Dress For Success

What is the intention of Tyler Perry in his portrayal of Madea in his highly successful movies series? Equally, what are movie producers and executives attempting to illustrate to audiences about black men dressed as women? Of greater importance, what is James McBride trying to convey to readers about black men, their masculinity, and their identity in the context of their role in modern society. Black masculinity seems to be an important theme in many artistic and literary works to date. This fact dates back to colonial obsession with everything black especially skin pigmentation and sexuality. The black body stands today as a fascinating model of physical prowess and sexual promiscuity. However, it appears that black masculinity is suppressed in most literary and artistic works. It is suppressed primarily through the presentation of black men as women or with feminine qualities. It is almost as if the only way whites will accept black men in society is if they dress like women and/ or possess unmistakable feminine characteristics.

In the context of James McBride’s Good Lord Bird this theme operates in Henry’s escape from slavery. In the larger context of society, it operates in many of the successful acting careers of several black male actors.

It appears so that James McBride shares in the fear of black masculinity as do his white counterparts. Europeans have always been both fearful of black masculinity, but also fascinated with it. The fear, specifically, is what prompts whites to consider the success of black men only in the condition that they act less masculine and less aggressive. This demonstrates to whites that they have nothing to fear. The history of America reveals that whites fear aggressive black men. Of the mos...

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...ck actors and comedians who have. In response to a movie director attempting to get him to wear a dress, Dave Chappelle says,. “I don’t feel comfortable wearing a dress…I don’t need to wear a dress to be funny.” The director responds by saying that all the greats have done it which indirectly suggests that in order to be great he has to wear a dress.

This fact demonstrates that, even in a post-racial society with a black president, in order to be successful in getting somewhere in America, the black man must suppress his natural urge to be aggressive. He must appear less angry, less offensive and more deferential to his white counterparts, and he must ultimately construct for himself a position that poses little to no threat to white people and the established white patriarchal system. Then and only then will he be accepted and successful in the white man’s world.