Year: 2000
Director: Spike Lee
Context Analysis:
The movie, Bamboozled unfolds in the
mid-nineties and highlights issues within modern television programming. It is
a social satire that focuses heavily on television’s seemingly racist practices
and the manner in which it works to fuel popular culture. The film’s characters
correspond with media’s stereotypical roles of black people, such as
“Uncle Tom” and the “Coon”. These representations allow
producer/director, Spike Lee to explore both the issues and the influential
historical factors that contribute to them, in order to provide his audiences with
contemporary relevance.
Usually, in American film, the Coon and
Uncle Tom are the main stereotypical black characters. There is a lot of
history that contributes to each character’s being that have been proudly displayed since the birth of television.
The Tom references the Uncle Tom character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The main character was played originally by a white man in blackface who represented an enslaved black man. This slave was usually passive and submissive to his white masters, despite the abuse he received at their hands. When real black people were finally cast in movies, most of their roles were associated with this character. These roles were conceived by a need to create a socially acceptable black character that entertained whites while giving blacks, a sense of inferiority.
The Coon, however, was completely
different in its intention. This character portrayed blacks in a different
light, presenting them as stupid, indolent and uncivilized. Many blacks
probably believed this notion, after having been conditioned, to seeing themselves as something dehumanized. If playing such exaggerated roles meant that they could
grace the silver screen, then so be it. Coon characteristics were usually
laziness, exaggerated eye bulges, messily eating watermelon, stealing chickens,
shooting crap and a terrible grasp of the English language, most of which is
portrayed in the fictional production as part of the movie.
In the opening sequence of the film,
Pierre Delacroix (the main protagonist – played by Damon Wayans) gives a brief
definition of “satire”. He defines it as “a literary work in which human
vice or folly is ridiculed or attacked scornfully”. By including this
definition in the script, Lee’s intention was clear: he wanted to direct the
public’s interpretation of the film, to illustrate how black America is viewed
by white and elitist America. He also sought to raise awareness among the black
race - another important message. He does this by highlighting the misappropriation and subjugated roles that are meant
to humiliate blacks without much protest as a response.
The film also explores the view that the
elite in society have the authority to determine what is offensive
content. The blatant use of the word “nigger” on television, for example, is an
attempt to pacify the offensive origins of the word and it’s link to slavery.
Additionally, black cultural assimilation, evidenced by Dunwitty’s
self-indoctrination of blackness also illustrates the paradigm that the elite
(mainly white America) popularizes and demeans black culture in the same vein.
Contemporary examples of this grave confusion are the use of black hairstyles
(such as bantu knots and dreadlocks, inherently black styles) and exaggerated
features (such as Kylie Jenner’s lip filling controversy). This just shows that
white America borrows trends from black America, a culture that is seen as
harsh and aggressive, and makes them more visible and widely accepted by the
wider society.
The concept of using a show within a show
to bring across a message is similar to Paddy Chayefsky’s “Network”.
There is even one particular scene during the minstrel show itself, where
Mantan preaches and falls to the ground unconsciously, a clear recreation of Howard Beale’s “I’m mad as hell” monologue on his show. It gives off a
similar feeling of preaching to an audience who is supposed to be angry and
tired of particular situation while demanding them to take some action and make
a change within society.
Thematic
analysis of film's perceived messages - both overt and sub-textual
The main theme of the film is cultural
appropriation, very evident from beginning to end. The cultural association of
the watermelon patch allowed for the resurgence of the perversion of black
culture, depicting black people as unclean, lazy and juvenile. This cultural
association is also mimicked by contemporary media in the film, evident in the
scene where Manray and Womack (pre-Man Tan and Sleep ‘n Eat) feast on fried
chicken while Delacroix discusses the intended concept of the show. Another
example, can be seen whenWomack uses a watermelon to wake Mantan
out of his unconsciousness.
Furthermore, other black caricatures are
demonstrated on the production as Mantan and Womack are joined by other racial
stereotypes such as Aunt Jemima and The Alabama Porch
Monkeys.
These portrayals, coupled with the
figurines that litter Delacroix’s office, are a not-so-subtle reminder of the
misrepresentation of black people and black culture in the media. All of this
seems intentional by Lee, who clearly wanted to stir up some type of emotion
within every scene rather than just save it all for the minstrel show. Although,
a lot of people have gotten over the mental strains of slavery and their
history, Lee still manages to make the film uneasy for them. It is as if he is
telling the audience to not forget, at any point, where you came from.
Admittedly after constantly seeing these figurines, it eventually gets viewers
upset. Especially since Delacroix, a black man, is so comfortable and playful around them.Racial subtexts within the film also acknowledge the discomfort of white America with the middle class black family, evident in Dunwitty’s explanation that “nobody wants to see that junk” as a rebuttal to why Delacroix’s previous television show concepts were rejected. Additionally, these subtexts uncover a startling revelation of how African-Americans see themselves, illustrating the double consciousness that in order to be accepted by white America: that they must assimilate an identity that is similar to that of the elites.
Moreover, despite the uproar from the
black community in the film, Mantan is embraced by critics and is seen as a
liberating character, simply because his appeal makes the show a trendy parody
of black culture. This misappropriation is linked to the reality of the black
hip hop world today whose lyrics and overall message(s) have created an avenue
to remove the historical shame and embrace the word “nigger”. This is evidenced
in the film when several members of the production’s live audience, (all
black-faced) enthusiastically explain why they are “niggers”.
Subtexts in the film also uncover the
power structure of the America where white America still has control over the
media and entertainment industry, alluded in the film by Dunwitty and other
white CNS executives. They have the command of the entertainment industry and,
as such, determine its content. Contrastingly, this power association is
flawed, as the successful, racially controversial show illustrated the power of
the African-American to influence real change in society.
It should be noted that although
Delacroix is intelligent, it is this that drives him to come up with this idea
in the first place. All his other ideas were uplifting to black people but only
this concept seems to be a winner. The irony is that Delacroix, who
conceptualized and produced the show, was a university educated black man. This begs the question: is black America more cunning
than they let on? This says to the audience that the Minstrel show is somewhat
justified because a black man is behind it. After all, everyone knows it would
be racist and stereotypical if the white man did it. Therefore, this gives reason for whites to enjoy the show even if blacks do
not. This is seen visually after the show becomes a huge hit and audience
members and even the crew begin to proudly wear blackface.
There is also the message that blacks are not aware of their culture. For example, Delacroix gave Mantan and Womack names that they did not know the origin of. “Mantan Moreland” was well known in the 1930s and 1940s for his characters that showcased and exaggerated black people’s features and personalities. He made an entire career of this act, appearing in over three hundred films. However, no one saw a problem with his representation of black people because he himself was black which was seen as a type of license to proceed.
By pairing Mantan and Womack together
Delacroix has brought back a piece of black history that negatively but perfectly fits into the theme of the show.
Another subtle message that could be
missed is the manner of which white Americans believe they have the privilege
of acting black whenever they like. This is represented by Mr Dunwitty who
specifically says to Pierre, “I have a black wife and biracial kids. Brother
man- I’m blacker than you.” The Dunwitty character creates an interesting
racial paradox as this white man has - whether successfully or unsuccessfully -
assimilated black norms. In the film this comes across as comical; however, Lee
is showing how many white persons can be quite egotistical about the subject.
It is as if they think they reserve the right to mimic black culture and tell
black persons what they know about their own race.
This is type of behaviour is also vividly
represented in the “Timmi Hillnigger” ad. This may seem funny but it holds a
deeper meaning. This speaks to the fact that black people are ridiculed if they
speak or dressed well because they are deemed as wanting to be white. However,
if a white person tries to act black it is not seen as a problem by other
whites. Black persons should be angry about this because it still represents
blackface but in a modern way.
The mannerisms and views of Sloan Hopkins,
Pierre’s assistant, also carries an important message. In the film, Sloan was
against the idea of the minstrel show from the beginning. She always tried to
oppose and challenge anyone who encouraged it further. However, it was only
until the near end of the film that she totally ended her involvement with it
after she was affected by the consequences.
This
represents the percentage of blacks who pretend to be blind to racial
stereotypes regarding them, in order to get ahead in the workplace.
Similar to Mantan and Womack, Sloan is passively hopeful that the show would
fail while trying to preserve the job that she worked so hard for.
Lastly,
The Mau Maus (Sloan’s brother’s rap group) had an important contribution to add
to the overall message as well.
At the end of the film when Manray is killed, speaks to the heartache and anger blacks feel with the way they are represented in the media. Strangely enough the anger was only shown after the Mau Maus’ audition for the Alabama Porch Monkeys was unsuccessful. At first they were chasing the fame only to realise just how degrading it was to them. This is replicated in modern media with television stations like VH1 for example. This network produces a lot of shows that portray black people in a negative light as a form of entertainment eg. "Love and Hip Hop". This therefore, causes a divide in the black community of persons who see this type of content as harmless while others are offended.
Conflict analysis as relates to one major character:
The character Pierre Delacroix, whose original, given name is Peerless Dothan, is one of the main characters in the film. Delacroix is the only black writer at CNS and is a perfect representation of what we can call whiteface- a black character with white traits. He rejects his culture and identity which is evident in his name change and outrageous accent. He also displays many characteristics that would identify him as a contemporary reproduction of the Tom character.
Like the typical Tom character, Delacroix
aims to please his white “master,” his boss at CNS, even at the expense of his
own racial identity. He also displays many characteristics that would identify
him as the integrationist negro - a new type of negro. He obeys orders,
even if he finds them unreasonable and takes any form of abuse from his boss
with little to no protest at all, even when his boss uses the word nigger in
his presence.
Being the obedient and conscientious
worker that he is, Delacroix aims to create a show that will both boost ratings
for CNS and as a result, please his boss. He has an ulterior motive though, a
personal one of being recognized as a superior writer. Despite his race,
Delacroix’s aims to please method results in the creation of a sensational and
controversial, yet socially accepted television show, “Mantan: The New
Millennium Minstrel Show.” The show features degradating images and racist
iconography: watermelons, and chickens alongside the Aunt Jemima, Rastus,
Jungle Bunny and Sambo characters. Delacroix seems to have good intentions at
first but only manages to resurrect horrible events of the past and stir up old
conflicted emotions for the black audience. He takes his ridicule like a man
and achieves a high from the success of his show. He has waited for so long to be
recognised that the reason behind his recognition does not seem to matter
anymore. This is clearly shown in scenes where he imagines winning various awards for the show.
With the success of his show, Delacroix is
faced with constant criticism from friends and family, and is seen as a traitor
to his race by reproducing past stereotypes. As mentioned previously, Delacroix
seems to be whiter than even the average white man, in his mannerisms and
exaggerated speech. Contrastingly enough, cultural assimilation also presents
itself in Delacroix as he accepts the white culture and denies his own black
culture, which ironically is accepted by Dunwitty, his white boss. However
Dunwitty has the power to misrepresent black culture without any objections as
the Senior V.P. of the entertainment division of CNS.
Although Delacroix is a modern spin of the
Tom character, he can be seen struggling with making certain decisions as it
pertains to the show. The movie also exposes the relationship between Delacroix
and his father, a comedian who doesn’t accept his son’s career choice and the
path he has created to gain success. When their relationship is highlighted, it
makes you question why Delacroix chose to adapt to an European identity.
Delacroix’s character has more depth and
dimensions to it than the typical stereotype he is depicting. The character’s
journey throughout the show gives actual reason as to why he has chosen to live
his life that way. Spike Lee did not just reproduce cultural historical
stereotypes and caricatures but he instead re-appropriates them.
It is almost as if Lee is countering his
argument on blackface by showing whites in particular how ridiculous they look
when they try to be something they are not. It is a visual for blacks to see
what they should not accept and for whites to know of the feeling if the pages
were turned.
How Successful was this Film?
This film was successful in its objective.
Besides the obvious, there were a lot of hidden messages within each scene that
makes the viewer think. Admittedly, the execution of the director’s ideas were
a bit odd and over bearing at some points.
This exists mainly with the main
character, Pierre Delacroix whose accent and mannerisms were increasingly
aggravating but still carried a sensible reasoning behind it. The main idea of
blacks wearing blackface in itself is a ridiculous and shocking idea but it was
also a very brave route to take in making the film.
When looking at the bigger picture it’s
easy to see why this amplified depiction works in Lee’s favour; many of the
main messages come across as raw and unfiltered. This means that Lee is not
trying to be PC (politically correct) or hide what he wants to say, hence the
reason why the film received and still continues to receive backlash. He took a more literal
approach in trying to get audiences - regardless of race - to see the
ridiculousness of the situation. He wanted the audience to see that this so
called equality and liberation for all is not what it really seems, especially
in the America's case.
It deals with the
mental state of both blacks and whites when coming to such a tender topic. It
is almost as if he is spelling out why racial stereotyping is wrong in hopes of
influencing a change or in depth discussion in real life society.
The film became the
topic of many conversations when it was released in 2000, proving its reach
amongst the public. With its controversial theme being race in American media,
it got the attention of many worldwide, making the intentions of Lee successful. And that intention was to highlight his disappointment with the representation of
blacks in American media.
