Bamboozled

I understand that the film showed how racism still exists today through the form of entertainment.  However, it made me feel very uncomfortable.  With that in mind, we said in class that Lee was trying to make us sit through the awkwardness.  I guess he thought that making us feel uncomfortable was the best way to bring the issue of racism to the table.  The film gave numerous examples as to how stereotypes tend to be the default for how society views race, more specifically how society views people of color.  It's just easier for us to remember people if we fit them into that frame.

Nevertheless, that doesn't excuse the fact that blacks have been and still are being exploited because they are being given these stereotypical roles that don't necessarily apply to all blacks.  In relation to those who fit the stereotypes, minstrelsy grossly exaggerates the black stereotypes.  Moreover, minstrelsy and post-minstrelsy are the same in that both poke fun at African Americans.  Post-minstrelsy might not consist of actually putting on the blackface makeup, but it is still making fun of the black stereotype.  I think a good example is Madea because she is loud, uneducated, and violent.  Basically every negative stereotype can be seen in Madea.

All in all, I think Lee did a good job because he showed us that racism still exists today, how society participates in it, and how it's not so different from the past.