Let’s assume that Jay was not considering his impact on the image of Africa while he stood next to two gorgeous women holding lion cubs in the middle of a South-African game reserve. If Jay had understood how great of an influence he holds on America’s illustration of Africa, would he have taken the shot in the most stereotypical African scenery? As the owner of Rocawear, Jay could have chosen any male-model to be in the picture, yet he chose himself to strike the powerful pose. He could have chosen any place in the world to take the shot, yet he chose an area of Africa that is home to tourists and wild game. He could have made a positive difference in the way Americans perceive Africa, yet he showed the continent as an uninhabited territory that epitomizes the western world’s ignorant concept of the land. Although Jay’s conscious intentions likely included appealing to the masses, glorifying himself and his product, and making money, his exotic approach towards accomplishing success is no different than that of the colonial European map-makers, who recorded Africa solely to appeal their consumer’s interests and desires. With Urban-America in the palm of his hand, Jay-Z has unintentionally engrained the stereotypical image of Africa into the minds of America’s youth.
Wow. You're argument that Jay-Z is just as guilty as the Europeans who sought to portray Africa in a way that would appeal most to the masses is a powerful one and it is true indeed. It is scary that an African'American would even choose to exploit the continent where his ancestors came from for financial gain.
ReplyDeleteGreat argument, I agree completely. Jay-Z is so focused on his appearance, money, and the selling of his campaign that he completely misses the fact that he is misrepresenting Africa. Whether this was unintentional or not, he needs to have his facts straight before using a stereotypical representation of Africa as the main focus of his campaign.
ReplyDeleteAnimals seem to always be the first thought when bringing Africa to mind, and that is exactly what he focuses on in the picture. Not only are the models holding lion cubs, but they're dressed like an animal, too.
Zach, I like the way your bring together the commercial interests of the map makers and Jay-Z's. Nice connection.
ReplyDeleteYou made a really great argument. To the "untrained" eye Jay-Z would just be portraying Africa the way most of us see it. As a rural place with wild animals. To notice how Jay-Z is pushing that stereotype was brilliant of you!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your argument. Jay Z and the media tend to further the stereotypical mindset of the American people by misrepresenting Africa( by making the continent overly exotic and "different", showing only images of war and famine on the news, etc). The portrayal of Africa seen above and in the media is far worse than not addressing the continent at all because it is engraining in us a false image of the continent. Progress and change cannot be obtained if we continue to be fed falsehoods.
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