Kyle Anderson- Boyz n the Hood
The film “Boyz n the Hood” is meant to be a “slice of life” depicting the hardships facing black adolescents. While the film illuminates the often ignored social and economic problems facing the black community, it nevertheless glorifies the criminal mentality and further exacerbates existing problems facing black youth. Film executives claimed that similar “gangster films” were simply capturing what was going on in the lives of today’s young blacks, yet they failed to take into account the long term ramifications on black youth. In the article “Young, Don’t Give a Fuck, and Black: Black Gangster Films” by Bakari Kitwana, the author states that the “media and entertainment corporations rediscovered Blackness as a commodity.” (123) Just like the blaxploitation movies of the 70s, gangster films were created with only profit in mind, despite what film executives said.
Kitwana states that “contemporary discussion of race in America, locked in a 1960’s-style civil rights time warp, has failed to consider how young Blacks are affected by unique social forces that have created problems different from those of our parent’s generation” (122). Black inner-city youths face pressure not only from coming of age problems, such as sexuality and SATs, but also have to deal with the horrors of violent crime, drug addiction, and poverty. They are forced to grow up quick and ultimately realize that getting out of the hood ultimately rests upon them. Furious shows that having a positive influence can make all the difference, offering fatherly advice such as “Any fool with a dick can make a baby, but only a real man can raise his children.” The morals instilled on Tre by his father undoubtedly have a positive impact, as seen at the end of the movie when he decides to not exact revenge. This act shows a glimmer of sunshine through cloudy skies as Tre realizes that change is possible, but real change first comes from within.