Kobe Bryant's Retirement

Kobe Bryant's decision to retire came as a surprise to some and not so much to others. In August it was speculation going on that the 2015-2016 NBA season was going to be Bryant's last when Jim Buss, Lakers part owner, stated “We're going to approach it like it is, but that doesn’t mean it is,” Buss said. “I’m not going to sit there and say, ‘This is it, Kobe, you’re done,’ because it’s not my decision, it’s his decision.” 

Kobe Bryant finally announced his retirement November 29, he posted a poem titled “Dear Basketball” where he states:

"My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it's time to say goodbye," wrote Bryant, the third-leading scorer in NBA history. "And that's OK. I'm ready to let you go. I want you to know now. So we both can savor every moment we have left together. The good and the bad. We have given each other all that we have."

Bryant who has played in the NBA for 18 seasons has won a total of five NBA championships and four All Star Game MVPs. He has become one of the greatest players of this generation. In a 2014 poll Kobe Bryant is the fifth most popular athlete in the world. Bryant is in the final season of his contract and will be the highest paid player this year with $25 million. 

One of the biggest reason that Bryant is retiring is because of his injuries the last two season he only played 41 games because of a fractured kneecap and a torn rotator cuff. Earlier this season he hurt his back and it was unsure whether Bryant would be able to finish the season.

Through his injuries Kobe Bryant has come back to finish the season and got a standing ovation while playing in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania against the 76ers. Bryant plans to leave the league in April and will be greatly missed by his fans all around the world.

Links:

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/kobe-bryant-retire-end-2015-16-season-35479330

http://www.lakersnation.com/kobe-bryant-ranks-fifth-in-poll-for-most-popular-athlete-in-america/2014/07/17/

http://www.lakersuniverse.com/kobe/kobe_bryant_achievements.htm

http://us.blastingnews.com/sport/2015/12/kobe-bryant-announces-his-retirement-will-be-in-april-00688959.html

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/08/28/kobe-bryant-retire-los-angeles-lakers-jim-buss

Black Presence in Films

Throughout the history of film, the lack of black presence has always been discussed. African Americans have had a long and complex history in the film industry (Thompson). In early film Blacks were subdued to play mammies, butlers, and servants; which reinforced that the proper position for Black people were that of servants (Thompson). The first African American movie star Stepin Fetchit, in his roles he played a dimwit and lazy character (oxfordaasc.com). Even though his roles were stereotypical roles he still opened up doors for other African Americans to become actors.

Can Black Films Sell Globally

African Americans have been overlooked in films because producers feel that the film would not do well overseas. In a lot of cases black films have to get distribution from other black distributors, independent funding, and even crowdfunding (Kang, Thompson, etc.., 2014). Most Hollywood executives, producers and analysts interviewed for this article delicately maintained that the resistance to black performers abroad had had less to do with bigotry than with the international audience’s lack of experience with the humor or urban situations that figure in many of their films. Many African American movies have become successful and have proven that people are interested in seeing the different dimensions of black life. “Despite America’s changing demographics, Hollywood’s most powerful industry leaders have been slow to respond to a demand for movies that reflect cultural and racial shifts that have long been underway (Kang, Thompson, etc.., 2014).

The Decline of the Music Industry

Album sales over the past decade have been declining. It is mostly due to the rise of pirating music on websites online. Surprisingly vinyl or LP records were once near extinct, but in 2014 the revenue for vinyl records were $300 million and rose 50% over 2013 (Rosenblatt, 2015). On the other hand, sales of downloads (albums and singles) have shifted into sharp decline (Rosenblatt, 2015). Most of the album downloads are from Apple’s Itunes and Amazon MP3 and they are also down in sales.

Digital Music in the Digital World

As the technology increased over the years the sales and use of CDs have decreased. When the 160 gb ipod came out in 2007 it took over the traditional way we listen to music. These devices were slick in style, small for transporting, and could hold an enormous amount of music (Ben Lovejoy, 2015). These devices added another level of fun listening to music while on the go.

http://www.oxfordaasc.com/public/features/archive/1208/photo_essay.jsp?page=1

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/hollywoods-race-problem-an-insular-industry-struggles-to-change/2014/12/19/d870df04-8625-11e4-9534-f79a23c40e6c_story.html

http://exhibits.library.duke.edu/exhibits/show/africanamericansinfilm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/movies/28color.html?_r=0

http://www.forbes.com/sites/billrosenblatt/2015/03/21/new-riaa-revenue-figures-show-an-illusion-of-stability/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2014/01/07/the-numbers-are-in-should-the-music-industry-be-worried/

Blacks in Film and Television. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.oxfordaasc.com/public/features/archive/1208/photo_essay.jsp?page=1

(n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2014/01/07/the-numbers-are-in-should-the-music-industry-be-worried/

(n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2014/01/07/the-numbers-are-in-should-the-music-industry-be-worried/

Downfall of the Empire?

 The critically acclaimed show Empire has become a huge success for FOX. In its first season the show had a record breaking 13 consecutive weeks of ratings growth. The record came to an end when the second season premiered on September 23. According to USA Today, Empire's same-day viewership has dropped by more than 5 million viewers since the season 1 finale.

It is uncertain why the ratings have dropped week to week, but many speculate that it does not compare to the first season. Also the many guest appearances each week have distracted from the main plot of the season. In the first few shows that have already aired there have already been numerous guest appearances from Neyo, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Chris Rock, Pitbull, and numerous others. Another reason people have started to become uninterested with the show because the show's plot is a bit all over the place and it is unclear after four episodes where the season is going. According to the site independent.co.uk, rapper 50 Cent blames the ratings drop on too much "gay stuff" because one of the main characters on the show, Jamal Lyon played by Jussie Smollett, is a openly gay singer on the show. The show's creator Lee Daniels stated that he was disappointed that gay storylines do not test well with audiences.

Even with the drop in ratings Empire is still one of the biggest television shows on television averaging 16.7 million viewers. Also it still is the number 1 show with the young adult crowd nearly doubling the numbers of ABC's Scandal and new hit show Blindspot according to USA Today.

We can speculate on a lot of reasons that the show have had its ratings dropped but it still has given Fox its best ratings in years. The biggest question that everyone is asking is whether the shows ratings will rise back up or continue to fall? Only time will tell if there will be a downfall of the Empire.

Links:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/10/20/has-foxs-hot-empire-started-cool/74236678/

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/50-cent-blames-empire-season-2-ratings-drop-on-too-much-gay-stuff-a6679641.html

http://www.enstarz.com/articles/114862/20151021/empire-tv-show-ratings-still-on-the-decline-for-fox-series.htm

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/empire-season-2-50-cent-blames-ratings-drop-gay-stuff-1522560