2 2 12 Do the Right Thing The film predicts things that have changed comment was but there are other films that have clearly had nn impact but had been ignored what was going on in 1989 90 very controversial some suggesting that the film should not be screened in theatres because it would cause a riot spurred to riot based on the films representation dynamite under ever seat threatened by unprecedented the perspective was relatively new emergence of spike lee as film maker the timing is connected to increasing influence of hip hop culture in 1980s a primary example of hip hop cinema energy transforming pop culture outside of the music and such representations in sports film tv The Golden Age of hip hop his 3rd film Emergence of African Am film makers who were able to make film in Hollywood most successful perfect example of one cultural form and the energies and ideas would influence another cultural form cinema centrality of the Public Enemy song Fight the Power almost like its another character only song out of Radio Raheem s boom box leads to confrontation at the end Fight the Power Public Enemy genre period within hip hop conscious hip hop noted for hip hop merged with politics used music as political critique riffing on an old song making it contemporary song and lyrics are about the politics of the film one of the thing the songs almost of our heroes don t appear on no stamps 7 or 8 years ago purchased image of Malcolm x meant it because of the appearance of stamps stamps were about postal service and connection to government underscores their Americaness was subculture at the time Do the right thing predicts and anticipates mainstream hip hop cultural landscape is different in America at the time aggressiveness attitude of the culture racially charged incidences in NYC in late 80s Characters Buggin Out Aggressive constantly agitated by something Radio Raheem Sal In the neighborhood for economic necessity Forms an emotional attachment to the people of the neighborhood But at the end of the day it is about money By the end people find his presence problematic Outsiders the only source of business Italian American and Koreans Animosity People living in the neighborhood have to economic control over the place in which they live Generational Disconnect in The Mayer and Mother Sister Representative of the older generation The Mayer Laughable neighborhood drunk ineffective in communicating with youth Mother Sister Presides over neighborhood in matronly way seems to be passive She too in spite of her age is invested in the destruction of Sal s Screams out burn it Greek Chorus The three men sitting out watching and talking about everything Very cynical Smiley Difficult time communicating like a broken record Carries photos of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Compared as opposites in terms of beliefs and doctrines Picture is of the one time they actually met What the two revolutionaries said often fell on deaf ears the same way Smiley is misunderstood Smiley plants the images on the wall as if it took all that chaos to make it happen What is Buggin Out asking for in the broader sense Representation On the Wall which only features white Italian Americans Why is the wall not more representative Especially considering what neighborhood the pizzeria is in Black people are the main customers they keep Sal in business They deserve a say Demand for society to be more inclusive American culture as a battlefield Hip hop used to widen representation Another instance When a white man steps on Buggin Out s new sneakers Air Jordans Expensive extremely popular Riotous activity amongst fans Loadedness of the symbol A Celtics fan Larry Bird steps on the Jordans Battles of superiority in basketball Magic Johnson Michael Jordan and Larry Bird Mainstream favored Bird in excess to what he actually did Sports as another battlefield Mookie and Vito arguing over pitchers Racial politics of sports Most commentators at the time were white males Puerto Ricans in the neighborhood Friendly rivalry in the end they re all against Sal Music battle against Radio Raheem The film s ending Did Mookie do the right thing Things have reached their climax Two sides of Sal The one that is very benevolent to the blacks in the neighborhood And the one that has and uses a baseball bat against them The cops show up Alliance shown between the cops and Sal early on Radio Raheem choked to death by one of the cops Influenced by law in L A that said a chokehold could be used Against black men killed many Bat in refernce to a former governor of Georgia who refused to have the restaurants he owned to be integrated Stood in front of restaurant with a bat daring any blacks to come in Mookie comes in and throws a trashcan Radio Raheem lost his life Seen as secondary to destruction of property Aftermath Mookie wants to be paid Sal will get insurance Radio Raheem is dead Mookie is the only character that has connections to both the neighborhood and to Sal s Conflict caught in the middle He is the only character who could commit such an act Where does his allegiance lie Ultimately with the people of the neighborhood He is not an ideal hero He is a fuck up But he is still apolitical Therefore the fact that things had escalated to such a level to drive him to respond is significant Link between two worlds his right thing to do was to throw the trashcan Tells Sal his act of destroying property is not as fucked up as the police brutality that resulted in the death of Radio Raheem What is a bigger societal issue Destruction of property or death caused by police brutality Legacy Provocative confrontational Racial interactions rarely seen in cinema Leaves audiences uncomfortable Not all things are tied up Less about did Mookie do the right thing and more about what is the right thing More about the cultural riot than the actual riot seen in the film