Response to Citizen Proposal

After reading Claudia Rankine’s Citizen I feel like my eyes have been opened to the subconscious motives and acts of discrimination. My ideas about the book are not completely clear because some of the messages blended with abstract ideas that I couldn’t quite understand. However, the poetry had a huge impact on my view of the world and I feel the need to spread those ideas to my fellow citizens. Responding to this book will help me to understand concepts of the poetry in my own way in order to feel the full impact of the words, and to help me incorporate the ideas into my daily life. Explained below is the product I will create as my response to Citizen.

Medium: I will simulate text messages between the black citizen and their subconscious, a black citizen and the subconscious of a white person, and a black citizen and god/history. In addition to this I will write an artist’s statement to explain to my audience the purpose of my piece.

Topic: The topic I am addressing in my response is the way we communicate superiority and racism through subtle and subconscious actions.

Message: The message to my audience is to be aware of your actions and their impacts, and do not let society brainwash your subconscious into enforcing discrimination.

Audience: I want all unknowingly privileged and discriminating citizens to read my piece. However, a more reasonable audience is the privileged students at my school, because they are more likely to actually look at my product and be affected by it.

Spitting Fire- Artists Statement

Artist Statement

Raquel Friedman and Ally Wait have created a rap video interpreting the main conflicts between the characters Antigone and Creon in the timeless play “Antigone.” Throughout the play, there was often bickering between rival characters. The insults and comebacks were remarkably hurtful, and could be considered “fire” if the characters were rapping at each other. The Urban Dictionary definition of “fire” in the context of a rap battle is: “something amazing, spiritual, exciting, or just very hot,” often used to describe clever lyrics in a song. However, the modern audiences may not notice the brilliance of these debates, leading to our idea to make a modern version of the arguments, in the form of a playful rap battle.

Our mentor text was a series of humorous rap battle videos on YouTube called “Supa Hot Fire,” which helped us produce more creative and humorous rap verses and sound effects. Another influence is the abundance of two-part poetry pieces, and the communication between two characters or ideas in poetry.

We wanted to express the originality and artfulness of the bickering between Antigone and Creon in a way that is easier to understand for modern audiences. Raquel and Ally wanted people to currently living to appreciate the drama of what was written so many years ago.

The importance of this piece is the witty humour and connectedness to “Antigone,” and the way it will draw attention to the play. It is connected to “Antigone” with the shared themes of feminism and conflict.

Victim of the Fire

My cleanliness is not worth

The life of a man

Even one whose I am not

Familiar with

His weakness reminds me of my strength

His misfortune is a reminder of my luck

The chaos before me

Is art to my wicked eyes

An offering of a story to tell

A moment to keep in time

The man of kindness and bravery

Another of unluck and a limp body

Colored robes hurriedly mixing

Paint, splattered on a canvas

The fire began unnoticed

An artist, not yet recognized

No longer contained,

Lives become endangered

Mothers worried about their children

Children worried about themselves

Citizens worried about others

In the rush, it is only sensible

To worry about yourself first

Spitting Fire

Rap Battle

Antigone- Raquel Friedman

Creon- Ally Wait

CREON:

You law breaking fool

I ain’t got sympathy for you

Created your own doom

slaying women; that’s all I do.

ANTIGONE:

Sympathy, I don’t need! So ooooh child please.

Step back off of me because you’ll see the wrath of me

I’m straight up cool. And you know what? You’re just a fool.

About breaking that law, we all have flaws

I didn’t create a doom, I just blew you up.

BOOM!

CREON:

YOOOOOOO

You think your idiot brother is worth all the trouble?

I wouldn’t be so sure, he should decay in the rubble!

Trying to defy me, you ain’t being subtle.

I can see you as you’re coming, just a wannabe rebel.

ANTIGONE:

Even Teiresias got my back!

and that’s something you lack.

The Gods don’t even approve so you better move

You think he’s blackmailing you for money.

You must be funny!!

CREON:

You foul creature, at least I ain’t a woman

Might as well beat ya, don’t consider you a human

To my crop that is Thebes you’re a vermin

Recklessly destroying it and never even learnin

ANTIGONE:

Yo bro at least I ain’t sexist, I will eat you like breakfast.

I might as well move to Texas because they aren’t so reckless.

I love my brother like I love my mother.

Polynices get buried before I get married.

You suck as an uncle so I chuckle, now go ahead and buckle.

CREON:

Texas, who??! They got nothin’ on me, at least they’re better than you!

Try to sway my boi Haemon, and you know I’ll sue.

Too bad you’re already due, say another word, I’m ready to execute.

ANTIGONE:

Haemon got my back l because I got a nice rack.

Execute me and I’ll turn you into debris.

Texas got nothin on you but I got somethin on you.

Give it all you got son because I already won.

CREON:

Already won? Tell that to your grave.

You talk about death like its a crazy rave.

Have fun with Hades and Haemon,you got no one to save.

Might as well throw in Ismene, she tried to be brave.

Tried to take the blame, she’ll only join you in the cave.

And soon to regret it, you’ll die from a shock wave.