Harriet Tubman Rape Parody

VIDEO: http://www.adviseshow.com/russell-simmons-harriet-tubman-sex-tape/
ARTICLE: http://www.racialicious.com/2013/08/20/the-rape-of-harriet-tubman/


Rape.

During slavery, for a female slave, it was not a matter of whether or not this would happen, it was a matter of at how old and how many times. History books do not emphasize the amount of pain that female slaves underwent; rather, the emphasis is directed towards verbal and physical abuse, which is mostly portrayed as abuses suffered by the male slaves. All the aforementioned cruelties are evil; none is worse than the other. However there is a unspoken silence that hides the culture of rape that Black female slaves endured.

This leads me to Russel Simmon's outlandish video spoof titled: "Harriet Tubman Sex Tape". This 'entertainment clip' displays Harriet Tubman luring her slave master in a sexual encounter in hopes of framing him and using another fellow slave to record the encounter as a means of blackmail so that he could fund the Underground Railroad.

Disgusting.

This video makes a mockery of the history of abuses female slaves went through.
Dramatizing the sexual relations between the slave and the slave master is absolute nonsense. Slavemasters were not lured or seduced by their "property". No. They dictated when they wanted to have sex and either used physical force or mental torture. Some people reading this may be saying. "But surely some females slaves agreed to having sex with their owners. Yup; sure they did. After being told that her husband and children won't be separated if she agrees to sleep with him she agreed. After being told that her daughter won't be raped for awhile if she slept with her master she agreed. After being told that one of her children will receive a chance at freedom she agreed. Oh yeah. She definitely agreed.

It is crucial to understand that, historically, it was legal for a slave master to rape female slaves. So this whole portrayal of Harriet Tubman somehow suggestively influencing her master to sleep with her just does not make sense. A slave did not initiate sexual activity; rather, he or she was subject to it. They did not run the "show", the master did.

The knowledge issue that is present is the extent to which serious issues are allowed to be "made fun of".
In the case of Harriet Tubman's Sex Tape Parody, I do not find any room for comedic commentary. The effects of rape culture are still felt in today's society. Women of color who are raped or sexually assaulted by white males will not readily receive justice; black women are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, white males are at the top.

Russel Simmon's Rape Parody is an absolute shame filled mockery of black female subjugation that has gone on and continues to persist in society.

Rape is not a joke.

Twerking and Race

Twerking.

This word alone sends an irrevocable wave of reprehension. Repetitive and jerking body movements that are concentrated on one's posterior. When Hannah Montana Miley Cyrus demonstrated her twerking skills in her music video "We Can't Stop" and during the VMA performances, the world was in upheaval.

How could such a seemingly innocent girl Hannah Montana  engage in such uncouth and vulgar behavior.
Absolute wretchedness they said.

As I researched and analyzed the public's reaction to Miley Cyrus' "coming of age", I asked myself, would such a reaction among the public would have emerged if Miley Cyrus was black.
No.

This is where the knowledge issue emerges: To what extent is the inappropriateness of twerking affected by race? The answer is, completely.

At this point, some readers will be thinking to themselves, 'Race has nothing to do with how bad twerking is. We are just ruffled by the transformation of Hannah Montana to the out of control Miley Cyrus who, evidently, "Can't stop"'. To this, I agree 100 percent. However, I would like to implore my audience to ask themselves who Miley Cyrus started off as and who she became. Race is written all over this my friends.

You see, Hannah Montana was the epitome of white girlhood: famous pop star living in the suburbs with sandy beaches; an alter ego highlighted by the transition from brunette to blonde pop star hair; and a seemingly complicated love life, males beckoning to be noticed by her. Ah, Hannah Montana. This is what America loves.

Boom.
Now we are introduced to Miley Cyrus, the hyped and sexualized icon that breaks away from the white girl image and is assimilated to what is socially viewed as "black culture". Historically, dancing involving hip/ posterior movements has been associated with black females. No wonder then you see black females attempting to prove their 'blackness' by engaging in a dance, in this case twerking, that they are expected to be good at. They have this mindset and so does everyone else. That is why when someone sees a twerking video with a black girl, s/he automatically assumes this individual will be good at twerking. Bring a white girl to the mix and now people will assume the video will turn out to be funny because they are expecting the white girl to unsuccessfully attempt twerking.

Back to Miley.

To an extent, it can be said that the prime factor, in addition to the adjustment to divorcing Hannah Montana from Miley Cyrus, that heighted the public's response to Miley's twerking escapade is her race. White females are expected to be decent, conservative, and measured. Black females are expected to be sexual  and untamed objects beings. To this end, I believe that if Miley Cyrus was black, although the public would frown on twerking, a conversation like this would take place in their minds:

"Miley Cyrus is out of control, this twerking madness must come to an end"

"But at the same time she's black, its in their nature culture and such. You get what I mean? Nothing new there."

Now, my readers might be thinking "I never thought about race when I was upset about Miley Cyrus' "immersion" into wildness. I was just vehemently opposed to her actions."
To this I point out, one does not need to have RACE written across his/her forehead to think about race. Its ingrained in the media and society as a whole. From presentation to bias, race is sitting patiently there. What is important, however, is to recognize the extent to which we are aware of this intrinsic tendency to validate what behavior is acceptable according to one's race. In this case, it would be twerking. On blacks, twerking is seen as a recreational activity that is "okay" for them to do. On whites, twerking is a foreign element that does not need to be mastered, as it is a deviation from what "acting white" entails. Being decent.

Oh Miley Cyrus, she just placed herself at the heart of the twerking and race debate. She came in like a wrecking ball.

What does it mean to be Black?

Ah, identification. The single most important means of grouping ourselves with others who fit the same description. We are grouped according to age, socio-economic status, religion, gender, ethnicity, and race.
In terms of race, some individuals are quick to lump individuals who are of the same 'assumed' ancestry. For example, one might assume that all people who have African ancestry identify themselves Black.
However, some argue this is not the foremost criteria of who is Black.

According to the one drop rule, which was created during slavery, anyone who had an individual of African ancestry in their blood was considered black. However, this definition of black has come to become a messy and incomplete definition of what it means to be Black. For example, some individuals who had a mixture of black and white ancestry could pass as white, and desire to define themselves as such.

 This is where the knowledge issue begins

Consider this, a black couple produces two children. Here is the catch, one turns out indisputably white and the other, indisputably black. Despite the similar African ancestry, would they both be considered Black?
From a technical perspective, one would say 'Yes'; being Black is defined in terms of one's ancestry originating from Africa. From the opposing side, one would bring in less abstract and concrete definitions of "Blackness"; in order to be black, one must have certain Black experiences (profiling, discrimination, etc) and in order to have such experiences, one must appear Black, in terms of having dark(er) skin.In this context, the child who appears indisputably white would be considered 'less' Black; consequently, they would have a hard time being fully accepted as a Black individual by the black community.

All in all, what it means to be "Black" has a plethora of meanings, beliefs, and perspectives surrounding this question. To some, deviating from socially induced "Black" behaviors is enough to define someone as acting/being "White", while for others, it's a matter of the extent that an individual has Black (physical) features and can relate to the Black community.

Evidently, there is no universal meaning as to what it means to be Black. This question will continue to persist.

The Ugly Duckling - The rewrite

Ah. The childhood tale of the Ugly Duckling. A coming to age story that tells the tale of a little duckling who is  verbally scorned and rejected by his familial community based on his 'awkward' appearance. In the end, the ugly duckling, with its weird and obscure physical features, transforms into the most beautiful creature of all, a swan. What a happy ending.


I deplore it.

The problem with this story, unlike what most people like to believe, is that it does not promote accepting one's 'inner self. Rather, it tells the tale of a misfortune being who had to transform in order to gain approval and self - confidence. I do not see the ugly duckling as a story as a means to tell children to love themselves for who they are; in the end, if you are seen as an 'outcast', in order to fit in, you must change.

Consider this, let's say the ugly duckling did not change into a swan, what would become of his fate? Would he still learn to love himself?

The classical tale of the Ugly Duckling sends an indirect message to the youth. Once you have changed from a conventional and widely accepted state of hideousness to a societal norm of beauty, everything will be fine.

We are living in a world of misconstrued beauty.

Youths, particularly adolescent females, are seeking extremes to achieve the coming of age 'transformation' that will make them feel accepted. Excessive use of makeup, inappropriately revealing clothing, and food purging are endlessly sought after. This is the Western world's definition of beauty and self-acceptance.

If I were to rewrite the Ugly Duckling's fate, he would not change into a swan. Instead, he would learn to accept himself, the same 'ugly duckling' self that was mocked, ridiculed and ostracized. This little duckling's fate would not rest on the need to change and conform to societal definitions of beauty.

No.

This little duckling would learn to define his perception of beauty, rather than waiting for an escape route. This is the definition of beauty.

Issue - Freedom to Spend

Money. The lucrative substance that divides men, yet makes the world go 'round. Although money is a personal incentive, usually self-acquired, is one 'free' to spend it as he/she wills it?
Consider this, a man spends 9,668 USD on an expensive Henry Jayer Vosne - Romanne, Cote de Nuits wine, very much aware that this same amount of money could positively influence an underprivileged group of 1,000 people. Is this individual's actions appropriate?

From an ethical standpoint, one would argue 'No'; spending over 9K on a mere beverage that will be consumed in less than a span of a week is not doing anything to contribute to society. A consequentialist  would further assert that when judging the appropriateness of an act, one must evaluate the potential positive an negative outcomes. If 9,668 USD are spent on merely self - indulgence, there is no significance. However, if this money were spent on helping humanistic causes, one could say that he/she is providing opportunities for the less privileged to enhance their quality of life.

On the flip side, one might claim that is not one's responsibility to engage in the welfare of others. If the man in question worked to acquire his money, why should he have to sacrifice his ability to indulge based on other's misfortunes? Donating one's money should be an option, not a requirement. Additionally, just because money is donating to a humanistic cause doesn't mean the individuals receiving aid will appropriately use this resource. Everyone has the right to do what they want with their money.

The knowledge issue at hand pertains to the extent to which one should be allowed to 'freely' spend their money.  Yes it is true that not everyone has the freedom to spend extra money on themselves or on the less privileged, but for those who do,it is an important topic to discuss. When we indulge ourselves in worldly things, how far do we go? Is it necessary to have the smartphone instead of a fully operational 'basic' phone? Do females need to go the extra mile to buy a designer purse simply for the prestige of the brand name?

In a nutshell, our decisions are all tied to perception. What one may perceive as necessary will dictate his/her actions. Therefore, if one perceives money as a tool that is necessary to advance one's status, he or she will focus monetary decisions on: prestige and self - interest. Conversely, if an individual perceives money as a tool to help others, he or she will spend money in a manner that meets basic needs and is able to be donated to the less privileged.  At the end of the day, the choice is ours.

Nevertheless, 'Money is valueless, except as it will satisfy [...]"
 - Edwin T. Freedley

What is your satisfaction?

Issue: Gender portrayal in the Media – Yahoo CEO poses for Vogue Magazine

Link : http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/19/tech/web/marissa-mayer-vogue

Vogue’s September 2013 issue has arisen a critical discussion concerning female portrayal in the media. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer stirred controversy when she decided to pose in a ‘racy’ manner on her cover page, which later discusses her personal challenges while treading a male-dominated executive domain. Some argue that Mayer’s portrayal of herself in a ‘upside down’ manner contradicts with the rest of her article which emphasizes her rise to power.  Others assert that as an individual, Mayer has the right to decide how to present herself; by not being allowed to do so, based on fear of criticism and how others will perceive her, Mayer is being placed in a ‘box’ that controls the degree to which she can express her femininity.  

The knowledge issue at hand revolves around the extent to which females, especially those who represent a minority in male dominated ‘world’, are allowed to appropriately present themselves. It is not often that males are faced with this issue. With this in mind, one can raise this knowledge issue as a prime example as to how certain issues are divided along gender lines. Must it be that if a woman represents power that she has to reduce her feminine portrayal of herself and increase masculine aspects that would further exemplify her power? Conversely, must a woman minimize feminine depictions of herself to prove resilience and toughness?

As a whole, perception is the factor that will affect the extent to which certain actions presented by certain genders will be deemed as ‘acceptable’ or ‘unacceptable’. To some, how Mayer chose to present herself isn’t the issue; rather, it’s the individuals who decided to make this an issue. Instead of focusing on Mayer’s physical presentation, readers should shift their attention towards what the focus point in the article, Mayer’s successes as Yahoo’s youngest female CEO.  To others, Mayer’s pose is symbolic of how females’ physical attributes must be a focal point when attempting to depict more serious (intellectual) issues.

All in all, one can only ask, ‘What is the real meaning behind Marissa Mayer’s pose?’ 

First TOK Assignment - Origins of Writing

Writing has always been my one of my passions, as it provides a means for expression. Ever since I was three years old I reveled in the mystery of words and language. In my spare time, I would compile a variety of short stories and poems. As I grew older and read more books, my passion to write inspired my resolution to publish a book before my seventeenth birthday. I accomplished this goal on December 7th 2012; my work is entitled Close to Home; The African Savannah (ISBN: 978-1-4691-9510-0). In this story, I apply the use of imagery and onomatopoeia to create a scenic and aesthetic picture of Kenya's Animal Kingdom. I wanted my readers to see what I saw and feel what I felt during my visit to the Masaai Mara Game reserve through my writing. 

In the future, I hope to publish more books; as an African female teenage author, I represent the minority group(s) in the literary community. With this in mind, I recognize that my accomplishment as a published author is not only satisfactory for myself, but for readers who are among the minority that will recognize me as an author with whom they can relate. 

This year, I plan to garner the writing experiences I will acquire in TOK II in hopes of improving my writing; my passion for writing has never diminished, and I hope to be a: concise; effective; and confident writer come the end of the school year.