Archive for the 'Social Commentary' Category

A Film About The Female Emcees – Say My Name

Published on April 16, 2009 in Entertainment and Social Commentary. Comments Tags: hip-hop, movie, video.

One of the films that is making a buzz at SXSW 09 is a documentary called “Say My Name”, a film which focuses on the female emcee. In the game where it’s male dominated, it’s nice to see female emcees bring a different POV to the game. It features interviews by Rah Digga, Jean Grae, Erykah Badu, Estelle and newcomers Chocolate Thai, Invincible Miz Korona and (sadly may I add) the locked up Remy Ma. As appearing in the documentary are pioneers like MC Lyte, Roxxanne Shante, and Monie Love. Hopefully, this documentry will answer the questions about the lack of female rappers and the lengths they have to go through to be treated fairly.

Check out the trailer after the jump.

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True Colors – It’s Punk’d & Chris Rock Rolled Into One

Published on April 9, 2009 in Entertainment and Social Commentary. Closed Tags: comedy, social issues, video.

Ever wondered what happens if there’s a hidden camera show, but instead of doing practical jokes, it does one based on racism? How would you handle it? Crackle, a Sony owned site, decided to find out with a show called “True Colors”. It’s a show with Dwayne Smith ("Lonely Girl"), Lisa Bohacek and Circle of Confusion serving as executive producers of the series, which is produced by Sony Pictures Television. However, the show is not on TV, but on the Internet: Crackle.com.

More after the jump…

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The Credit Crisis Visualized

Published on April 8, 2009 in Social Commentary. Comments Tags: mainstream news, political, recession, social issues, video.

I may know a little bit about the current financial environment, however, I don’t know how the credit crisis. So, most of the talks about lending to banks and why this is important went over my head. So, I found this video to be very informative. I hope it helps you out as much as it helped me.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.
© Copyright 2009 Jonathan Jarvis

The Short and Simple Story of the Credit Crisis.

Crisisofcredit.com

The goal of giving form to a complex situation like the credit crisis is to quickly supply the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated. This project was completed as part of my thesis work in the Media Design Program, a graduate studio at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

For more on my broader thesis work exploring the use of new media to make sense of a increasingly complex world, visit jonathanjarvis.com.

Support the project and buy a T-Shirt! cafepress.com/crisisofcredit

Presidential Layth the Smackdown #1: Ed Henry

Published on March 25, 2009 in Social Commentary. Closed Tags: mainstream news, Obama, politics, video.

Public speaking. It’s the #1 fear next to death (according to come study that no one seems to reference). And yet, to be honest with you, I love watching when the President speaks… for the wrong reasons.

I started to get interested in politics when I enrolled in JROTC in high school on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. There was this one time when I was serving the honor guard and was assigned to honor a visit from the then-current commander in chief, Bill Clinton. However, it would this clip that helps pushed the “wrong reasons” angle.

(More after the jump)

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Colbert’s Rap Battle With Michael Steele

Published on March 20, 2009 in Entertainment and Social Commentary. Closed Tags: comedy, mainstram news, politics, video.

It’s been a minute since I’ve done any political posts, so allow me to present you with this piece.

In Feburary, Michael Steele, then newly elected Chairman of the Republican Party, was quoted saying that the Grand Old Party needs an extreme makeover, dripping with “hip-hop”. This leaves the door open for people to say a lot of things. Steven Colbert of The Colbert Report invited Michael Steele to his show, which Steele said he would do, but never appeared. This prompted Colbert to take a aim at Michael Steele.

Last night, Colbert did a “rap battle” with Michael Steele, using clips from previous news reports, chopped up and rolled together to a hip-hop beat that actually sounded kind of good (for a rap battle, not an album). The result, thrown with Colbert’s wit makes this piece a “must feature” over here. Enjoy!