Minstrel Show

          Today I would like to share some thoughts about minstrel shows and their significance in the 19th and 20th century after the civil war. The United States was a nation with racism found on human equality and democracy. Minstrel show was an unique type of American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and singing. Mostly played by white performers in blackface or otherwise black performers in blackface, minstrel shows, using some elements of satire, criticized and stereotyped black Americans as stupid, happy, watermelon-eating, do domestic jobs or servant type of job, carefree, have thick lips and big mouths, superstitious, lazy, irresponsible, violent, aggressive, and threatening. Uncle Tom, Sambo, Mammy, Mulatto and Wench, Pickaninny, and Buck were the popular cartoon depiction of black Americans in the 19th century and early to mid 20th century.

          Helped in the shaping of the gut-level conception about race to many people across the American continent and the globe, these stereotypical portrayal of black Americans also perpetuated the idea of slaves being happy and cheerful during their enslavement and segregation era. Taken these characteristics for granted, some black American performers were able to make a living off the performances (such like minstrel shows) that perpetuate the racism in the mainstream American culture.Nowadays, although the segregation era became a part of our history, the gut-level conception about race and black Americans still remained in place in the modern culture. For example, a character called Coach Hines in a Mad TV, played by Keegan-Michael Key, captured the violent and aggressive stereotypical characteristics of the black Americans and exaggerated it into a brainless but psychotic character who threatened students and the school administration with violence. Although the mass audience did enjoy the video with content and this character is not created with a racist intention, we can't deny the racist comment about black Americans in this video.

          At the end, I would like to recommend this documentary about the importance of black stereotypes in mainstream American culture. It is available on youtube and it is called "Ethnic Notions".