Although Los Angeles has become famous for its sunny climate, beautiful beaches and all the glitz and glamor associated with Hollywood and the entertainment industry, the poor, the less desirable areas of the City of Angels are often despised and, in some cases, even completely forgotten. F. Gary Gray's Friday, the 1995 comedy starring Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Bernie Mac, Tommy Lister, Jr., and John Witherspoon, offers viewers an uplifting perspective on a day in the life of those residing in the South Los Angeles – an area heavily influenced and affected by crime, poverty and unemployment. Compared to the more desirable stereotypes of Los Angeles, it is evident that there is a clear socio-economic gap that separates the upper class – the majority of which are Caucasians who reside in very wealthy neighborhoods – from the lower class, which is predominantly composed of a multicultural demographic that can only afford to live in the least desirable neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Friday manages to depict the reality and nature of this socio-economic divide, and it also manages to do so in a way that not only enlightens viewers about the severity of the divide's consequences on inner-city youth, but also engages viewers through its easy-going and fun nature. At its core, Friday is a great example of the traditional "ghetto-noir" film genre - a stylistic classification of 1990s films that intends to address the circumstances that African-Americans face and struggle with in an urban, predominantly Caucasian society. . Throughout the film, Friday introduces Craig (Ice Cube) and Smokey (Chris Tucker) and chronicles the struggles and hardships, albeit in a… medium of paper…you?” Here, for example, it is It is evident that Gray is not only literally conveying this message from Willie to Craig, but is also inviting male viewers within the target audience to consider their own masculinity and whether or not the use of firearms is enough to validate their masculinity. one's sexuality. Today, and due to the high amount of crime and illegal activity that occurs daily, many in South Los Angeles feel "hard" if they can go out and commit an illegal act without being caught by the police or killing another human being. Contrary to that widespread and erroneous belief, however, this is simply not the case – and F. Gary Gray includes this particular case, along with many others, to encourage members of the slums to better themselves and not give in. to the sense of corruption commonly associated with South Los Angeles.