Acclaimed actor and rap artist Will Smith has achieved a level of Hollywood fame rarely attained by a Black celebrity. Early in his career, Smith aspired to be the world's most famous movie star and being named the world's top film attraction in 2008, fulfilled his goal. While his rise to a place of worldwide prominence and cultural relevance has made him iconic, his accomplishments have not received the full and thorough acknowledgement and analysis they merit. This is the first full-length critical look at the significance of Will Smith's achievements over a more than 30-year career. Many of his films have broken cultural norms by depicting Black men in groundbreaking social settings, like the role of the world-saving hero in his most popular films. In addition to analyzing Smith's filmography, this work contextualizes other popular and common portrayals of Black men in media and society. Finally, this book examines Smith's work in his middle age, ruminating on his ability to adapt to the realities of a new Hollywood.

Acclaimed actor and rap artist Will Smith has achieved a level of Hollywood fame rarely attained by a Black celebrity. Early in his career, Smith aspired to be the world's most famous movie star and being named the world's top film attraction in 2008, fulfilled his goal. While his rise to a place of worldwide prominence and cultural relevance has made him iconic, his accomplishments have not received the full and thorough acknowledgement and analysis they merit. This is the first full-length critical look at the significance of Will Smith's achievements over a more than 30-year career. Many of his films have broken cultural norms by depicting Black men in groundbreaking social settings, like the role of the world-saving hero in his most popular films. In addition to analyzing Smith's filmography, this work contextualizes other popular and common portrayals of Black men in media and society. Finally, this book examines Smith's work in his middle age, ruminating on his ability to adapt to the realities of a new Hollywood.

"Read about Will Smith--how he became a rapper, his first acting job, and his movie career"--Provided by publisher.

Designed to reinforce literacy skills and arts knowledge with easy to follow activities.

A pop-science journey into the surprising ingredients found in most common packaged foods Like most Americans, Steve Ettlinger eats processed foods. And, like most consumers, he didn't have a clue as to what most of the ingredients on the labels mean. So when his young daughter asked, Daddy, what's polysorbate 60?, he was at a loss and determined to find out. From the phosphate mines in Idaho to the oil fields in China to the Hostess factories and their practices, Twinkie, Deconstructed demystifies some of the most common processed food ingredients, where they come from, how they are made, how they are used, and why. Beginning at the source (hint: they're often more closely linked to rock and petroleum than any of the four food groups), we follow each Twinkie ingredient through the process of being crushed, baked, fermented, refined, and/or reacted into a totally unrecognizable goo or powder, all for the sake of creating a simple snack cake. An insightful exploration of the modern food industry, if you've ever wondered what you're eating when you consume foods containing mono- and diglycerides or calcium sulfate (the latter a food-grade equivalent of plaster of paris), this book is for you. Consequently, as Hostess plans to permanently close its doors in 2012, this book will provide a relevant guide into the practices of one of the biggest companies of all time.

A look at the life and career of the famous actor and musician.