Z Boys

I feel that this was both an ethnographic study and a work of entertainment because there were interviewers involved, actual footage, and seemed to be pretty extensively researched.  It was also entertaining.  the interview subjects in the documentary were the "Z-Boys" and the were significantly important to the documentary because having interviews with actual members of the cultures provided a dynamic to the documentary that would have not been reached without them.  I don't think it would have been nearly effective or entertaining had their interviews not been included.  They give you a hands on insight into the culture that they created.  This subculture has many things that make it unique like its locations, people, rules, and attitudes.  One of the subcultures rules that stood out to me was that members of the Z boys were not allowed to bring other people with the to the pools that they chose to skate.  Also it stood out to me the way outsiders were treated when they tried to surf in the Z boys territory.  Some of the stereotypes that I held previously about skaters still hold true in my mind after watching this movie.  One of them is that skaters are free spirited individuals who do what they want when they want.  Another is that skaters are just "cool" people in general.