I believe culture from the past still affect us now. If you
look over the American or even global history many stereotypes we have are
because of past such as minstrel shows. Such as white actors in black face along with
other make up to extradite the eyes and lips. Even when Black Americans became
part of Minstrels they even had to use the black face paint due to the demand
of white audience demanded. I believe this fits very well with our discussion
from previous week on hegemony that our politics figures influence many of the
culture of a nation.
This is even influence laws such as Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow
comes from Daddy Rice also known as Thomas Darthmouth Rice(White Actor) he made
a huge influence on his acting and creating a character called Jim Crow during
the nineteenth century.
These shows showed African American as childish dim and lazy.
Even though as many forms of entertainment dies out or changes these stereotypes
still hold on black and white cartoons, musical and so forth.
From Uncle Tom’s Cabin created by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel
created many adaptions in theater to create different forms of the novel by the
book and also changing it to fit pro-slavery ideals; which changed the name of
the title for the show like ‘Happy Uncle Tom’. Their book showed the negative
side of slavery that many people do not recognize or do not acknowledge during
the nineteenth century. Their book
showed black slaves as people with relationships and emotions.
The shows that offer a pro-slavery take are often referred
to as Tom Shows and often showed spectacles like circus’s or dancing. Even the shows that was very close to the book
still held stereotypes to appease the white audience.
On with these shows came a new melodrama ‘The Octoroon’. This is a bout three main characters two are
which are opposed each other due to wanting a woman named Zoe who is an
octoroon (1/8th black) which makes marrying either one of them
illegal. The rich man McCluskey wagers to buy her as he is wealthy. But is
unable to due to the fact of being arrested for murder but he escapes and blows
up a steamboat but is killed before able to purchase Zoe. Zoe does not know this and kills herself in
front of the other Character who fell in love with her.
Many people during that time hated the ending because most
shows like this ended up with a ‘happy ending’ it is believed to possible two
reason to appease those who dislike the idea of an interracial marriage or to
show the injustice of slavery.
So with this I also add on the fact we are still seeing
stereotypes from this generation and even a new generation of where many shows
such as ‘Adventure Time’ or’ The Legend Korra’ ended their series with either
cliffhanger of a non-heterosexual relationship. Non-heterosexual relationships
are often missed or not approve of by many societies and part of our own
currently and this effects our culture. We are often left to creating fan
theories or ‘shipping’ relationships we believe fit better and they may of. But
due to the heterosexual relationships being the majority of what media’s view
as acceptable we are left out of other forms of relationships. In this creating
new stereotypes for non-heterosexual relationships and so forth.
Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3K9uKIMob0
Samples:
Adventure Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QmT9xdSwcQ
The Legend of Korra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWBbMZykTus
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