Monday, March 14, 2011

Video Project: "I regret to inform you that the Venus Hottentot is Dead": Constructing, Celebrating, and Critiquing the Black Body

Video Project: "I regret to inform you that the Venus Hottentot is Dead": Constructing, Celebrating, and Critiquing the Black Bo from gogojojo on Vimeo.


(Note due to the copyrighted material used in this video project there might be problems hosting it with Youtube/3rd party vido hosting services. As I don't have the capabilities to host videos myself at the moment the video might 'disappear' for a while. Sorry in advance if it gets pulled!)

This is a audio/video project that I did for one of my courses (WS 285 "Gender and Performance, Marcela Fuentes WI 2011, UCLA) entitled: "I regret to inform you that the Venus Hottentot is Dead": Constructing, Celebrating, and Critiquing the Black Body

Description of Video:

An audio/video meditation sparked by Janell Hobson's article "How Nicki Minaj Stumbled Onto Black History" published in Ms. Magazine Online. This project is a collage of images and sounds (some connected and others juxtaposed) that attempt to evokes the discourse around the iconic figure known as "The Venus Hottentot." I am critical this conversation because of how it ignores/silences the voices of Black women artists/models/public figures in its attempt to create what I call a genealogy of oppression instead of a nuanced discussion of performance and the politics of pleasure in spectacle.

Here is citation info for the works used in the video:

Music:
Best, Trish. "Wide Body." Feloni perf. A Woman's Revenge. Trak Diamond Records. MP3 Audio File. CD BABY http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/feloni 688981079620. 2007.

Dobson, Felicia and Levine, Joseph. "Set Me Free." Fefe Dobson perf. Joy. AAC Audio File. 2010. iTunes www.itunes.com (downloaded Jan 8, 2011).

Videos:
"Beyonce Live @ Fashion Rocks 2006." Video clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kSLKS8cMSY (accessed March 7, 2011).

"Bride of Blackenstein." From Episode 13; Jessie Eisenberg, Bill Hader, Nicki Minaj, Jay Pharoah, Kenan Thompson, Kristine Wiig perf. SNL: Season 36. MPEG-4 video file. 2011. iTunes, www.itunes.com (downloaded March 7, 2011).

"Buffie the Body on Tyra Banks." Video clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JvgimuzFbA (accessed March 7, 2011).

"Josephine Baker's Banana Dance." Video clip. Circa 1927. Youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmw5eGh888Y (accessed March 7, 2011).

"Lil Wayne – Knockout ft. Nicki Minaj." Video clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfYcOYMNuXM (accessed March 7, 2011).

"Nicki MInaj - Massive Attack ft. Sean Garrett." Video clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZCUtnuAXg8 (accessed March 7, 2011).

"Pinky – Bad Bitch (Official Video) World Premier." Video Clip [n.d.] Youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKKvQObr6pE (accessed on March 7, 2011).
(Additional Info: Directed by Damon Jamal.)

"Trey Songz – Bottoms Up ft Nicki Minaj." Video clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekAXPCphKXQ (accessed March 7, 2011).

" Vénus Noire/Black Venus." Video clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-D8N5uaePw (accessed March 7, 2011).

“Venus Opening Scene.” Video clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_KCCd_GO4Y (accessed March 7, 2011).
(Additional Info: The Chicago premiere of Suzan-Lori Park's Venus for The Mill directed by Jaclyn Biskup)

"Venus Performance Excerpts." Video clip. April 5-6, 2008. Youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTMSkDApvyI (accessed March 7, 2011).
(Additional Info: Choreography by Alexandra Joye Houston)

"Yahima Torres, Vénus Noire." Video Clip. [n.d.]. Youtube.com, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPOlV2GQV6U (accessed March 7, 2011).

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