Mr. Bojangles is a perfect example when speaking of Black portrayal on television in the past. Mr. Bojangles was basically an in-house servant. In ‘Color Adjustment’ one of the statements emphasized was that the few blacks that actually had the opportunity on TV, were portrayed on television in the beginning years as being happy. This was a time of extreme hardship and pain for black people as a whole. White people did not except them. Families were broken up due to slavery. Life was not good. I highly doubt Bojangles was truly ecstatic about helping a little girl tap dance down the stairs. In reality he probably would have been beaten or killed for being so close to her. A grown black man and a little white girl would have never been alone together in that time. Mr. Bojangles was in multiple films around the 30’s and 40’s and he was always the “happy” guy waiting to help out. With a smile always present, a viewer would think that these times were nothing but pleasant. This inaccurate viewpoint fooled viewers into thinking black people were “fine.” If the movies show them being happy, then that must be the real feelings they have.
I agree with what you say because this contributes to one of the many stereotypes of what it means to be "Black." Yes it is true that there are Black people who enjoy dancing, even though this example is greatly exaggerated and unrealistic, especially in terms of historical background.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this dance clip is very unrealistic, especially for the time. Without knowledge of the film, it seems that Mr. Bojangles is the servant in which Shirley Temple lives. Although this supports the idea that black men can only work for white society, it definitely skews the viewer's vision of truth by making them think that black men, and black servants in general, were happy to work for the white society.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I agree with your comment that a young white girl and an adult black man would never be together in "real life". Perhaps since this is in a household setting, it is safer and more acceptable than the street, but nonetheless, most young white girls at the time would rather be doing anything other than dancing with a black man.
In agreement and addition to the prior comments, I would like to continue to illuminate the racism portrayed in this clip. It is evident that Bojangles still cares what the white man thinks because he runs up the stairs as soon as the white man catches him dancing in front of Shirley Temple. He goes as far to say, "That's the fastest my feet ever moved". This sentence alone demonstrates the fear that Bojangles had because he is aware that the action that his behavior is unacceptable to the viewers and society at the time. It also portrays who the person in authority is. This is because Jim Crow Laws were still reinforced, which allowed the segregation of blacks and whites. His fear and action makes me wonder if he in fact transcend racial boundaries or abide by them. It also raises the question, would his popularity would be as significant if he had lived in a different era where racism wasn't as overwhelming? It also makes me wonder how exactly if effected his career and life. I'm sure he probably still couldn't audition for certain acts or act however he pleased due to the circumstances of the time period.
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