TASK 12: HISTORICAL TEXT

For my historical text i decided to relate my text to the movie called the "god father" 1987;because i found out that there are many similarities in way that it is a gangster movie and it also includes drugs and crimes;etc...
it is a good text to refer to when writing my study because it is also named the number one gangster movie ever made.
The similarities between the two texts is that they both use the issues of crimes and drugs and they both have the same type of of genre which is the gangster genre; and also both of them use black actors and gangsters.
the differences is that this movie is based on a life of soldier who just came back from the second world war but needed money so he started getting involved into gangster groups and also started getting into drugs etc...
the texts show something in common is that both characters are in need of money so they both start getting involved into gangsters and crimes;in order to get money;and also the similarity is that both main characters seem to follow their family which were already involved into drugs and crimes etc...
for example Michael in God Father after coming back from the war finds that all his family is involved in the mafia, and 50Cent mother is involved in drugs and crimes and that she was being killed by a gangster.
The difference that these two movies is trying to show is that they are showing that the society has changed over the years; when this movie was filmed in 1987; there wasn't that much gangsters and crimes compared to our days now; but also on the other side we can see the progress at that time when 50cent was in his early years started to get involved in crimes and that was the period when God Father was shot and this shows that was the period that this gangster genre started to become really popular even if it was such as in the movie Shaft; but during that period of the 80s it was the period that the gangster genre became popular and the society started to face those problems such as drugs and crimes; which is also shown by mentioning being the n1 gangster movie and that is the reason that it became successful because it was the start of the gangster and crime period; and that what the movie 50cent shows when he was in his teenage years.
but it wasn't that popular and surprising when it was out in 2005; because there were already movies such as God father which really developed the genre and gave us a view of what was going to happen in the society during the 90 and 00 which started happening in 50cents movie and in the society.
THE GOD FATHER TRAILER

TASK 11:

Laura Mulvey is a succesful producer and director and producer, and has written and edited many books about the feminist theory adn how are females represented in movies.
she wrote many important books and essays and one of her important essayes is called 'visual pleasure and narative cinema', in this essay she used ideas of psychoanalytics Freud, where she reinterpreted his idea of Scopophilia, which is the pleasure of watching what shouldn't be watched.
Mulvey describes the women as a male gaze and that she is always represented as a gaze in movies,in order to attract males and that males are patriachal and rule the female.
she also uses the theory of Freud which is the 'anal stage' 'the oral stage' which are the two main concepts of the child development.
Then the Scopophilia concept which refers to the mature adult's desire to see things which we are forbidden to see and we're not supposed to be seeing.
The theory of the Male gaze which is the other concept that Mulvey exapnded on, that women are represented as 'objects' in films and they are always ruled by males and she also descibed the women 'to-be-looked-at-ness', that she should be looked at.In hollywood movies, the audience identfies with the male protagonuist in viewing the female.
the audience sees the female actress as a gaze or look. where laura mulvey described it as the voyeuristic where the women are there to be admired and not as a sex object, the Fetish where she is looked in a very sexual way.
How can it be related to my study?
it can be somehow related to my study, eventhough it is not the main the theory, because in the movie we see many scenes which represent the female as a sex object, as 50 Cent's mother where we see many males attracted to her, and the other scene when 50Cent is attracted by the female, his wife where again which might indicate that she is represented as a male gaze and also she is shown as supportive and a house-wife where she is caring for her husband and her child.
in this movie 50cent's wife can be seen from a voyeuristic point of view because she is not really represented as a sex object, however she is looking beautifull and not a sex obejct,but in the movie there are some sexual scenes where she can be seen as a fetish object.
50 Cent's mother is represented as a male gaze where she attracts males,and she is also represented as a 'femme fatale', and also there is a use of the 'Saddism' because she is being punished and being killed because she used to be involved in drugs etc...

Response to Interim Report:

My grade for media was D, i should have done better but i think my blog work and my research for my independent study is at a good level but still need to do more independently and not to rely on the tasks done in class, but i need to improve my writing skills mainly for module6, because i always got the same grade and always get the same feedback and i always try to improve and follow those feedback,but i think i have improved a bit as in my last mock i got better grade and hope to try more harder to improve my writing skills, and i think that is the main reason which is putting my grade down, and i will do my best to improve over the course of next term, which will also help me with my module1 retake.
My targets:
improve my writing skills with doing more practice.
do more research and start planning on how to write my study.

research on books:

what i found out...
Strinati, Dominic (2000) : An introduction to studying Popular culture. London: Routledge

that the gangster film is mainly associated with American gangsters.

1. was first laid out during the 30's.


2. the first gangster movies made are Little Caesar(1930), Public Enemy(1931) and Scarface(1932), still used as common examples of the Gangster Genre,and also seen as the classical movies of this particular genre.


3. The gangster film itself has subgenres and many features to be explored, such as the production of the movie, relation to hollywood and the studio system,the narrative and the ideology of the movie and how it is related to the "American Dream".


4. Gangster films are about Law, order and crime which are also features of the other genres such as crime or police genres, but this particular genre focuses on gangsters and their stories. (how and why they got into crimes, success as Gangsters, their lives, the power they had, etc...


5. Gangsters movies are usually aimed at a wider audience and a society in order to warn them from the crimes that are happening, throughout the character of the gangster.

The gangster film and the Hollywood system:

1. the Gangster film is the product of the growth of the Hollywood studio system.
2. "the ways in which the studios were organised to produce films can be seen as determining factors on the final pattern or form of the individual film" Ryall (1979:28), the Hollywood system has limits on the films being produced, however the gangster film has been shaped as the product of the Hollywood system.
3. according to Hollywood, the gangster film could combine realism and popular culture because it has been very popular throughout the years and more films have been made following this type of genre.

Ideology and the Gangster film:

1. Warshow (1964:84): the gangster is a product of the city and the gangster film is a the product of the imaginary city created by cinema "the real city produces only criminals but the imaginary city produces gangsters" which means that the gangster speaks out for the American people and rejects the qualities and the demand of modern life.
2. "the gangster is what we want to be and what we are afraid we may become." and this is expressed through the character of the gangster.

RESEARCH FROM THE FIRST MEETING:

Here are the following links that i found on the first three areas of research:
VIOLENCE:
the following link is from the guardian and has some true stories about the violence that is happening in britain, news stories which mainly include gun crimes, crime statistics which will be really useful for our studies. the quote used in this article is "The rise of knife and gun culture is about boys", this is related to both of our studies because it is about crimes and violence of boys.
the other link which is also related to violence is about parents complaining about the violence that is shown in movies and how children are affected by these movies, and that these movies are mainly watched by younger audiences, and also talks about how directors are using younger characters in order to appeal to younger audiences so they will watch those violent movies.
this link is about the differnt types of violence that is used in movies and againn relating to real life and how it is affecting other children and also includes some statistics.
this website is about violence and realism adn is investigating on a novel but explaining the issues of the violence genre.

PRIDE
the other issue that we decided to research on is Pride because both of our texts use this type of issue and how the characters are refusing to be humilated or bullied by other people, such as n my text 50Cent tries to do anything in order to revenge from the murder of his mother.
Definition of pride.

YOUTH CULTURE
The following article is about anti social behaviour( youth crime and gang culture) that is happening in Britain.
“ We have got to analyse what is going wrong here. Is it a general state of British society?The night London gangs brought murder to a club And I think it isn’t. It is about a specific problem within a specific criminal culture to do with guns and gangs."
Tony Blair
“ Surely no one imagines we can stop crimes like this simply with better policing or better gun control? The problem lies within families and communities — and so does the solution."
David Cameron
The other link is about what is causing the youth crime and what is the government doing against it.

2nd blog meeting with my blog buddy:

Me and Farah have decided to start researching on the following three areas, after our 2nd meeting:
Subcultures:
we decided to research on this topic because both of our texts have types of groups which comes under this category, which are black and white males.
Binary opposition:
both texts use this theory which is really important to both of our studies, that is the reason to investigate more on this theory in details.
Disaster movie:
This is used in both of our movies, which follows the Todorovian narrative (equilibrium,disequilibrium and new equilibrium) because in both texts there is something which is destroying the narrative and making that narrative non linear, so we decided to research on other disaster movies that we can quote when writing our studies.

10 KEY WORDS:

Bridging shot: a camera shot that shows a passage or a change of a location which connects one scene to another.
This is used on the intro of my movie, where the location of the movie is shown.
Crime fiction: a television genre with the use of narratives and representation which are causing the change in social,cultural expectations.
This can be related to my movie because it is giving us a view or a representation of some black males.
Folk devil: a term used by Stan Cohen used to describe groups in society which are causing problems or threat to the society.
In the movie the gangsters which are seen as causing threat and problems in the society.
Gangster: the gangster genre, the use of gangsters in the movie and forming up gangs.
Hero: the protagonist of the movie, the main character that the audience identifies with.
This term will be used a lot in my study, as in the movie we are identifying with 50Cent who is the hero of the movie, and the whole movie is based on him.
Levi Strauss: the theorist that mentioned the binary opposition.
i will use this theory in my study because i will relate it to 50Cent being the hero and the other gangsters that become his opponents, this is shown when he was shot nine times.
New man: term used to describe a new type of masculinity.
This term will be used in my movie because most of the actors that are in my movie are black males.
Patriachy: male domination of political, social and economic values.
This term will be used because it is showing how 50Cent is ruling over the gang and how gangsters are becoming so patriarchal by ruling over.
Point of view shots: shot taken from a point of view of a person.
As this movie is a biography of 50Cent, the point of view shot is commonly used in the movie to make us identify with the character.
Sound effects: a sound which is added to a film which isn't digetic.
This type of effect is used in many scenes in the movie, mainly when there is a use of guns.

10 LINKS:

• This website investigates more on the Gangster genre (the history of gangsters and how they are represented in movies, what crime/things they are getting involved in), i can use this link when writing on the different genres of the movie and one of then is a gangster genre.


• The following website has some points about the representation of black people in movies, which might be useful to my study as i am studying about the representation of black youngsters, it also includes examples of other movies which can be mentioned on my study.


• This website is about the gangster and crime genre, and it also gives some examples on some movies that have been in successful in this genre, this therefore is going to be related to my text in the gangster genre and in the crime genre, because my movie is about gangsters and the crimes that they are getting involved in.


• This article is a true-life article about young black males that have been called gangsters, because they are black youngsters, it is can be used in my study to show the racism issue that has been brought up against black people, and that might be the case that it is causing this people to form gangs and start fighting in order to get money etc...


• This link is about the rap music becoming successful and how most of the reap music singers are being attacked, which is related to my study because i can relate it to 50Cent and how he was shot in the movie,mentioning 2PAC, Snoopdogg, 50cent etc...
• The website is about the representation of black young people and what problems that are happening to them.
• This is an interview about 50Cent speaking about his movie and about what have happened to him in the past.
• A review about the movie "50Cent Get rich Or Die Tryin".
• The following website has an interview with 50Cent and his relation to gangsters.
• this website is about the representation of black young males.
  

BLOG BUDDY H/W: 19/11/07

Today Me and my blog buddy Farah discussed the three next areas that we are going to research on, apart from masculinity we found out the other topics that we both are going to touch up a lot when we are writing our studies.

• Violence: both of the movies use violence in different ways,such as crimes which is one of the topic that we both have to use at some point.
• Youth Culture: is the other topic that is also important to our studies, i will definitely have to use it because my topic mainly concentrates on youths, specifically black people, and also Farah will be able to use it because she concentrates on different types of hooligans and one of the groups are youths.
• Pride: is an issue that both of us are going to discuss in some respect, how in Green street these people(hooligans) don't want to be chased by the police in whatever they are doing and they are fighting back, and in my text where 50Cent is being shot many times and has enemies following him everywhere, but he doesn't give up and mainly when his mother was killed he stood up and fought back.

blog buddy research on mascunality:

this website includes a list of books which are about represenation of males whch will be helpful for both of us, because we are both doing research on males in general.

A Man’s Genre?
Overwhelmingly, on the big screen, until the 1990s, the heroes of these genres have been men.
The American “Men’s Journal” selected the “50 best guy movies of all time” in their Dec 2003 issues. The magazine’s writers David Chute and Mark Horowitz wrote:
“... great guy movies are distillations of the male experience, reduced to the essentials. For good reason nearly all of them tend to be about soldiers, athletes, cops, and every kind of loner. They are unapologetically male.”
A selection of those chosen:
Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) – war
The Seven Samurai (1954) – combat
Platoon (1986) – war
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1967 ) - western
Die Hard (1988) – action
Terminator (1984) – sci-fi action
Enter the Dragon (1973) – martial arts
“Action-adventure has brought men to their television sets more often than any other programming except sport” Paul Rutherford

this website has a good information about gender roles and mainly concentrates on males.

black males

farah's research:
Representations of Masculinity'Masculinity' is a concept that is made up of more rigid stereotypes than femininity. Representations of men across all media tend to focus on the following:Strength - physical and intellectualPowerSexual attractiveness (which may be based on the above)PhysiqueIndependence (of thought, action)Male characters are often represented as isolated, as not needing to rely on others (the lone hero). If they capitulate to being part of a family, it is often part of the resolution of a narrative, rather than an integral factor in the initial equilibrium. It is interesting to note that the male physique is becoming more important a part of representations of masculinity. 'Serious' Hollywood actors in their forties (eg Willem Dafoe, Kevin Spacey) are expected to have a level of 'buffness' that was not aspired to even by young heart-throbs 40 years ago (check out Connery in Thunderball 1965).Increasingly, men are finding it as difficult to live up to their media representations as women are to theirs. This is partly because of the increased media focus on masculinity - think of the burgeoning market in men's magazines, both lifestyle and health - and the increasing emphasis on even ordinary white collar male workers (who used to sport their beergut with pride) having the muscle definition of a professional swimmer. Anorexia in teenage males has increased alarmingly in recent years, and recent high school shootings have been the result of extreme bodyconsciousness among the same demographic group.``He [Charles Andrew Williams] e-mailed us and told us that he just wanted to come home and that it was just awful over there. They were teasing him, calling him 'country boy.' He didn't dress right, he didn't look right. He was skinny, they called him gay,'' she [a friend's mother] said. " Full Story HereAs media representations of masculinity become more specifically targeted at audiences with product promotion in mind (think of the huge profits now made from male fashion, male skin & haircare products, fitness products such as weights, clothing etc), men are encouraged (just as women have been for many years) to aspire to be like (to look/behave in the same way) the role models they see in magazines. This is often an unrealistic target to set, and awareness of this is growing. Read about the increasing influence of men's magazines here and here.Whilst some men are concerned about living up to the ideal types represented in magazines, others are worried by what they perceive as an increasing anti-male bias in the media. There is growing support for the idea that men are represented unfairly in the media - read a selection of articles here and here.
Masculinity in Crisis
Journalism of Gender Masculinity in advertising
http://www.mediaknowall.com/gender.html

BLOG BUDDY FROM OTHER CLASS:

my blog buddy from the other class is Neelema, because we have quiet similar topics which is about black youngsters and that is similar because we can both share the same ideas of how are black people in general represented in different societies and communities.
Neelema's blog is very detailed mainly the theories that she have included in the blog which will help me as well and will able to use them in my study, and also the text is quiet similar about the stereotyping of black males.

BOOKS FOR MY RESEARCH:

1. Sarita Malik (2002): representing black britain, black and Asian images on Telivision, Sage publications.
2. Robert Ferguson (1998): representing race, GB:Arnold Publications.
3. (2003):representing men, madness and mascunality in the media, GB: Arnold Publications.
4. Edited by Peter Marsh and Anne Campbell (1982): Agression and violence, Basil Blackwell Publisher LTD.
5. Pines Jim (1975): Blacks in film: a survey of racial themes and images in ameriacn film. London: Studio Vista.
6. Oscar H. Gandy, Jr (1998): communication and race. New York, Arnold Publications.
7. Lyn Gorman and David McLean (2003): media and society in the twentieth century. Germany: Blackwell Publishing.
8. Gill Branston and Roy Stafford (2003): the media student's book (third Edition). London: Routledge.
9. Tim O'Sullivan, Brian Dutton, Philip Rayner (2003): studying the media (third Edition). London: Arnold Publications
10. Rai Alok (1992) : Black skin, black masks, Framework 38/39:74-86

---BLOG BUDDIES H/W---

My class blog buddy is Farah, because my topic is about representation and her issue is about representation as well,and both of us are concentration on the representation of young males.

It will be helpful for both of us in a way because, we can talk about the representation of young people in different places and compare them.

The other blog buddy still needs to be agreed...

SELF DIRECTED RESEARCH REPORT:

I think i have a done quiet a good research on my topic and other related texts, and also on my particular text.
most of my research that i have done was mainly from websites and the delicious links, and i have gathered quiet a big amount of research from websites, and that i found useful and i will hopefully use when writing my essay.
i will still done more research on books and gather some articles form newspapers which i haven't done, and i will really need the research of the books because they are more relying on and they are much more useful.
i am hoping to get more research done which is on websites and i also have to get research from books.

DIFFERENT 50 CENT MOVIE REVIEWS

http://movies.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/movies/09try.html
http://www.celebritywonder.
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/reviewsnews.php?id=11917
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808704198/info
http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/editorial/85315.php
http://movies.about.com/od/getrichordietryin/a/getrich103105.htm

GENERAL RESEARCH ON GANGSTERS AND DEFINITIONS...

" I THINK THIS RESEARCH WILL HELP ME TO SOME EXTENT,BECAUSE IT INCLUDES DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF THE GANGSTER GENRE AND GANGSTERS AND WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF GANGSTERS, THAT I CAN RELATE TO MY STUDY WHEN RELATING TO 50 CENT, AND ALSO THEY ARE GIVING AN IDEA ABOUT HOW THOSE GANGSFARE FORMED AND ABOUT WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE JOIN, AND WHAT ARE THE REASONS THAT MAKE THEM JOIN, THIS I FOUND RELATING TO MY QUESTION BECAUSE, I AM ALSO TRYING TO INVESTIGATE ON HOW THIS YOUNGSTERS MAINLY BLACK PEOPLE JOIN AND BECOME GANGSTERS."
What is a gang?
The police's definition of a gang is: a group of individuals, juvenile and or adult, who associate on a continuous basis, form an allegiance for a common purpose, and are involved in delinquent or criminal activity. This definition is simple and functional. It allows the police departments to take proactive law enforcement action normally before the gang gets an organized structure. The gang may range from a loose knit group of individuals who hang around together and commit crimes together, to a formal organization with a leader or ruling council, gang colors, gang identifiers, and a gang name.
How do they join?
Many kids are intrigued by the lifestyle of the gangsters and are drawn to them like magnets. They will "hang" with them constantly trying to prove their allegiance. They may be asked to commit crimes to "prove" themselves. Once they and proven themselves, they will be initiated.
Initiation consists of a process that is referred to as being V'd in. There is usually a time limit set of ten minutes in which time the inductee will be beat on by a set number of members. They are allowed to kick and punch. Some gangs have rules where you are allowed to hit the victim anywhere on the body, while others don't allow blows to the head. The only reason the blows to the head are not permitted is so the beating can be easier to hide. The inductee is not allowed to block any blows. If he survives the beating, he (or she) becomes a member of the gang.
It never ceases to amaze me the violence and rules that the kids are willing to put up with in order to join and to belong to a gang. That is why once they become a member, it is very difficult to get them out. So the obvious solution is to try to prevent their involvement in the first place. This can be done by having a "ZERO TOLERANCE" attitude towards gang attire and gang affiliation. Keeping the child involved in sports or other activities will help to keep them occupied so they wont be tempted because of idle time. Knowing where they go and who they go with, and keeping in touch and having an open line of communication with their friend's parents will also help. But probably the most important thing you can do as a parent is to be educated and know what to look for.
Gang structure.
O.G.s, original gangster. They are in it forever.
Hardcore. Comprise approximately 5-10% of the gang. These are the die-hard gangsters, who thrive on the gang's lifestyle and will always seek the gang's companionship. The hardcore gangsters will most always be the leaders and without them the gang may fall apart. The gang's level of violence will normally be determined by the most violent hardcore members. They are usually the shooters.
Regular Members (or Associates). Usually range from 14 to 17 years old; their jobs are robbing and stealing. They are money oriented. They are initiated into the gang and will back up the "hardcore" gang members. If they stay in the gang long enough, they will become hardcore. They usually join the gang for status and recognition. They will wear gang colors, attend gang functions, and may even participate in some gang related criminal activity all to fulfill their emotional need of belonging.
Wanna-be's. Usually 11 to 13 years old; their jobs are tagging and stealing. They are not yet initiated into the gang, but hang around with them and usually will do most anything the gang members ask of them so that they may prove themselves worthy of belonging.
Could-be's. Usually under the age of 10. Children of this age are at more risk when they live in or close to an area where there are gangs or have a family member who is involved with gangs. It is important to find alternatives for these children in order that they may avoid gang affiliation completely. Generally, the further into a gang that someone is, the harder it is to get out.
Make-up of different gangs.
Scavenger Gangs (Wanna-be's): Have no backing from the "real" gangsters. They get killed for using sect names. They are usually trouble makers. They are commonly found in the suburbs. They join gangs because they want to be cool and are nick-named "weekend gangsters". They are usually white and usually join the gang for the intimidation factor.
Territorial Gangs: They protect their block, neighborhood, or city. They are usually Latino or Spanish, but sometimes are black. Their purpose is to keep their gangs in their neighborhoods and they join for respect.
Hardcore: They want all rival gangs dead. Their main objective is to make money and to get rid of their rivals. They are mostly black, but some can be Spanish.
Gang attire.
Dressing to the right or the left. brim of hat turned to the left or right, pant leg rolled up, shirt collars turned up on one side only, any predominance of colors, colors displayed in wrist or ankle bands, shoe laces, rubber bands, barrettes, and bandannas, tongues hanging out of one shoe, earrings worn on one side only, bandannas or scarves hanging from belt loops, pockets, or tied to the leg. Eyebrows shaved or lines shaved through them. Small tattoos on the inside of the hand or between the thumb or index finger. Burn marks (brands) on the arms, hands, or chest. Look for writing on the inside of hat, or under the brims for gang writing.
Some clothes that have strong gang affiliation:
Chicago Bulls: People
North Carolina: Crip Nation, or Cobra Nation
Detroit Tigers Hat: Disciples
University of Texas/Long Horn: Insane Folk Heart; looks like heart with horns coming out of it.
L. A. Kings: Latin Kings
Green Bay Packers: "G" stands for gangster.
Georgetown: "G" stands for gangster
Seattle Mariners: "S" stands for rolling 60 Crip
Houston Astros: "H" stands for Hoover; folk.
These are just a sample of some of the gang affiliated clothing . One thing to remember: No one wants to be mistaken for a gangster if they are not one. If your child absolutely refuses to part with an article of clothing because you suspect it could be gang related then chances are they want to be recognized as a gang member. Gang graffiti should not be tolerated; writing is common on school books, paper, etc. Hand signs are another way of identifying gang members. Any unusual hand gestures should be questioned.
Girls and gangs.
Girls are attracted to gangsters because of the respect they think they will acquire once people realize who they are going out with. Little do they know that the guys are only using them for their sexual enjoyment. Very rarely will a gangster have a serious relationship with a girl who "hangs" with the gang. And in almost all cases where the girl gets pregnant, they guy will ditch her and the baby.
Girls do form their own gangs, and also belong to spinoffs of the guys' gangs. The girl gangsters can be just as dangerous and just as organized. They also are initiated in the same manner as the boys; by being V'd in. And don't think for a minute that these beatings aren't every bit as vicious as the beatings that the guys take. In some cases, if a girl wants to hang with the guy's gang, she has to be V'd-in in order to associate with them. This is done by one of several ways. The most popular of those ways being that the girl have sex with every guy in the gang (never using protection); and in some cases, the girl has to have sex with a guy who is HIV infected to prove her loyalty.

MORE LINKS:

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=96530443
This website is showing the representation of black gangsters and how they are related to audiences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangster_Disciples
this link is showing the history of black gangsters and how they were formed and many gangster organizations within America.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gangster&page=2
this website have the different definitions of gangsters and explains the word in details,and on the sametime is it giving examples of black rappers within the definitions.
http://www.japantoday.com/jp/product/975/all
this page is from japan and showing how 50cent has an effect on the kids, and explaining abut his game that was out, and also talks about 50 cent being the future and showing black youths as being a gangster as a positive way.
http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/910
there is an interview of 50cent and him intervening and arguing the racism issue, and comparing black movies and white movies.
http://www.prometheusinstitute.net/opinion/mh61906.htm
this website is touching on issues to do with SHEP which are mainly political and economic because it is concentrating on the poverty of black communities in the US and relating it to the movie and mentioning that the issues happening within he movie are real issues in some communities.

10 Definitions related to my study:

Gangster rap:a style of rap which includes aggressive and violent lyrics.
it is used on the opening sequence where ha sings "i'll whip ya head boy" which is quiet aggressive and meaning i'll kill you in some sense.
High concept film: it is a film that is associated with Hollywood institutions and it is a big budget film.
It is related to my movie because, the movie is a high budget film and also all of the institutions are Hollywood institutions which are Paramount, Isa, MTV FILMS.
Levi Strauss: a theory called the binary opposition, two things opposing each other.
50cent against the other members mainly his friends which oppose him at the end.
Objectivity:a text which is being objective and neutral without being biased.
the movie is objective and showing 50cent's real life and representing the life of some black gangsters.
Realism: a film which aims to show the real thing.
this is used because 50Cent's real life is shown on the movie and real events that happened to him.
Representation: is a key concept showing how different individuals or groups are represented in the media.
the movie is representing the black community, mainly black teenagers and how they turn into gangsters.
Subjective: something which is shown from a subject's point of view.
an example in the movie which is when we see a gun, we can understand that a crime is going to happen.
Todrov: a tododrovian theory which shows if the text has a linear or a non linear narrative, and includes equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.
the movie includes flash back and it starts with 50Cent as an adult and goes back to when he is a child and that is making the non-linear narrative.
Viacom:owner of media institutions such as Paramount, MTV, they are based and mainly used by US movies.
most of the institutions used in the movie are Hollywood institutions and the movie is set in the US.
White balance: the setting of the camera in order to match the light and have quality pictures.
many scenes shot from a setting to make the lighting look better and make the audience concentrate on characters.

SELF EVALUATION

Attainment-c
during the course of this term, i have improved a lot mainly on the topic of the research on my coursework, but still need more research on other information resources, and I'm working to improve my med6 title.

Effort-2
I have been trying hard and doing my best over the first term and always try to do some research about my med5 topic, and always try to improve my work.Punctuality-1
i have always been punctual to all media lessons,and i didn't miss any lessons concerning media, and always try to avoid being late.

Submission and quality of homework-3
i always submit my homeworks on the date due, but i still need to improve the quality of my work and mainly do more research which will help me with my med5 study.
Ability to work independently-3
i think i have improved to be able to work independently and in class i am able to do the work, but i need to do more research and extra work without being asked,to improve my grade.

Quality of writing-4
although my writing skills have improved much more than last term, but i still need to make it better especially when writing the comparison module and to apply the key concepts correctly, improving my writing will really help me write my coursework.

organisation of media folder-1

my media folder is organised in different sections for different modules covered because it will really help when it comes to revision, i will be able to find my booklets and information easily.

Oral contributions in class-2
my oral contribution has improved throughout the term and i starts to contribute in topics in the class, and i am more confident in speaking.

Standard of med 5 blog-3

i think my blog is at a good standard, i always do all of my tasks, but i still need to do more independent research which concentrates on the topic which is Black representation, and do more analysis of different scene to really understand the text more.

standard of med6 blog-2

my med6 blog is quiet good, because it includes research on the topics and issues covered in the media lesson,and i tried to post up my research as using my own words which will help me understand the topic more.

www:

- i have done more research on my med5 topic.

-improved my oral contribution in class.

-my blog has got better but always try more to improve.

EBI-

-add more research on my topic and also on the med6 blog.

-research about my topic on books because i haven't done much research on books.

-improve my writing skills by doing more independent work, in order to make my skills better, especially when relating the key concepts and SHEP.

Detailed textual analysis of a scene...

The text is the first scene from the movie 50Cent "Get rich Or Die Tryin" which is hollywood movie according to the institutions used such as Paramount, ISA and MTV films as it it a music company because he is a rapper and his music is promoted in the movie as it is shown on the begining of the scene, and the movie is set in Dublin and also includes british actors, it opens with the gang and 50 cent in the car where the tiltle credits are shown, and a white boy is with them the car which they have kidnapped.

The starting scenes are creating and making the audience really think waht is going to happen next, as the gang is shown in the car in the credit sequence preparing the guns which is indicating that somekind of action is going to happen, it is trying to make the audience ask questions such are they going to kill the white boy in the car as he is looking scared, everything changes then when there is a close up from the car to bank, this is now showing the audience that they are going to rob the bank.

low key lighting is used throughout the scene indiacting seriousness and scariness, and to make the audince think aswell as when it is shot at night what sort of crimes are going to happen during night, but when the bank is shown it is clearly meaning that they are going to rob the bank.

they are represented as gangsters because of the use of guns and the clothing such as hoodies and hats , and oppurtnists as they used the white boy to be able to get into the bank as his mother works there, when they got in, the mood changes suddenly and they come in with guns in their hands and shouting so that the bank employers stop and be able to give them the money, the womens screaming scared to get killed so they obeyed what they swere asked to do which was to put the money into the sack.

as they went in 50 cent was filmed from a low angle shot to make him look superior and being the boss of the gang, offensive language is being used throghout the scene to scare the people, therefore this is creating the gangster genre by the use of the offensive language nad the propps used, and we see how the gangs obey 5ocent, when he orderded that they should not shoot anyone, this is seen as a patriachal ideology of having a boss ruling the gang and oredering them what to do.

aswell as the patriachal ideology is used the capitalist ideology and economic value is used because they went in to the bank to get the money and that what is going to make them rich and that what really matters to those people as they are living in poverty and they are really in need of money and get out of poverty.

The patriachal ideology of being the boss of the gang and giving the other members orders on what to do that brings us to the Levi Strauss theory which is binary opposition because one of the gang members didnt obey what 50cent asked to do not to shoot anyone but he started shooting the people and he wanted to shoot and saying that this is his life and he didnt get anything from it and he wanted to get rich, so that can also be considered as revenge from his past and wanting to become a boss and have the money, he is opposing what 50 cent has ordered him to do and then he throws all the money to 50 cent and resigns from the group, this brings him to become the villain and 50 cent as the hero, and it is proved by the scene where someone follows 50cent during night in the car and starts shooting him, until he shot him nine times, this is then make the audience straight away thinks that that friend became his enemy and wanted to kill him and get the moeny after 50cent shouted at him of shooting the innocent people and also he wanted to become the boss, and when he is shooting 50cent he is being shot from as low angle shot, to make 50cent look at him as superior.

when the shooting is happening, there is a medium shot on 50 cent and then a side close up where there is a voice over of 50cent where he says "i knew i was about to die and i was expecting my father to rescue, i know realised that i have been looking for him all my life" , this is showing a social value where there is a lack of parents and that might be one of the issues that is causing most black males becoming gangsters, because there is no one supporting them and giving them advice.

from that scene we see the Todorovian narrative which is non linear because after being shot he goes back and starts remembering the past, and his voice over is still used whre he starts talking about his mother and how he doesnt know his father, where he was younger and describes how he lived, during that scene when he was being shot dramtic music was used to create more scariness, him being a gangster can be also related to the historical value, because his motehr used to get involved into drugs and from that shooting he goes back ans start remembering his childhood memories.

the audience that will be more likely to watch the movie is 15-19 black males and 50cent's fans, because they will be really wanting to know how he was killed and how from that quote taht he was looking for hisfather the movie starts, it is trying to create enigma to the audience and also to his fans where they also want to know how 50cent was able to get that position of being a famous rapper.

this scene is introducing the movie and showing how these gangsters are really looking for money, according to the poverty that is going on, and making them wanting money.

10 Definitions related to my study...

B-
Biopic: a film that concentrates on the life and the biography of someone.
50 cent's life is shown throughout the movie.
C-
cross genre: a text which includes a hybrid genre.
E-
Empathy: is to share the emotions or a point of view of a person.
G-
Gangster: a film genre based on the life of gangsters.
This is one of the genres of my text.
I-
ideology: values and what is the idea that the text is trying to show u such as capitalism, patriarchal ideologies, etc...
M-
method acting: actors really get in to that character and they act as that character physically, emotionally and psychologically.
N-
norms: the cultures of that special society and the type of behaviour expected in that particular society.
P-
Polysemic: a sign which shows many possible interpretations of social, cultural and educational background.
Power: which is used to dominant ideologies and control the society.
production values:
all the elements that are involved in a production of a text, mainly the media language.
R-
Racism- involving social and economic discrimination, including blaxplotation which is reinforcing negative stereo types.
Representation:
how the media constructs the representation of various places, people, images, words, sounds etc...
S-
Social realism: representation of characters and issues to raise serious issues.
Y-
youth culture: which represents the style of living in a particular society such as dress, music, behaviour etc...

Delicious-tags links:

1. Ramneet's blog, is quiet similar to my blog and i found some really good analysis of the text as well as some really good research on theories which i really found helpful, and might be able to use in my independent study.


2. Bilan's blog, which is as well a good website to use because it has some really good research on the topic, i thought that this blog will help me because it is about "bullet boy" one of the other text that i am concentrating on and this will help me to improve my research and research more on my text.


3. BBC article about black gangsters in Los Angeles that turn to become famous rappers such as 50Cent and Snoop Dogg.
4. An article showing how most black gangsters are turning into rap music.
5. This article is about counter-culture music and what is the message that this rappers are trying to show.
6. An article which is a review about the movie get rich or die tryin, which is introducing the movie and showing how rap is now the solution to become successful and also mentioning that rap music is mainly created by black gangsters which they all turn to rap at the end.

ANALYSIS OF THE INTRO OF THE MOVIE...

The intro of the movie starts with the name of the institution and a track of 50Cent "i'll whip ya head boy" is played on, and the credits are shown on the screen, the name of the director and the name of the actors, the name of the song played on.

as the credits and the song of the intro are played on, there is a long shot from the side mirror of the 50cent's car showing cars driving during the night which is low-key-lighting and the only lights turned are the lights of the city and showing many cars driving at the same time which is indicating it is a busy city.

then the camera zooms on 50Cent's car and mainly a close up on 50cent's face which is indicating that he is the protagonist because he's the first character seen and he is shown as serious and that something is going to happen, and there is a white boy in the car looking scared, and then we see a man holding a gun and hugging the white boy so that is showing that something is going to happen to him and that is now related to the name of the song and which makes sense.

Then other members of the gang are shown in the car, so that is indicating that they are the main characters of the movie, at the end the car is still shown from a long shot from the outside and then it zooms up to the screen again as parts of the location are being seen.

IDEOLOGY AND VALUES

The ideology is mainly to show the biography of 50 Cent and how he was able to become a famous rapper and what problems he faced in the past, it is also to show the patriarchal ideology of black males.
the other ideology that is trying to be shown to the audience is poverty and showing that some black males are having that problem and that what is causing them to start getting involved in crimes and robbings etc...
the life of many black youths is shown throughout the movie and also many solutions are being seen, and 50Cent finds the only way to become successful is to get into music and rap and that can give us an idea why we see many black males getting involved into rap and music, so that's maybe because of the same case of 50cent which is poverty, teenage problems, drugs etc...

INSTITUTION

What is the institutional source of the text?
ISA, Paramount- hollywood institutuions.
MTV television films because he is a singer and is associated with his style.
In what ways has the text been influenced or shaped by the institution which produced it?
in realtion to the mtv institution is 50 cent's music included in the movie, promoting his songs.
Is the source a public service or commercial institution? What difference does this make to the text? the source is a commercial institution because they are hollywood institution not as the BBC which is a service public broadcaster, the difference is that it will be screened in the big odean cinemas not as a BBC text wich will be screened in art house cinemas.
as it is screened in odean cinemas, so it is aimed at a wider audiences and it is going to be screened around the world, and excpects to get a lot of views.

AUDIENCE

the text is mainly aimed at young adults aged 15-18 because the age certificate is 15, it is also aimed at adults to show them how are the lives of some young black males.
the text is also dedicated to 50Cent's fans which will be so interested to see the movie and see 50 cent's real life and how he was able to become a famous worldwide known rapper, and what problems he faced in his life.
is is dedicated to adults mainly parents to show them the life of many youngsters and what problems they are facing, due to the lack of parents supporting them to prevent the problems such as being involved in drugs, crimes etc...
poverty which is another problem is to make them feel what is causing many children on the world to become like that and get involved in many things in order to get money, which is show in the movie 50cent's mother is trying to do anything to feed her children and her family such as selling drugs.

COMMENTS ON BLOGS...

Jageet's blog

Anjali's blog

Neelema's blog

Kunal's blog

Kabir's blog
not really related to my topic but it has the music genre which is quiet realated to one of the genres of my topic, which is muscial genre.

GENRE

To which genre does the text belong?
The movie has a hybrid genre, mainly it is an action movie because it includes many crimes happening, and also the genre can be musical because there is a lot of use of 50Cent's music tracks so that is promoting his songs in some ways and because the movie is mainly based on the life of the rapper 50 cent.
it can also be romantic when he meets his girlfriend and they get married and have a child, when they show them together.

Does the text feature a star, a director, a writer etc who is strongly associated with the genre? What meanings and associations do they have?
The movie features (Curtis) 50Cent's life and that is associated with the musical genre because his proper music is played on, which is promoted in the movie, Action is associated with his life due to the crimes and murders that he faced, and that association of the genre with the text is to show the audience how he was able to become a famous rapper after facing all of those problems, the cations is therefore to show how he was involved in crimes etc...
the musical genre of the movie is there to promote his music and also associated within the scenes to show how he became a rapper and how he actually started his career.

NARRATIVE

Wider context (SHEP):
Social: we see the type of community that 50cent is living in, that most of the teenagers in there are getting involved in crimes and drugs…
This problems are caused due to poverty so those teenagers find becoming a gangster as the only way to get what they wanted in life.
50 cent’s mother used to be involved in crimes and drugs in order to feed her family, until the day she was killed this shows how it affected a lot on 50cent and that what might have made him follow his mother’s background, in order to get revenge from the death of his mother.
Economic: poverty which is one of the main problem that is making those boys to become gangsters, of robbing banks, because they see their community suffering, we see also when 50cent gets rich after being involved in many robbing and crimes he goes off and buys a car without even having a driving licence, at the beginning the car seller didn’t want to give him the car but when he saw the amount of money that he was offered he accepted and didn’t follow the rule. This shows how everyone in that community is in need of money and are able to do anything to get it.
After that he tries to do anything to escape from that so he finds music the best way to get money but he was still involved in those crimes.
Political: showing some black teenagers are always getting involved in those things such as in bullet boy which is also Ashley Walters from being involved in a type of crime he gets to prison as 50cent did.

Theories/theorists:
Prop- the hero which is shown as 50cent (Marcus) he is always being tortured and bullied bye the other gangsters( the villain) the way that they shot him many times.
Levi Strauss- Binary Oppositionwhich is 50cent against the other boys competing with him on the topic of money and when he gets rich they try to do anything to stop him.
non linear narrative because it includes flashbacks.

MEDIA LANGUAGE

C-The boys are mainly wearing baggy clothes, hoodies and caps and that is kind of a gangsteroutfits.

L- Most lighting is low key lighting to show sadness and that something bad is going to happen, and also to create sadness.

A-The actors in the movie are mainly from a black community to show how they are living adn what problems they are facing, some of them are actors from art-house cinemas such as "Ashley Walters" and some are from a hollywood background.

P- There is a use of guns, knifes which are indicating robbing and crimes.

S-Dublin, Ireland

What work is being done by the sound track/commentary/language of the text?

The music played on is digetic with every scene and with the whole text as well, because the music is 50cent's and which matches with his life, and 50 cent's sound tracks are mainly played on when he's involved in robbing or getting involved crimes.

the title sequence starts with a song of 50Cent and the locations are shown in the movie.

There is also a use of emotional music on sad scenes, e.g.: when 50 cent (Marcus) got shot nine times and was nearly going to die, so the music in there is emotional diegetic with the scene.

The actors in the movie are speaking slang amercian language,and the use of a lot of swear words in the movie.
What are the dominant images and iconography, and what is their relevance to the major themes of the text?

the most emotional scene is when 50 Cent is laying on the floor and struggling to stand up because he has been shot nine times.
What sound and visual techniques are used to convey meaning (e.g. camera positioning, editing; the ways that images and sounds are combined to convey meaning)?

Number of close ups to show emotions and what's the person feeling and there is also long shots to show the person as being the boss it shown when 50cent is shooting, there is a use of point of view shots to make the audience identify with the character.

Media Representations

Who is being represented? The black community and what problems they are having.Young black men are being represented in this movie, which then became gangsters.

In what way? The black community is represented and it is showing what problems they are facing and what is causing the young black males to become gangsters mainly 50 cent.

By whom?

50 cent is represented as a gangster and every step that made him become a gangster is shown,and that he became the boss of the group.

50cent's mother is shown as involved in crimes and taking drugs, in order to get the money and feed her children.

Why is the subject being represented in this way?

the subject is being represented in this way to show 50 cent's problems and other black males' problems and the only way to become successful and get what they wanted is to take drugs, get involved in crimes.

it is mainly showing the problems that 50Cent faced in his life and what steps he took in order to become a worldwide famous rapper,after having faced many problems, he found the only solution that will make him rich and successful is to become a singer, and becoming a gangster which made him start with his job.

Is the representation fair and accurate?

i think the representation is fair and accurate to some extent because 50cent's real life is shown and also representation of some black youths in the movie, but it's the opposite because not all black youngsters are gangsters and get involved in crimes and take drugs.

THE CAST

Directed by: Jim Shreiden
Running time: 117mins (USA)
50cent (Curtis Jackson)
Ashley Walters(Antwan)
Joy Bryant (Charlene) his wife.
Mark John Jefferies(young Curtis)

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Majestic)

research on the movie and gangsters.

50 cent in this movie is trying to show what has happened to him in real life, as he said in an interview that he is

trying to act as a real man not an artificial man , as he lived those moment eg: being shot nine times, he found it easy to act in the movie.

In order to show the gangster role in the movie, he decided to use his real personality and act as a real man, he also mentioned that he found it easier to act because that is his real personality as a gangsters, but if he chose another role and notbeing a gangster or who he was he might fail because he's ot showing his real personality.

50 cent being a gangster in this movie is due to many things and the only way to get rich and become succesfull was to become a gangster.

this movie is showing his life, but on the sametime it is showing us the audience waht is making other youngsters become gangsters.

one of the main cause of this change which is shown clearly in the movie is due to poverty, they don't have enough many to live the lifes they wanted and to start becoming succesfull is by selling drugs, commiting crimes to be shown in the community and to ha ve a level.

50cent (Curtis) in the movie was influenced of transforming into a gangster due to poverty adn his enviroment, showing his mother getting involved in selling drugs and in crimes inorder to get money, to feed her child.

so this is showing how he also followed his mother in being a gangster, he was trying to revenge from what had happened to his mother, that is another reason why he became a gangster.

50 cent "GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN" review

Article by: Shari Monah
Walking into the private screening of Get Rich or Die Tryin, I honestly expected the worse. Since this is 50 Cent acting debut, I anticipated flat dialogue, G- unit cameos, and a weak storyline to sum it all up. In order to be as objective as possible, I had to get rid of all the preconceived notions I had of 50 Cent before I gave this movie a fair chance. Since he wants to be considered as a serious actor, I will only refer to him as Curtis Jackson. Instead of 50 Cent the overly dramatic rapper that we’ve all come to love or hate. Off the bat, it is almost impossible for Get Rich or Die Tryin’ to fail since it is tied to so many A- list names. Obviously the movie would hit number one since its lead actor is music’s heavyweight 50 Cent. However it is the strong cast that supports the amateur actor and prevents the film from becoming a mere shout out to 50 and his G- unit clique. Curtis Jackson plays Marcus, a street entrepreneur that is forced into hustling after the murder of his drug dealing mother, Katrina (Serena Reeder). Driven by the anger from his mother’s death, Marcus sets out on a crusade to find her murderer while making a name for himself on the streets. Throughout the film, Marcus’s writing chronicles his journey from childhood to rap stardom. In order to prevent himself from embarrassment Jackson mainly narrates throughout this film. In fact, Marc John Jefferies ( Young Marcus), who has more professional acting experience, has more lines in this film than the lead actor does. Under the direction of six time Oscar nominee, Jim Sheridan, most of the story is told through the cold stare of Jackson’s eyes. Dependent on his physical acting, Jackson powerfully re-enacts the infamous scene of being shot nine times in front of his grandparents home. According to Sheridan, “shooting the scene was in a way therapy for him.” It is at this point where the audience witnesses the death of Marcus as a hustler and the birth of Young Ceaser the rapper. This film could not survive with out its supporting cast. Reportedly, Samuel L. Jackson did not want to be apart of this cast because of the violence that is tied to Jackson. Fortunately for C. Jackson, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ does not suffer from this absence. While Marcus’s life spirals out of control, it is the support of family and friends that helps him maintain his sanity. After the death of his mother Marcus is raised by his grandmother, Tony award winning Viola Davis (Antwone Fisher). As for his girlfriend, Charlene ( Joy Bryant of Antwone Fisher), she reminds Marcus that as a man it is his duty to provide for his family and not give up on his career. Bama, played by Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), is the loyal friend and manager who protects Marcus inside as well as outside of jail. Although Bama is not a main character, Howard undeniably steals the movie and the attention away from Jackson in every scene that he is in with the use of his humor. Synonymous to Jackson’s real life, the feud between his alter ego, 50 Cent, and Murder Inc. spills onto the screen. Young Ceaser generates noise in the rap industry by humiliating Majestic( Adewale Akinnuoye- Agbaje of Oz), a record executive who mirrors Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. Similar to Supreme, Majestic is a convicted drug lord who launders his drug money through the record label. Along with Supreme, 50 also embarrasses Ja Rule who is portrayed by Dangerous. Like his counterpart, Dangerous is a flashy young artist who is on top of the world before Young Ceaser annihilates his career. In one scene Jackson’s character states, “ I rather live like a man than die like a coward.” Arguably, the reason why Jackson chose this role is because as a good businessman he knows the film can only enhance his career. Jackson knows that the audience will tie the pain and despair that Marcus has to endure with his own life story. Thus, increasing his gangsta image and being seen as more of a “man”. Curtis Jackson is aware that if he chose a role that is opposite of his current persona then there will be greater chance of him failing and being perceived as weak to his target audience. However, a real “man” would go outside of his safety net to test his true acting abilities. Whether it is due to the box office sales or the ability for the audience to empathize with the main character , Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is bound to be a staple in hip hop culture. For the individual who loves 50 Cent, this film would be the best product that Curtis Jackson has ever developed. But for the individual who is just curious to see what Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is about the film is good effort brought forth by the first time actor.

"city of god" & "50 cent get rich or die tryin"

The movie "city of god" can be related to the "50 cent get rich or die tryin", because it also includes young men turning into gangsters when they start getting involved into crimes and drugs,when fights start to occur between the boys that were friends before because of money and drugs they start killing each other, which is the same as 50 cent the only way of getting rich was to get involved in drugs and crimes which is being a gangster.

gangster movies and its genre

Crime and Gangster Films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters, particularly bankrobbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering their way through life. In the 1940s, a new type of crime thriller emerged, more dark and cynical - see the section on film-noir for further examples of crime films. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as post-war film noir or detective-mystery films - because of underlying similarities between these cinematic forms.
Crime stories in this genre often highlight the life of a crime figure or a crime's victim(s). Or they glorify the rise and fall of a particular criminal(s), gang, bank robber, murderer or lawbreakers in personal power struggles or conflict with law and order figures, an underling or competitive colleague, or a rival gang. Headline-grabbing situations, real-life gangsters, or crime reports have often been used in crime films. Gangster/crime films are usually set in large, crowded cities, to provide a view of the secret world of the criminal: dark nightclubs or streets with lurid neon signs, fast cars, piles of cash, sleazy bars, contraband, seedy living quarters or rooming houses. Exotic locales for crimes often add an element of adventure and wealth. Writers dreamed up appropriate gangland jargon for the tales, such as "tommy guns" or "molls."
Film gangsters are usually materialistic, street-smart, immoral, meglo-maniacal, and self-destructive. Rivalry with other criminals in gangster warfare is often a significant plot characteristic. Crime plots also include questions such as how the criminal will be apprehended by police, private eyes, special agents or lawful authorities, or mysteries such as who stole the valued object. They rise to power with a tough cruel facade while showing an ambitious desire for success and recognition, but underneath they can express sensitivity and gentleness.
Gangster films are morality tales: Horatio Alger or 'pursuit of the American Dream' success stories turned upside down in which criminals live in an inverted dream world of success and wealth. Often from poor immigrant families, gangster characters often fall prey to crime in the pursuit of wealth, status, and material possessions (clothes and cars), because all other "normal" avenues to the top are unavailable to them. Although they are doomed to failure and inevitable death (usually violent), criminals are sometimes portrayed as the victims of circumstance, because the stories are told from their point of view.

___History of BLACK GANGSTERS___

The Black Gangster Disciple Nation was born out of two organizations. In the beginning, there were two separate organizations: The Disciple Nation, whose President was David Barksdale, and the Gangster Nation, whose President was Larry Hoover. There were many branches of both organizations.
Some of the Disciple Nation under David Barksdale’s leadership were: Devit’s Disciples, Falcon Disciples, Royal Disciples, Renegade Disciples, Executioner Disciples, Boss Pimp disciples, East Side Disciples, Sircon Disciples, Motown Disciples, Dutchtown Disciples, Gonzato Disciples, Six-Tray Disciples, Maniac Disciples and four-Tray Disciples. Also during this period of time, David Barksdale controlled the Del Vikings, the Black Souls, and the West Side Cobras.
Some of the branches of the Gangster Nation under Larry Hoover’s leadership were: The Supreme Gangsters (the first branch was considered to be the father of the gangster nation), Imperial Gangsters, African Sniper Gangsters, Raven Gangsters, High Supreme Gangsters, Russian Gangsters, Maniac Gangsters, Mafia Gangsters , 75th Street Syndicate Gangsters, Outlaw Gangsters, 95th Street Supreme Gangsters, the Dells Gangsters, West Side Suprem Gangsters, Racketeer Gangsters, East side Syndicate Gangsters, Gent town Gangsters, and the Black Pimp Gangsters of the West Side.
David Barksdale
Everybody in the City of Chicago who as a Disciple or a Gangster was under the leadership of David Barksdale or Larry Hoover, respectively. Up until that point in our history, no one in an organization had ever been referred to as a “King.”At the time, the Vice Lords, the Blackstone Rangers (Stones) and the Disciples were the three major gangs (street organizations) in the City of Chicago. In terms of membership numbers and organizational structure, the Vice Lords were the first major gang in the Lawndale area. Some of the businesses that they opened were a Restaurant, clothing boutiques, Tastee Freeze, pool room, Teen Town Dance Studio and an art studio. In addition they offered many programs for the benefit of the community.The Vice Lords reached their peak between the years 1957 and 1967. They were the father of the “Super Gangs: and had their origin on the west side of Chicago. They were the forerunners of the concept of changing street gangs into organizations.
In the years 1963 and 1964, two southside street gangs started to take a form that would eventually evolve into two of the most powerful street organizations in Chicago. They were the Blackstone Rangers and the Black Disciples. During the reign of these two organizations, the Blackstone Rangers were believed to be the most organized because they held national recognition, support from prominent business men, entertainers, and politicians. They entered into business ventures with the late Sammy Davis Jr. and had the support of W. Clement Stone, a self-made millionaire and business entrepreneur. However, one of the most impressive displays of political power and community importance of a street organization came when Jeff Fort, leader of the Blackstone Rangers, was invited to the late Richard Nixon’s inauguration.
The Blackstone Rangers were originally founded by Eugene Hairston and Jeff Fort. Under Jeff Fort’s leadership they prospered and changed their organization’s name to “the Black P. Stone Nation” and eventually they became known as “the El Rukns.”
David Barksdale, the leader of the Black Disciple Nation, had an organization that was comparable to the Blackstone Rangers. Although he did not receive the same amount of national recognition, he was well known through the City of Chicago and was respected by his friends and feared by his foes. At the time, David Barksdale was the most revered street gang organizer in Chicago.
On the other hand, amongst these two major street organizations on the southside of Chicago were the Gangster: A young street organization striving for a place of high recognition and respect in the City of Chicago. The Blackstone Rangers and the Black Disciple Nation were vying to bring the Gangsters in as part of their respective organizations. Jeff Fort, as leader of the Black P. Stone nation, brought Larry Hoover an offer to incorporate the Gangsters as part of the Black P. Stone Nation’s structure as Gangster Stones and offered Hoover the less favorable position as an ambassador within the Black P. Stone Nation. In Hoover’s mind, such a merger would swallow up the Gangster identity. Therefore Hoover declined.
Larry HooverChairman of the Board
When Jeff Fort offered Hoover the opportunity to incorporate, he was unaware of just how strong the Gangsters were rapidly becoming. With branches of Gangsters throughout Chicago, Hoover’s empire had reached the Morgan Park area on the southwest side, across 95th Street and well into the far-south edges of the City. The Gangsters swelled from Ashland and Halsted on the west to Cottage Grove on the east. Pockets of Gangsters were scattered throughout every district on the southside of Chicago and membership was rapidly growing on the Westside. Larry Hoover had put together the Black Gangster Disciple Nation, which would vie for power and battle the Stones and Disciples for years to come.
In January 1969, David Barksdale, leader of eh Disciple Nation, developed a broader vision about the mission and purpose of street organizations (commonly referred to as “street gangs”). In essence, David was tired of the senseless violence and mayhem that was destroying the black community because of street gangs’ warfare. He struggled with the idea of how to bring an end to the constant gang warfare that existed between the Disciples and the Gangsters. He realized that such a state of existence would only bring about self-destruction in the lives of ghetto youth. Therefore, he made an offer that Hoover could not refuse. David proposed merging the two organizations with Hoover sharing equal power. From that merger, THE BLACK GANGSTER DISCIPLE NATION was born. This began the era of “Kings.”
Never before in the history of Chicago had gang leaders been known as “Kings.” Looking back, it was an ambiguous situation, but it was a necessary compromise to stop the gang wars and save the lives of members on both sides. David Barksdale was wise enough to know that by bringing Hoover an offer to share the throne of gang leadership as two Kings with equal power, Hoover would accept and thereby end the bloodshed between the two organizations. David was willing to give up so much because he had a broader vision and a creatively positive direction for the new organizations. Such were the circumstances surrounding the birth of “THE BLACK GANGSTER DISCIPLE NATION.”
The merger was uplifting for both organizations. It allowed many negative energies to turn into positive energies and together the two unified organizations became active in community affairs. They opened and operated a gas station, two restaurants, community clean-up programs and enforced school truancy policies. The Englewood Business men’s Association worked hand in hand with our organization for the betterment of the community. The Black Gangster Disciples were given a security contract for Wilson Junior College, located on 70th and Stewart Streets in the Englewood district. Our members were given jobs in the 63rd Street shopping concourse as security guards, salespersons and they also worked in the neighborhood bank. One of our members still holds the same job he acquired during this period.
The Business Men’s Association assisted us in obtaining centers for the organization. The first to open was on 63rd and Normal Streets and 61st and Halstad Streets, out of which David Barksdale operated a free breakfast program for the community. Another center was located at 6th and Halsted Streets, out of which Larry Hoover operated a free lunch program to feed the needy children in the community.Our trouble as an organization began when we started dealing in big city politics. Before that, we were largely overlooked. We became active in community issues and got involved with the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Operation Breadbasket. We formed the LSD Coalition, which as an acronym for Lords, Stones and Disciples. We marched and picketed the “Red Rooster Grocery Store” which was a large food chain that contribute primarily to the black community. We were successful in shutting down the Red Rooster chain and stopped the selling of bad meat to the black community.We marched with the Reverend Jesse Jackson to force the hiring of Black Contractors to help build Circle Campus; we made up 80% of the participants in that march. We marched nonviolently with Dr. Martin Luther King in Marquette Park during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. We were fast becoming known as a potentially powerful grassroots organization that would carry the fight against racism, segregation, inequality and unemployment right up to the City Hall steps, as well as throughout the voting booths of the City of Chicago. In essence, we became a threat to the status quo of inner-city politics and the powers that be.
Mysteriously, all major street organizations had drugs made readily available to them for mass distribution throughout the black community. Of course, drugs had been in the black community all the time, but with very limited access. Then all of a sudden, as we matured into a power to be reckoned with, our membership began to receive highly lucrative offers (from here to fore unknown sources), to package and distribute drugs for a living. After becoming so positively involved in the social and political aspects of our communities, drugs were introduced to shut us up politically and appease us financially. However, drugs also ended the positive direction of our organization’s movement. In that sense, the powers that be could not have (been) happier. As an organization, we had fallen into their trap and they closed the door and swallowed the key.
Shortly before the flood of drugs into the black community, there was a spirit of camaraderie, a sense of belonging which fostered love (our 1st principle), honesty and a feeling of being a part of something great, our organization. Many problems were solved in our neighborhoods because everyone looked upon each other as part of the same family. Drug dealers and users were initially frowned upon. Nevertheless, with the huge and lucrative influx of drugs, suddenly drug dealers were success stories; the role models for instant riches; representatives of “the good life.”Our organization lost many of its members to the drug game either directly or indirectly. The positive potential that these lost members had in unimaginable and immeasurable. Through drug usage, loyalties shifted or became non-existent. Those who were not consumers splintered off ot control turf or neighborhood strips. Our losses continued to swell. Many of our members became known as the “walking dead” (dopefiends) and were constantly in and out of jail and prisons throughout the State of Illinois, as well as the Country of America. As far as the positive growth and development of the members of our organization is concerned, the users, sellers, and all associated with the drug trap paid a price that has yet to be tallied.While jobs, social and educational programs are constantly being slashed out of the government budget, drugs have become an industry in the black community as well as in poor communities nationwide. Some of us who were caught in the trap have become aware of the fact that a great change is needed in our lifestyles. Larry Hoover is one of us who has become aware and his message is that we need to focus our energies toward eradicating the predicament that we find ourselves in.
The “BLUEPRINT” will not only enrich our lives, but it is a progressive step for many of us in the return to a positive direction.