Submitted by: Submitted by JoshuaAdk
Views: 10
Words: 1209
Pages: 5
Category: English Composition
Date Submitted: 03/24/2016 11:46 AM
Joshua Adkins
Prof. Jamila Lyn
English Comp. 102
1 March 2016
Notorious PhD?
What defines a black man’s value in the 21st century? Is it the amount of women you can dominate in the bed, the amount of flashy jewelry you own, or how wasteful you can be with your money? In today's society, listening to the radio or scrolling on Twitter will allow one to see the stereotypical black male in society. Through 50 Cent’s gun references, Snoop Dogg’s pimp behavior, and Wiz Khalifa’s marijuana obsession, one can see the black male is entirely physical rather than cerebral. Media coverage even suggests that black men are savage, heartless, and rebellious men. Being continually bombarded with this imagery we begin to conform to these values and lose sight of normal values in society. The black male no longer wants to be a committed family man, but instead a misogynistic thug. He is no longer a stable working man, but a drug dealer risking his life searching for a quick buck. The easily stereotyped hand gestures, sexual persona, merciless attitude and toughness portrayed, all convey a bigger idea of a troubled people displaying years of oppression. As an oppressed group who has been denied basic rights, blacks continue to physically display themselves as everything they have been declined to within impoverished surroundings. This stems from a lack of access to the “American Dream.” Popular culture portrays black masculinity as violent, sexual, and unintelligent. Contrary to overall American society’s belief, black masculinity within the echoes of the black community is embracing one’s history and achieving despite hardships.
Hip-Hop culture promotes the selling and using of drugs. As a result of Hip-Hop lyrics, being infested with messages about guns, prison, sex, and drugs, these ideologies are becoming rooted into the mindsets of African Americans as acceptable -- meanwhile becoming synonymous with how a black American man is seen to the world. To gain popularity...