Outline
Thesis
The race has been constructed in the film Bamboozled by depicting the blacks as inferior, intellectually limited, irrational and people who has no any importance other than entertaining the whites.
Character One
i. Pierre Delacroix
ii. Protagonist in the film
ii. Works as a network executive in a company that deals with black matters
His boss, known as Dunwitty, clearly states that he ‘'does not want to see Negroes on television unless they are buffoons
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He tries to shift away from the black’s culture by trying to act like a white showing that he is not proud of his own race.
Character two
i. Dunwitty
ii. Antagonist in the film
He uses demeaning words towards blacks, saying that they are good at nothing other than entertainment.
He further goes ahead to remind Pierre that he ought to be real, and that means that he is supposed to restore the humiliating position of the blacks in cinema which is only to entertain and nothing else
A. Pierre Delacroix depicts racism by trying to act like the whites in the film. Despite being black, he tries to distance himself with the black’s culture and tend to adapt to the white culture. Dunwitty on the other hand depicts racism by having a misrepresentation of the blacks and using demeaning terms towards the blacks. He sees blacks as nothing other than just a form of entertainment.
b. Pierre’s race is a disadvantage to him because for his film to sell in American markets, he has to make the whites laugh. He must therefore act funny to make the white laugh if he is to sell his film. Dunwitty’s race on the other hand is an advantage to him because he is a white and he must not make the whites laugh for his film to sell
c. The two characters share the same fate at the end of the film. Pierre realizes the importance of identifying himself with his race. Together with Womack, they decide to stick to the black culture. Dunwitty also gets racial identity as he identifies himself with the whites from which he belongs. Both achieves racial identity.
V. Most black people began to be incorporated in minstrel shows in the wake of the 19 th century and were later represented in television shows in the early 20 th century. As normally asserted that ‘'there is power in looking'' whiteness was used to represent norm while on the contrary, the blackface was a depiction of anything that was imperfect, inferiority, and a mimic of the entire African race. Therefore, among the functionality of the racial construction in the film was the development of stereotyping as shown by the representation of these people in the film. The blacks, just like in the society today, are still stereotyped and associated with negative social aspects as seen in the United States.
Based On a Film
African Americans have for long been depicted in American cinemas on the premise of white realism. However, the rise of black directors has led to the struggle of detaching the black community from the realms of traditional negative stereotypes that have long been associated with them. The film ‘'Bamboozled'' is based on a satirical representation of race and assimilation and the various ways in which the dominant power structures apply divide and rule to those people who are below them. The debate of African representations in the film has led to many controversies for many years. The black community has always been depicted as inferior, intellectual limited, irrational and lazy amongst other demeaning aspects that are attached to them. Through the film ‘’Bamboozled’’ the director, Spike Lee attacks the various ways in which the blacks have been misrepresented and misused on the screen. Through both education and entertainment, the director attempts to explain how the African Americans have both been cheated and conned as depicted by the title of the film ‘’Bamboozled’’ (Bamboozled, 2000). Race have been constructed in the film by depicting the blacks as inferior, intellectually limited, irrational and lazy.
How Characters Depict Racial Construction
The director of the movie utilizes various satires, symbols, and icons among other elements to bring about the theme of misrepresentation and racism. The beginning of the movie is a candid generation of the intended theme in the entire movie. The song ‘’Misrepresented People’’ by Stevie Wonder serves as the background music in the film and depicts the various political, historical, and social injustices that the black people have been subjected to. The song impacts on the content of the film and also the audience. One of the characters in the movie, Pierre Delacroix a protagonist in the film works as a network executive in a company that deals with black matters. However, an ironical situation arises where he comes to job late and is reproached for his lateness where he is reminded of the arrival time and notices that he is the only black person present. His boss, known as Dunwitty, clearly states that he ‘'does not want to see Negroes on television unless they are buffoons'' (Bamboozled, 2000) The boss went ahead to cancel one of the brilliant shows created by Pierre because it depicted the African Americans as dignified people. The boss further complains that Pierre's written materials are ‘'too white'' ‘'too antiseptic'' and ‘'too clean'' which according to him, portray the white people in the image of blackface. He further goes ahead to remind Pierre that he ought to be real, and that means that he is supposed to restore the humiliating position of the blacks in cinema which is only to entertain and nothing else. Therefore, Pierre is held in a major dilemma whereby he is required to respect his contract by producing cinemas where black people only have a significance of entertaining. Such a scenario is important in two various ways. First, it shows how the blacks have difficulties in fighting misrepresentation and secondly, through Pierre, it depicts how well-educated black people attempt to dissociate themselves from the rest of the African Americans.
Another component evident in the film is the black-white relationship. And the how the African Americans are regarded as the ‘'other.'' In the construction of the white identity, stereotyping of the black people becomes a necessary evil which is required to reassure the audience of their superior identity. Therefore, the notion presented here is that black films will only be successful in marketing depending on how well they appeal to the mainstream audience. Stereotyping and alienation based on the black identity cause some of the characters to have an improved sense of awareness with regards to their various selves and how they are perceived. It is evident that many African Americans in the film have to negotiate their identity. For instance, Womack has come to the realization that he will always be despised and regarded as second-rate American citizen despite his heroics and fame. He accepts the fact that he has been bamboozled with regards to believing that he would ever be an equal citizen in the country. His success is only premised on the fact that he could entertain the white Americans, ‘’to help keep them laughing’’ (Bamboozled, 2000). This belief is promoted by Pierre's father who firmly believes that entertaining the white people is the only way for the black to achieve success. Therefore, Womack experiences double consciousness which makes him desist from acting in the minstrel show. Therefore, Womack represents a positive thing for the black community which is self-realization that has been influenced by double consciousness. Womack further realizes that he lacks an identity outside his character of ‘'Sleep'n and eat.'' Through the eyes of others, especially the white, he is nothing else than the character he portrays in the film. Another character, Manray is also experiencing self-identity after realizing that it is inappropriate to negotiate with his identity. He refuses to continue acting in the film because he feels that his ‘'blackface'' is wrongly used.
Functionality of the Construction
Most black people began to be incorporated in minstrel shows in the wake of the 19 th century and were later represented in television shows in the early 20 th century. As normally asserted that ‘'there is power in looking'' whiteness was used to represent norm while on the contrary, the blackface was a depiction of anything that was imperfect, inferiority, and a mimic of the entire African race ( Du Bois, 2014). It is also imperative to note that the notion that colored people were both socially and racially inferior was accepted by both the black and white performers of the minstrel films. Such imaginations grew, and it was apparent among the audiences that anybody with natural dark skin, despite their backgrounds was a representation of slaves, lazy individuals, submissive, faithful in all circumstances, selfless, and dull-witted individuals among many other stereotypes. Therefore, among the functionality of the racial construction in the film was the development of stereotyping as shown by the representation of these people in the film. The blacks, just like in the society today, are still stereotyped and associated with negative social aspects as seen in the United States. Movements such as Black Lives Matter'' have mainly been formed to attempt to address social injustices that have been premised on such stereotyping as observed in the film. Today, for example, blacks are stereotyped as violent, and criminals in the United States and this has partly played a role in their huge numbers in prison and other correctional facilities compared to their white counterparts who are rarely arrested for the same acts of criminality.
Another functionality of the construction regards the issue of identity. The issue of self-identity in the film is well represented by how the whites and their audiences only see the pleasure in the roles played by the black people in the cinemas as opposed to who they really are. However, understanding the issue of identity in the face of racism requires two theories, particularly the theory of alienation by Cornel West and that of double-consciousness by Dubois. The alienation theory talks about the identity crisis experienced by the black communities living in the modern day America. Johnson (2014) asserted that the history of colonization has created what is known as the natal alienation which has damaged the identity of the black people to almost an irreversible state. The black people are normally rendered as an inferior people historically and through representation which has been emphasized by the prescriptive and descriptive stereotypes that have depicted in various cinemas. Therefore, many blacks have been driven into identity dilemma that is partly a result of double identity. The alienation theory as postulated by West is a representation of both discrimination and oppression. As shown in the film, the black characters, due to oppression, are compelled to abandon their identities. For instance, Womack and Manray, as a result of their poverty and low-life, are forced to be used as senseless acting dolls. Their real names are stripped from them and are given stereotypic names including ‘’Sleep, n eat’ and ‘’Mantan’’ which is a recipe for invisibility and a lack of identity. They are subjected to intense societal pressure and therefore forced to assimilate so that the white community can accept them. It is imperative to appreciate that identity is still a major construct of the society today as blacks in various quarters in the US, due to their low-economic life, are forced to engage in things that demean their stature just to benefit in a particular way.
Assimilation is another functional construct that is brought about in the film. The embodiment of this aspect is none other than Pierre Delacroix who is a representation of the learned African Americans who have accepted and incorporated the ways of the white people. In addition, he has a feeling that he is superior to the other black people and rarely wants to associate himself with them. Sloan Hopkins, a female character in the movie exhibits dual identity where she is partly regarded as an ‘'independent black woman'' who is normally criticized for her immense wealth and the fact that she sleeps with her boss so that she can be promoted. On the other hand, she is depicted as an ‘'Angry Black Woman'' who has a tendency of berating black men (Bamboozled, 2000). Therefore, Sloane Hopkins gives the issue of racism a new facet as it combines it with the aspect of gender. As a successful woman, she is stereotyped and thus criticized and accused of using sex to attain her gains. Such assertions underscore the institution of gender roles which perceive the woman as a person who cannot work her through unless they are exposed to undue gains and advantages. Through Hopkins, it can also be asserted that some of the problems experienced by the blacks could be a result of their own making. Hopkins together with Pierre Delacroix can be described as impediments in the full realization of the black identity due to their constant scorn and despise towards their fellow African Americans.
It is also critical to note another important aspect of the functionality of this negative social construction is the rise in revolutions and uprising that attempt to fight for the dignity of the black race. Hopkins's brother, for instance, forms an underground movement known as the ‘'Mau Mau'' revolution gang which is focused on emphasizing and restoring the black identity. It is focused on rejecting the culture of the white and ensuring that people pay loyalty to their races. In today’s society, several movements have also been formed whose main focus is to fight for the welfare and rights of the black race. For many years, the African Americans have faced various problems including social and economic injustices, discrimination and oppression by the law enforcement agencies among others. They continue to be seen through the lenses of criminality and disobedience which as a result has led them to fight for their rights through movements.
In conclusion, the film, Bamboozled, has been effective to depict that despite the fact that the black people are freed, it is only a physical one. The black people find themselves in a position where they are always reminded of their blackness which is trivialized and viewed as a cosmetic tool that can be used to the advantaged of the white people. The movie has been successful in showing how stereotypes and stigmatization have been used to deconstruct the black race. It is apparent that the white authority and supremacy remains a critical factor in various films, but the most important thing is that it is a true reflection of what happens in the society today. Through the revolution that is formed towards the end of the movie, a sense of hope is created that the black race is moving towards self-identity. In equal measures, certain characters such as Womack have realized that the only way to elevate their race is to resist the various things that act to demean their identity.
References
Du Bois, W. E. B. (2014). The Suppression of the African Slave-Trade to the United States of America . Oxford University Press.
Johnson, C. (2014). Cornel West and philosophy . Routledge.
Bamboozled (2000). http://putlockers.fm/watch/eLxRpZdO-bamboozled.html
