Please read this article by Mark Sawyer, a UCLA professor. The article adds more information about the blackface issue, but unlike the NPR commentators - Mark Sawyer describes blackface as being an enduring and pernicious legacy, and not only in America, but still endures around the world! Is blackface ever okay? There are a lot of justifications flying around - the main one being that with comedy everything is okay. But even with comedy blackface is wrong - it mocks a group of people who had to endure a horrible and genocidal legacy - slavery. Sawyer makes a convincing case, which I agree with completely, that blackface is always wrong, presents distorted stereotypes and is always racist.
Harry Connick Jr. recently encountered this in Australia with white actors in blackface mocking Michael Jackson, and called them out on it. Should he have done so? You decide. By the way the picture on the right is a blackface Mickey Rooney with Judy Garland!
For the article, the second comment hits the nail at the end, atleast at the end.
ReplyDeleteSome interesting things. There were actually African American actors who put on blackface. The minstrel shows was comedies for everyone black and white. Bert Williams was a famous African American actor who did minstrel shows and blackface. Bert Williams..."has done more for our race than I have. He has smiled his way into people's hearts, I have been obliged to fight my way." Booker T. Washington. I'm not saying blackface isn't wrong but think about how race is still represented without the use of make-up. How about Vanilla Ice he wasn't in blackface but he might as well been. Did he embrace black culture or make a mockery out of it? Look at the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In early episodes and even later episodes Will Smith's character seems to be an over exaggerated youth of 90s African American culture. It pokes fun at stereotypes but does this perpetuate stereotypes for laughs? Spike Lee's film Bamboozled is good film that takes a look at racial representation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMZ6zp-3oGY&feature=player_embedded
ReplyDeleteThe way blackface represents race still exists in film, tv, and pop culture even though the make up is not there. Blackface, yellowface, brownface, whatever it is, is still strong in media whether it is subtle or in your face. Next time you watch anything involving race think of how it represents race or perpetuates certain stereotypes.