Bamboozled: Connecting the History of Blackface to Contemporary Images

In his 2000 film, “Bamboozled” Spike Lee connects the history of blackface to many contemporary images to show how ultimately our society is as racist as it was when blackface was used, yet it is manifested in new and different ways. By posing a seemingly preposterous idea (that a show with black people in blackface would actually get aired today), the film allows viewers to have discussions regarding race that aren’t usually had out in the open, but perhaps thought. “Bamboozled” portrays a diverse group of black characters that are in different social situations and therefore have differing opinions on what is to be done for black people to advance, either as individuals or as a people. The film also shows how similar racial power dynamics in the U.S. are today as they were during the time of blackface. Racist iconography from the past depicting black people was used throughout the film as a stark contrast to the present, yet throughout the film these symbols grow and change in meaning. Finally, gender dynamics and sexual relations are used to show how power is distributed and by whom with regard to race.

The persistence of racial power dynamics in the film are contrasted with the history of blackface and the culture it embodied. Whites are still in ultimate positions of power and comprise the vast majority of the entertainment industry (writers, producers, etc.). Pierre, at the beginning seems like a successful black (French) man, yet by revealing throughout the film that he is actually a black American we see how he has gone to great lengths to remove himself from his cultural roots and black racial identity to achieve success in a white man's world. He also changes his writing style and the fact that he presents the ridiculous idea of Mantan is in hopes that he will be fired and "free". His character represents the "sell-out" and is an example of internalized racial oppression. The film also presents the Mau Maus as the stark opposite of Pierre, because they are a black nationalist hip hop group, named for liberationists in Kenya. Unlike Pierre, they are so connected to and almost obsessed with their blackness, that they almost cannot relate to much else, or see how they also contribute to racist and sexist ideas about black culture.

The film also comments on the acceptance of blacks as athletes and musical and dance entertainers; gifts explained as a certain innate talent that comes naturally to them, reflective of images presented by mainstream ideology. This is exemplified when Manrey tap dances on Dunwitty's desk and it looks as if he is Dunwitty's puppet. Even the idea that Spike Lee is depicting Manrey's character as a black man who dances in the streets for money is reflective of the fact that for many, things haven't changed from the days of blackface. Manrey's ignorance about the history of blackface ultimately reflects how black people are still not educated on the history of their people and further poses the idea of ignorance as bliss because Manrey is happier when he starts getting paid, yet before he begins to develop a conscience about what he is contributing to. Dunwitty’s office is covered in huge photographs of black athletes from baseball to basketball, boxing, and football. His “acceptance” of black culture seems to be a desire for and perhaps to be black, yet it is also an example of his inability to see real problems facing black people and how offensive, ethnocentric, and racist his views really are. This shows how today there is more an illusion of racial harmony and acceptance, when really black people are still being exploited by whites for capital gain that supports white supremacy.

Sloan's character shows how gender dynamics play out in regards to race. As viewers we are set up to think of her as hardworking, diligent, and innovative. Yet when it is revealed that she had a sexual relationship with Pierre, her credibility is lost for other characters in the film like Manrey. This shows how even in this generation black women's success is hindered and advances are assumed to be on the basis of sexual encounters. This prior relationship also plays itself out in the interactions between Pierre and Sloan, in that he still uses her for his gain. He calls her things like "little lamb", and keeps her in a position under him even though she comes up with and develops many of his ideas. Dunwitty also acts as an avenue to bring up a discussion on miscegenation because his racism is contrasted with the fact that his wife is black. Rather than having more insight and understanding to black people and their struggles, he thinks that this makes him an expert. By revealing that his wife is black he thinks that he is justified in using the word nigger and commenting on black society as an insider. This further reflects how racial power dynamics may be played out in personal relationships.

In the film black iconography reminiscent of blackface gains new significance throughout the film as the plot moves. For Pierre, he begins to recieve them as gifts and symbols of his success as the show grows in popularity, yet they are also a reminder of how racist ideas are continuing to be consumed and reinforced by America, and more particularly by his show. In the end it is these icons that haunt him and make him go crazy with guilt for what he did. In a similar way, the method they use for blackface in Mantan is the exact same way it was done in the era of blackface. Each time they perform, we see them burning and mixing the coal, then covering their face with it. It is in these moments that we see the very personal feelings toward having to wear blackface. This could be reflective of black actors experiences in the past, or could also be a new way of looking at it because in the past it was mostly white actors who wore blackface to act in black roles. The way blackface is presented and discussed also reflects the way we still live in a society that gives creedence to the one drop rule. Although Manrey is choosen to play Mantan and is black (and considered so culturally in the U.S), he is not "black enough" and blackface must be used. Racism of today is further exemplified in the commercials played during the show which include "Timmi Hillnigger" apparel, and "THE BOMB" soda. The commercials play on modern mainstream ideas of what it means to be black and is clearly reflecting how white advertisers try to market toward the black demographic in the U.S. without regard to the racist representations intrinsic in their nature.

By using a modern context to reveal complexities about how we think about race today, Spike Lee created a film that teaches about the past and comments on how much we haven't learned from it. All of the characters have specific significance in their views of race, social position, and the amount of freedom they have to do what they want as autonomous beings. To a certain extent the black characters are all tied down by fear, desire for acceptance, or opportunity for advancement at any cost. Overall, the film illustrates how racial violence is perpetuated because of immeasurable frustrations about racism and people's ignorance of it's existence.

Stereotypes and Characterization in "Birth of a Nation" and "Within Our Gates"

“Birth of a Nation” and “Within our Gates” are two films made in the early twentieth century, yet they present dramatically different portrayals of African Americans. “Birth of a Nation” is a caricature of revisionist history that portrayed African Americans as bestial beings who could almost not function if granted self-determination. While, “Within Our Gates” depicts diverse experiences of black people at the time with humanity, recognizing them as citizens and a community facing differing struggles. Black stereotypes in “Birth of a Nation” and black characterization in “Within Our Gates” can be most obviously compared when focusing on the concepts and issues dealt with in each, as well as the way miscegenation and sexuality are considered in the films.

While “Birth of a Nation” portrays all blacks as seemingly the same, savage and out of control, “Within Our Gates” deals with real issues affecting people at the time. In “Birth of a Nation” all of the black actors are merely used as background, and any actors portraying black characters in the film were white people in blackface. This is significant because it reflects the fact that it was made from a white racist perspective that does not include black people in the representation and portrayal of them. The characters in “Birth of a Nation” that are not wildly out of control and are in fact completely unthreatening are the “faithful souls”. Even the use of this terminology encourages and supports a docility in blacks that affirms and upholds a white power structure. “Within Our Gates” on the other hand takes on issues like education, black advancement, class issues, and differing experiences of racism in the North and South. It also considers how black people dealt with racism through religion and how some black leaders, like Ned the preacher in the film, also encouraged docility and submissiveness in black people.

Both films also discuss the concept of miscegenation drastically differently. “Birth of a Nation” presents images of the tragic mulatto as a sexual aggressive attack on white purity. Silas Lynch is the mulatto politician character whose attempts to build a black empire and have a white wife reveal him as even more devious and dangerous than non-mixed blacks that served as ridiculous caricatures that could barely function. The name Lynch is also significant because it implies that from the perspective of the filmmaker he should be lynched and this is “justified” by his actions that threaten white supremacy. The mulatta maid in “Birth of a Nation” portrays the hypersexuality and lust for whites of mixed race people in a different way. The fact that she desires her white master reinforces the power dynamic as something she wants and does not recognize the history of the rape of black women by white men, retelling history once again. In “Within Our Gates” black and white friendships are shown with a realistic portrayal of how racism permeated thoughts and interactions in the North and South. Mixed race characters are not really discussed until it is revealed that Sylvia’s father is white, yet she is characterized throughout the film as a real person struggling to find support for her cause.

Sexuality functions differently in both films and is racialized in “Birth of a Nation” through the portrayal of mixed race characters as hypersexual while affirming the necessity of protecting white femininity. The entire plot is centered around the attempted rape of a white woman by a black man and that the though of it was enough for the white female character to commit suicide. This action is what mobilizes the rest of the white community to “fight back”. “Within Our Gates” presents a much less one-dimensional portrayal of sexual desires and how they function within the power dynamics of race. When Sylvia, the main character, is almost raped by a white man and it is revealed that he is her father many common notions of racialized sexuality are debunked. By showing a white man attempting to rape a black woman, the film is speaking to a silent history. This scene is juxtaposed with the racialized violence of the lynching of her parents. This revelation shows the complexity of interracial interactions realistically.

“Birth of a Nation” and “Within Our Gates” present dramatically different portrayals of African Americans in the early twentieth century. One film stereotypes black people as homogenously savage and out of control, while the other shows them as a diverse group of people dealing with real issues facing their community. In each, issues dealt with, miscegenation, and sexuality were presented and played out in completely different ways. The comparison of these two films shows how much the perspective from which the story is told influences what the narrative says.