Most recent public comments by Camille Kidwell https://nowcomment.com/users/2506 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505948 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505948 It really surprises me that criminal justice reform was not on this list of over 35 topics, and things like "multimedia" were. Why is this? Do we think, now that it is 2016 and we are in the middle of the black Lives Matter Movement, that this topic would be added? Why does it lose its importance? Mon, 04 Apr 2016 19:56:12 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505927 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505927 I think another reason besides financial needs that previous felons end up back in jail is related to the stigma they are given. Once they leave jail they are branded by the label of a "criminal", someone who has "served time", which are all associated to a slew of negative stereotypes. While some might decide to rebel against this, I can imagine a lot of it would be like a self-fulfilling prophesy. When someone tells you that you something over and over about yourself, you often start to believe it. With that, pursuing criminal activity again seems to be "who you are" and what you were "born" to. That stigma never seems to leave. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 19:35:54 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505868 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505868 It is interesting that the author does not reference violence in terms of the use and selling of drugs, and its relation to mass incarceration. Taking violence out of the picture- Looking at the mass incarceration rates in the US compared to other nations is astounding. I wonder what good this actually does for our country. We saw in The Wire that small arrests to individuals like Bodie or the kids on the corner didn't do anything for the cops. They came in, stayed for the night (maybe), then left. So we wonder why arresting this many young men is helpful to society. After they get out they will most likely have difficulty being employed (which does not help the economy), be socially marginalized (because of stigma and stereotypes) and probably forced right back into the illegal activity that they were arrested for. This is neither helpful to them, nor to the nation at large. It seems to perpetuate the drug selling cycle. Also, what good is there in locking up African American men, instead of white men if they are doing the same thing? Mon, 04 Apr 2016 18:40:45 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505834 https://nowcomment.com/documents/52798?scroll_to=505834 I think a lot of the reason the media continues to frame minorities in negative ways is due to the idea of confirmation bias. We look for stories and ideologies that confirm our preexisting beliefs. Therefore, if it has been our cultural memory that African Americans commit more crimes, the media will continue to portray them in just that way. Whatever makes the viewer comfortable, agreeable and tuned in. Portraying something that veered from the norm (even if it was true), could be "disagreeable" to viewers, as ridiculous as that seems. At the end of the day, the media is concerned with their viewers, their ratings and their advertisements. Rewriting a frame that has been used for years and years could perhaps be revolutionary. I wonder if we will ever see it happen. Mon, 04 Apr 2016 16:16:07 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486451 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486451 Do you think this was a reason that classrooms seemed to be so full in The Wire? If we are assuming that many of these children don't have parents who will ensure or encourage they get to school, there is often little motivation to go (like we see in the rule that they must come in once a month). But in the show, the teachers always seem to be handling a lot of students. I wonder how much of this is related to these children being hungry, and school being a place with a guaranteed meal and shelter. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 16:27:15 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486447 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486447 I completely agree, and I think this relates to the idea that Anderson presents when he says that even the "decent" families team their kids how to be "street smart". Living in these communities, whether you are involved in the game or not, you will be impacted. You will see violence and probably even face violence (like the Stickup Anderson describes). It is a way of life and it can't be turned "off" like you two point out. Sun, 03 Apr 2016 13:06:17 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486433 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486433 One character who demonstrated the difficulty of breaching the permanency of gang affiliation is Dennis. After jail he wanted to get "decent" if you will, fell back into crime, and then moved on again to decency and created the gym. But even after the gym he was reaching out to kids on the Corner, on the same streets he came from. He is even mistaken for a gang member in the hospital, due to his previous medical history. He will never be able to lose that reputation fully. I think where Dennis is nuanced is that he used his "permanent state" of being in a gang, to change the context of his life. Because he had the affiliation to Barksdale's crew, he was able to reach out to these kids specifically, relate to them, and attempt to steer them away from the corner life. (This is kind of like what Khalid seems to be doing, using his past for good). Wed, 02 Mar 2016 16:21:25 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486425 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49881?scroll_to=486425 The level of distrust held toward the police is emphasized throughout the Wire, our readings, and Leap's piece. In the show, whenever someone was thought to have been affiliated with the police, they were shot. Even Bodie, who was briefly seen with McNulty, was immediately killed. And Mr. Prez was verbally attacked by students when he began teaching, as they assumed he was racist and had killed many people on the street. It continues to show that there is no mercy when it comes to talking with, or even being the slightest bit affiliated with an official. Thu, 03 Mar 2016 13:38:49 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485376 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485376 Do you think that the news media today would cover an investigative piece like this- where journalists went into the hotel against management's permission? I ask, because in many of our MDST courses we are learning about the downfalls of (especially) broadcast journalism, and how major news outlets fail to use their money to create investigatory pieces that could implement policy change. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 10:08:08 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485350 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485350 NYC's social service system could not ignore the situation these individuals were living in, unless they literally averted their eyes. Yet, they continued to work and do so because even though they didn't know what to do, they continued to attempt and try. This sense of futility is similar to that of the teaching staff in the Wire. It was not unknown to them that these kids were dealing with issues much larger than multiplication, and that having them pay attention in class, not incite violence, etc, would be close to impossible, due to the social structure. Like the social workers, breaking out of the structure is incredibly difficult and takes working from the bottom up. So for those who care, all they can do is watch helplessly and try their best to better what seem to be impossible situations. Thu, 03 Mar 2016 03:32:20 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485288 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485288 I wonder also what the effect (if any) being the only male in the family had upon Eric. Already being in a difficult place as a teenager, surrounded by temptations, I'm sure the move and transition was touch for him (as it would be for any adolescent boy). I am curious if he ever felt the weight of being the leader of his family, with his mother being ill and unable to often raise himself and his sister. Perhaps feeling like he could not "live up" to the standard of a father figure, this could have perhaps led to rebellion and overall depression. His situation could have been a bit like Michael's, in the sense that he needed to raise the family because at times his mother couldn't. Like other's have said, it would have been nice if The Wire examined this more, especially because Vicky (Eric's mom) did demonstrate love and care for her children, while the mothers' of Michael or Namond arguably did not. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 09:51:29 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485250 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49882?scroll_to=485250 Lisette's story reminds me a bit of Namond and his interaction with the Colvin family. If Lisette was not taken under the wing of Dr. Edwards and his wife, there is no knowing if she would have gone on to be as successful, or driven as she proved herself to be. This sort of intervention by a trustworthy outsider seems to be one of the only ways to help break these children of the cycle they face within their families and communities. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 09:43:14 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485230 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485230 The only real instance I can remember a player giving away his money was when Marlo approached the kids handing away bills to get "new school clothes", much like Anderson refers to distributing profits for the community. In Marlo's case, however, I don't think there were any pure intentions, like there may have been with the dealer Anderson demonstrates, who paid half of a woman's welfare check that she squandered on drugs. Marlo was merely doing this to show that he was the new "boss" in town, that this was his game, and to have the kids trust him (In hopes to have them join and help him deal). Wed, 02 Mar 2016 09:36:57 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485223 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485223 I agree with you Aislyn- and I also think Namond looked up to Bodie. He was the "hip" new drug dealer that Anderson refers to and Namond was very cognizant of pleasing him. He was this "leader" figure, who the boys could still relate to because they were close in age. I'm sure it also seemed like a natural progression, as the boys become older, they become the new Bodie's. I'm sure all of the players had a similar experience. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 09:33:12 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485204 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485204 I also immediately thought of the scene were the children were impersonating Omar as well. When these figures are portrayed as powerful and almost untouchable- it begins to make sense of why the kids looked up to him so much. While some children look to superheroes, Omar is like the villain everybody is scared of, but wants to run with for protection and power. I think it's also a defense mechanism, that these kids must aspire to be like these players, because they know it is the only way to survive. Wed, 02 Mar 2016 09:28:32 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485185 https://nowcomment.com/documents/49884?scroll_to=485185 This issue brings to mind when Dukie went to try to get a job at the sneaker shop, where he saw a former player in the game (Poot) working. Before even speaking to a manger, he was told that he was too young, and would have to keep his Corner job until then. Obviously the age limit is an important rule, but could potentially lead kids into greater harm. Who knows where teen could be in 2 years when they are on the street and looking for an out- by that time they could be a dealer, an addict, or maybe not even alive. Restricting by age seems to just perpetuate this issue. Sun, 20 Mar 2016 18:05:16 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453964 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453964 I completely agree, and also have enjoyed that while portraying the characters as more dynamic than "evil" versus "good", the show still keeps the viewers on their toes. For example, after Omar has his partner killed, he goes to the police and you see a new side of him. Just when the viewer thinks he/she has figured Omar out, Omar proceeds to go against his orders and murder more of Barksdale's crew. While this may be confusing, I think it emulates the way that a human's mind works, especially when filled with emotional turmoil or rage. One moment you are rational, and the next filled with anger. The more you ponder these character's actions, the more they seem to make sense. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 06:11:43 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453913 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453913 I also found this interesting, and was curious as to what sort of backlash Simon may have faced because of these decisions. This article is really interesting: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/15/AR2008011503933_2.html and it touches on the reaction Simon received from his former colleagues and reporters nationally. One quote that stood out to me was: ""Simon's portrait of Marimow is not just unfair; it verges on psychotic," Bill Wyman, who worked with Marimow at National Public Radio, writes in his blog, Hitsville." Yikes. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 08:52:42 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453891 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453891 Despite the fact that Bowden is emphatically pointing out Simon's biases, I find this interesting, considering we have only learned that The Wire is praised because of it's unparalleled accuracy. Of course as an artist, your personal experiences will flavor the content you produce and the lens through which you see the world... but is Simon wrong in his depictions? Bowden states that his opinion is "arguably unfair", which seems contrary to other reviews of this show and it's final season. Is Bowden being too harsh? Wed, 03 Feb 2016 09:18:01 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453120 https://nowcomment.com/documents/46407?scroll_to=453120 I think something that makes The Wire so compelling is the way that through fiction, the writers can create intimacy between the viewers and the characters. It's as if we can be a "fly on the wall", allowing us to better understand the everyday nuances of living in Baltimore. This is how Simon is able to depict his characters as not merely "evil", but average individuals in difficult situations. The viewer has a completely different depiction of Wallace, after they see him making lunches for the children he takes care of. He is no longer just a drug dealer, but a compassionate and responsible 16 year old, with a lot to deal with. These aspects of his personal life would never be depicted in a news cast or interview, and yet can completely change the narrative. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 09:04:32 -0800