Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture
Contents:
Black LikeList of Illustrations 1.
A Pestilence of Ignunce: Blackface in the Twenty-First Century 2. Queer People of the World: Africans on Display 3. From Race Movies to White Chicks 8. Negrobilia and Black Americana 9. Ebonics and American English About Black Like You A refreshingly clearheaded and taboo-breaking look at race relations reveals that American culture is neither Black nor White nor Other, but a mix-a mongrel.
Inspired by Your Browsing History. The Bodies in Person. Lights in the Distance. Road Map for Revolutionaries.
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Collected Works, Volume 2. Palaces for the People.
Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture [John Strausbaugh, Darius James] on donnsboatshop.com *FREE* shipping on . Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture [John Strausbaugh] on donnsboatshop.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.
The Truth Has Changed. Kevin Maurer and Tamer Elnoury. The Most Dangerous Branch. On the Other Side of Freedom. The End of Policing. Talking Across the Divide. The Constitution Demands It.
Black Like You
How Soon is Now? Utopia does not seem possible in the picture of the world Strausbaugh presents. Sadly, his analysis of a culture of oppression is accurate.
Obviously a well informed writer, the notes and bibliography section of this book is impressive. However, the points made by people that lived during the 's and '40's are the most convincing supports of the main thesis. Personal interviews and dialog excerpts from films best portray the blatant racism that originated in the south. Statistics also play a vital role in convincing the reader that the amount of hatred targeted at blacks is unnatural.
It may be natural to be weary of other cultures, but the measures independent white entertainers have taken to preserve white culture has been extreme. To support the powerful interviews magazine articles, reviews from minstrel shows, and information from other books is used. Darius James, author of Negrophobia, and Afircan-American historian contributes to the book and wrote the afteword. This book is a goldmine of unbelievable documents. It shows what looks like an entire African tribe lining up the streets of Chicago and making fools of themselves.
It is incredibly offensive, but it helps the reader understand the mindset most whites had at the time. They were shown these images everyday, they were encouraged to create these images, this was powerful propaganda. With images like this in circulation, Blackface seems less deviant, and though still terribly cruel it seems less unbelievable.
This book can be enjoyed by any reader. The chapters on music and hip-hop would appeal to most students. The analysis of racial tension is unique and in-depth enough for a casual reader or a serious historian to appreciate. The general public seems oddly fascinated with Blackface and other such traditions of humiliation, and this book has sold well.
Even if a racist white person picked up the book, it has some information about Whiteface that would appeal to even David Duke. This book is essentially about culture, and it is a very accessible read. It is rarely wordy, very sarcastic, makes new and interesting points, is well researched, gives several different interpretations of situations, and is revealing. I loved this book.
I was pressed for time to read it, but somehow managed to devour it in a few days. I got a few looks when I carried it around in the Dr. Since John Strausbaugh has experience as a columnist and music journalist he knows what it takes to hold a reader's attention and still present the facts. I like books that are easy to read, and a lot of history books are very much over my head. This book easy read, hoorah! It has made a great addition to my library, and I am glad it caught my eye in the bookstore. Though, as the author points out, you can't judge a book by its cover.
Sep 16, Zeo rated it liked it. This is what I wrote about the book back when I read it, in classic no-capitals style: Feb 08, Robin rated it liked it. Every once in a while, I find myself carrying around a book you don't want to have to explain on public transportation If you are reading this review, I have to guess you are either on my friend list, or you are trying to suss out minstrel theater's trajectory from most popular American art form to national shame and taboo -- and how could that have taken so long?
John Strausbaugh tries to answer questions like these, drawing a larger picture of theatrical "ethnic caricatures" of all types, i Every once in a while, I find myself carrying around a book you don't want to have to explain on public transportation John Strausbaugh tries to answer questions like these, drawing a larger picture of theatrical "ethnic caricatures" of all types, including black folk in blackface, black folk in whiteface, what to do about "Birth of a Nation," and the horror of Mickey Rooney as Japanese Strausbaugh's tone is scholarly, but approachable, and even challenging at times.
But keep telling me more about these lost pioneers of black cinema, because that is educational. I was excited to discover that works by George Pal and Oscar Micheaux, whom I had not known before, can be found on YouTube, and are lost treasures. May 31, Nahliah rated it liked it Recommends it for: Any one interested in pop- culture and film studies. Overall it was good. Provided nice historical background for the minstrel show and cultural swapping in America.
The author's argument is that the swapping of cultures is what makes American culture what it is. He also suggests that the minstrel show was the first form of pop culture in the United States and he subtley relates the early uses of minstrelsy to contemporary hip- hop. Read for yourself I don't want to spoil it for you. He's goes a little too far by suggesting that because American Overall it was good. He's goes a little too far by suggesting that because American culture is created out of the sharing of different cultures that there can be no such thing as stealing or usurping of another person's culture.
He's sympathetic to the Elvis's of the world.
He also goes way off the deep end by trying to make a case for ebonics and arguing that it is a real language with it's own grammar that should be respected and not ridiculed! Like I said overall it is a good book but he goes a little too far in trying to be pc.
It's nice to read along side a viewing of "Bamboozled" by Spike Lee and in conjuction with another book: An interpretive history of Blacks in American films. Jul 23, Eric rated it liked it Recommends it for: Came upon this at Powell's Books and it looked interesting Update: I'm done with this little ditty and the intellectual dust still has not settled in my mind. But because he basically calls all communities including the Black Community as being "politically correct", until I ended up agreeing with him for the most part.
I still think Came upon this at Powell's Books and it looked interesting Update: I still think he crosses the line with by not highlighting the power dynamic more than he does. But over all this is pretty progressive stuff, although clearly he tosses cultural bombs with glee, which is dangerous when dealing with an oppressed people, Yea I know this makes no sense, but hey it was a complicated read.
Jan 09, Steve rated it it was amazing. In short, this book is an exceptional history of what blackface and minstrelsy mean in relation to whether or not they are a racist attack or a genuine expression of love toward black people and our culture. A collection of things about minstrelsy you already knew about: Stephen Foster, Jewish minstrels, an inescapable past, a culture's recessive gene. Still and all, not too bad.
Only serious problem for me was Strausbaugh's need to inject his "Ain't multi-culturalism the silliest? Everyone in America should read this book. I want to give it 6 stars but software prevents. Why are you still here?
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Go get this book. Jan 21, Charlie Rosenthal rated it did not like it. May 15, Rishaun Deveraux added it. Amazing look into the history of the U. S through the lens of entertainment. Dec 25, Monica added it Shelves: Must be read with an anti-racist lens. Allison Westbrook rated it it was amazing Dec 15, Alexandra ioaiou rated it liked it Jan 26, Kelly rated it really liked it Jun 02, Katelyn rated it really liked it Feb 10, Apr 04, Gwendolyn Outler-nelson rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed this book.