Glamorized Gangster Lifestyle In Gangstas, By Richard Rodriquez

Glamorized Gangsters Why do we glamorize gangsters and their lifestyles? Is it how they behave? Is it because of all the different forms of media that we have upon our reach that are able to show us these lifestyles? While reading Richard Rodriquez’s “Gangstas” (502-510), I realized that there are many examples of when a gangster lifestyle is glamorized and romanticized for the benefit of voyeurism for middle class consumers. In Rodriquez’s essay, he mentions what he best likes about Joseph Rodriquez’s photographs is that “they are devoid of a middle class nostalgie de la boue.” This phrase translates to “yearning for slime.” In a sense, Richard Rodriquez explains how Joseph Rodriguez’s photos portray the glamorized lifestyle of gangsters

In “Straight Outta Compton,” the movie begins with one of the members “Eazy-E” walking into a crack house. A crack house is a house where drugs are supplied and where suppliers live in. When “Eazy-E” is met with his dealer and supplier, police arrive in the scene. The police is armed several SWAT trucks and an armored tank that demolishes the front of the house. It is seen that the police arrests the people in the house for dealing illegal drugs around Compton. Themes like the crack house and law enforcement apprehension emphasize the violence and how the drug related themes resonate with each other. These extreme themes are a part of why a gangster’s lifestyle is quite dangerous and can be harmful for the middle class while viewing because of the influences it may have. It benefits the voyeurism for middle class consumers because it gives the consumers an idea of how gangsters and the theme of drugs work together. The middle-class is able to see how drugs are a part of a gangster’s lifestyle. This scene being included into the movie can be related to the phrase “nostalgie de la boue,” as the voyeurism for the middle class. However, this situation can deal a harmful exposure to violence and drugs to viewers who are foreign to these themes. It gives the audience an insight of drugs from this scene and may

The first line is “A real gangsta-ass plays his cards right. A real gangsta-ass never runs his fucking mouth.” The first line refers to a gangster being able to do the actions that seem most ideal to a gangster and not saying anything about any of the actions that he has committed. This benefits the voyeurism for the middle-class consumer because a member from the middle-class can relate by making daily decisions wisely instead of foolishly making decisions without a thought. However, further into the song references drug dealing with the line “Born in Jamaica. In the U.S. makin’ deals. Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.” This romanticized thought of being in America able to deal drugs harms those who listen to this song because of the influences of drug dealing. It emphasizes that formerly being in Jamaica and then moving to the United States to deal drugs is an honor for a gangster. The following line continue to emphasize how dealing drugs is beneficial for gangsters, “Ridin’ around town in my drop-top Benz.” This line explains that due to drug dealing, gangsters are able to afford luxury cars such as convertible Mercedes Benz. This idea of gangsters being able to afford expensive cars due to drug dealing may influence members of the middle-class consumer to deal drugs as well and expect the same result. However, drug dealing can cause violence between others