Bamboozled and African Americans in Todays Industry Essay

The movie Bamboozled by Spike Lee is a very interesting movie which brings up a lot of different points. Although Bamboozled did not receive great reviews like some of Lee’s other movies, I think it brought up a lot of important questions regarding the media and the way film portrays African Americans on T.V. Lee’s movie brings to light the notion that to be black and on television you have to play a certain role or type of character. He makes the point that African Americans are expected to be a particular type of character and that their lives reflect that role. Lee also makes a statement that to be African American and live in the U.S. you have to act a certain way. If you want to be successful you have to entertain or act in a manner†¦show more content†¦The movie takes place in New York. Bamboozled is a movie about an African American TV producer, Pierre Delacroix, who is trying to get fired because he thinks he is going to get fired anyway. Delacroix and his secretary, Sloan, come up with the idea of casting two street bums, Sleep ‘n Eat and Mantan, in their new millennium minstrel show. The idea is to create such a controversial show that Delacroix would be fired, but instead the show is a hit. Delacroix’s plan backfires and he creates a new racial show that just adds to the stereotypical racial shows in America’s history. Lee’s movie brings up some very interesting questions. Lee illustrates the question of value through the role of Delacroix. Delacroix is faced with question of what is more important, to be successful or to be morally and ethically correct? Throughout the movie Lee uses very controversial words to describe situations and characters. He uses words like Alabama porch monkey, coon, Tommy Hill Niger, and Negro. He uses these words to show Americans the stereotypes America has about African Americans. Stereotypes play a big role in Bamboozled. The main actor Delacroix doesn’t even know his true identity. He acts white during the whole movie even though he is a black man. This depicts the stereotype of a successful black businessman. Lee manages to incorporate almost every black stereotype into his movie Bamboozled. The different characters portray the different African American stereotypes seen inShow MoreRelatedRacism And The Failure Of Alternative Methods Essay1541 Words   |  7 Pagesunarmed African American men. These have led to movements such as the black lives matter protests that have spread widely and quickly. And as before these protests have been met by heavy criticism for the methods it is deploying. But it has got people talking and that is the first way to change because with no conversation comes no change. These methods, in my opinion, are being deployed due to the failure of alternative methods. The methods used in the past were through film and music. Today I willRead MoreEssay on Taking a Look at African-American Cinema1543 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscrimination. African American cinema is enshrouded in history that depicts these themes of racism, struggle, and deprivation. Yet, this same cinema also shows scenes of hope, artistic spirit, intellectual greatness, and joy. Black actresses, actors, directors, producers, and writers have been fighting for recognition and respect since the great Paul Robeson. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s was fueled by black cinema through films like A Raisin in the Sun. Progressions in the industry wereRead More African American Women in Early Film Essay2160 Words   |  9 PagesAfrican American Women in Early Film   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In early film many African American actresses portrayed roles as mammies, slaves, seductresses, and maids. These roles suppressed them not allowing them to show their true talents. Although they had to take on these degrading roles, they still performed with dignity, elegance, grace and style. They paved the way for many actresses to follow both blacks and whites. These women showed the film industry that they were more than slaves, mammies, and maidsRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages we generally take people at their word unless we have a reason to be suspicious. Answers (b) and (c) give worse reasons. Answer (b) asks us to believe Davids prediction from two years earlier. It makes more sense to trust what David is saying today (which is what we have in answer (a)) than what he said two years ago about the future. Answer (c) gives us a very good reason to believe that the uncle is dead but gives only a very weak reason about the cause of death. Maybe the uncle did drugs

Bipolar Depression A Common And Serious Mental Disorder

One minute she was happy, smiling, and laughing, but then out of know where, 20 minutes later, she is upset, crying, and saying there is no point to life. Bipolar depression otherwise known as manic depression, is a very common and serious mental disorder. The disorder can be caused by how the brain is wired and how it is functioning. The disorder is not a male or female dominate disorder, just as many men as women have the disorder. There are three different types of bipolar disorder. They are Bipolar 1 which is severe mood swings, Bipolar 2 which is the same as bipolar 1 but it is less severe, cyclothymic disorder which is the mildest form of bipolar disorder. There is a difference in these three types, the symptoms can be different, the†¦show more content†¦Another symptom is little to no sleep or if you have the depressive state of bipolar then it would be the opposite, you have extreme fatigue. (Bipolar Disorder) Extreme mood swings are also a symptom, one minute the pe rson can be happy and laughing the next they can be mad and yelling, they can go from any mood to the exact opposite just moments later. Racing thoughts and racing speech are also very common symptoms, this is when your thoughts are moving too quickly for your mouth to keep up or the other way around. (Burgess) This can cause a person to become confused and aggravated. The symptoms may vary on what type of bipolar you have. (Bipolar Disorder) (Drugs and Medication Search)If you are in the depressive state of bipolar then your symptoms may include sadness, fatigue, and change in appetite. Or pessimism which is a state of having a negative outlook on life, which can cause suicidal thoughts or behavior. The severity of the symptoms varies with everyone because everyone’s brain is unique. In women with the disorder they experience more rapid crying and more severe depression than most men do. There are many things that can make the disorder more severe such as pregnancy, the use of drugs, alcohol, sleep patterns, energy level, sex drive, self-esteem, and concentration. Treatment There is no cure disorder, but there are treatment options. Since the brain functions differently in

Drug Use in Pregnancy free essay sample

Illicit Drug Use in Pregnancy COM 220 August 1st, 2010 Studies in 2008 have shown that the amount of babies born to drug addicted mothers has almost doubled since 2003. Pregnant mothers have been using drugs during pregnancy for thousands of years without knowing the effects they can have on their unborn baby. Even though some people claim that illicit drugs used by pregnant mothers cause no harm to the fetus, there have been studies that show otherwise. Cocaine has many street names such as crack, blow, snow, and coke. Cocaine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant. Cocaine can be injected, smoked, or snorted. It increases the users blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. The risks associated with this drug are respiratory failure, seizures, stroke, nausea, heart attacks, and abdominal pain. Sudden death may occur to first time users. When a pregnant woman uses cocaine it crosses through the placenta and circulates through the fetus body. Fetuses eliminate cocaine from their bodies more slowly than adults do. If a mother uses cocaine in the early months of pregnancy it can increase her risks of a miscarriage. When used later in pregnancy, cocaine use can lead to tremors, muscle spasms, feeding difficulties, sleeplessness, nd placental abruption. Other adverse effects on the fetus such as shorter length, smaller head circumference, higher rates of congenital malformations, intestinal abnormalities, and neurobehavioral malfunction can be contributed to cocaine use during pregnancy. In certain rare circumstances perinatal cerebral infraction associated with cocaine use has also been known to happen. Cocaine decreases uterine blood flow and increases maternal blood pressure. When placental abruption occurs it can lead to preterm birth, severe bleeding, and even fetal death. The risks of birth defects increase if the mother has used cocaine frequently during regnancy. Also the more frequent the use of cocaine, the more likely it is that the fetus could have a stroke inside of the mother that can result in brain damage and possibly death. As these children grow older they may have uncontrollable trembling, learning disabilities and may suffer from hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder. However, a study done in 2004 suggests that four-year-olds exposed to cocaine during pregnancy have the same intelligence level as those that were not exposed to cocaine. Studies also suggest that the mothers poor health during pregnancy may have played a role in the fetus health. Heroin is also known as H, smack, and Junk is a very addictive drug. It is processed from morphine. Heroin is injected, snorted, or smoked. Heroin can depress breathing and sudden death can occur. Many users enter states of wakefulness and sleepiness. Users also risk the potential of getting HIV by sharing needles used to inject the drug. Most of the time heroin appears as a brown or white powder or as a sticky black substance. It crosses through the placenta into the baby. Heroin is so addictive it can make the baby pregnancy related problems in both the mother and the baby. Some of these risks are pre-mature rupture of the membranes, stillbirth, pre-mature birth, and poor fetal growth. If a dependent mother decides to stop taking it suddenly, her fetus can die. This is what a premature baby looks like. The baby is very small and frail. These babies can spend weeks or even months in the hospital. Many premature babies end up with long-term developmental disabilities. (BabyElan, 2010). Heroin use during pregnancy can cause many side effects to a newborn baby. Within three days after birth babies show symptoms of trembling, irritability, fever, vomiting, and seizures. Withdrawal symptoms include diarrhea, fever, convulsions, and Joint stiffness. The baby has a higher risk of getting SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) too. Babies can also have low blood sugar, breathing difficulties, and bleeding in the brain that can cause death. It is unclear whether heroin is the cause for all of these problems in babies or not. More studies need to be done. People may mix different types of substances with the heroin that may contribute to birth defects. Speed, crank, meth, chalk, ice, glass, and crystal meth are names commonly used for methamphetamines. Methamphetamines are a very addictive stimulant. The drug is very toxic to nerve terminals in the central nervous system. It can cause irregular heartbeat, rapid heart rate, increased body temperature, and high blood pressure. If methamphetamines are used chronically and over a long period of time the user can have violent behavior, insomnia, confusion, severe dental problems, mood disturbances, and anxiety. Meth is an odorless, white, bitter tasting powder that can be taken orally, injected, or snorted. It can also be heated up into a rock crystal that can be smoked. Users have a higher chance of contracting hepatitis and HIV/AIDS because of the addicts sharing needles. Methamphetamines and amphetamines are chemically related and cause the mother and babies heart rate to increase. Ecstasy is also classified in this group of drugs. These types of drugs can be taken as a pill, snorted, smoked through a glass pipe, or injected intravenously. When a person uses this drug he or she can experience rapid breathing, euphoria, decreased appetite, irritability, hyperactivity, and insomnia. The drugs can also lead to hyperthermia (overheating of the body), cardiovascular problems, and fatal convulsions. None of these effects are healthy for an unborn fetus. Methamphetamine use during regnancy can have some of the same results as cocaine use. Such complications include less oxygen getting to the baby that can lead to a small baby. Other complications include miscarriage, placenta abruption, and premature labor. Babies born addicted to methamphetamines can go through withdrawals that include muscle spasms, feeding difficulties, tremors, and sleeplessness. During the phase of withdrawals the baby may become Jittery, have breathing problems, rub their head back and forth on the bed, or experience breathing problems. Some experts believe that a child whose mother used methamphetamines during pregnancy may have earning disabilities as they get older. Other birth defects such as a cleft lip/palate, club foot, or heart defects may be associated with these drugs. High doses of the drug may cause the babys blood pressure to rise to a point to in which they could have a stroke or a brain hemorrhage before he or she is born. Babies may also (Gastroschisis is the term that refers to a baby whose intestines are on the outside or their body). However, there have not been a large amount of studies done on human patients who consume these drugs during pregnancy. Here is photo of a baby that was born with a cleft palate. This is one of the negative effects of a mother using methamphetamines during pregnancy. (Theo, Dawno; 2010). This next picture is an example of a club foot. This is another deformity that a child can have when his or her mother uses methamphetamine during her pregnancy. cannelli, Vincent, M. D. , 2010). Marijuana has many slang names such as pot, weed, ganja, grass, and reefer. Marijuana is normally smoked in a Joint or in a pipe. It can also be brewed into tea or mixed into food. Marijuana can cause impaired coordination, distorted perceptions, problems with learning and memory, and distorted perceptions. Chronic use can ause depression, suicidal ideation, schizophrenia, and increased rates of anxiety. Marijuana smoke contains toxins that prevent the baby from getting proper supply of oxygen that he or she needs to grow. Marijuana smoke increases the levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the blood, which can also cause poor oxygen levels to get to the fetus. Some studies suggest that marijuana use during pregnancy may decrease pregnancy length and cause pre-term labor. Babies may also have slow fetal growth. The long-term outlook for babies born to mothers who have used excessive amounts of marijuana during pregnancy are that children can have evelopmental delays or problems that affect a childs ability to pay attention. These problems are called ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). A limited number of studies on marijuana use in pregnancy have been done in the past on humans. Some studies are inconclusive because the mother also drinks alcohol and smokes cigarettes. These can contribute to pregnancy and baby issues. PSP, also known as angel dust, and LSD, also known as acid, are other common street drugs. LSD can distort the perceptions of reality and have frightening effects on the user. These trips can last for 12 hours at a time. Users can experience hallucinations, delusions, and sleeplessness, loss of appetite, increased heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. These drugs are commonly sold as liquid, absorbent paper, capsules, or liquid. They are both hallucinogens that can make the pregnant mother become violent and hurt herself. If she does hurt herself that could cause harm to her unborn baby. If used frequently LSD can cause birth defects in the fetus. PCP use is known to cause poor muscle control, low birth weight, brain damage, or withdrawal syndrome. Withdrawal symptoms include alternating ith tremors and lethargy. Inhalants are another drug that some may use during pregnancy. Pregnant mothers inhale such things as spray paint, lighter fluid, gas, felt tip markers, glue, vegetable oil sprays, whipped cream aerosols, chloroform, ether, nitrous oxide, fabric protector sprays, and hairspray. Abusers breathe or snort the fumes from these inhalants in. It is also known as huffing. Users may experience slurred speech, dizziness, lightheadedness, delusions, hallucinations, confusion, nausea, and a headache that can last for days. Inhalants deprive the body of oxygen that can be tragic for an unborn fetus. Effects on the fetus ofa pregnant woman that abuses these drugs are kidney problems, small birth weight, and a smaller head. crying for long periods of time, tremors, high-pitched cry, poor sleeping, difficulty feeding, and floppy muscle tone. There is a chance that the baby can develop Toluene Embryopathy Syndrome that can cause mental, behavioral, and physical problems. As these children become older they may have lasting effects such as aggressiveness, hyperactivity, slow physical growth, and delays in speech and thinking skills. This chart shows the higher risks that pertain to each drug and their effects.

Strengths and Weaknesses King Lear free essay sample

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the character King Lear The character of King Lear is essentially a destructive character in this play due to his weaknesses but he reveals some strengths in character in acts four and five of the play. The weaknesses portrayed by Lear are his inability to see reality and his misconception of love. His strengths are his renewed optimism and his ability to become humble. Although Lear reveals these strengths the damages his weaknesses cause override his positive change in character. A central weakness of King Lear is his flaw of being blind to reality. This flaw is displayed in the exposition of the play when Lear banishes Cordelia as she refuses to confess her love for him. He is blind to reality due to his irrational expectation of his daughters and this causes him to react unreasonably to Cordelia’s defiance. The blindness of this irrational action is reinforced when Kent tries to reason with Lear stating â€Å"see better Lear and let me still remain/the blank of thine eye† and Lear who is blind to this reason banishes Kent also. We will write a custom essay sample on Strengths and Weaknesses King Lear or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The use of the words â€Å"see† and â€Å"eye† allows the audience to understand direct links between Kent’s speech and the idea of Lear’s fatal flaw of being blind. In addition to this, the use of the word â€Å"better† and the phrase â€Å"let me be the blank of thine eye† illustrate that Lear has lost his ability to see reality clearly. This flaw is increasingly developed as Lear falls further into madness and loses his grip on reality. This blindness is illustrated to the audience as Lear attempts to appeal to Regan’s ‘good nature’ which she essentially does not possess at this point. No Regan thou shalt never have my curse/thy tender-hafted nature shall not give† he states to her after aggressively criticizing Goneril. The tone of his speech to Regan is inappropriately flattering and displays his desperation as he is attempting to appeal to her filial feelings that we know Regan does not have for Lear. The tone of this speech displays his blindness to reality and to the true nature of his daughter. At this point the audience begins to develop empathetic feelings towards Lear despite the flaw of his blindness. This trait of desperation and the wish to search for something the good despite evidence to the contrary is one that many people can relate to. This identifiable trait allows us to feel sympathy for the character Lear as it is difficult to dislike him whilst he is in this state. However, the problems this flaw has caused cannot be ignored by the audience as the play develops. King Lear’s underlying desire for power is another fundamental weakness in his character in the beginning of the play. This weakness becomes obvious in the exposition of the play when Lear states to his daughters â€Å"know that we have divided/in three our kingdom, and ‘tis our fast intent/to shake all cares and business from our age†. This essentially means that Lear wishes to give away the responsibility of being a King but keep the powerful status the title brings. This desire for power is further shown when Regan and Goneril wish to strip Lear of all his possessions and his entourage. The prospect of this is unimaginable for Lear and he states â€Å"allow not nature more than nature needs/man’s life as cheap as beast’s†. Through this we understand that the only way he believes he can have power and authority is through possessions and followers as that without this he has nothing. The use simile here renforces this idea that Lear believes he is merely an animal and that his life is not worth anymore than that without any of his possessions and his status. It is this that allows us to understand his fundamental flaw in desire for power and his misinterpretation of what authority and power is. This flaw portrayed by Lear also allows us a gateway into understanding this flaw in the hierarchical Elizabethan society. The idea of the ‘chain of being’ to represent society was one that was prominent in Elizabethan times and it saw the King, closest to divinity at the top with a great deal of power and the majority of the population at the bottom with very little power. The king was wealthy and had possessions and the majority of the population did not, thus creating the link between wealth and power in this society. Through understanding the ‘chain of being’ we are able to understand his belief in his absolute power and the reasons behind his desperation to keep his possessions because power for him and Elizabethans is defined through wealth. This idea also allows modern audiences to reflect on their own society and evaluate the strength of the link between power and wealth in their society. After the storm in act 3, Lear begins to show strength in character by showing optimism despite his dismal circumstances. John Ellis praises Lear for this by describing him after the storm as having â€Å"tragic strength and will in the face of the machinations against him by his own children†. Lear is at the height of his madness in the storm when he strips off his clothes and curses the world and his two daughters Regan and Goneril. At this point it is difficult for the audience to imagine him recovering from this state, but his reconciliation with Cordelia displays his strength of optimism. Lear says to Cordelia â€Å"we two alone will sing like birds i’ the’ cage† which shows his optimism to start a new life with Cordelia despite what happened in their old life. The positive natural imagery in this quote is important and it is in stark contrast to the negative natural imagery of â€Å"hags† and â€Å"serpents† he used during the storm. This change reflects a change in the state of his mind and shows a positive quality of his ability to understand that although he has lost his wealth and power he still has the love of his youngest daughter. Lear also uses positive natural imagery when he says â€Å"ebb and flow of the moon† which illustrates that he is looking forward to living a peaceful life style with Cordelia despite their past. Both of these quotes show that he is content with living a simpler life as he has come to realise power and wealth are not the most important things in life. This strength in Lear’s character cannot be ignored however it is questionable whether this optimism overrides the destruction he has caused in his kingdom. It can also be speculated that if he and Cordelia had not died Lear would have left the kingdom in the ruin it had become to pursue a simpler life. In stark contrast to the beginning of the play, one of Lear’s strengths is his ability to become humble. It has been said that â€Å"the moment of Lear’s awakening is one of the most moving scenes in our literature†. In agreement to this statement it can be argued that his ability to be humble in contrast to his previous mindset is extremely moving. When Lear is apologising to Cordelia he says that he will â€Å"kneel down and ask of thee forgiveness†. The choice of the words â€Å"kneel† and â€Å"ask† are important here as they are submissive, not dominant words. This illustrates to the audience that Lear has gotten over his pride and arrogance and has learnt to accept and acknowledge his mistakes. Lear also shows the audience that he has become humble with the quote â€Å"talk of court news who loses and who wins, who’s in, who’s out † which displays his wish to distance himself from the court he had once cherished for the wrong reasons. This shows the strength of being humble as he has lost his position of power, but he has accepted it and he no longer cares for ‘court gossip’ or being the centre of attention. This change in character is extremely important as it allows us to understand that Lear had the ability to see the error of his ways. This change in character and the one mentioned previously are both changes that result in Lear no longer caring for the Kingdom. Although this is admirable as it had previously been the centre of his life, it is also to an extent selfish as he is leaving the kingdom which he essentially destructed. It is this that makes Lear a weak character as his actions at the beginning of the play were irreversible. The weaknesses of King Lear and his actions due to these weaknesses were too great to allow redemption for him at the end of the play despite the strengths he shows in the final acts. Lear, due to his status made too much of an impact of the Kingdom to be forgiven by the audience. However his character demanded the Elizabethan audience consider the importance they placed on the ‘chain of being’ and allowed modern audiences to reflect upon their own societal structure. His change in character also enabled us to understand that wealth and possessions do not equal happiness.