Even though this is ostensibly about the Biebs this has some good insights on black male attitudes and hip hop music that we were discussing below..Black men and boys are onstage every day. Their audience, both outside whites as well as other blacks in or outside their communities, can be caught looking in on them, observing how they walk, talk, dress and adapt to their social environments. For whites, these patterns are frequently seen in widespread media portrayals that represent the thug life and gang banging most often associated with black males. But for blacks, this posing of coolness becomes a symbol of acceptance among peers. Cool masculinity or cool pose, according to Majors and Billson, is a way of being for many black males, a performance born out of the stark realities of centuries-old white supremacy and ongoing oppression. Black bodies become the instrument used to hold at bay the anxiety-related troubles brought on by daily insults from members of the dominant group and the institutions they control. This form of ritualized masculinity is typically seen in the sporting world, the hip-hop scene and other spaces where black males congregate. Cool pose is about self-presentation of style -- the art of aloofness and emotional detachment, postulating toughness and strength as acceptable forms of male behavior. But in reality, these narratives revolve around the struggle for self-determination and the validation of manhood...cool provides the smokescreen to hide the torment and anger deep within the soul...Cool enhances the ego and sense of pride while concealing deep scars of black male group marginalization...enabling black males to develop thick skin...a projection of confidence in the midst of insecurity...all that is left to defend is ones pride, something that many black men lose their lives over daily...whites have a long history of appropriating coolness, not caring to know its pathogenic origins, particularly in music. Professor Smith lists artists with black influences including Elvis, Justin Timberlake, Eminem, Bieber, and others
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 21:24:01 +0000