First of all, Bell Hooks seems like a bad ass lady with several degrees to back her knowledge and claims. The series of 8 clips in which Ms. Hooks deals with different topics and mediums in which media is corrupted and centralized upon were each credible and shocking to hear and see.
What marked me was when she spoke about the skewed recognition of Spike Lee’s work in comparison with shitty films created with the only form of black entertainment, as it is perceived; stereotypes. Spike Lee is an incredibly gifted man that created movies about real issues and things that people could be going through and therefor relate to. He created movies that make you think and question. He created movies through his vision and creativity, movies which were transmitters and mediums for his own ideals and theories and perception of the world and environment, and yet he was slandered in the media saying that his movies didn’t have a plot and his career was a failure.
However, there are several movies in the Hollywood industries which will present us with black characters in stereotypical situations, and those movies are the ones that make the most money.
Such a fact is saddening. Film is a beautiful form of art and a mere medium among the many others through which art is portrayed. If a movie can make you think or feel then the screenwriter, and director, and all actors and those involved in the creation of the film, have succeeded. Spike Lee’s movies have done just that, and he is an artist.
She also talks about Madonna. Madonna…she had always been seen by the public influenced by the media as out-there and rebellious, as well as using her body image. She may as well had been a feminist but when the money flows you may even choose to sell your body and soul to keep the $$$ coming in, as we see this happen to many celebrities. Miley Cyrus being a sad example.
Media decides what to show us in order to influence us, but it is in its turn influenced by the large amounts of money coming in supporting even topics that could be in some way detrimental, because those are conceived as the most interesting.
When Ms. Hooks spoke of the O.J. trial, she respectfully stated that she had not given her interest in such an event because it was absolutely preposterous and wrong to begin with because in any way that you look at it, there was violence being committed, in this case by a man against a woman. And when he was declared not guilty, because the media had skewed the story and put the American people against each other once more into thinking that the blacks had to root for their fellow black man, completely over-looking that just this specific man had committed hideous crimes and wrongful doings. It should not had been a debate over the color of his skin, a human being was being abused physically and in ways, both involved were mentally abused in their own rights as well.
Listening to Bell Hooks was a pleasure as her voice was calm but full of wisdom, and she hits it home for the modern college student when she drops a couple F bombs here and there.
I also loved Bell Hooks’ commentary on very prominent figures in the celebrity world such as Madonna and OJ Simpson. I thought it was very depressing that regardless of the icon’s beliefs, he/ she will do anything to gain public appeal. Also, regarding the OJ Simpson trial, I completely agreed with Hooks’ point that regardless of race or gender, violence is violence.
I completely agree with your assessment about Spike Lee and his movies. The real issues he talks about in his movies still resonates today especially his scenes about the N word. Listening to him talk about why he discusses this in movies proves his talent about making his audiences think.
I think you picked up on something interesting and frankly sad when it comes to female icons in the music industry (and also film industry for that matter). There are a lot of stars who have proclaimed themselves to be feminists in very public ways. Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Nikki Minaj, and plenty others have stated in their music or directly to the media that they are feminists. As someone who considers herself a feminist, it always gives me a burst of energy and hope when I hear that. I want to turn to everybody and say, “Look! See, feminism is cool and the right thing to do!” But with countless pop stars who have stated their egalitarian views, there’s often a snag. Maybe they call themselves feminists but they don’t support women of color. Maybe they call themselves feminists but they still produce an image of the subjugated and objectified female stuck happily in the patriarchy in their work. Maybe they call themselves feminists but they focus on superficial issues that distract from the real struggles that women in America (and frankly around the world) face today. These phenomenas always disappoint me, slowly deflating my confidence in the majority of famous women’s ability to change the world for the better like a balloon with a small leak. And as Bell Hook and you have both pointed out, it all comes back to money.