Art with a Social Agenda - Boyz N the Hood

Anytime the purpose or point of art is discussed, it is inevitable that there will be mention of a possible social or didactic purpose of art. Sadly, it also seems inevitable that these claims are ridiculed and cast off in favor of a more ambiguous aim or a more intellectually satisfying view that art should exist solely for art's sake. I've never been one to come down firmly on one side of any issue and I'm rarely satisfied with any single answer when the question is challenging and unquantifiable; this issue is no exception for me. I've always loved art, but I cannot give myself over to an answer that states art exists solely for pleasure, nor can I believe that art is the sole purpose of art. What's more, I will not believe that art can be reduced to a mere educational tool or an agent of social change. Truly, art is multifarious in its abilities, purposes, and aims (of course, if it can be said to have any).  While the idea of art as an agent of social change might seemingly be inapplicable in some cases...

a nude by Francois Boucher

This nude challenges existing social paradigms

and presents our culture from a new perspective.

(No, that is not correct.)

... in others it's not so ridiculous an idea.

a policeman by renowned graffiti artist Banksy

This policeman challenges existing social paradigms

and presents our culture from a new perspective.

(Not so funny here, huh?)

I'm writing all of this because 20 minutes ago I saw, for the first time, director John Singleton's Boyz N the Hood. You might expect any movie that opens with statistics about violence and murder rates to be unbearably affected, overly moralizing, lacking subtlety, and generally like what might be any other work of art with an obvious social agenda. Absolutely not the case here. The film was engaging, entertaining, and enlightening. The moral of the movie was visibly present throughout, but at no point did it ever seem like there was a giant billboard preaching "BLACK ON BLACK VIOLENCE IS BAD; LOOK AT THIS SITUATION - IT HAS TO BE CHANGED", even in the scene with the Laurence Fishburne's lecture in front of the billboard. It is a real testament to the artistry of the writer and director, Mr. Singleton, and to the craft of the actors that the moral is conveyed so effectively. It is also a testament to the ability of art to have a social agenda. I think that the key point here is that moralizing art, art with a social purpose, must be done artfully. I know exactly how ambiguous that sounds and how useless it is to say, but unfortunately, that is often symptomatic of any discussion of art. I suppose what I'm trying to say that if moralizing art isn't done artfully, than it isn't art - it is tedious and banal and any hope of edification goes out the window. Boyz N the Hood was powerful as a film and I bawled my eyes out at the critical moment. The films point was made clearly, and  Singleton was able to produce an effective work of art that is perfect evidence for the argument for art having, at least in some respects, a socially beneficial purpose.