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Madison Como, Appropriation Without Appreciation

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How we speak, especially in casual conversation, often goes without thought, but there is a complex relationship between race, class, and language. Slang is a phenomenon in language that consists of words and phrases, commonly considered informal, that have meanings understood by particular groups (“Slang”). Languages have slang widely used, but often it is generational and geographical. Although largely regarded as informal, some slang gains an entry in dictionaries and becomes official words in the broader language. Moreover, slang is commonly used– it is so important in everyday conversation that we often don’t know if the phrases we are using are slang or where the terms originated from. 

Most of the slang used today traces its origins to the Black community, especially the Black queer community, and African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Words used widely by internet culture and younger generations, like woke, bae, lit, and tea, can all be traced to African American women in the 1950s and drag culture adopting the terms in the later decades (Tremeer). These AAVE terms were popularized and adopted by broader American culture and were deprived of their histories and context. Cultural appropriation is the “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture” (“Cultural appropriation”). Since non-Blacks often use these AAVE-influenced words without credit or understanding, their use fits the definition of cultural appropriation.

This can be dangerous and oppressive, especially when looking at the commodification and exploitation of Black culture. Companies use marketing strategies that utilize slang terms in order to seem relatable and “woke.” However, when people of color use their own slang, they are seen as unprofessional and undesirable (Tremeer). Whites also borrow from AAVE to appeal to broader audiences, like Ariana Grande in her song 7 Rings, without having to combat the oppression that Blacks face when participating in their own culture (Cherid). Furthermore, in a study published in the Journal of Sociolinguistics, the researchers conducted research on European Americans in a racially diverse high school and found that white males often adopted aspects of AAVE to project an air or toughness and hyper-masculinity, aspects that are often associated with the Black male, and gain “tough” Black men as allies (Bucholtz). 

European Americans can gain respect and power from participating in Black culture, but members of the Black community often face discrimination for doing the same, especially in academics. Schools in the United States, at every level, are instructed to teach Standard English and discourage the use of certain dialects and speech regarded as informal. Since dialects are often related to race, geography, and class, the discouraging of dialects can discriminate against marginalized groups, like how preventing students from using AAVE discriminates against the Black community. Vershawn Ashanti Young states in his essay, “Standard language ideology insist that minority people will never become an Ivy League English department chair or president of Harvard University if they dont perfect they mastery of standard English” (113). Without ascribing Black culture with respect in the academic world but continuing to exploit it for gain contributes heavily to maintaining the stereotype that minorities are less educated and, therefore, less equipped for academic pursuits.

So how is it that spoken English is so heavily tied to AAVE and Black culture, but Standard English completely denies its influence and refuses to give it any respect. White European Americans, while not always intentionally, want to continue marginalizing people of color while profiting off of their cultures. Moreso, we want to participate in other cultures without thinking critically about our actions. Most of all, school systems completely disregard most of Black culture and history, making it impossible for non-Blacks to learn about the relationship between Blacks and American history, culture, and language without seeking the knowledge out themselves. Stanley Fish cites many reasons why dialects are not included in the English curriculum, in particular. His main argument is that, while Standard English and its enforcement in schools contributes directly to “protecting the status quo,” schools are meant to prepare students for entry into the real world where not all dialects are equal; students will not “be able to change the world” without mastering Standard English (Fish). However, the perpetuation of the status quo does is cyclical– if the education system does not address the issues regarding representation and respect of minority cultures in the curriculum, then students will continue to learn one sided history and white-washed English, while gaining little information on the cultures that make up a large portion of the greater American culture. 

School systems need to combat this by teaching the history of other cultures, particularly minority cultures within the United States. American History classes fixate on the founding fathers, the Civil War, the Gilded Age, World War II, and so on, without taking an interdisciplinary look at how race relations and minority communities affected each of these events. A study was conducted in a diverse classroom where intolerance was common. The teacher made their students give presentations on their cultures, and afterwards, the students were more accepting of diversity (Serin, 174-176). Encouraging understanding of other cultures will encourage respect. Making the curriculum include more diverse narratives and perspectives will allow for students to learn the rich history of the culture they might be participating in subconsciously while also learning to appreciate it, not appropriate it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited 

Babbel.com, & GmbH, L. N. (n.d.). Is it cultural appropriation to use drag slang and AAVE? Babbel Magazine. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/cultural-appropriation-drag-slang-aave. 

Bucholtz, Mary. “You Da Man: Narrating the Racial Other in the Production of White Masculinity.” Journal of Sociolinguistics, vol. 3, no. 4, Nov. 1999, pp. 443–460. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/1467-9481.00090.

Cherid, Maha Ikram. “‘Ain’t Got Enough Money to Pay Me Respect’: Blackfishing, Cultural Appropriation, and the Commodification of Blackness.” Cultural Studies/Critical Methodologies, vol. 21, no. 5, Oct. 2021, pp. 359–364. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/15327086211029357.

Fish, Stanley. “What Should Colleges Teach?” New York Times, 7 Sept. 2009.

Serin, Hamdi. “Teaching about Respect and Tolerance with Presentations on Cultural Values.” International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, Vol. 3, No. 4, June 2017, pp. 174-176. Doi: 10.23918/ijsses.v3i4p174.

Young, Vershawn Ashanti. “Should Writers Use They Own English?” Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, Vol 12, Issue 1, 2010, pp. 110-118.

 

 

Motivation or Scam: The Rhetoric of Grant Cardone

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A speaker that stood out to me the most was Grant Cardone, who has accumulated millions of dollars from seemingly nowhere and now claims helping others as his greatest desire. According to Cardone’s website, he is the “#1 sales and marketing trainer in the world,” and according to the rest of the business realm, he is “magnetic and impactful… [he] truly embodies the American Dream” (Johnson). He launched an annual conference in 2017 called 10X where he and other entrepreneurs teach attendees how to accomplish their goals in business or personal life. The catch is, tickets are mainly marketed to people that aren’t wealthy and can’t afford meaningless expenditures, but they are often thousands of dollars, not including the travel and room fees. This led me to wonder how Cardone can get people to pay exorbitant prices, what he’s even talking about, why he’s doing it, and if he’s worth it.

Lloyd F. Bitzer establishes what defines a rhetorical situation in his essay. He asserts that not all literature is inherently rhetorical, nor are all persuasive situations that include the traditional understanding of rhetoric– a “speaker, audience, subject, and communicative purpose” (3). Instead, a rhetorical situation “functions ultimately to produce action or change in the world; it performs some task… [it] is a mode of altering reality… by the creation of discourse which changes reality through the mediation of thought and action” (Bitzer 3). He further discusses the content of rhetorical situations as including exigence, audience, and constraints. Cardone’s 2018 10X Conference keynote speech fits Bitzer’s definition of a rhetorical situation because it prompts action from the audience. At its core, the keynote is a motivational and persuasive speech, urging listeners to take action and alter their lives as Cardone promotes and includes exigence, audience, and constraints. 

Bitzer defines exigence as the prompt for rhetoric that must be able to be “modified” (6). The 2018 keynote speech has two important, almost contradictory exigences. At surface value, Cardone’s purpose is simple– to help the audience, especially to help them make money. He wants to motivate conference attendees to take action and model their lives after his. In fact, he directly states this in parts of his speech, saying, “I want you to become partners of mine,” “I want to fly on your jet,” “I want you speaking on the stage,” and “I want to showcase your success at the next conference” (Cardone). The reason he is speaking, his exigence, is that his audience members aren’t insanely rich or established entrepreneurs. The conference attendees are, in Cardone’s eyes, not working hard enough and not taking enough risks when it comes to their business or personal lives. Contrary to his seemingly noble purpose, Cardone also wants to make money for himself and continue to push the narrative that he is an uber-successful businessman with great advice. He has already established a large net worth with his previous business ventures, but his main source of continual income, and the fuel that lights his fame is his 10X products, particularly his conferences. Therefore, Cardone has something to sell and prove in his 2018 keynote. 

The rhetorical audience is those that are able to take action in response to the exigence (Bitzer 7). Cardone’s immediate audience is the conference goers, the thousands of people that paid to get a seat in the arena. They are able to act upon the motivation Cardone instilled and make the changes to their mindset that he promotes. This audience is the most responsive to his message, as they have already fed into the Grant Cardone brand and respect his outlook. Cardone has less to sell them on, meaning his purpose with this audience is almost completely to help them. 

However, his immediate and present audience is not the only people he is talking to. The keynote was live broadcast on the official Grant Cardone Youtube channel and subsequently uploaded to the channel for viewing at any time. For these listeners, he has much more to prove and to sell, and this is evident with the way the video was edited on screen. The shots included in the uploaded video were strategic, as they always are in broadcasts. The video team purposefully zoomed in during parts of the speech when Cardone was discussing his personal life to make it more intimate and zoomed out when he attempted to make a point about the scale of the show. For the whole duration of the video, a large ad was on screen advertising the paid, online livestream of the complete conference that read “FLASH SALE TODAY ONLY SAVE $330” in bold letters. Not only is he speaking to motivate the audience to change their mindsets; he is speaking to them to buy into his brand and his products. Throughout the speech, he references his book, The 10X Rule, repeatedly, so much so that if the listener has not read the book, or at least has a grasp of what the book is about, they will miss certain points. This strategy, as well as the fact that this was the only speech from the conference available for free viewing, intrigues the audience that is not at the conference. It prods further exploration, something that can only be done with payment.

The advertisement that ran throughout the video. Source: Youtube Grant Cardone

Constraints consist of anything that has the potential to affect the ability to act on or decide to act on the exigence (Bitzer 8). Cardone is- like with his immediate exigence and audience- quite upfront with certain constraints. He has an abrasive voice with a lot of rasp whenever he talks, but his voice is nearly gone in his 2018 keynote. This can make him difficult to understand at times and causes him to have to repeat himself often. However, this benefits him in certain ways. His voice is commanding and intimidating, giving off the impression that he is a person of importance and respect, and that his message should be taken seriously. His forced repetition allows his rhetoric to be ingrained in listeners’ minds, so no one from the audience will be left asking “Wait, what did he say?” The medium of Youtube to reach his extended audience can also be a constraint. Youtube often has low watch times, meaning many that click on the video only watch a portion of it, and the length of the speech (about forty minutes) only heightens this issue. Furthermore, a low percentage of those that interact with the video are likely to purchase any Grant Cardone products. But again, this is not strictly a constraint. Youtube is universally accessible, so the video will be able to reach a lot of people, and the medium allows the video to create ad revenue in itself.

Cardone, as a figure, is often criticized online for being a scam and ostentatious. This can turn potential customers, especially casual viewers from the extended audience away from him and his call to action. However, he is quite candid about the hate he gets; in fact, he overplays it, saying that he gets a lot more of it than he really does. He feeds into the narrative that he is scorned by the media to make himself more appealing to the audience, to make him seem like the “badass entrepreneur” he advertises. He plays so much into this that he built it into his call to action. In the 2018 keynote speech, he says to his audience that to get to the top, they are going to have to make a few enemies. Cardone also plays into the fact that he is extravagant; it’s a part of his brand. The keynote began with a flashy show of lights and pyrotechnics and displayed a video compilation of private jets, stacks of money, luxury cars, and scenic views, all while Cardone descended from the top of the arena. It was absurd and excessive, but it was so enticing. The showy entrance established Cardone as someone that has the life that everyone wants, thus making the audience more receptive to his advice and motivation. 

Grant Cardone’s extravagant entrance. Source: Youtube Grant Cardone

While there are constraints that are obvious and played into by Cardone, the constraints that affect the audience’s ability to truly act on the exigence are much more complex and harder to combat. Cardone’s audience is mostly made up of people striving to become successful entrepreneurs that are likely not already wealthy. The fact is, it’s just not that easy to create a successful business and become a millionaire without established capital, connections, and so on. A study conducted by Philipp Korom, Mark Lutter, and Jems Beckert analyzed the Forbes 400 list and the super-wealthy and found that while recent trends have contributed to a rise of self-made millionaires, the importance of familial wealth endures (90). Furthermore, Jody Agius Vallejo and Stephanie L. Canizales conducted research specifically on Latinx communities and how social and economic factors influence entrepreneurship. They found that factors such as race, gender, and class affect one’s likelihood of becoming a successful entrepreneur; for example, in addition to class, “access to capital is also gendered” (Agius Vallejo and Canizales 1653). The fact that the capital necessary to start a business is often more difficult to attain as a minority, working class individual, or woman, means that hard work from these individuals will not be enough. The struggle that Cardone talks about and promotes will not even be accessible to many potential entrepreneurs because of the disadvantages they face.

When evaluating whether or not Grant Cardone effectively deals with his exigences, his two differing purposes must be taken into consideration. During the first segment of the speech, he opens up to the audience about his trials in his early adult life, taking a step back from speaking of his immense wealth to talk about how he personally got there. He emphasized his humiliation, saying he went into debt and faced rejection more times than he could count and worked eighteen hour days, worked on holidays, and missed a lot of life that others his age were experiencing (Cardone). This anecdote is coupled with a somber tone; there is nothing heard but his voice, and the camera is zoomed in on stage. This vulnerability is in stark contrast to the previous segment, the extravagant entrance, and connects Cardone to his audience, both the conference attendees and the viewers at home. Furthermore, the content of his story shows that he faced adversity in his early entrepreneurial journey, allowing him to relate to the audience and motivate them by showing an example of perseverance. 

At the end of his very personal story, he launches into what helped him get through the adversity he faced– a mentor. He explains that a mentor is absolutely necessary to success in all aspects of life. After voicing this opinion, he immediately goes into a dissertation about how he loves to help people, saying, “I am most happy when I am helping someone else” (Cardone). He continues with this sentiment, saying that the audience gives him the ability to help others. The way Carone voiced these thoughts together, along with the same stripped down lighting and sound design as the previous section, was a way to hint that he could be the audience’s mentor. He, a normal guy that has gone through the same issues as everyone in the audience, can be the person they look up to. This is effective because his advice and knowledge is his product, and this rhetoric sells it. 

When comparing the previous two segments to his final segment, where he tries to give financial advice, his other purpose, it falls flat. The final segment of the keynote was his advice for the audience. The advice is generic, saying that aspiring entrepreneurs should make the decision to become successful and sacrifice everything until they achieve their goals. Additionally, the audience should “monetize everything,” and understand that every financial and personal decision is an “expansion activity,” or a way to increase capital and influence (Cardone). Unlike the somewhat somber feel of the previous segments, Cardone uses much louder language and body movements when talking about this. He sometimes screams to emphasize his point and make his presence larger, and he uses more exaggerated hand gestures. Even with the added strategies, Cardone does not effectively respond to part of the rhetorical situation, because his advice is not sound. It’s too general, and the process of accumulating wealth is too complex of a topic to cover in a forty minute presentation.

Cardone utilizes exaggerated body language to get his point across. Source: Youtube Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone has made millions of dollars from his 10X brand, so he’s obviously doing something right. I believe that Cardone is a great orator and he utilizes rhetorical strategies to grasp the audience and keep them engaged in what he has to say. However, this does not mean his 2018 10X Keynote speech effectively responded to the rhetorical situation– at least not completely. When looking at Cardone’s speech from a strictly marketing perspective, he was rhetorically effective. He utilized certain constraints to his advantage and motivated his direct audience while selling the Grant Cardone brand to viewers at home. Yet, sales were not his only objective; he was supposed to help people make money and start their businesses. This speech did not effectively respond to this situation. The constraints of class and racial inequalities were not addressed at all; the advice was inadequate, and Cardone’s rhetorical strategies did not make up for the shortcomings.  

 

Works Cited 

Agius Vallejo, Jody, and Stephanie L. Canizales. “Latino/a Professionals as Entrepreneurs: How Race, Class, and Gender Shape Entrepreneurial Incorporation.” Ethnic & Racial Studies, vol. 39, no. 9, July 2016, pp. 1637–1656. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/01419870.2015.1126329.

Bitzer, Lloyd F. “The Rhetorical Situation.” Philosophy & Rhetoric, vol. 25, Penn State University Press, 1992, pp. 1–14, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40237697.

“Grant Cardone’s 10X Growth Conference 2 Keynote.” Youtube, uploaded by Grant Cardone, 18 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXyvZxzyetg&t=22s

Johnson, Denise. “The 10x Effect: 15 Minutes with Billionaire Grant Cardone Completely Transformed My Business ” Dallas Innovates.” Dallas Innovates, 25 Feb. 2021, https://dallasinnovates.com/the-10x-effect-15-minutes-with-billionaire-grant-cardone-completely-transformed-my-business/. 

Korom, Philipp, et al. “The Enduring Importance of Family Wealth: Evidence from the Forbes 400, 1982 to 2013.” Social Science Research, vol. 65, July 2017, pp. 75–95. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2017.03.002.