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Media and Communication Fall 2014

Dr. Alexandra Brown
Response Paper 2
Konstantin Kirilov / Student #10331840
Minorit! Representations in Frenc" Popular Culture #"e Case $%
&'tress(
Tokenism is the notion that media has a tendency to include a single
ethnic minority character in order to give the impression o !eing
inclusive" #$odkinson% &08'% (hile at the same time actually helping to
perpetuate the stereotypes associated (ith a particular group) *ithin the
rame(ork o racial and ethnic misrepresentation that (e studied in class%
$odkinson also introduced burden of representation, the concept that
mem!ers o ethnic minorities are e+pected to stand or their entire ethnic
group" as a result o !eing isolated (ithin predominantly (hite media
institutions" #&08') The de!ate on ho( to deal (ith these pro!lems has
gro(n louder as social media and the *e! have e+panded their in,uence
and reach) The ideas can !e applied to virtually any type o media% !ut
this paper e+amines a music video !y -rench./reek director 0omain
/avras% produced or the 1aris.!ased electronica !and 2ustice in &008
#/avras')
&
The video (as commissioned !y 2ustice as a visual counterpart to
their track 3Stress3) Shot in a style more reminiscent o a short movie% it
ollo(s a group o -rench youths o 4rican and 5orth.4rican descent as
they make their (ay rom the run.do(n apartment !locks o their banlieu
to the center o 1aris) Throughout the video they harass and !eat up
several people% 6ght (ith the police% steal and demolish a car% and
violently attack the cameraman at the very end)
*ithin &0 days o its release% the ootage had gained over &%000%000
vie(s on 7ouTu!e and 8aily9otion) 0eactions (ere varied% !ut :uick to
arrive ; some :uestioned the point o sho(ing pointless violence"% (hile
others accused it o acilitating the stigmati<ation o a (hole category o
the population" #=verson') -rench critic 8avid 4!iker called it a modern
(ork o art in its o(n right"% (hile >e 9onde suggested that the
6lmmakers have ended up ?oining those they (ish to denounce"
#=verson') 4 e( months later% the !and pu!licly deended the video in an
intervie(% calling it an e+periment in making an un.!roadcasta!le video
or an un.!roadcasta!le song" #$e!!leth(aite') =n addition% they
denounced -rench ne(spapers as sensationalist% saying that not only (as
the video not !anned rom T@% !ut most ma?or net(orks personally called
the !and and re:uested the high resolution version% an oAer they re?ected)
=n regards to theory% 3Stress3 is a good e+ample o ho( social
commentary can !e misread in various (ays% oten (ith the help o the
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medium itsel) -or e+ample% some ?ournalists reporting on the controversy
(ere :uick to point out ho( the pro?ect did no avors to the !lack
community" or the immigrant community") This leads us to $odkinson3s
idea that no such undiAerentiated !locks o people" (ith an identical
e+perience and a uni6ed vie(point" actually e+ist #&08') =ndeed%
$odkinson himsel admitted that this is a (ell.intentioned" attempt to
portray minority perspectives that ends up !eing tokenism o a diAerent
kind" #&08')
9any o the reactions to 3Stress3 seemed to completely ignore
(idespread pro!lems (ith social segregation that already e+isted (ithin
-rench society) 5ot only that% !ut they accused the video o stimulating
these issues% rather than recogni<ing it as commentary% or a call to open
de!ate) 4nd to make matters even more conusing% several pu!lications
attacked the director and the !and or supposedly reinorcing stereotypes
that young people o certain ethnic !ackgrounds are more prone to
violence) To those amiliar (ith -rench society% ho(ever% the portrayal (ill
pro!a!ly seem ade:uate) 4ter all% most 6rst. and second.generation
immigrants reside (ithin the 3poverty traps3 o the !anlieues% and as such%
they are oten the victims o marginali<ation) $ence the reason (hy the
video does not have (hite" -rench kids in it as (ell ; the pro!lems it is
sho(casing are almost non.e+istent in that part o society)
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=n addition to the a!ove% !ecause o the !urden o representation%
these negative images (ere inevita!ly attri!uted to the entire
immigrant/4rican/5orth.4rican population) The pro!lems continued even
as the !and3s record la!el% Because 9usic% released a statement
descri!ing the video as Ca parody o the (ay #D' ma?or television
channels treat the ne(s" #=verson') Some argued that the orm o the
medium itsel contri!uted to the controversy% (hich relates to 9arshall
9c>uhan3s amous the medium is the message" e+pression and the
relation !et(een the ormer and ho( (e perceive the latter) @ie(ers
ound it dangerous" to engage in something as emotive and important
#D' (ithout some kind o dialogue" #=verson'% and speculated that the
outrage (ould have !een much less pronounced had the images !een
part o a documentary% or e+ample) 2ustice later remarked that the (hole
story represented a reminder o ?ust ho( diEcult it is today to control the
destination o images and the integrity o their meaning" #=verson') 4nd
(ith the great strides made !y digital media as a (hole% and video sharing
(e!sites in particular% perhaps (e shouldn3t !e surprised i more disputes
like this arise in the uture)
)or*s Cited
/avras% 0omain) 2ustice . Stress" YouTube. 7ouTu!e% >>F% &G Septem!er
&013) *e!) H Icto!er &014) JhttpsK//((()youtu!e)com/(atchL
vMN*a*sgB!-s4O)
G
$e!!leth(aite% 1hil) C4 Fross The PniverseK 2ustice =ntervie(ed)C The
Quietus) The Nuietus% &8 Ict) &008) *e!) 08 Ict) &014)
JhttpK//the:uietus)com/articles/00G84.a.cross.the.universe.?ustice.
intervie(edO)
$odkinson% 1aul) 9edia% Qthnicity and 8iaspora)" Media, culture and
society: an introduction) >ondonK Sage% &010)
=verson% 2eArey T) CPproar Iver -rench 9usic @ideo)C Time) Time =nc)% 1R
9ay &008) *e!) 08 Ict) &014)
JhttpK//content)time)com/time/arts/article/0S&F8GRRS&F180HH&4S&F00)
htmlO)
9c>uhan% 9arshall) Understanding media: The extensions of man)
Fam!ridge% 94K 9=T 1ress% 1RR4)