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Related Pieces
Piece Description
Like most of the kids in her school and on her block, 16 year old Josetta Adams used to listen to hip-hop music. But, when Josetta slipped into a depression, she started to listen to rock music that matched her mood. She also began painting her nails black and wearing t-shirts adorned with skulls. Her way of expressing her feelings went against the norms of her family and her community, quickly labeling her as different and even as far as calling her a "sell-out". Depression is an uncomfortable topic for anyone, but amongst an African-American family it can be taboo. Josetta is no longer depressed but she wants to figure out why her family, friends, and community have a difficult time understanding her way of expressing herself and why it's hard to talk about these feelings of sadness in her family and community.
Broadcast History
WNYC Morning Edition - December 2, 2008
Transcript
HOST INTRO: Rookie Reporter Josetta Adams comes from a family where feelings of sadness aren't really talked about. So when Josetta slipped into a depression, she didn't know where to turn. She started to listen to rock music. She felt that it matched her mood - but her new taste in music sparked criticism from friends and her Caribbean American family. And Josetta was left wondering how to stay true to herself - and still express her feelings.
NARRATION: I paint my fingernails black and I listen to rock.
JOSETTA: This next song is dedicated to my brother Patrick.
NARRATION: I listen to rock when I'm mad.
JOSETTA: AAAAH.
SONG: And if your heart stops beating I'll be here wondering did you get what you deserve...
NARRATION: My Chemical Romance—I LOVE them! Now I feel relieved.
(song fades up)
JOSETTA: Dead!
JOSETTA: Yeah um my neighborhood has a lot of black people.
NARRATION: W...
Read the full transcript
Additional Credits
Kaari Pitkin, Senior Producer
Courtney Stein, Assistant Producer
Marianne McCune, Editor
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Alexandros Zervos
Posted on May 30, 2010 at 08:48 PM | Permalink
Review of I'm Not Emo
Culture, social norms, and the impact on a person; this piece dishes out all of those things. The piece flows well and is able to keep the attention of the listener (it does not feel like nine minutes!). For the most part, sound clips and audio are properly introduced at key places, allowing for a better understanding of the message. This piece appears to be a combination of two central ideas: social norms vs. somebody different, and an in-depth discussion of the African-American culture. These two powerful ideas come out well in the piece, but can leave the listener confused as to the focus of the overall feature. The feature feels more like a combination of two strong pieces rather than a continuous one. Also, there is not a lot of direct connections made between the two central ideas, however this provides an opportunity for a listener to come to his/her own conclusions about the ideas presented in the peace. Overall, I walk away feeling more knowledgeable about a different culture, but I still do have questions as to what the narrator thinks about these issues. The piece is a good introduction for somebody who wants to provoke discussion about culture that is related to African-Americans or youth.