tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post5292115073437997055..comments2024-03-23T21:46:50.843-04:00Comments on the passionate moviegoer: movie racism for the fun of itjoe baltakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-23244877359934910802019-02-11T06:25:54.298-05:002019-02-11T06:25:54.298-05:00yup,yup, yup, yo' sho is right, boss man........yup,yup, yup, yo' sho is right, boss man......W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-24721855251638454242019-02-10T20:06:06.378-05:002019-02-10T20:06:06.378-05:00Judy Garland was just 16 when she did "Everyb...Judy Garland was just 16 when she did "Everybody Sing." She was just a kid. Give her a break!thomas whittakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-5808037773980732562019-02-10T19:55:19.076-05:002019-02-10T19:55:19.076-05:00Paul- Excellent point. Obviously, this is a compli...Paul- Excellent point. Obviously, this is a complicated issue, not easily concluded. -Jjoe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-16033399345263349912019-02-10T17:37:58.994-05:002019-02-10T17:37:58.994-05:00Thanks for this interesting post. In the case of &...Thanks for this interesting post. In the case of "My Wild Irish Rose," it was my impression that the black face number in the film was intended to be an accurate recreation of a genuine turn-of-the-century stage act. It's pretty unpleasant to watch today, but I think it was historically accurate. Would it be better to have ignored the realities of the theater back then?<br />Paul Gottliebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14062464400324829622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-31624191678027984152019-02-10T17:20:46.743-05:002019-02-10T17:20:46.743-05:00Mike- You nailed it. Yes, that episode is burned i...Mike- You nailed it. Yes, that episode is burned in my brain and what "Star Trek" did was simply racial, inciting racists who didn't understand - and would never understand - the importance of that moment. -Jjoe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-75335736577876241012019-02-10T15:48:20.066-05:002019-02-10T15:48:20.066-05:00Joe, so we're essentially in agreement. But th...Joe, so we're essentially in agreement. But the terminology is not incorrect. As late as 1970, even "Variety" was still referring to black-oriented pictures as "race films." Again, always important to consider intent. We're both old enough to remember how NBC's switchboard lit up when Shatner kissed Nichelle Nichols on "Star Trek." What they did was "racial." What the callers were was "racist."mike schlesingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15824197221204862706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-82955897495615090662019-02-10T15:44:05.253-05:002019-02-10T15:44:05.253-05:00Joe. You forgot Al Jolson and "The Jazz Singe...Joe. You forgot Al Jolson and "The Jazz Singer."Billy from Phillynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-26967285268446781702019-02-10T15:36:32.268-05:002019-02-10T15:36:32.268-05:00Mike! What you're saying is that it's a ma...Mike! What you're saying is that it's a matter of semantics, vis-à-vis "racial" and "racist." But I disagree. I'm sure you're correct about the (innocent) intentions of Garland, Astaire and Jolson, but I doubt if any one of them even applied the word "racial" to what they were doing, let alone "racist." It was just another form of entertainment for them - another terrific number to perform. Historically, it's not uncommon for people to say or do something racist without even realizing it. That's what makes it so insidious. -J joe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-30200700370954885802019-02-10T14:57:59.405-05:002019-02-10T14:57:59.405-05:00The problem here is that everyone conflates "...The problem here is that everyone conflates "racial" with "racist." Context and intent are important. Minstrel shows and blackface had been part of the entertainment scene since the 1830s, and it was just something people did, like smoking. I'm sure Astaire, Garland, Jolson, et al did not think they were doing anything "racist"--they were just continuing a popular show biz tradition. Is it wrong now? Sure, unless there's a specific satiric point being made (TROPIC THUNDER). But we cannot go back and rewrite history and call all these people bigots when that was clearly not their intention. mike schlesingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15824197221204862706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-58062756247490521222019-02-10T12:28:25.313-05:002019-02-10T12:28:25.313-05:00fascinating and scary. Sadly, it's everywhere...fascinating and scary. Sadly, it's everywhere.Terri Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-89374416849278284742019-02-10T07:57:01.760-05:002019-02-10T07:57:01.760-05:00If you watch "Everybody Sing" or the cli...If you watch "Everybody Sing" or the clip of Judy singing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" on YouTube, you'll notice that it's more than just blackface. She does a stereotype of a southern black person with exaggerated mannerisms and vocal inflections. Not good.Charlottenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-27282983113449995662019-02-09T11:09:45.820-05:002019-02-09T11:09:45.820-05:00Alex- Astaire not only donned blackface for his tr...Alex- Astaire not only donned blackface for his tribute but also dressed in the Bill Robinson style for the number. Bojangles was Robinson's aka and you can see him in action in “The Big Broadcast of 1936” and then compare Astaire's take on him, which knowledgeable dance aficionados have said is uncanny. Yes, it would be interesting to see if Astaire ever commented on the number in interviews. There are two major books which examine Astaire's art - “The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Book” by Arlene Croce and “Astaire Dancing: The Musical Films” by John Mueller, but I don't believe that Astaire contributed any commentary to either. -Jjoe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-15316996164836592502019-02-09T10:19:57.572-05:002019-02-09T10:19:57.572-05:00Astaire was paying tribute to the great African-Am...Astaire was paying tribute to the great African-American dancer Bill Robinson and I guess that his celebration of Robinson should be inclusive. He wanted to look like him and thought that there was nothing wrong with that. I doubt if it occurred to him that he went too far or that his tribute was racist in any way. I wonder if Astaire ever considered the number in any of his interviews with the press. I'd like to know what he thought of it years later.Alexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-60617082151321651382019-02-09T09:45:51.996-05:002019-02-09T09:45:51.996-05:00Kiki- I love his singing of that song, too (and in...Kiki- I love his singing of that song, too (and in general). And, of course, the dancing. What's regrettable is that it is performed in blackface. -Jjoe baltakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467420961490314339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-91774558680341832712019-02-09T09:27:05.461-05:002019-02-09T09:27:05.461-05:00I loved Fred Astaire singing "Bojangles of Ha...I loved Fred Astaire singing "Bojangles of Harlem"!Kikinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18439960.post-83833647540323133942019-02-09T09:07:05.727-05:002019-02-09T09:07:05.727-05:00For what it's worth, Judy looks positively mis...For what it's worth, Judy looks positively miserable in that photo from "Everybody Sing." I think you're probably right when you write that she had no say in the matter - and didn't like doing it!Marueennoreply@blogger.com