Dw2a

DW2a:


Blackplanet.com is a website, like myspace.com or facebook.com, used for social networking. It allows users to create a profile, express their opinions, meet other people, and discuss current issues or topics they find important. Unlike the other social networking websites, however, Blackplanet.com is aimed primarily towards the African American public, and most of its users are, indeed, Black Americans. When I browsed this website, many AAVE features were appropriated throughout the entire site, and in most of the users’ profiles. One primary feature of AAVE that stands out is the rhetorical feature called braggadocio, which is especially apparent in user’s “about me” section. Here is an example from “idarastar”’s profile: “i don't need to write a little paragraph tryin to convince you that i am a cool %#&@$! chick. i just am what i am and that is one cool ass chick.” It is very obvious from this statement that the user is proudly bragging about themselves, or in other words, using braggadocio. Similar statements are made in the majority of the profiles.
Another feature of AAVE that is appropriated is repetition. An example of this, from
“RRbatman”’s profile is: “Those who watch things happen and Those who wonder what happened.) Which one are you? Obama needs our help to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!”
As you can see, he uses the word “happen” repeatedly, just within one or two sentences, emphasizing the issue he is trying to address. RRbatman also appropriates the rhetorical feature, using a sermonic tone.
“REST IN PEACE TO THE HOMIE STACK BUNDLES, GONE BUT NEVA FORGOTTEN FAR ROCK LIVES ON! A.K.A YOU NEVER SEEN LIGHTSKIN LOOK SO TOUGH!!!” In this statement from a user’s profile, he acknowledges the use of AAVE, or a version of it, and translates it into Standard English. This is one of the few locations on Blackplanet.com that AAVE is actually, in a way, discussed and not just appropriated.
In this statement from a user on blackplanet.com, he appropriates the grammatical feature well known in AAVE of using the verb “be”.
“the most overused phrase on BP: I'm REAL! I be perusing some profiles and there's an 80% chance that when you see those words, there's a booty shoot or a picture in their drawls, and 9 times out of 10 they ain't got time for games, lol!” This user also acknowledges the slang term “I’m Real”, and mixes in internet slang with the use of “lol”.
Internet slang is also mixed within the AAVE in many user’s profiles, so a lot of the AAVE is not used in its correct format. Words such as “U”, “wanna”, “pics”, or “gonna” are commonly used, sprinkled all throughout users’ profiles. One of the most seen grammatical feature of AAVE on blackplanet.com is the omission of the “th” sounds. “IF U AINT older dan me DONT HOLLA AT ME”. In this excerpt from a user’s profile, she replaces the Standard English word “than”, drops the “th” sound, and replaces it with the word “dan”. Almost every user on blackplanet.com appropriates some form of AAVE, even though it may not be completely correct.