7. American Pimp
The film American Pimp (1999) was directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes (the Hughes brothers who brought us feature films like Menace II Society and the Book of Eli). American Pimp looks at the mostly illegal trade of pimping and prostitution and shows us some of the most colorful personalities in this subcultural industry. Dennis Hof, of the world-famous Bunny Ranch in Nevada, is interviewed as are many other "pimps" who makeup the illegal prostitution trades. We also hear the life stories of the many prostitutes (or sex workers) who work for the pimps. Some have said that the film glamorizes these sex trades, but one of the things that we must remember about subcultures is that they reflect values that are typically rejected by the mainstream yet are celebrated by those within the subculture. Thus, the "glamour" of such a subculture may be read as an accurate depiction of who live and breathe it. As well, at the end of the film, the Hughes brothers show us the tragic sides of the industry in the lives of prostitutes who have been killed and pimps who have been incarcerated.
Scott A. Lukas
Contributor
Scott A. Lukas has taught anthropology and sociology Lake Tahoe Community College for sixteen years and in 2013 was Visiting Professor of American Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany. He has been recognized with the McGraw-Hill Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching of Anthropology by the American Anthropological Association (2005), the California Hayward Award for Excellence in Education (2003), and a Sierra Arts Foundation Artist Grant Program Award in Literary–Professional (2009). In 2006, he was a nominee to the California Community College Board of Governors. He is the author/editor of The Immersive Worlds Handbook (2012), Theme Park (2008), The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nature, and Self (2007), Fear, Cultural Anxiety, and Transformation: Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Films Remade, (co-edited with John Marmysz, 2009), Recent Developments in Criminological Theory (co-edited with Stuart Henry, 2009), and Strategies in Teaching Anthropology (2010). His book Theme Park was recently translated into Arabic. He appeared in the documentary The Nature of Existence and has provided interviews for To the Best of Our Knowledge, The Huffington Post UK, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, and Caravan (India).
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