Klarinet Archive - Posting 000153.txt from 2005/05

From: "Dee Flint" <deeflint01@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Possible racist views in music titles [and: Re: Al Jolson vs. Ludacris]
Date: Sat, 07 May 2005 13:36:00 -0400


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hausmann" <bhausmann1@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2005 12:48 PM
Subject: RE: [kl] Possible racist views in music titles [and: Re: Al Jolson
vs. Ludacris]

> 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
>

That kind of law is ridiculous and really ought to be challenged as being
unconstitutional as it is definitely discriminatory. The best actor should
get the part period. It would bar many fine actors from undertaking the
role of Othello in Shakespeare's play simply because they were white. It
would be even more of a problem in Verdi's opera Otello as to find someone
who is a world class tenor, a good actor, and black all in one package is
going to be a rare occurrence. One of these factors will have to be
compromised most of the time.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

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