1 The End of Convenience: A Hip Hopera and Exegesis By Christina Hogarth Doctor of Philosophy 2017 1 2 ABSTRACT This practice-led PhD consists of a feature film screenplay titled ‘THE END OF CONVENIENCE’ and an exegesis that critically reflects on the process of creating the work and its related themes. The artefact explores the life and relationship challenges encountered by three unmarried young couples who are forced by finances and circumstance to co-habit in share accommodation. It also investigates some of the difficulties of youth cohabitation, such as economic and social marginalisation. The dialogue is constructed in rap. The screenplay interrogates the notion that sharehousing is both an individual and societal economic relationship of benefit, explores whether the relationships within sharehouses are constructed around convenience, and asks what happens to the lives of young people when they enter sharehouse arrangements. The exegesis analyses, critiques, and reflects upon the writerly choices made during the creation of the screenplay. It integrates discussion about these choices with questions around whether the musical genre of Hip Hop can be used to tell a story about urban marginalisation in an Australian domestic environment. It evaluates whether Hip Hop is an effective tool for social commentary when the subject of its storytelling is not the industries of the street or race related issues. It also uses the frame of Feminist Standpoint Theory as its central theoretical approach and applies it to questions and assumption around the role of gender, performance, and lived experience in Hip Hop, narratives of cohabitation, and to the debates around appropriation of cultural and musical forms. The exegesis also discusses use and evolution of poetic form, lyrical style and content throughout the artefact through an evaluation of the ideas of Edwards (2009), Bradley (2009), Khabir (2011), Stavrias (2005), and Salaam (2005). Finally, it interrogates the nature, form, and dilemmas of multiprotagonist storytelling in the screenplay. 2 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend my gratitude to the following people for their support in the completion of this project and PhD submission. First and foremost, my principal supervisor, Dr. Carolyn Beasley for her academic wisdom, constant encouragement and support and her professional guidance throughout the program. I am also deeply appreciative of my second supervisor, Professor Josie Arnold, for creating an effective timeline to completion and for her regular feedback and professional assistance. Last but not least I would like to thank Dr. Mark Carthew for his professional insight and enthusiasm. All are dedicated supervisors who have embarked on this PhD journey with me and stayed faithful to its completion. At Swinburne University of Technology, I would also like to thank fellow PhD candidate, Carol Anne Croker and PhD graduates, Wendy Dunn and Rachel Le Rossignol. My heartfelt and deepest thanks to my former lecturers at the University of Tasmania, Jim Lade and Monte Mumford whose references assisted me in gaining entry into the PhD program. Both lecturers acted with the utmost courtesy and professionalism. For personal and professional support during the program I would like to thank my Shut Up and Write Group (SUAW) and in particular, Lisa Farrance for teaming up with me for regular writing sessions. These writing sessions broke the isolation that accompanied my post graduate study and provided me with good company, good surroundings and regular motivation. I would also like to thank the Melbourne Screenwriter’s Meetup for being such a fantastic space to learn more about Screenwriting and to network and learn from other writers. Throughout this project I have been indebted to the love and support of my family and friends and I hope to make you all proud with my accomplishments. 3 Scanned by CamScanner 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................ 3 DECLARATION ......................................................................................................... 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ 5 ARTEFACT: THE END OF CONVENIENCE: A HIP HOPERA… ......................... 7 EXEGESIS .............................................................................................................. 120 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................... 121 The Project .......................................................................................................... 121 PLR Methodology ........................................................................................... 123 Screenwriting a Hip Hopera ................................................................................. 124 Researching Hip Hop ........................................................................................... 126 Hip Hop and Housing. ......................................................................................... 129 The Hip Hopera and Women ............................................................................... 130 Rap ............................................................................................................................ 131 The Multi-Protagonist Narrative .......................................................................... 132 SECTION ONE WHY HIP HOPERA? ................................................................... 134 The Musical .................................................................................................................... 134 The Form ........................................................................................................................ 137 The Delivery ................................................................................................................... 138 Hip Hopera: Form and Delivery .......................................................................... 140 An Effective Genre ....................................................................................................... 143 SECTION TWO APPROPRIATION ..................................................................... 147 Cultural Appropriation ................................................................................................... 147 The Widespread Effect of Appropriation ............................................................. 156 Marginalisation .............................................................................................................. 152 Sexism ............................................................................................................................ 158 Homophobia and Masculinity .......................................................................... 160 Hip Hop as a Voice of the Oppressed .................................................................. 163 5 6 Authenticity ................................................................................................................... 165 SECTION THREE SHARE HOUSE AS THE URBAN GHETTO ........................ 169 Rap and Urban Living .......................................................................................... 169 Cohabitation .................................................................................................................... 171 The Share House and Cohabitation ...................................................................... 172 Relationships of Convenience .............................................................................. 175 SECTION FOUR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE: FEMINIST STANDPOINT THEORY.................................................................................................................. 181 Theoretical Framework: Feminist Standpoint Theory (FST) ..................................... 183 FST: An Important Theoretical Prism? ....................................................................... 189 Entering into Discourse About the Use and Importance of FST .......................... 191 FST and Post-Feminism ........................................................................................... 192 Confronting Cultural Metanarratives Underpinning Social Assumptions .......... 196 FST as a Theoretical Framework for This Work ................................................. 198 Sexism and Exclusion in Hip Hop ................................................................................201 The Musical and Gender Stereotypes ................................................................... 206 SECTION FIVE RAP, STRUCTURE AND LAYOUT .......................................... 212 Rap ........................................................................................................................224 Layout ................................................................................................................... 226 Structure ............................................................................................................ 226 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................... 233 Concluding Thoughts ...........................................................................................