An Examination of Minstrel Show Archetypes
The most troubling element of stereotypes are typically their alleged roots in reality. We’ve all heard it said at some time that stereotypes of race, social cliques and economic classes are based on truth. This is what I find to be so dangerous about the archetypical characters found in early 20th century minstrel shows, many of which continue to be seen in modern media. If we begin in a mental state of believing that all stereotypes are at least partially rooted in truth we have already alienated blacks from whites a fair deal. To do so not only makes the stereotypes in question seem harmless, but also socially ingrains that some part of it is the truth.
We become conditioned, as a society, to believe that black women are angry Sapphires, who are constantly looking for a fight. Stereotypes such as this one force even modern black women to white wash themselves, their own personalities and appearances, in order to seem
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They too, must whiten themselves in order to not be automatically viewed as criminals and a general threat to whites. The modern version of a coon is not too different from the character that began it all, with a penchant for gambling, violence, and illicit behavior and substances. This stereotype unfortunately works hand in hand with the system of disenfranchisement running rampant in our country today.
And yet, perhaps the most worrisome of archetypes for me are those of the Savage and Pickaninnies. During the time surrounding the second world war, not too long after the establishment of these stereotypes, Hitler was giving speeches comparing the Jewish people as “rats”, and in Rwanda, Tutsi individuals were referred to as “cockroaches”. This is a system known as dehumanization and is often a key role in things such as slavery, but as noted above, it is also a key role in the rationalization of committing mass
In the essay The Way We Lie, Stephanie Ericsson writes that “All the ‘isms’-racism, sexism, ageism, et al.-are founded on and fueled by the stereotype and the cliché, which are lies of exaggeration, omission, and ignorance. They are always dangerous. They take a single tree and make it a landscape.” This quote is important due to the fact that stereotypes play a major role in many aspects of our society. In American society we have a tendency to pass judgment on people just because of a pre-existing stereotype that our society has formed on particular groups over the years. American Society tends to create stereotypes because of the simplicity it adds to our lives, but stereotypes can cause us to oversimplify the characteristics of others, encourage prejudice, and can even create many more severe dangers.
In class, we watched a film called Ethnic Notions. In this film, it brought to light how devastating and powerful images can be. Due to exaggerated images and caricatures created pre-civil war era of black men and women, stereotypes were created and have negatively affected the black race in society. Caricatures, such as the Sambo, Zip Coon, Mammy, and Brute, have unfortunately been engrained in the minds of generations. So much so their stereotypes still persist today.
The movie 'Ethnic Notions' describes different ways in which African-Americans were presented during the 19th and 20th centuries. It traces and presents the evolution of the rooted stereotypes which have created prejudice towards African-Americans. This documentary movie is narrated to take the spectator back to the antebellum roots of African-American stereotypical names such as boy, girl, auntie, uncle, Sprinkling Sambo, Mammy Yams, the Salt and Pepper Shakers, etc. It does so by presenting us with multiple dehumanized characters and cartons portraying African-Americans as carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies. These representations of African-Americans roll across the screen in popular songs, children's rhymes, household artifacts and advertisements. These various ways to depict the African ?American society through countless decades rooted stereotypes in the American society. I think that many of these still prevail in the contemporary society, decades after the civil rights movement occurred.
Eye witness accounts of events are not always accurate. The accounts depicted by depend on how witnesses read the situation. The same is true when interpreting the depiction of race and/or ethnicity in media productions. Because situations gain meaning through the process of social construction (the interpretation of a situation based on one’s knowledge), the same event can be viewed and internalized by witnesses who render opposing viewpoints. This analysis will compare the depiction and rejection of socially constructed stereotypes relative to race and ethnicity in three situation comedies: All in the Family, The Jefferson’s and The Cosby Show.
Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, we are presented with various representations of stereotypes involving numerous characters of all ages. Due to specific encounters, we are faced with repeated stereotypical situations. For example, Walter Cunningham is a poor, misunderstood boy who comes from an underestimated family name. Along with the main character Scout, who narrates the story from a young age and finds herself constantly reminded to be the lady she is not. In like manner, Tom Robinson is familiar with the ways of Maycomb, Alabama who easily loses hope with his case of an alleged rape. Walter, Scout and Tom all validate as victims of stereotyping, but from the goodwill within and taking the time to understand someone beforehand,
Minstrelsy, or minstrel shows, were a widely popular form of entertainment during the eighteenth century that consisted of comedic acts of white people negatively impersonating the African American population as lazy, unintelligent, and superstitious with offensive theatrical makeup called blackface. While minstrel shows encouraged the promotion of music and what Americans may have considered to be the high points of black culture in some shows, they also showed extreme discrimination and racial inequality. With the rise of minstrelsy also came the growing influence that these negative caricatures had on society and culture, even literature. One literary work creates a large amount of controversy even today because of its seemingly racial and discriminatory plot; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is controversial only because of Twain's accurate depiction of the social issues of the time, especially race. Mark Twain himself loved minstrel shows, and because he accurately portrays his characters as products of their time, including Jim, the different caricatures of the stereotypical black slave are evident in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, where Jim rejects the stereotypical blackface portrayal of minstrelsy.
When one thinks of any cultural group, racist and, in some cases, sexist stereotypes that have permeated society may come to mind. Yet do these stereotypes accurately depict the people of this cultural group and if not how do these stereotypes affect these people? As a people it is easy to become disillusioned by the labels their group is given. The people then become less proud of their culture even though the way their culture is labeled is racist and false. Hurston’s audience witnesses this when Tea Cake is forced to bury the dead after a hurricane. He tells Janie how uncomfortable he feels around the white people he is unfamiliar wit...
For many years, African Americans have faced the challenge of being accurately and positively portrayed within mainstream media, such as American made films. They are often represented as people who are inferior to those of the Caucasian race, and are frequently presented with problems that are related to racial discrimination. The portrayal of African Americans in media such as movies has often been considered a large contributing factor to the racial tensions that still exist in our world today (Lemons, 1977). The movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, sheds light on the portrayal of African Americans in movies, and how stereotypes can greatly impact the lives of those who are not of the Caucasian race.
...nd attractive. It creates a double consciousness that is difficult to reconcile. Carla Williams argues that “given the legacy of images created of black women… it is an especially complex task for contemporary black women to define their own image, one that necessarily both incorporates and subverts the stereotypes, myths, facts and fantasies that have preceded them. (Wallace-Sanders et.al, 196) The root of the problem lies within our society. While very culpable, mainstream music and advertisements are not the only promoters of female objectification; the key is unwinding the inner tensions between these two groups. There is a need for the promotion of female solidarity, regardless of their skin color. We need to rid society of the evil of racism—only then will conceptions surrounding African Americans parallel and be as positive as those surrounding white women.
In the essays, “Turkeys in the Kitchen” by Dave Barry, and “Just Walk on By” by Brent Staples, they argue the theme of gender, and racial stereotypes that have been present in our world from the very beginning. Barry suggests through a sarcastic and humors tone that gender stereotypes have been present since before the start of time; he uses a highly conversational style to prove this, as well as narrates to give the reader a better understanding of exactly what he’s talking about. Staples, on the other hand, uses a more authoritative tone to support his theme of racial stereotyping; he also uses the mode of rhetoric exemplification to his benefit, and is able to show the audience that this issue is just as important as the gender stereotypes that take place in our society still today. Barry believes that despite the fact that people are against stereotypes they still will always fall back on them; and Staples believes that people need to change themselves in order to not fit into those common stereotypes. They prove this through the history of gender discrimination in the 19th century factories, and through the 1970-1980’s and also up until today’s racial discrimination in the media. However, if we all hate stereotypes, then why do we always seem to be falling back on them?
In conclusion, stereotypes are always going to come in different shapes and forms. We may not realize it at first, but we need to know they are there. In order for stereotypes to be broken, people need to stop feeding people what they think it is to be something or someone they have no idea about. Stereotypes come from uneducated biased people and with that cause a lot of false information. We need to change what information we give out because we are hurting other humans with our assumptions.
Everyone in their lifetime have been ignorant to other race at least once in their lifetime. This comes from the stereotypes of each race. Such as “ all black people eat watermelon and love fried chicken” or “ all Latinos are immigrants and work for little pay”. Without having experience with other race, individuals tend to stick to with what they know and confront people with knowledge based off of stereotypes. Stereotypes were meant to categorize others and [put down] various racial identities. I believe they we 're made to make it [easier] for individuals to have categorizes. Your brain tend to group things so you no longer need to consider information about each individual member of the group.The term “acting white” has been around for
... also appear racist on the basis of the ideology that still exists in some parts of the world, that the white race is superior over the black race.
Bleaching even though it as existed from slavery days was not so prevalent in the 1800s this is why men and women practiced mental bleaching has I call it. They bleach true the use marriage, they marry some body of a lighter skin or give birth to a child of lighter complexion. This was a form of upward mobility, a step closer to whiteness. This mate or offspring would change their status, their color and hence their life. The woman in the star is part of a great number of women in Jamaica and a across the world who are subjecting themselves to beauty rituals such as bleaching. This is done to keep a breast in a world of white supremacy. To neglect these rituals to these women are to fall behind and to be loss in a sea of just another ugly, black woman with no hope or future.
Even though the world is filled with stereotypes and misconceptions about people, we can take mental steps toward overcoming those stereotypes. Being aware of our inner thoughts and feelings and how they affect our beliefs and actions is a constant battle, but will help reduce stereotypes in our own mind. Staying open minded to different religions, cultures, and races helps one get a better understanding about others for themself. Most of all, we can overcome stereotypes by taking into account individual differences and using factual information instead of assumptions (“Overcoming Stereotypes”).