John Muller Blog 4 Race in Culture

In last weeks lecture we discussed “black face” minstrelsy and its negative connotations. However, we also saw how a black performing group used a lot of these stereotypical performances for social progression. These performances bring up mixed emotions because they were somewhat stereotyping black people, however they were doing things black people were never allowed to do at the time. I think the biggest question is where does these kind of performances cross the line. I think at some point the negatives outweigh the positives if the only way a person is getting ahead is by demeaning his or her culture. 

Although, there is harm that can be done demeaning a race in popular culture, it can also be used to call attention to issues and injustices in society. I think a good example where the line is blurred is with a show like The Chappele Show. A lot of the segments in the show are dealing with and making fun of black culture and also stereotypes. I think a lot of the acts in The Chapelle Show are portraying black stereotypes, however where I think Dave Chapelle differs is that he is trying to portray just how ridiculous a lot of the stereotypes people have is. Most people who watch The Chapelle Show are not laughing directly at these stereotypes but at how ridiculous they are and I think this helps call attention to something that needs to be changed.

People using their own race as a source of comedy have been around for hundreds of years. Whether it be someone using stereotypes in theatre to gain a social status previously unreachable, or calling attention to social injustices it has always been a blurry line. A lot of the time these type of things help create stereotypes and racism however they can be used strategically for good. The most important question that has to be asked is how can we help unblur these lines and to help use these performances to remove racism not promote it.