When one thinks of Family Guy, they think of an animated series that consists of stupid humor and usually offensive jokes. Those who do not enjoy Family Guy (and those poor souls do not know what they're missing) probably loath the show because they may find it pointless and more or less damaging to brain cells. I disagree. Aside from it just consisting of pure hilarity, the sunday prime time fox series, is just a reflection of today's culture.
The show centers around Peter Griffin and his family, along with anthropomorphic dog Brian, who live in the fictional city of Quahog, Rhode Island. Each episode consists of the trials and tribulations the family endures in their everyday lives. Much of the humor and jokes that the show consists of pokes fun at American culture. Family Guy attacks racism, stereotypes, social norms and perceptions, music, film, etc.
Family Guy can be looked at as informative, if one can look passed the "crude" or "offensive" jokes. The series is extremely reflective of our society today. The 12 year old series is consists of offensive material yet it is extremely popular in our society. The show has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and 11 Annie Awards and has one 3 of each. This reflects a major ideology and unconscious behavior of our culture. As a culture we either love things that make us uneasy, as well humor that consist of sensitive topics (like racism), or we get upset and want to protest against any small reference to something we may not agree with.
This video had PETA highly upset and offended.
Family Guy on purpose or accidentally brings attention to the sensitivity that exists in todays culture. Here are several clips of family guy that, although are racy, get at the heart of what the series is does.
Although raunchy at moments Family Guy is hilarious (to me at least) but symbolizes in so many ways what our culture and society has become today. From what we choose to laugh at and allow on TV, to the material we give the series to use as fuel.
Lollipop by Lil Wayne was released March 13th, 2008. It was Wayne's first single off Tha Carter 3 and won a Grammy Award in Feb. 2009 for Best Rap Song. In addition it was ranked #5 in Rolling Stones Best 100 Songs of 2008. It was aired consistently on radio stations throughout the nation and could be found on any hip-hop fan's ipod. The songs content isn't the most conscious nor PG-13, yet it had a huge impact in the hip-hop game and there weren't many people that didn't like the song.
"Lollipop" essentially is about oral sex. If one took a second to analyze the song they'd easily derive that the song in its most basic meaning is degrading to women. The tune has a captivating beat and a catchy hook, which by today's standard is what is all that is needed for a song to do well.
Plato would approve of this song because it does not encourage or promote intellect. Plato would disagree with any music that would encourage the listener to be different or that would possibly disrupt what society has already set in place. Lollipop is the perfect song for Plato's ideology. Its a meaningless song that allows the listener to not focus on anything important except well, oral sex.
Lupe Fiasco is well known for his conscious music. Lupe Fiasco has a habit of creating songs that allude to a deeper meaning that his listeners have to dig for comprehension, that is not the case with "American Terrorist". Lupe blatantly attacks America's actions and our society. He classifies some of our nations history as domestic terrorism, and challenges his listeners to have a broader perspective and think outside the box. Lupe doesn't stick to just one topic or idea to criticize about America. Over the course of the song he attacks bigger/typical issues such as: slavery, and the economy to issues that aren't spoken of as much. For example the assimilation of Native Americans, religious warfare, lack of schools, America's White man's burden ideology etc.
Lupe Fiasco brings attention to American societies' criticism of other people and indirectly encourages us stop to analyze the doings of our own people.
Lastly, which I find interesting about Lupe and his way of thinking, in his last verse Lupe Fiasco suggest that he would take hands with a poor racist white man because to him class is more important than race. Lupe on this song, as well as the majority of his other songs, doesn't quite offer a solution to America's problem but more so just bringing awareness and educating his listeners on the unjust/inhumane things our "great" country has done. Lupe ends the song with repeating:
These lines refer to ill treatment of African-Americans, Native Americans, and Asians in our country but most of this history (such as the treatment of Asian immigrants) is rarely spoken of and not commonly known. Lupe's American Terrorist is effective in bringing awareness and forcing one to think, but lacks much of a solution but although there cannot be much of a solution to something that has already passed.
Over the last few weeks I've made a few post that were against the normal/popular social opinion about various topics. Part of me create these posts because I simply just like being controversial, also because I truly believe in what I'm saying, but as well as whats the point of having this blog (aside from it having an affect on my grade) if one isn't going to say what they truly feel or believe. With that being said this post may agitate a few people especially if it is a sensitive topic for some.
Over the past year or so various anti-bullying laws have been implemented in the school systems across the nation. Part of this annoys me. I believe there is simply no need for any of these regulations. Have people really become that soft these days? Maybe with my background and how I was raised I'm possibly being too harsh but I think not.
Several suicides, over the years, have occurred in different regions of the nation due to internet/cyper bullying. While I am COMPLETELY empathetic, and have a great deal of empathy for the parents who lost their children due to internet bullying (as I could only imagine how distraught my mother would be if something ill ever fell upon me) I think there are a few things that need to be addressed particularly with internet bullying.
I thought of going into a back story of how we were all at some point bullied growing up and yaddie yaddie yah. Back in the day bullying was more personal as it was usually down physically. Truth is the majority of us were bullied, but we got over it by either fighting back or waiting until it Big Tim stopped needing our lunch money or picked up another pastime. These days internet/cyber bullying is the new trend which has me baffled as to how it can even exist as a term. I've heard stories of how teens were and still are bullied by being threatened or spoken to harshly over Instant Messaging as well as through social networks. Here is where my annoyance comes in. One commits suicide because he/she was being harassed over the internet? Does the computer not turn off? Are you glued to the seat that sits you in front of the computer? Does one not have enough self confidence in who they are to disregard what someone, whom probably has no significant meaning to the person that is being harassed, has to say to them? In the days of being harassed on the playground the bully inflicting the physical pain on the "victim" nowadays the victim inflicts the damage on one's self?
Aside from how absurd the anti-bullying laws are I don't believe they are the answer to stopping the suicides or the hurt teens are facing across the nation. Are we (teens) not strong enough to deal with problems as minuscule as someone writing negative comments about us or making nasty statements about our sexual orientation or perhaps falsifying that a group of people may hate you. I think the change needs to start with the self esteem and confidence level of younger teens today. People need to toughen up and realize there is worse shit in this world then being hated by someone you barely to not at all know.
"Racism still alive [they're] just concealing it..."
I'm always intrigued, as well as frightened, by those who look at our country and honestly believe racism is dead. Yes it may not be as prominent and apparent as it was (lets say) during the sixties, but still very much alive. From as blatant as the hate crimes that occur everyday, to the more subtle racism such as African-Americans not making the same amount of money as whites in businesses and corporations . I hear all too often that maybe African-Americans are too sensitive, and view any unfortunate event that occurs to an African-American as some racist conspiracy plot. How about this then? A man in 1989 was accused of killing a cop. He was wrongfully convicted of murder with a lack of evidence. He was still sentenced to the death penalty, and after several appeals and key eye witnesses recanting their story. Troy Davis was not granted clemency by Georgia parole board and was given lethal injection on sept. 21st. at 11:08 pm.
Heres where the problem becomes even bigger though. " The parole board in the state of Georgia spared a convicted killer from execution hours before he was due to die by lethal injection on Thursday and commuted his sentence to life in prison. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles made its decision less than three hours before Samuel David Crowe, 47, was to be executed, according to a spokeswoman for the state's prisons. "After careful and exhaustive consideration of the requests, the board voted to grant clemency. The board voted to commute the sentence to life without parole," the parole board said. Crowe's death would have marked the third execution since the U.S. Supreme Court lifted an unofficial moratorium on the death penalty last month. Crowe was not present at the parole board hearing in Atlanta. He had already eaten his last meal and was preparing to enter the execution chamber at the prison in Jackson, Georgia, Mallie McCord of the Georgia Department of Corrections said. In March 1988, Crowe killed store manager Joseph Pala during a robbery at the lumber company in Douglas County, west of Atlanta. Crowe, who had previously worked at the store, shot Pala three times with a pistol, beat him with a crowbar and a pot of paint. Crowe pleaded guilty to armed robbery and murder and was sentenced to death the following year. "David (Crowe) takes full responsibility for his crime and experiences profound remorse," according to Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, an advocacy group, who welcomed the board's decision. At Thursday's hearing, his lawyers presented a dossier of evidence attesting to his remorse and good behavior in jail, according to local media reports. The lawyers also said he was suffering from withdrawal symptoms from a cocaine addiction at the time of the crime." - Reuters
How can anyone be blind to what is happening here? Double standard? Although blacks are not being hung anymore from trees, obviously we're being executed in other ways. I won't go into my personal/family history involving racism, although I doubt anyone would dare use that as an argument for me being biased in this particular case. I will admit though that this blog is much of bitching, as I cannot offer any solution to this problem. I guess freedom comes with its price.
We all know the Kanye and Taylor Swift incident and most will agree that Mr. West was wrong for what he did. Although it was highly disrespectful what he did, as cutting anyone off while they're speaking whether it be an award show or just a conversation you're having with a friend, the repercussion he faced following was a tad bit much. The only reason why he was hated so much following the incident was because it was Taylor Swift. A seventeen year old white female that America, at the time, views as an innocent girl that no one should dislike or hate. Had he done the same thing to Erica Badu for example, whom would have been 37 at the time, not as many would have been outraged by the matter. Kanye faced a huge backlash from Taylor Swift fans from all over the world. Kanye couldn't go to public places without people being hostile towards him, worrying about people spitting in his food at restaurants, along with losing his spot on Lady Gaga's upcoming tour that year, as I'm sure other untold and unsaid consequences. All for what? For being honest and speaking up? It may not have been the correct platform (and this is debatable) but then again what would have been? A song? A tweet? Simply put Kanye had an opinion and said it but because society doesn't like problems, controversy or when things don't go according to plan people get mad. Aside from being a musical genius in his own right, Kanye West is a real/honest person. People dislike him because he has the courage/audacity to say what he believes whether its a popular opinion or not.
Another example of this was during the Katrina telethon when Kanye stated "George Bush doesn't care about black people." Kanye before hand had not been reading the tele-prompter and speaking what he thought about the media's portrayal of blacks and whites after the hurricane hit. Kanye's comments weren't received well by people. Whether I may or may not agree with Kanye's opinion every time, which in most cases I understand them, I respect his ability to just say it without any regard to its effect on his popularity or career. Kanye's antics have lost him tons of celebrity associates (Please read these comments by other celebrities ) yet he seems not to be externally affected by it all. Anyone that can take so much scrutiny, receive so much criticism, as well endure so much hate and stay true to who they are in this world I respect. Kanye is as real as they come and people hate it because they don't agree, funny how society works. "Everybody needs a villain."
A topic that I've never attempted to get involved in, because it becomes a very touchy and sensitive subject for most, is the infamous Chris Brown and Rihanna incident. This has been a hot topic in the media for the past 2 YEARS. My problem with this topic and the attention its given along with the hell he is given is, yes although domestic violence shouldn't be tolerated, it happened more than 2 years ago. Chris Brown was given his sentence and is still paying for his mistake that he made as a 19 year old. To say that he shouldn't be allowed to perform for award shows or no one should buy his music or support him is absurd. Brown still does interviews and is questioned on the incident.
In no way am I advocating for domestic violence of any sort and saying that it should be swept under the rug, but it wasn't. He apologized several times on various news outlets and with what has been said about him following the incident it seems that some would rather his career as an artist simply end. How long does it take for one's mistake to actually be behind that person? When is he allowed to live this down?
