Postcolonial theory

 Postcolonial theory: blog tasks

Wider reading on race and Old Town Road

Read this W Magazine deep dive on the Yeehaw agenda and answer the following questions: 

1) What are the visual cues the article lists as linked to the western genre? 

-Visual cues associated with what could be classified as western.

2) How did the Yeehaw agenda come about? 

-In September 2018, the trend of black pop-culture figures wearing cowboy garb was dubbed the “Yeehaw Agenda” by Bri Malandro, a Texas-based pop-culture archivist.

3) Why has it been suggested that the black cowboy has been 'erased from American culture'? 

-The history of the black cowboy has largely been erased from American culture, and the “moment” black cowboys are having in pop culture right now has actually persisted for quite some time

4) How has the black cowboy aesthetic been reflected by the fashion industry?

-Over the past few years, their popularity has surged to the point that Pyer Moss—a label that prominently presented western-inspired looks in its fall/winter 2018 runway show—featured the Compton Cowboys in the look book for their fall 2018 collaboration with Reebok

5) Read the section on Lil Nas X and Old Town Road. What does it suggest about race and the country music community?

-His song was able to hit Billboard charts but was removed for the claims of 'not embracing enough elements of today's country music'.

6) What genres of music does the article suggest have been shaped by black influences?

-Black influences have shaped rock and roll, punk and electronic music.

8) In your opinion, what do you think has been the driving force behind the Yeehaw movement? 

-I think that social media played a big role in the yeehaw movement as it allowed more people to know and acknowledge black people as cowboys and not only white people.

Applying postcolonial theory to Old Town Road

Revise the postcolonial theories we have studied and apply them to the Old Town Road music video: 

1) How does the Old Town Road music video both reinforce and challenge black stereotypes in the media?

-The music video reinforces black stereotypes as in the video the criminal is a black young male that is primitive but it also challenges this stereotype as the authority is also black males, which shows that black people are not what the media presents them as instead they can be peacemakers.

2) How could you argue that the Old Town Road video challenges Gilroy's theory of double consciousness?

-The music video subverts the idea of black people felling that they do not belong anywhere, as they are seen as the othering in the western world but also they are seen as the western in the mother land. However, Lil Nas X does not show that he feels like this because when he goes form 1889 to 2019 his surrounding is full of black people, which shows that he doesn't feel like he is in the wrong place.

3) How does Lil Nas X and Old Town Road provide an example of Hall's theory of race representations? Alternatively, you could argue against this if you prefer.  

-The music video reinforces the idea that Hall said that black people in the media are represented as the native. This is because at the beginning Lil Nas X was seen as the criminal, who is savage, barbarian and cheating because he is seen stealing a bag full of money.

4) Are there any examples of Alvarado's theory of black stereotypes in the Old Town Road video? Why/why not?

-Yes, there are many, for example the ending where billy ray Cyrus is placed in costume that is pink and this shows that he is presented as a femine character because pink is associated with women.

5) How does Lil Nas X provide a compelling case study for bell hooks's theory of intersectionality?

-The music video clearly reinforces the theory of intersectionality because we can see where there is ender there is sexuality of the person presented as well. For example, Ray Cyrus being a male is put in a pink costume which questions his sexuality as a male being masculine now becoming a male that is more femine.