Post by sudan on Jan 22, 2007 1:40:50 GMT -5
The Female African American Image in Early Film and Television Hattie McDaniel{1898~1952}
By Lauren Wells
Takeaways
Stereotypes of black women in media are discussed in terms of both their origins and their lasting effects.
By the dawn of the 20th century, a black image had already begun to surface in American entertainment. Minstrel shows with actors performing in blackface became increasingly popular, and particularly with the introduction of cinema several very negative stereotypes materialized. These images resounded everywhere in American culture; collectibles boasting almost ape-looking black faces, radio shows highlighting the 'antics' of the black 'buffoon', and films in which blacks were cast solely as serving, lower-class, or lazy characters (particularly for comic relief) were all commonplace. These images were implemented deliberately and with definite political intentions. The type-cast black characters frequently exploited in Hollywood became accepted by society and were used to aid ignorant Americans in making assumptions about black people and their culture.
Several negative images of African American women had begun to emerge even before television and film. With the introduction of these media, the stereotypes proliferated because of their reinforcement and approval by white culture. The media's interpretation of black women was a reflection of what many wanted to believe: that black females were either sexless or hypersexual, either incredibly submissive or annoying and outspoken (and, in any case, not worthy of the same social status as whites). Never was the African-American female image one of beauty or, specifically, purity. Three of the most frequently executed images were the "Mammy", the "Jezebel", and the "Sapphire". These icons represented more than just an ignorant audience; they were a deliberate attempt to both justify and quell suspicions about relationships between white men and black women. In reality, at the time these figures originated, it was common that black women were sexually exploited by white men (Doherty). The stereotyped characters (and their acceptance by white culture) have wounded the image of black women in America, and even today the personae resound in books, films, and television.
Probably the most obvious and exploited stereotype is that of the Mammy: the asexual, unattractive, overweight domestic servant who is content to do nothing but work for the white family. The character is always (in an almost patronizing way) very dear to the white family and very acceptable to the American public; if the fat black woman (think Song of the South's and Gone with the Wind's Hattie McDaniel) is content to sweep up, watch the white children, and laugh heartily, then it must be that all blacks are happy to remain in lower-class servitude. Essentially, the Mammy is the ideal slave. Almost always in these films there is the juxtaposition of the Mammy and the white matriarch, usually a slender, beautiful, and young mother. The mother is commonly preoccupied with her own issues outside of household life (she's almost a failed Mammy) and is often given guidance in decision-making by the Mammy. This is deceivingly complimentary to the black woman. It is not because of her intellect or reason but instead her simple-mindedness and "outside" point of view that her advice is heeded. After the Civil War, the 'Mammy' figure in literature redeemed for southern whites the notion of blacks and whites cooperating under the same household (and particularly the notion of a healthy relationship between white masters and black women). In reality, however, the pitch-black, middle-aged figure was purely fiction; if there was a black housekeeper at all, she was usually the opposite of evidence for a benign white male/black female relationship: young, skinny, and sometimes bi-racial. It was so important to so many whites to keep white-black sexual relationships a severe improbability that really the only character present in entertainment's southern white household was the sexless, caricatured Mammy.
Another stereotype reflected into even modern entertainment has its roots in pre-slavery expeditions to Africa, where tribal black women were found wearing little clothing and participating in rituals that whites misinterpreted as acts of promiscuity. This assumption and suggestion that black women were hypersexual by nature evolved into the "Jezebel" character. The Jezebel, as opposed to the Mammy, was proliferated in media as justification for sexual relationships (and often rapes!) between white men and black women. Jezebel was seen in drawings, cartoons, and countless TV shows and movies as more American than African-looking: a slender, light-skinned woman with a thin nose and lips, more European rather than African facial characteristics. The early Jezebel commonly had straight, long hair and was scantily clad. She was portrayed as sex-hungry and amoral. Although a disgusting idea, Jezebel was a young woman "impossible" to rape because of her animalistic insatiability. The nature and acceptance of her character places the responsibility in her hands the black woman's hands for any questionable relations with white men.
This notion has resounded all the way through the twentieth century. Song lyrics, supporting roles in TV and film, and characters in fictional novels all suggest that black women are particularly immoral or "easy". A more evolved, modern Jezebel includes the "bad-girl" image. Here, she is not only sexually immoral but a bad-mouthed, street-wise troublemaker. This Jezebel is rude and aggressive, most commonly seen in film being arrested, using drugs, and, again, prostituting. For example, several fairly recent movies have placed black women in solely demeaning and sexual roles. For example, in the 1995 blockbuster Batman: Forever, the only black female actresses played cheaply dressed whores (Daufin). Black actress Angela Bassett publicly rejected the role that was offered to her in the 2001 film Monster's Ball, claiming that she didn't want to be placed in the demeaning prostitute part and that there's "such a stereotype about black women and sexuality...I mean, Meryl Streep won Oscars without all that" (Anyiwo). It's very easy to find Jezebels not only in early television and film but also in modern media. The Jezebel image has resounded so clearly that today its effects are not limited to the white plantation owners of the past. Again and again, black rap and hip-hop artists demean and objectify black women with their lyrics. Some artists go so far as to advocate assault and rape of African American women. As 50 Cent rapped in his song P.I.M.P.:
"Bitch choose with me, I'll have you stripping in the street /
Put my other hoes down, you get your ass beat." (Osayande).
The song received massive radio airplay and was a top ten track in 2003
(Osayande).
Probably the most hurtful assumption that can be derived from the Jezebel stereotype is that young black women are incapable of experiencing love. The Jezebel is a role that American society has become desensitized to and that sometimes is not immediately recognized as racist, but it remains a demeaning and very unfair portrayal of African American women.
Another recognizable image is the "Sapphire", its namesake the character on the Amos and Andy television show. Although the stereotype dates back before the actual show, Amos and Andy's Sapphire embodies the persona. Sapphire is a chubby, dark-brown woman with a loud mouth and nothing substantial to say. Society loved this image, not only because of Sapphire's dumb, rude personality but also because even her male counterpart has no respect for her. Sapphire is strong-willed and stubborn; she is constantly running her mouth and attempting to "expose the immorality of the African American male through cunning, thereby exposing her own virtues" (Women's). She is really the antithesis to the Mammy. On the Amos and Andy show, Sapphire is the wife of Kingfish, a conniving and essentially immoral character himself. Regardless, none of the male characters in the show take Sapphire seriously, a big reason why she is a comfortable black image to white culture. Her exaggerated stubbornness and hot temper along with her stout appearance make her unsexual and unappealing; if males of the Sapphire image's own race don't find her a sexual interest, it can be assumed that white males wouldn't either. There is even a single picture to associate with Sapphire: hands on her hips, head back, a proud, astute posture and an outrageously sharp gaze. Sapphires are essentially shrews. They annoy their husbands and spitefully harass everyone else, often in the company of another similar female. The fast-talking, outspoken black female is also an image still echoed in media. The sassy, trash-talking black girl is familiar to sit-coms and teen movies. Even in television and radio commercials, the Sapphire-type character is exploited to provide comfortable comedy and sell "hip" products. This ignorant representation of the angry black woman has had a lasting effect on black females: "...many African American women suppress these feelings of bitterness and rage for fear of being regarded as a Sapphire" (Yarbrough).
All three of these women have affected the lives of African American females today, whether they know it or not. For example, it is in the nature of young girls to be molded by their surroundings, by the images that "shine down" from movie screens and TV sets. If young black women see black actresses playing only Jezebels and Sapphires when they turn on the television, with whom can they relate? Where's their "just like me" idol? The entertainment industry has come quite a long way, and so have the demands of racially conscious Americans. However, while songs about assaulting and raping black women still make the Top 40, we as a society can't claim that we've been completely cured of racism's illness.
Even before the Emancipation, the black image in entertainment has been deliberately exploited, exaggerated, demeaned, and mocked. These negative representations of blacks, their heritage, and their culture have had hurtful and lasting effects on the African American community. Even though modern society is much more aware of and sensitive to blatantly racist stereotypes, it is the fuzzy realm of subconscious ignorance and assumption that has allowed some of these notions to remain in our present culture. The problem we face today has jumped off the screen; some people have even embraced the stereotyped images glorified in media, and some have gone to extremes to avoid them. There's a very interesting gap between societal assimilation and cultural pride; each ideal for blacks has been both suggested and ridiculed by American society as a whole.
Racism and ignorance in America's media-driven culture are like some radioactive substance with a very long half-life. Now, what we need is a more powerful catalyst.
Bibliography:
Doherty, Jan. "Louisiana Black Women." An Ignored History. 1986. Loyola University. 27 Nov 2006 .
Pilgrim, David. "Jezebel." Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. 2002. Ferris State University. 27 Nov 2006 .
Women's Page. 2000. Birmingham-Pittsburgh Traveler. 27 Nov 2006 .
Daufin, E-K.. "Persistent Cross-Media Stereotypes of African American Women in "Waiting to Exhale"." AEJMC Archives. 1998. 27 Nov 2006 .
Yarbrough, Marilyn. "Mammy, Sapphire, Jezebel, and their Sisters." Arte Sana. 2002. 27 Nov 2006 .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 © Associated Content, All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
By Lauren Wells
Takeaways
Stereotypes of black women in media are discussed in terms of both their origins and their lasting effects.
By the dawn of the 20th century, a black image had already begun to surface in American entertainment. Minstrel shows with actors performing in blackface became increasingly popular, and particularly with the introduction of cinema several very negative stereotypes materialized. These images resounded everywhere in American culture; collectibles boasting almost ape-looking black faces, radio shows highlighting the 'antics' of the black 'buffoon', and films in which blacks were cast solely as serving, lower-class, or lazy characters (particularly for comic relief) were all commonplace. These images were implemented deliberately and with definite political intentions. The type-cast black characters frequently exploited in Hollywood became accepted by society and were used to aid ignorant Americans in making assumptions about black people and their culture.
Several negative images of African American women had begun to emerge even before television and film. With the introduction of these media, the stereotypes proliferated because of their reinforcement and approval by white culture. The media's interpretation of black women was a reflection of what many wanted to believe: that black females were either sexless or hypersexual, either incredibly submissive or annoying and outspoken (and, in any case, not worthy of the same social status as whites). Never was the African-American female image one of beauty or, specifically, purity. Three of the most frequently executed images were the "Mammy", the "Jezebel", and the "Sapphire". These icons represented more than just an ignorant audience; they were a deliberate attempt to both justify and quell suspicions about relationships between white men and black women. In reality, at the time these figures originated, it was common that black women were sexually exploited by white men (Doherty). The stereotyped characters (and their acceptance by white culture) have wounded the image of black women in America, and even today the personae resound in books, films, and television.
Probably the most obvious and exploited stereotype is that of the Mammy: the asexual, unattractive, overweight domestic servant who is content to do nothing but work for the white family. The character is always (in an almost patronizing way) very dear to the white family and very acceptable to the American public; if the fat black woman (think Song of the South's and Gone with the Wind's Hattie McDaniel) is content to sweep up, watch the white children, and laugh heartily, then it must be that all blacks are happy to remain in lower-class servitude. Essentially, the Mammy is the ideal slave. Almost always in these films there is the juxtaposition of the Mammy and the white matriarch, usually a slender, beautiful, and young mother. The mother is commonly preoccupied with her own issues outside of household life (she's almost a failed Mammy) and is often given guidance in decision-making by the Mammy. This is deceivingly complimentary to the black woman. It is not because of her intellect or reason but instead her simple-mindedness and "outside" point of view that her advice is heeded. After the Civil War, the 'Mammy' figure in literature redeemed for southern whites the notion of blacks and whites cooperating under the same household (and particularly the notion of a healthy relationship between white masters and black women). In reality, however, the pitch-black, middle-aged figure was purely fiction; if there was a black housekeeper at all, she was usually the opposite of evidence for a benign white male/black female relationship: young, skinny, and sometimes bi-racial. It was so important to so many whites to keep white-black sexual relationships a severe improbability that really the only character present in entertainment's southern white household was the sexless, caricatured Mammy.
Another stereotype reflected into even modern entertainment has its roots in pre-slavery expeditions to Africa, where tribal black women were found wearing little clothing and participating in rituals that whites misinterpreted as acts of promiscuity. This assumption and suggestion that black women were hypersexual by nature evolved into the "Jezebel" character. The Jezebel, as opposed to the Mammy, was proliferated in media as justification for sexual relationships (and often rapes!) between white men and black women. Jezebel was seen in drawings, cartoons, and countless TV shows and movies as more American than African-looking: a slender, light-skinned woman with a thin nose and lips, more European rather than African facial characteristics. The early Jezebel commonly had straight, long hair and was scantily clad. She was portrayed as sex-hungry and amoral. Although a disgusting idea, Jezebel was a young woman "impossible" to rape because of her animalistic insatiability. The nature and acceptance of her character places the responsibility in her hands the black woman's hands for any questionable relations with white men.
This notion has resounded all the way through the twentieth century. Song lyrics, supporting roles in TV and film, and characters in fictional novels all suggest that black women are particularly immoral or "easy". A more evolved, modern Jezebel includes the "bad-girl" image. Here, she is not only sexually immoral but a bad-mouthed, street-wise troublemaker. This Jezebel is rude and aggressive, most commonly seen in film being arrested, using drugs, and, again, prostituting. For example, several fairly recent movies have placed black women in solely demeaning and sexual roles. For example, in the 1995 blockbuster Batman: Forever, the only black female actresses played cheaply dressed whores (Daufin). Black actress Angela Bassett publicly rejected the role that was offered to her in the 2001 film Monster's Ball, claiming that she didn't want to be placed in the demeaning prostitute part and that there's "such a stereotype about black women and sexuality...I mean, Meryl Streep won Oscars without all that" (Anyiwo). It's very easy to find Jezebels not only in early television and film but also in modern media. The Jezebel image has resounded so clearly that today its effects are not limited to the white plantation owners of the past. Again and again, black rap and hip-hop artists demean and objectify black women with their lyrics. Some artists go so far as to advocate assault and rape of African American women. As 50 Cent rapped in his song P.I.M.P.:
"Bitch choose with me, I'll have you stripping in the street /
Put my other hoes down, you get your ass beat." (Osayande).
The song received massive radio airplay and was a top ten track in 2003
(Osayande).
Probably the most hurtful assumption that can be derived from the Jezebel stereotype is that young black women are incapable of experiencing love. The Jezebel is a role that American society has become desensitized to and that sometimes is not immediately recognized as racist, but it remains a demeaning and very unfair portrayal of African American women.
Another recognizable image is the "Sapphire", its namesake the character on the Amos and Andy television show. Although the stereotype dates back before the actual show, Amos and Andy's Sapphire embodies the persona. Sapphire is a chubby, dark-brown woman with a loud mouth and nothing substantial to say. Society loved this image, not only because of Sapphire's dumb, rude personality but also because even her male counterpart has no respect for her. Sapphire is strong-willed and stubborn; she is constantly running her mouth and attempting to "expose the immorality of the African American male through cunning, thereby exposing her own virtues" (Women's). She is really the antithesis to the Mammy. On the Amos and Andy show, Sapphire is the wife of Kingfish, a conniving and essentially immoral character himself. Regardless, none of the male characters in the show take Sapphire seriously, a big reason why she is a comfortable black image to white culture. Her exaggerated stubbornness and hot temper along with her stout appearance make her unsexual and unappealing; if males of the Sapphire image's own race don't find her a sexual interest, it can be assumed that white males wouldn't either. There is even a single picture to associate with Sapphire: hands on her hips, head back, a proud, astute posture and an outrageously sharp gaze. Sapphires are essentially shrews. They annoy their husbands and spitefully harass everyone else, often in the company of another similar female. The fast-talking, outspoken black female is also an image still echoed in media. The sassy, trash-talking black girl is familiar to sit-coms and teen movies. Even in television and radio commercials, the Sapphire-type character is exploited to provide comfortable comedy and sell "hip" products. This ignorant representation of the angry black woman has had a lasting effect on black females: "...many African American women suppress these feelings of bitterness and rage for fear of being regarded as a Sapphire" (Yarbrough).
All three of these women have affected the lives of African American females today, whether they know it or not. For example, it is in the nature of young girls to be molded by their surroundings, by the images that "shine down" from movie screens and TV sets. If young black women see black actresses playing only Jezebels and Sapphires when they turn on the television, with whom can they relate? Where's their "just like me" idol? The entertainment industry has come quite a long way, and so have the demands of racially conscious Americans. However, while songs about assaulting and raping black women still make the Top 40, we as a society can't claim that we've been completely cured of racism's illness.
Even before the Emancipation, the black image in entertainment has been deliberately exploited, exaggerated, demeaned, and mocked. These negative representations of blacks, their heritage, and their culture have had hurtful and lasting effects on the African American community. Even though modern society is much more aware of and sensitive to blatantly racist stereotypes, it is the fuzzy realm of subconscious ignorance and assumption that has allowed some of these notions to remain in our present culture. The problem we face today has jumped off the screen; some people have even embraced the stereotyped images glorified in media, and some have gone to extremes to avoid them. There's a very interesting gap between societal assimilation and cultural pride; each ideal for blacks has been both suggested and ridiculed by American society as a whole.
Racism and ignorance in America's media-driven culture are like some radioactive substance with a very long half-life. Now, what we need is a more powerful catalyst.
Bibliography:
Doherty, Jan. "Louisiana Black Women." An Ignored History. 1986. Loyola University. 27 Nov 2006 .
Pilgrim, David. "Jezebel." Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. 2002. Ferris State University. 27 Nov 2006 .
Women's Page. 2000. Birmingham-Pittsburgh Traveler. 27 Nov 2006 .
Daufin, E-K.. "Persistent Cross-Media Stereotypes of African American Women in "Waiting to Exhale"." AEJMC Archives. 1998. 27 Nov 2006 .
Yarbrough, Marilyn. "Mammy, Sapphire, Jezebel, and their Sisters." Arte Sana. 2002. 27 Nov 2006 .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 © Associated Content, All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use