Using reader-response theory and qualitative research and analysis, Fisher describes how black, male-focused coming-of-age films are affecting American society, particularly the legacy of the
"hood" films of the early 1990s. She delineates the messages of such films by re-reading Menace II Society, Juice, Boyz n the Hood and similar films to locate ghetto-centric films within both
African American and white American communities, gauging the impact of the aggression and violence depicted on high school students, policy makers, and ordinary citizens. She explores how
"blackness" changes as different cultural groups view these films. She also examines the violence outside the theater when these films were shown, and the lingering aftereffect felt in identity
politics. Annotation 穢2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
