I think Wayans’s
character is an example of minstrelsy.
He bites his tongue and goes along with what his white, and quite
honestly offensive/racist boss wants.
Wayans’s is ‘performing’ for his boss and in order to do so had to
marginalize African Americans in the US which is exactly what minstrels did
historically.
Minstrelsy began with white men putting on black face. However, in the 1840s, African American men
began performing blackface too. Mr. Dunwitty accuses Wayan's character of not being black enough. Pierre is an educated young man who dresses well and is committed to his job. Dunwitty forces Pierre to go against his beliefs in order to succeed which is very similar to how African Americans had to go against their beliefs in order to gain credibility in the entertainment industry at the time of minstrelsy. I remember talking in class about how an African American minstrel changed his name to a 'white' name in order to be more successful as a minstrel.
They had
to forsake their pride in their race in order to perform and entertain. It was racism that made black minstrelsy into
a profession in this era. The fact that
a race of people had to go against their heritage in order to gain credence in
their profession is the whole point Spike Lee was trying to make; he is arguing
that this is still happening today.
Blackface remains a powerful and hurtful image because of this.
Emily, I think you did a great job of pointing out that Wayan's character himself was a prime example of a modern minstrel, as he was "performing" for his white boss, and society. I would go beyond and submit he was not even so concerned about his personal success and progression as he was much more concerned into being, becoming and pleasing the white America. This is why in my answers to the response I submitted the central thesis was not of the blatant minstrel and the characters performance in black face it is how black people play modern day minstrels themselves without the black face in their everyday lives. The physical minstrel in the film is a sub-theme or a consequence of the central theme. Film director Lee reinforces his central theme with artifacts such as the clothing "Tommy Hillnigger" to just heighten his theme. I was a bit disappointed as a follower and proponent of Lee's work. I am entertained, shocked, and learn something from his films. I do not mind feeling uncomfortable during a film if it has a higher articulate, and intelligent purpose. I am not saying this film was a tragedy, that it just missed its mark and not of the standard of Lee's work. As we discussed when you are going to take a heavily loaded topic of minstrel and attempt to satirize it one must do it with absolute execution and skill.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it strange how topsy-turvy everything was? The only 'acceptable' black people were caricatures and actual blacks were ridiculed if they didn't go along with the stereotypes other people had painted.
ReplyDeleteNowadays we just blame their culture, situation and whatever else we can come up with to skirt around obviously racist remarks.
The black-white dynamic is definitely one of the most unique in the world. Other countries such as India deal with caste and class issues which manifest as an intra-cultural 'color' issue, but it's hard to find two cultures who live so closely together and yet have such a long and divisive history.
Excellent point about the actual character of Pierre Delacroix being an example of modern minstrelsy. I found his interactions with his boss to be the most uncomfortable segments of the movie to watch. Yes, the minstrel show itself portrayed an excessive amount of stereotypes and inequalities. However, the "normal" and casual "everyday" interactions (I guess you could call them that) between Delacroix and Dunwitty in the working world displayed a true lack of compassion for the human race in a modernized setting. Among the exaggeration of the minstrel show, Dunwitty's carefree attitude when ridiculing and mocking Delacroix's lifestyle seemed very "real" and disturbing. These moments certainly portray the idea of blackface in modern media.
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