Jay-Z's Rocawear campaign in Southern Africa is filled with stereotypical images which motivates my argument that Jay-Z is ultimately using Africa as merely a marketing tool to add a stereotypically exotic African element to his clothing, increasing desire and exclusiveness, thus hoping to increase customers.
In this particular photo taken during Jay-Z's Rocawear South African campaign, he is standing betwixt two beautiful models with his arms draping both of them. This alone exhibits the idea of African women being objectified as plentiful and their main goal being to sexually satisfy men. The fact that he has more than one woman on his arms in an example of stereotypical idea of Africans having many wives. Both of the models are holding lion cubs, which suggests that the American influence can tame even the wildest "kings of the jungle," which is what Europeans thought they were doing to the Africans when they began colonizing the continent. Also, more apparently, this adds to the exotic feel. It might make a potential customer feel as though by purchasing Jay-Z's clothes and accessories, they will also be seen as brave, exotic, unusual, and ultimately exclusive. This also ties into the fact that both models are wearing cheetah print, which is stereotypically associated with Africa pointing to the animals as the most important feature rather than the people.
Upon looking at direct responses to this campaign, people were generally praising Jay-Z for "showing that he cares." This all goes into the attitude that Africans are in dire need of a Western savior, which dates further back to the whole reason Europeans justified colonizing African territories in the beginning. Though Jay-Z may be motivated by good intentions, he is actually reinforcing stereotypes of Africa and carrying along the very European attitude that attempted to strip Africa of its identity.
It is interesting that the lions are wearing Rocawear bandanas, which shows his personal domination of Africa.
ReplyDeleteWhat tops this picture off for me is that the models are even sporting animal print on their clothing. I think the way the cubs are adorned with the headbands signifies Jay-Z having perhaps tamed them, and while he has this whole "great white hunter" mystique in this ad campaign, he also says he is the king of the "jungle."
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last statement, nikki. I do not think that Jay-Z was deliberately trying to reinforce stereotypes. However, with the animal prints, live cubs and safari hats, he is inadvertently ingraining in the minds of his consumers the idea of exotic, wild Africa.
ReplyDeleteThough he may be trying to "help" and "care" about Africa, like his fans suggest, he is really just exploiting it. He takes a few stereotypes and glamorizes them by adding showy jewelry, high heels and fashionable sunglasses.
What Jay-Z is really doing is conveniently using South Africa as a backdrop and reinforcing stereotypes without thinking about the continent--but about himself the company he is trying to promote.
I understand about the clothes stereotype prints, but your point about a 'Western Savior' didn't occur to me. I agree that could be a possibility. But what I definitely think could be the case is that people think he's just caring for Africa. His intentions were good, but completely unaware of the image he's projecting of Africa.
ReplyDeleteJanice, I guess my point is that an American will look at a picture like this, taken in Africa, and automatically commend the celebrity for being there regardless of whether they are doing good or just simply taking pictures there. I would understand people's praise more if it were perhaps an image of him passing out food, but this (along with the other photos) do not show Jay-Z caring for Africa, but automatically we as Westerns assume he was doing Africa a favor by being there which promotes the idea of a Western Savior.
ReplyDeleteI really like how closely you've read the image and the role of women in the image in particular. It also helps to reinforce the idea that African American men should be players - no matter what continent they're on, right? I like the Great White Hunter reference as well -- we should talk about the major Jay-Z Great White Hunter image in class tomorrow too if we have the time.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear to me that the point of this entry is to bash the practice of "misrepresenting" a whole continent. How should it be represented then? We've talked so much about how people misuse and abuse the qualities of Africa, but we have yet to discuss how these qualities differ and have evolved. Africa is huge!!! And guess what!These images do give us a sense of it. The colors, the setting, and the people are (and the key word is arguably) products of the African vibe, even if it's a smack-in-the-face obvious stereotype of a much more complicated idea. I think what is more important than the image, is how it came to be. If the motive behind his clothing company is to rid Africa of it's troubles, than why doesn't Jay-Z spend a little less of his trillions of dollars on photoshoots that don't have an impact, while hardly making an impact with what you've created TO make an impact.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you doing with your life?! Looking so fresh on the plains of some nature reserve with two foxy ladies? What results came from this south African campaign?! I'd like to have faith in Jay-Z. It might be near impossible for one person to make a big change in the ways of the world...but this dude just might be rich enough.
ReplyDeleteIf he stops spending the loot on caviar
I think Nikki does an excellent job of photo analysis and brings forth alot of points I would never have considered. It brings you to the position where you have to ask yourself, is it actually wrong for Jay-Z to promote his line of clothing? And if so, why, and how was he wrong about it and what could he do better.
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