SET TEXT: formation- context

The use of bricolage

Key term - intertextuality - Where a media product or text makes reference to another media product or text.

Key term - Bricolage - Where a media product is constructed with iconography and conventions from many other texts, creating entirely new meanings. Often used when discussing postmodern media products. An example of a media product  that uses bricolage is a 'mashup'. For an excellent example of bricolage, check out Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill (2003)

here are some examples of multiple styles, cultures and eras all being represented

 
 
  
 
  

History of New Orleans and bounce music
What specific elements of iconography did the producers of Formation use from That B.E.A.T?
the dancing choreography with moves like twerking which is synonymous with the LGBT scene and bounce music. also in the scenes where Beyonce is dancing with a formation of dancers, this can also be seen as iconography because at the end of the doc we see that people form groups and take parts in competitions. a further element that could be seen as synonymous with bounce music genre is the springy beat that we first hear that continues throughout the song.

What literal pieces of footage did the producers of Formation take from That B.E.A.T?
scenes taken straight from the documnetary include:
                                     

Bounce music has a big LGBT following, and is fundamental to the LGBT scene in New Orleans. How many LGBT themes come through in That B.E.A.T? Why?

The dance moves by the dancers in this video are not typically heterosexually masculine dance moves, however this is the only LGBT theme the video seems to have derived. moves such as twerking have derived from new orleans and become well known through the bounce genre which then spread to mainstream media such as in rap/ hip-hop/ pop and many other genres which are more widely recognised.

Beyonce is a millionaire. Why is she using the themes and iconography of That B.E.A.T? Think carefully about this last one.

beyonce is covering topics such as black pride and genrally arounf the black lives matter, bounce music is a huge part of the african american population in new orleans and has helped shape the culture in that area, beyonces music video formation features a bounce-like beat so it is fair to make referance to the culture and history behinf that music, which would make sense to use iconography from that B.E.A.T as it is a documantry dedicated to the genre and the importance it has. another reason she may have used themes from the doc is because by doing this she is more likely to reach out to an audience she may not have reached out to before, making her seem like shes representative of all black people.

The antebellum era and slavery in the American south

The Antebellum era refers to a period of time of economic growth in the American South in the 19th Century, largely due to heavy industrialisation made possible by utilising black slave labour.

The distinctive costumes owned by the slave owners meant the era became characterised not just by the slavery. These costumes were elaborate and beautiful, yet have direct symbolic connotations of racism and the advocation of slavery, purely because of these slave owners who wore them. 

Perhaps the most famous media product set in the Antebellum South is Viktor Flemming's 1939 historical epic Gone With The Wind, which is still the highest grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation. A riches to rags to riches story, the film charts the collapse of the American South during its four hour running time, and explores the relationship between slave owners and slaves in a way that is guaranteed to make modern audiences uncomfortable.
                                   
The most prominent black character in Gone With The Wind is Mammy, played by Hattie McDaniel. She represents a black stereotype that many of us will be completely unfamiliar with. Brash, rough round the edges, uncultured, and unwaveringly loyal to the people who bought her and own her like a piece of property. 

the white woman in this scene is represented as upper class, sophisticated and rich. she speaks "proper" english with a clean accent and does not slur or seem to use slang. her outfits connote that she is wealthy as it had many components to them with the dress being made of a lace material which would not have been worn by people of colour, the intriquisy of the lace designs wouldve made them so pricey. 

the character "mammy" represents black people, in this section we can clearly see her attire is different. what she wears is less figure hugging as her clothes doesnt have the intention to show off her body but oppositely to conceal and disguise her. 

this era is referanced by beyonces music video directly through the clothes they wear, however whats interesting is she dosent wear the clothes that were worn by black women at the time but what the upper class white people wore, as a symbol of claiming back something used to segregate whites from black. this is known as reapropriation.

some context on hurricane Katrina:

• hurricane Katrina struck on august 29 2005
• over 1,800 people died 
• new Orleans was the area worst affected, after the evacuation the population was reduced by half. 10 years later its only 80% of what it used to be.

In what ways was the response to Hurricane Katrina so important to the black lives matter movement? 

The Black Lives Matter movement cite Hurricane Katrina as a leading factor in their fight for racial equality, because the government did not take any action or precautions to prepare New Orleans for the devastation of one of the most powerful hurricanes of modern history. It is largely believed that the government's response to the hurricane was so ignorant, because the population was predominantly low-income black families.

Why was this disaster so associated with black people? 

This disaster was associated with black people, because it was the low-income black community of New Orleans that were left by the government to suffer from the hurricane and then in the media they were portrayed as thieves, criminals and drug-addicts that deserved their fate.

And in what ways did the response to the disaster draw attention to fundamental issues in the United States?

The response drew attention to fundamental issues in America, because it showed that black people were unfairly and poorly treated by authority in the country, while it also showed white people don't understand 'black pain', as shown through statistics that presented white people as not seeing a problem with the government response to Hurricane Katrina.