Sunday 12 December 2010

Bamboozled (2000) - Notes

Bamboozled. (2000)
Starring Damon Wayans.
Directed by Spike Lee.

Damon Wayans is asked to make a minstrel show for the new millennium and uses this as an opportunity to get sacked by introducing a very explicit and ridiculous show that expresses in a satire commonly racist ideas about Africans to the public, this eventually works against him and has a dangerously bad reactions to the majority of the cast.

Only Denotations and rough notes FOR NOW!!
-Reps of 2 dignified successful black characters, one is the main character Pierre Delacroix (Damon) who is a producer and also his female african american assistant. These reps are initially seen as being positive as they work against the stereotypes of having lower status occupations in general being in social grades of D/E.
- We also come to learn that Pierre's real name is actually Phillis which taps into the history of slavery and ownership
- Damon isn't liked until after Bamboozled in his workplace
- His boss "I speak more black when im with you" - Is there a concept of speaking black?
The Mis-en-scene in his office - Pictures of successful black people.
- Changes name from 'Manray' to 'Mantan' and 'Sleep&Eat'
- In the show we see stereotypical black roles i.e. Shoe shining and tapdancing.
- Damon's previous show 'Brown Knows Joe' wasn't a success and got cut.
- On the T-shirt of the girls brother and his rap group ' The African Hellacaust' and they are seen rapping and drinking.
- Damon calls the girl a 'Lamb'
- Hattie costume - Like a mammy is shown in the performances.
- 'Watermelon AKA Nigger apple'
-" I say nigger 100 times every morning, thats what keeps my teeth white"
- His father is an Alcoholic
- Sponsors of the show - 'The Bomb' - hard liquor..."It makes you get your freak on"...
- TimmiHillnigger - The man 'wigger'
- Halloween costumes = Blackface
- "never should have got romantically involved with my help"

...

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Black Hollywood - Analysis on Posters


Bamboozled 1 (2000) : The first poster is from the movie 'Bamboozled.' The main image is of the little girl on the right hand side, the location of where she is standing is hinted by the big yellow circle behind her implying the sun and the buds of cotton and grass images on where she's standing. This as well as the white buds of sweat on her forehead suggests she is or may be working in a cotton farm, this location is stereotypically associated with black people as it is a common workplace and material in Africa.

The girl herself follows the 'Pickaninny' stereotype with the bright red lips, exaggerated black, frizzy hair and the watermelon. Her bare feet connotes poverty which is a stereotypical idea about black people.

The color scheme of black, red and yellow as well as the font and bright red clown-like lips all signify this circus-like feel to the poster.
Also in the title the 'B' in 'Bamboozled' is bold and 3D to stand out from the rest of the letters, ironically 'B' also stands for Black.

Another copy i noticed is at the top left 'Starring the great negro actors' , the mention of the race is significant as in contemporary society this would be very unnecessary and unconventional to mention.

However the credits is conventional...

Bamboozled 2 (2000) :

Wm.H.WESTS - Big Minstrel Jubilee 1(30's - 40's) :

Blacula (1972) :