Klarinet Archive - Posting 000158.txt from 2005/05

From: "Warren Rosenberg" <wrosenberg47@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Possible racist views in music titles [and: Re: Al Jolson vs. Ludacris]
Date: Sat, 07 May 2005 23:49:45 -0400

YO!
Here's what you've all been waiting for! Educate yourself on the minstrel
show.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/magic/news/minstrel.html
As it says, the minstrel show was the most popular form of entertainment in
19th century America. I didn't realize this. I forgot there was no TV,
radio, telephone, Game-Boy, etc. then. Shall we look with disdain upon the
whole country? We might look at our own foibles before we criticize others
in our self-righteous indignation. Sometimes it gets a little ripe in here.
In fact, I was thinking of starting a minstrel show just because of some of
the righteous indignation that has been exuded. I'll bet it would be a
tremendous hit. And I'd give free tickets to Lelia Loban (only 2
however,ok, 3, (one for Big Brother)!

By the way, in comparing Al Jolsen to Ludacris, I never mentioned promoting
a minstrel show (although as I just said it might not be a bad idea).
Certainly, if done in "good" taste, (I'm not sure what that is these days)
it might be hilarious, and if it's in bad taste we just put it on cable!
We don't need to limit ourselves to whites in blackface. It's a new time.
Why not blacks in whiteface? Chinese playing Mexicans, Mexicans playing
Chinese, Jews playing Arabs, Arabs playing Jews., etc. etc. Sounds like a
great revue!
And it might clear the air around here.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dee Flint" <deeflint01@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2005 10:34 AM
Subject: Re: [kl] Possible racist views in music titles [and: Re: Al Jolson
vs. Ludacris]

>
> ----- 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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