This paper discusses the use of African American Vernacular English, or short AAVE, in film and theatre based on the analysis of the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the research of the African American language and how the idiom can be defined and categorized. Many social linguists suggest different approaches on the matter, for example by doing extensive research on speech patterns and common features for a respective part in the US. Previous studies indicate, that AAVE isn’t an exclusive sociolect to the African American community but rather a concept that is accessible to a variety of different speakers with different backgrounds.
Quiana Lopez and Mary Bucholtz studied the language appropriation by white actors that used AAVE to perform Blackness (2011). Rosalina Lippi-Green was concerned with the reputation of AAVE in films and the social life (2011). However, both studies do not take into account the idea of black actors in a role of an upper-class American falling out of the AAVE stigma and using Standard American English or SAE and in what way it can affect his black identity, which marks the theme of this paper.
This paper proposes a new approach, by analysing the speech patterns of Will, a young African American teenager who was raised in the lower-class and his cousin Carlton who grew up in an African American upper-class family. The aim is to answer what features do Will and Carlton use and how are they linked to their black identity.
The remainder of the paper is organized into sections. Section II mentions the problem of cultural appropriation speakers of AAVE must face in the 21st Century. Afterwards it clarifies the correlation between language and ethnicity.
Section III is devoted to the methodology of this research, i. e. in which way the speech patterns are analysed. The next section reveals the results obtained from the first and 24th episode of the first season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Section V opens the discussion how one can account for the results and links the results from this paper to the theories of Rosina Lippi-Green and Quiana Lopez.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. AAVE
a. Cultural Appropriation in the 21st Century
b. Language and ethnicity
3. Methodology
4. Results: The Prince of Bel-Air
c. Episode 1 Season 1
d. Episode 24 Season 1
5. Discussion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines the linguistic differences between the characters Will and Carlton in the television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to explore how the use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is linked to identity and class perception. By analyzing specific episodes, the research investigates whether the contrast in speech patterns, shaped by the characters' distinct socioeconomic backgrounds, serves to perpetuate or challenge racial stereotypes in mass media.
- Analysis of AAVE speech patterns in Will and Carlton.
- The link between linguistic choices and black identity.
- Socioeconomic status as a driver for language use (Standard American English vs. AAVE).
- Critical review of cultural appropriation and stereotyping in entertainment.
- Application of audience design and linguistic profiling theories.
Excerpt from the Book
4. Results: The Prince of Bel-Air
In episode one of the first season, the viewer is immediately introduced to Will through the theme song of the show, a rap that is performed by Will himself. In the theme song, Will explains who he is, where he comes from and how he ended up in Bel-Air. From the beginning the use of AAVE features is prominent when Will raps (00:00:33-00:00:38):
Will: Chillin' out maxin' and relaxin' all cool
['tʃɪlɪn ɑʊt 'mæksɪn ænd rɪ'læksɪn ɔl kul]
And all shootin ' some B-ball outside of the school
[ænd ɔl 'ʃutɪn sʌm bi-bɔl ˌɑʊt'sɑɪd ʌv ðə skul]
Instead of saying chilling, maxing, relaxing and shooting, he chooses to leave out the /g/ at the end. This reduction of /g/ to /n/ in gerunds and participles is a common practice in AAVE phonology and is used to create a smoother flow while talking.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the paper's aim to analyze the relationship between AAVE usage, class, and black identity through the characters of Will and Carlton.
2. AAVE: This section provides a linguistic definition of AAVE and discusses the theoretical background of language, ethnicity, and cultural appropriation in the 21st century.
3. Methodology: This chapter details the research approach, explaining how scenes were selected from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and analyzed for phonological, morphological, and lexical features.
4. Results: The Prince of Bel-Air: This section presents the analysis of specific dialogue from two episodes, highlighting the sharp contrast in language usage between Will and Carlton.
5. Discussion: The final chapter interprets the results, linking them to audience design and socio-linguistic theories, and addressing the implications of stereotypical media representations.
Keywords
AAVE, African American Vernacular English, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Language and Identity, Socioeconomic Class, Media Stereotypes, Linguistic Profiling, Cultural Appropriation, Audience Design, Standard American English, Speech Patterns, Ethnicity, Language Crossing, Morphology, Phonology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper focuses on the usage of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in the television show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, specifically comparing the speech of the two main characters, Will and Carlton.
What are the central themes of this research?
The central themes include the correlation between language and racial identity, the impact of socioeconomic status on dialect, and the role of the entertainment industry in perpetuating linguistic stereotypes.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The aim is to determine which AAVE features Will and Carlton use and how these linguistic choices are linked to their respective constructions of black identity.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a comparative analysis of selected transcripts from the first and twenty-fourth episodes of the show's first season, looking specifically for phonological, morphological, and lexical AAVE markers.
What does the main part of the paper cover?
The main part analyzes specific scenes from the selected episodes where the contrasting linguistic styles of the two cousins are most prominent, demonstrating how they navigate different identity roles.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include AAVE, identity, socioeconomic class, stereotyping, audience design, and language crossing.
How does the author define the "brother" concept mentioned in the analysis?
The author highlights that for Will, referring to someone as a "brother" relates to identity and shared characteristics, whereas Carlton’s divergence from AAVE usage distances him from this specific social categorization.
What conclusion does the author draw regarding the directors' choices?
The author concludes that the show likely forces a "hood boy" stereotype onto Will to appeal to a predominantly white audience, creating a deliberate class-based contrast between the two cousins.
Why is the comparison between Will and Carlton considered significant?
It is significant because, although both characters are African American, their different upbringing and class result in vastly different communicative behaviors, which the author argues reflects an industry-wide practice of "linguistic minstrelsy."
- Citar trabajo
- Ajsa Gudzevic (Autor), 2022, Features of AAVE in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". A Comparison of Will and Carlton, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1244372
