Stuart Hall, Black popular culture

Stuart Hall writes in the reading “What is this “black” in black popular culture?”, that black culture is not a pure form of culture but rather a hybrid form that includes African heritage and diasporic conditions. (Hall 1) According to Hall there are several key elements that are emphasized as being apart of black popular culture including style, music and the use of the body. (Hall 1) Hall further states that American popular culture itself has never existed without these elements and traditions of African culture. As an outcome, postmodernism has been fascinated with difference between cultures including differences in ethnicity, sex, and race. Therefore this type of fascination with cultural differences has produced cultural hegemony that is constantly changing and working towards turning popular traditions and practices into every day, local practices. After reading this essay, I think what Hall is trying to say is that popular culture has used local cultures as a means to gain profit. He states in the reading that “Popular Culture always has its base in the experiences, the pleasures, memories and traditions of the people”. (Hall) As a result popular culture including black popular culture has been commodified and stereotyped. This has caused culture to become more fantasy like than the real thing. Based on this interpretation I was reminded of a reading I read by Judith Ortiz titled “The myth of the Latin woman” in this reading she states that as a Latina she can leave where she came from and master the English language but because of how she looks , the island will always travel with her. For instance she was getting off the bus and a guy started singing the song “Maria Maria” from Westside story to her. She further explains that advertisements have attributed the words “smoldering” and “sizzling” to not only foods in her culture but also to the women as well. Therefore culture , including black culture has become more imagined, stereotyped and mythical.