Here in the United States we are in the middle of Black History Month, a time where we reflect on the struggles, accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans. As such, I wanted to put together a piece that would relate to this website, a short article on the history of African Americans and crossdressing in the media.
It is actually not so cut and dry, as there are undertones of oppression that some feel work to sabotage the image of the strong Black man while ridiculing the Black female. Others opine that it is all for fun and laughter. Who is right?
From Ugly Stereotypes to … Ugly Stereotypes?
In the early days of Hollywood, the only performance opportunities that African Americans received were disgusting and dehumanizing stereotypes. Instead of representing the community they propagated racial bigotry. Unfortunately, this was the only way for Black Americans to work in the entertainment industry.
Fast forward to today and things are different, though some would argue that there are a disproportionate amount of Black men in drag on the silver screen. They say that this is the new, undercover way for Hollywood to revive the racial stereotypes of the old days.
I personally was not aware of this sentiment until I stumbled upon this snippet of Oprah’s interview of Dave Chapelle. In the clip, he discusses an incident in which the writers of a production he was filming wanted him to wear a dress for one scene in the movie.
Chapelle was very upset at this proposition and refused to do the scene. He went on to tell Oprah about how he felt that every Black comedian in Hollywood ended up, at one point or another, in a dress. In his opinion, this is a way for Hollywood to deconstruct Black masculinity.
As I did a bit more research for this article, I found that there was also another argument against this. Some people also feel that the gender-bending roles that African American comedians take on also degrade Black females, citing examples like Rasputia Latimore (Eddie Murphy) and Madea (Tyler Perry, pictured above).
Instead of highlighting the positive attributes of the Black American female, some would argue that comedians like Murphy, Perry and Martin Lawrence (Big Momma) degrade women. This is a problem because it can then make those outside of the Black community feel that it is okay to ridicule Black women. Because of the uphill battle that they already face in society, detractors say that this puts them even more behind the curve.
I can certainly understand these arguments as there has been an ugly history of race relations in this country. Many of the injustices that African Americans have had to face are only a generation old and are still fresh in peoples’ minds. In my opinion, arguments like these are important to maintain balance and to make sure that there really are not bigoted acts and sentiments happening behind the scenes.
On the other hand, some entertainers, like Eddie Murphy, are overwhelming successes. Murphy has achieved a great deal not only in movies but also with his stand-up comedy act. It doesn’t seem, at least on the surface, that anyone is forcing him to portray these female characters (he also played female roles in The Nutty Professor series).
I do agree that it seems that most of the Black female roles being portrayed by Black men are of ridiculous characters that some could interpret as unfair stereotypes. Turning the tables a bit, Shawn and Marlon Wayans suited up as Caucasian girls for the movie White Chicks (which happens to one of my favorite movies).
There are several more examples of African Americans crossdressing either on television and in movies, I will write individual articles for these in the future. I am a person that is color blind when it comes to people and only looks at the individual gifts and talents that a person brings to the table.
In any case, it is important to be up on your history and respect the challenges and hurdles that those before you had to overcome. Regardless of race or ethnicity, we are all humans and deserve to be treated equally. Despite the strides that American society has made, race is still a very sensitive hot-button topic. The best of comics can take this area of life and still highlight what’s still wrong.
These days, entertainers from all walks of life are given opportunities to make it (though some groups still face difficult odds). No one should be forced to play a role that they are not comfortable with, especially if it is something that is potentially offensive.
As I always say, comedy is one of the best ways for everyone to come together, regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability and / or creed. Some wounds will never heal, but wholesome laughter can help reduce the appearance of the scar.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, Jess, I’m not so sure about the stereotype of black comedians portraying black women in a negative light just for cheap laughs, or maybe even in the sense of ridiculing those same strong women who played a major role in their upbringing and in instilling those values in them which made them the success that they are today. If anything, those portrayals are more along the lines of being homages, and poking gentle fun at those shared characteristics that they actually admire.
If you have ever heard Tyler Perry’s story of growing up in poverty and how much he reveres his mother for the struggles she overcame to raise her family and to give them a future, you will see how much underlying love there is in his portrayal of similarly strong black women.
I’m also old enough th remember Flip Wilson’s hilarious portrayals of his “Geraldine” character on television, and she was one sassy, self-assured “be-otch” who wouldn’t take sh%t from anyone.
Jessica, Honey – I think the Flip Wilson portrayal of Geraldine was very funny and in good taste. I really liked it. Warren
{ 1 trackback }