Klarinet Archive - Posting 000151.txt from 2005/05

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Possible racist views in music titles [and: Re: Al
Date: Sat, 07 May 2005 12:51:32 -0400

At 04:12 PM 5/7/2005 +0000, Kevin Callahan wrote:
>>Just because there are much worse songs than
>>"Mammy" *still* wouldn't make it okay for kids to perform minstrel shows in
>>blackface at the local school.
>
>I admit to not following this thread very well, but under what school code
>would this EVER be acceptable? I'm more interested in the facts, because
>"right and wrong" here is a duel-edged sword.

Last night I attended a local high school production of "Finian's
Rainbow." A rather radical show for its day (1947) which lampooned racial
stereotypes and Jim Crow laws, the story has a bigoted white senator
magically turned into a black man. According to the show program, it is
not only "politically incorrect" for a white actor to "black up" to play a
black role, but it is actually ILLEGAL to do so, and also for a black actor
to "white up." They solved the problem by double-casting the role.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org