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Black People in Entertainment
When we watch movies from the 1930s, 1940s, and1950s and into the 1960's and see black americans mostly playing domestic servants I am offended by it, by the lack of opportunity they had, the lack of freedom they had to choose the roles they wanted to play.
There is no better example than in the movie It's A Wonderful Life when the character of George Bailey played by Jimmy Stewart slaps his father's domestic servant Mamie on the bottom as he is seated with his father for dinner. Stewart had he some integrity would have not gone through with the scene, unless they were willing to make changes to it. But as an actor looking to keep his job, he chose his profession over being a principled human being. This was the dark and racist side of movies, that as I continue to watch them makes me rethink these classics we are shown on television as a part of a tradition year after year.
How much we have achieved in racial progress is evident in comparison with that. The cast of actors in our time has become more diverse since then,
And today can even be seen in historically white roles
I find myself agreeing with the direction entertainment is taking us as a country. Does Superman need to always be represented as a white man, can there be room for a black man to be Superman or Batman as well?
The same applies to Disney princesses of the caucasian variety. Does Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty have to always be played by a white actress? They have proven that this need not be the case.
Stereotypes and ideas whites have about black people have been perpetuated in entertainment for a long time, and this could be one of the ways in breaking through all of that.
Copyright ©
Ian McCleary
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