Oakley Tapola TalkToMe
In the film we watched this week, Talk to Me, portrays the theme of the prevalence of race and power in America in a turbulent time for racial relations through its main characters, Petey and Dewey. The positions of power portrayed in comparison to either character are made relevant by their pressures on the relationship between the two men. Dewey feels compelled to help Petey become commercially popular because as an African American he would be a vision of success, but Petey, on the opposite side of the spectrum resists popularity because he feels as though he'd be exploited by fame. Both men feel the unwanted and unfair pressures of the powers at be. Dewey admires Petey because he is honest in many respects of the word. Aside from his troubles, he is a strong, opinionated person who represents the voice of the people. Petey is not a racist, he’s extreme. Black people probably are successful DJs because they listen to good music and they speak about things from the voice of a people that have been oppressed: this does implicate their social, political and commercial consequences on a level that is empowering to listeners. Their voice is no longer what has been considered the standard. This movie is really cool, a very compelling true story.