1. The struggle of a man coming from nothing but persevering to eventually make his mark on music reflect (symbolically) the birth of pop music in a culture which once had nothing, but financially and in terms of a music "scene". Also the dichotomy of succeeding in a genre, which culturally is not the main characters own, illustrates the tension in Nepali pop music between welcoming global pop genres, while maintaining cultural distinction in popular music. The literal plot line of Eminem developing a new rap sound also correlates with new hip hop sounds in Nepal.
2. The desire to succeed without losing personal identity.
3. Audience: Movie goers, Eminem listeners, hip hop fans
4. Rhetorical Appeals
Ethos: Based loosely on the true story of rapper Eminem's rise to stardom despite starting as an outsider in black hip hop culture. The household name (Eminem) makes the story relevant and intriguing.
Pathos: Shows the hardships (money, drugs, violence) of the lower (impoverished) class in Detroit. Reflects the developing nation status of Nepal in my research.
Logos: Like ethos, the biographical nature of the movie yields authenticity.
5. The film makes a powerful statement by telling a (mostly) true story, and casting the person on whose life the movie was based to play himself. The movie does not glamorize the lower class lifestyle, but portrays it very honestly. All three appeals work well together to illustrate the concept of being immersed in a culture foreign to your own, but adapting to make it your own.
6. The movie 8 Mile can be used to teach people about staying true to ones own culture and identity while inviting a different culture to influence the art or music which you create. This is a major theme in my research about the emerging pop music scene in Nepal. Eminem's character overcomes adversity when combining his love for rap music with the fact that he himself does not belong to the black culture. As a result he creates a style of music which is unique, as opposed to either giving up on rap or attempting to imitate a sound which he (culturally) doesn't own. The same parallels are found amongst Nepali musicians and pop music fans. They want to modernize their styles of music and enjoy popular western genres, however they have yet to gain a complete understanding of imported music/ They also don't want to lose their national identity by allowing western music to fully infiltrate their country thereby losing traditional Nepali music. 8 Mile illustrates this concept of music causing an identity crisis in Nepal through the true story of one individual in American dealing with the same internal conflict now faced by an entire generation in Nepal. 8 Mile makes this theme easier to understand for an audience which may (probably) know little about Nepal, but can relate to the theme if they see it scaled down to a personal level and brought to life by a popular American rapper (ethos).
Book: Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost
1. Troost enters a culture drastically different from his own. He doesn't know what to except but assumes he will enter a very isolated society off the islands of Indonesia. The villages are in fact rather remote, but is is surprised to find a great deal of culture in urban areas which he didn't even expect the island to have.
2. Finding globalization, development and western mentalities in urbanized areas of even the most remote nations. In this day and age people are separated by social class, economic status and levels of education more so than tradition, ethnicity or nationality.
3. Anthropologists, fans of ethnography and travel writing
4. Rhetorical Appeals
Ethos: Troost uses humor throughout his writing which makes him likable and appealing. He candidly describes his journey and his experiences are all first hand.
Pathos: Troost gives vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells he encounters. He also gets personal in his writing describing his emotions, highs, lows and even the birth of his first child, which occurred while on the island.
Logos: The book is non-fiction. On top of being a very fun, engaging read, it could be classified as an ethnography of Fiji Islanders or even a descriptive guidebook.
5. Since Troost is the author of only two books, and has little name recognition, pathos and logos are the most effective of the rhetorical appeals used in his writing. His style of writing is very charismatic , and at times comically self deprecating making the book inviting to read. His personal touch makes the book more of a narrative than a study. At the same time logos also appears when Troost goes into great detail about the history, customs, politics etc of the culture in which he finds himself.
6. This book can help convey a message of urbanization, as it appears in my research, to an audience which correlates developing nations with rural isolation. Many people don't realize that urbanization occurs in every country. Regardless of size or financial status, even the most remote countries have an urban center to one extent or another, especially in a time of rapid globalization. My research deals mostly with the "urban" population in Nepal, which some people have a hard time understanding, since the country is stereotyped to be made up of remote mountain villages. Troost's experiences in Fiji, another very remote location, help illustrate the point that cities are not such a foreign concept in third world countries, and that the urban population is actually very westernized, even if the rural areas are still undeveloped and rooted in tradition. Troost also has pathos appeal as a writer; he is not pretentious, and is honest about his own initial ignorance of foreign countries, making him accessible to readers. He also uses logos when describing real events, places, lifestyles etc. given his first hand experience. Since he is so easy to read, his journey might be a good tool to convince just about any audience of the existence of modern development in unexpected places.
Song: One of a Kind by Atmosphere
1. The song talks about being different (as a musician) from everyone else on the music scene. This reflects the Nepali pop movement of Lok pop, which differentiates itself from the newly emerging "westernized" popular music, and celebrates traditional Nepali culture and sounds-- going against the grain of most popular musical movements
2. The desire to distinguish oneself from the masses, retain identity and pride
3. Idie rap audiences
4. Rhetorical Appeals
Ethos: A song about the music industry by a musician himself
Pathos: The performer uses loud vocals and aggressive, accusatory language to illustrate a body of "followers" on the rap scene. This catches the listeners attention.
Logos: Atmosphere provides specific examples throughout the song of the similarities between all the other rappers.
5. There are few, if any, proven facts in the song to strengthen the argument. However, the performer is clearly part of the industry about which he raps on the track; he sounds authoritative and keeps his rhymes and beats catchy. His honesty without arrogance, on top of a contagious, high energy sound leads the listener to believe that he truly is different creating-- all of these factors are attributes of the ethos appeal. Meanwhile Atmosphere uses pathos--lyrics which characterize other rappers as talentless and unoriginal-- to strengthen his message of being unique.
6. Atmosphere is an American born rapper from the Midwest. This particular song exemplifies the emphasis American culture puts on "being yourself", "being unique" and the importance of individuality in general. The message in the song urges to be "one of a kind", which parallels the national pride felt by Nepali urban youth, who are proud of their culture. They are faced with the challenge of having to fight for their identity and individuality as Nepali people, despite rapid infiltration and popularity of western culture. My research talks in depth about the desire to retain national and ethnic identity in Nepal, so this song could help American audiences relate by using the common American theme of individuality (as illustrated through song by a popular artist) and more fully understand the importance of cultural identity in other countries, just as individual identity is important here.
1. The painting is of a bear with a banana for a head. The term "banana" has been used for very assimilated Asians in the US who are yellow on the outside but white on the inside. This reflects the struggle to maintain national and cultural identity by urban Nepali youth who are bombarded by western influences.
2. Loss of ethnicity
3. Luke Chueh has a wide following of people who enjoy bizarre, disturbing yet poignant and thought provoking art.
4. Rhetorical Appeals
Ethos: Luke Chueh is a professional, critically acclaimed artist known for his social commentary through paintings.
Pathos: The feel of the painting is conveyed as somber, almost tragic through the expression on the bears face and the dark colors. The emotion conveyed is one of pain or confusion due to the loss of identity.
Logos: The visual, as it appears in the website gallery, provides a description of the cultural meaning behind the banana, so as to explain its significance to the audience.
5. Pathos is the strongest appeal in this piece. The drab, washed out colors along with the the bears sad expression upon removing the mask to reveal his true identity evoke powerful emotions. Also ethos comes into play, since the painting represents Asian American identity, and Chueh himself is an Asian American artist, so the feeling conveyed by the painting is genuine.
6. This painting represents the dark side of globalization. Its dark, melancholy mood represents how Asian Americans feel when belonging to one culture on the inside but physically representing a different race on the outside. This yields a strong pathos appeal to American audiences who might not understand why certain cultures strive to protect their cultural identity, and resist American influences. In particular the idea behind the painting helps to explain the section on Lok Pop in my research, and why, despite a boom of modern pop music, Nepali youth feel nostalgic for a more traditional sound.
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