Between YouTube, Netflix, or television, my cousin watches entertainment about people from all over the world. She watches shows and movies by and/or about African-Americans, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans, and more. The shows seem to be a more accurate representation of these places, with characters who are a variety of skin tones and ethnicities. The shows talk about the specific cultures of these places and groups of people. I find it interesting that entertainment has become so racially diverse. I think this is partially because there are so many YouTube channels that anyone can upload to. It is also easier to watch a show from another country than it has been in the past. My cousin often finds her way to watching the same show in different languages, which I think is interesting as well. One thing that I wonder is that if entertainment for older kids is as diverse. I think that shows aimed at preschoolers have always made an effort to be racially inclusive, but the shows aimed at preteens are not as racially inclusive and teach racial stereotypes to a younger generation. I hope that this is changing.

-Libby

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Chloe's post yesterday about colorism really resonated with me. Colorism still exists in magazines to this day, as far as I know. I do not read magazines regularly, but I encountered this as a younger teenager when I was trying to embrace my natural hair. I would look up tutorials for natural hair and see articles from magazines like Seventeen showing how Zendaya styled her hair. This is not a slight to Zendaya, but a problem on the magazine's part because there are many black girls with a tighter hair texture. One line that stood out to me was "the vital responsibility to respectfully recognize and portray the diversity of Black women and who we are." I think that this includes skin color and hair texture, but extends past it. For example, lighter-skinned women are portrayed as feminine, youthful, and desirable in magazines, movies, TV, and even music. Darker women, on the other hand, are often limited to tropey and less desirable side character roles. I will say that I am slightly behind the times in keeping up with entertainment, but these are observations that I have made. I have noticed some improvements. Black women are diverse in terms of appearance, style, and personality, and I believe that the people behind entertainment have not taken that into account.

-Libby

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The late 1900's were the time that magazines began to get popular and Black faces began to be able to be recognized as beautiful and acceptable. However, upon researching this topic, it seems to be where colorism begins. Magazines like, vogue and playboy, began using Black women as models for their covers. However, most of the women were light-skinned and had a specific hair style in the pictures. This seems to be attributed to the notion that the lighter the Black person, the more acceptable they are in society. Vogue, Vanity Fair, and other major magazines have just recently addresses the lack of inclusion on diversity throughout their work, as well as the workplace. However, even though the colorism issue has been addressed, the representation of Black women was still an issue. Proper representation of Black women, just as white women get, was something that had to be fought for by the Black entertainment industry. Though proper representation is confusing to navigate, magazine issues hold the vital responsibility to respectfully recognize and portray the diversity of Black women and who we are. Black women deserve to represented in the proper ways, just as other races. 

-Chloe Flowers

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One group of artists made history in the Black music industry in 1943 when they were the first African-American artists to hit number one on the Billboard charts. Their names were The Mills Brothers, four Black singers with amazing voices and a vision. The crew was originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony and were the firsts to make many huge accomplishments. Besides being the first to hit #1 on the Billboard charts, they were the first African-American artists to have their own show on national network radio, CBS in 1930. But the success of the Mills brothers should not glamorize their journey to fame because it was, as it any [journey] for Black individuals, had many hardships and tribulations. The brother’s ancestors were enslaved in the south and fled from the torture to Pennsylvania. Also, the Mills ancestors were using music as a method of communication, the songs are how the slaves freed themselves. The family makeup and work ethic is what got the Mills brothers the success they acquired. William H. Mills even persuaded the Bellefonte School Board to integrate the public schools. Along with the Mills Brothers fast life in the industry, they also worked almost tirelessly to help their community in whatever ways they could. 

-Chloe Flowers

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Literature and entertainment often go hand in hand. There are several film adaptations of literature, and even literary adaptations of film. There are books and movies that cover similar themes. There are differences in how each form captures events and ideas. I do not believe that either one format is superior to the other. Literature has the ability to define a scene exactly how it is using words. An author can describe exact features of a character's appearance or exactly what a setting is like. In the case of nonfiction literature, authors can describe their opinions and perceptions of a situation. It can be a first-hand account. An example of this is the book by Malcolm X. Literature can be very specific, but on the other hand it can also be abstract in a way. Most works of literature do not include literal images, so a lot is left to the reader's imagination. This makes me think of our class exercise of imagining a black man. We all imagined varying versions of this description despite all imagining the words "black man". Even with more detailed descriptions, different people will imagine written words differently. Film does not leave nearly as much to the audience's imagination. As the common saying goes, "a picture says a thousand words". I think that a potential drawback of this is that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to translate an author's vision or re-create an author's lived experience into a movie scene. An actor may not look exactly like the person or character that the author wants to represent. A place may not look exactly the way that the author wants it to. However, fictional films that are created from scratch do not face this limitation as strongly. Many of my English teachers throughout the years have discussed the differences of literature and film. Perhaps not surprisingly, most of them prefer literature. The reason they all gave is that literature allows the reader to imagine the characters and scenes. There have been times that I felt disappointed in a movie or show when compared to its book, or even a written description of it, such as an article. Despite this, it is not a strong enough disappointment for me to prefer books over movies, or vice versa. I think that it depends on whether I read the book or watched the movie first. Sometimes I prefer the experience of reading the book and imagining it for myself. Other times, I prefer the movie because the book was hard to read. I think that in some cases it is important to maintain accuracy. For example, I generally do not like that characters of color are often made to be white or lighter than in the book, especially when it is important to the story. In less serious instances, some differences can be annoying, but not terribly bothersome to me. Overall, I do not feel terribly strongly about literature or film. I think that literature is educational, and that film has entertainment value. I do not prefer either one over the other.

-Libby

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Black sitcoms have become a controversial topic of conversation in present-day society due to their problematic stereotypes and connotations. One of the most controversial Black sitcom in the entertainment industry is "The Cosby Show". While it is a show people love to date, the roles the family plays show one type of Black experience that was not the norm during the time of the television show. The idea that the 'American dad' provided for his family, in a loving but also 'equal' way. The Cosby’s lived a life that only the lucky Black people lived during the time period. Life was not actually this good, most people of color were still oppressed and discriminated against in ways that did not even allow them to reach the level of success that the Cosby’s reached. When viewing television and other entertainment programs, we should remember what time period it is taking place in so that we can acquire the messages that the writer intended for us to understand. Likewise, individuals who do understand why TV shows portray the things they portray, would understand “The Cosby Show” to be a dated sitcom that outlined the life of one Black family’s experience.

-- Chloe Flowers

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During class, we discussed the double standards that are tied to dating and how those standards go hand in hand with a person's race. I thought it was interesting to unpack the unspoken logistics of dating. For instance, a common perception in the dating world is that women are looking to date above their social status, while men usually look for women of lower class and status. This particular misconception stuck out to me because in the entertainment industry, specifically Black entertainment, the conversation of social class is prevalent when dating is being portrayed.

--Chloe Flowers