Film Reflection: “Straight Outta L.A.”

The reflections must be related to the course topics. What does it mean?

It means that you need to show that (1) you watched the movie, (2) you thought about it, and (3) you made some real and engaging connections with the readings.

“Real and engaging connections with the readings” means: use quotations from the readings to support your statements about the film in a coherent way.

It also means that I am not asking you to tell me your “feelings” about the topics. Your feelings about a topic (whether they are anger, frustration, embarrassment, or joy, sympathy, excitement, etc.) are important. But they are important only to the extent that they fuel your reasoning, your thinking, and your ideas.

Format directions: minimum 3, maximum 5 pages; double-spaced; font not smaller than 10, not larger than 12.

Grades will depend on quality of writing (punctuation, grammar, spelling, clarity of prose), quality of thinking, and capability to relate to the course material.

Movie found on netflix:
30 for 30: Straight Outta L.A.

In 1982, Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis beat the NFL in court and moved his team from Oakland to Los Angeles. With a squad as colorful as its owner, the Raiders captivated a large number of black and Hispanic fans in L.A. at a time when gang warfare, immigration and the real estate boom were rapidly changing the city. The L.A. Raiders morphed into a worldwide brand as the team’s colors, swagger and anti-establishment ethos became linked with the hip-hop scene that was permeating South Central Los Angeles. Rapper-turned-filmmaker Ice Cube was not only witness to this evolution, he was also a part of it. As a member of the notorious rap group N.W.A, Ice Cube helped make the silver and black culturally significant to a new generation and demographic. Still a die-hard Raiders fan, Cube will explore the unlikely marriage between the NFL’s rebel franchise and America’s glamour city and show how pro football’s outlaw team became the toast of La La Land.