Counterargument
Although Boyz n’ the Hood made valid arguments about the state of society during the 1990s and the decades prior, Singleton does not use the film to produce a perennial message. The film is an outdated and fictional portrayal of society today, because society has greatly progressed in the nearly twenty-five years that have passed since the movie was first released. African Americans and minorities are much closer to equality than they have been in the past and are increasingly finding themselves in powerful sectors of society-- people of different ethnic backgrounds can be found in the seats of Justices of the Supreme Court and the nation’s first African American president is currently in office. The film depicts the hood …show more content…
In an article by The Michigan Citizen, producer Steve Nicolaides stated, “The script is sincere and -- more important -- timely. This story is about our society today, and it 's important for everyone to take a look at what our society is doing to itself” (Michigan Citizen). The people living in urban impoverished areas still feel alienated today, a sentiment the general public is largely unaware of. People hold a common misbelief that ghettos are home to poor people and criminals; whereas, in reality, they are merely areas where people with no other escape are forced to reside-- just as they have been since the 1960s. In reality, ghettos are homes to people who are increasingly growing to resent American society and its lack of empathy for their plight. Steven Nicolaides correctly predicted that the film was timely, because twenty-five years later, Boyz n the Hood is still as pertinent to American society as it was the day it was released. We cannot wash away centuries of oppression suffered by the colored, the poor, and minorities by looking at the few-- in comparison-- successes they have had. We cannot afford to be oblivious to the state of over half a …show more content…
It would be ideal if our society was an epitome of this utopian vision, but, in actuality, America is a nation built on the oppression and exploitation of the poor, and not much has changed today. Most people in poor, urban hood are trapped in a hopeless situation, and are fully aware of their level of distress due to an urban consciousness. Throughout the 1960s, the poor and the oppressed attempted to make their woes aware to the public through violent uproars and despite winning minor settlements, their overall conditions remains the same. As Singleton represents in Boyz n’ the Hood, poor residents of hoods are expressing their discontent with American and suburban society through violence-- violence that is heightened due to a locura mentality, ecological and socioeconomic factors, and inadequacies in social control. When the downtrodden residents of hoods and ghettos will undergo a second awakening-- as Singleton proposes in Boyz n’ the Hood--, Americans will be forced to recognize the centuries of racial discrimination and oppression inflicted upon those from lower socioeconomic standings. As long as America focuses on the problems of neighboring nations rather than those at our doorstep, we will continue to be a
Although Boyz n’ the Hood made valid arguments about the state of society during the 1990s and the decades prior, Singleton does not use the film to produce a perennial message. The film is an outdated and fictional portrayal of society today, because society has greatly progressed in the nearly twenty-five years that have passed since the movie was first released. African Americans and minorities are much closer to equality than they have been in the past and are increasingly finding themselves in powerful sectors of society-- people of different ethnic backgrounds can be found in the seats of Justices of the Supreme Court and the nation’s first African American president is currently in office. The film depicts the hood …show more content…
In an article by The Michigan Citizen, producer Steve Nicolaides stated, “The script is sincere and -- more important -- timely. This story is about our society today, and it 's important for everyone to take a look at what our society is doing to itself” (Michigan Citizen). The people living in urban impoverished areas still feel alienated today, a sentiment the general public is largely unaware of. People hold a common misbelief that ghettos are home to poor people and criminals; whereas, in reality, they are merely areas where people with no other escape are forced to reside-- just as they have been since the 1960s. In reality, ghettos are homes to people who are increasingly growing to resent American society and its lack of empathy for their plight. Steven Nicolaides correctly predicted that the film was timely, because twenty-five years later, Boyz n the Hood is still as pertinent to American society as it was the day it was released. We cannot wash away centuries of oppression suffered by the colored, the poor, and minorities by looking at the few-- in comparison-- successes they have had. We cannot afford to be oblivious to the state of over half a …show more content…
It would be ideal if our society was an epitome of this utopian vision, but, in actuality, America is a nation built on the oppression and exploitation of the poor, and not much has changed today. Most people in poor, urban hood are trapped in a hopeless situation, and are fully aware of their level of distress due to an urban consciousness. Throughout the 1960s, the poor and the oppressed attempted to make their woes aware to the public through violent uproars and despite winning minor settlements, their overall conditions remains the same. As Singleton represents in Boyz n’ the Hood, poor residents of hoods are expressing their discontent with American and suburban society through violence-- violence that is heightened due to a locura mentality, ecological and socioeconomic factors, and inadequacies in social control. When the downtrodden residents of hoods and ghettos will undergo a second awakening-- as Singleton proposes in Boyz n’ the Hood--, Americans will be forced to recognize the centuries of racial discrimination and oppression inflicted upon those from lower socioeconomic standings. As long as America focuses on the problems of neighboring nations rather than those at our doorstep, we will continue to be a