Comparison of Video Clips

http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/boyz-n-the-hood/trailer

Above is the link to the movie trailer for Boyz 'N the Hood, one of the most famous movies of all time. Other than being one of the most famous movies to come out of the Hollywood machine, it is also most likely the first film to come up in a person's mind when thinking about gang violence within the black community. In the trailer, you are introduced to the three main characters: Tre, Ricky, and Doughboy. Each of the characters comes from the same background, but end up in different places in their lives. Rocky is trying to get out of the "hood" by playing football. Tre is trying to make something of himself and to have a better life. Doughboy lives by the rules of the streets. You see the event as they unfold through the eyes of Tre who witnesses much gang violence in his neighborhood, including the shooting murder of one of his best friends, Ricky.


This trailer is an excellent example of the media's portrayal of African Americans. It shows the gang violence which many have come to associate with black neighborhoods, as well as the hypersexualization of black females that is a prevalent image within the media machine. The images contained in this trailer, as well as in the movie itself, were meant to communicate the reality of some of the problems that exist in some black neighborhoods. The unfortunate truth is that much of the public has come to generalize these images to all black neighborhoods and the individuals who exist within them.

Below is the link to a clip from the Wayans brothers movie, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking You Juice in the Hood. It also demonstrates many of the same themes as the trailer above, but in a comedic way. This is a common theme throughout the movies of the Wayans brothers. This could be addressed as a form of secondary marginalization in the way it perpetuates the stereotypes of African Americans which have been produced in many other forms of the media.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn5hw8uyf0Q