Amos 'n' Andy
Based on Thomas Cripps’ article and your viewing of Amos ’n’ Andy this Thursday, how did the television show portray middle class African Americans? Discuss why the sitcom became the center of a hot public debate as well as the arguments offered by each side.
ReplyDeleteAmos ’n’ Andy caused an uproar in the African American community during it’s release specifically because of the timing of it’s television debut. Postwar America was shifting in its ideologies and understandings of how class structure relates to ethnicity. Thomas Cripps writes of how the middle class African American community feared that a show that so clearly- through its use of colloquialisms, racially pointed situations, and stereotyping- created an image of “maddening oversimplicity”. The show worked to mar the distinctions between African American social classes and created a satirized version of “the black middle class man”. On one end of the spectrum is Kingfish, who is conniving and greedy; while on the other end is Andy, who is gullible and dimwitted. These depictions of African Americans in the staring roles of the show angered members of the NAACP, who fought for the removal of the show from television. But many black actors’ organizations saw this show as a leap in the television opportunities for African American actors. The discourse between African American actors and the NAACP formed the main conflict around the progression of African Americans in American society. Actors did not want to lose their place in television, and canceling the only TV show that gave African Americans a role other than maid or butler would be a risk. The NAACP feared that the show would ruin the fight against the stereotyped African American classes and regress the work towards equality.
Amos 'n' Andy presented the ultimate Catch-22 for African American actors and actresses in early television. On the one hand, it starred a predominately black cast and opened up jobs for African Americans in the industry. On the other, it served to perpetuate damaging stereotypes and racism in the United States. Amos 'n' Andy is somewhat oxymoronic, because while it includes African American characters who are exaggeratedly uneducated and devious, it also includes black judges, police officers, and others who are well-spoken and driven. The problem with Amos 'n' Andy, of course, arises mainly with the stereotypes, and it comes off as patronizing, offensive, and, above all, racist. It's unfortunate that one of the first television shows featuring an African American cast happens to be an inaccurate one. However, that does not negate its value as an early television show. It employed skilled actors that wouldn't otherwise be hired, allowing African Americans to push their way slightly into the television industry. Its racist attitudes and emphasis on stereotypes provided an example of how NOT to portray the black middle class and paved the way for shows that represented it far more positively.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, there is undeniably still a barrier in the television industry for African American actors and actresses. I can't think of a single TV show that is currently on the air that features an all black cast. Often, African Americans are cast in less desirable or stereotypical roles, such as in "The Wire", as mentioned in lecture. Few shows, like "Scandal", portray strong African American leads, and even far fewer feature strong leads for African American females. Thus, we have a long way to go for equality in the television industry, and the cancellation of Amos 'n' Andy was just the beginning.
Amos n Andy was a show that stirred up much controversy with its premiere episode on CBS in 1951. It was a show that greatly divided the African American community based on the show’s portrayal of the African American middle class, as well as its placing its main characters within less than ideal stereotypes. On one side of the debate, the NAACP and its supporters claimed the show made out African Americans to be simple-minded, who talked in disjointed slang, and were constantly getting into trouble and trying to scam and cheat others. This side was juxtaposed to a large percentage of the African American population who saw that the simple fact that African Americans were beginning to have their voice in television as a step in the right direction, and that African American actors were employed and being paid.
ReplyDeleteTruthfully, Amos N Andy’s portrayal of the middle class is exceedingly oversimplified, on the cusp of downright demeaning toward the African American population, particularly the bourgeoisie. The characters all fall within the scope of stereotypes naively given to African Americans during that time period. The male characters displayed, Kingfish and Andy, are dressed in over embellished costumes that, while promotes the fact that they are a part of the middle class, also emphasizes distinct lack in homogeneity within the general middle class between blacks and whites. The episode shown in class Thursday is a prime example of this lack of sensitivity, as well as forming blatant stereotypes amongst the characters. The episode depicts Kingfish as a scheming, devious trickster, who would do anything to get his hands on some extra cash. He goes to ridiculous lengths, dressing as a doctor, attempting to break into the telephone box, simply to acquire a rare nickel that his good friend Andy planned on pawning for a few hundred dollars. Andy is shown as rather dim-witted and uneducated, his speech simple and often featuring slang. As well as the central male figures in Amos and Andy being depicted as less than ideal, the female characters were scrutinized as well. Kingfish’s wife is seen as the stereotypical naggy and nosy African American housewife. She toddles around the house in her robe and slippers, with hot rollers in her hair and constantly berates her husband. Her role is exceedingly different from the typical white American housewife depicted in sitcoms during that period, who were shown in beautiful dresses, their hair and makeup pristine, generally staying out of their husband’s business.
Yes, the portrayal of African Americans on Amos N Andy created quite a divide amongst the African American community. The NAACP claimed that the show oversimplified the race, and that the show was a step backwards in creating equality amongst the two races. While a great number of the African American population thought the show to be delight, seeing it as a milestone in the progress of African Americans in the world of television.
In Amos n Andy the black middle class is usually portrayed in a way that incited a negative reaction from the NAACP. In the episode that we viewed in class the portrayal of the black middle class was the first thing I noticed. This was apparent because of the accents all the characters had that made them appear uneducated. On a positive note not all characters were presented as uneducated. The part of the film that most surprised me was when the cast went to trial and even the judge was a black man. This leads to one of the arguments in the Cripps' article against the NAACP's complaints. Because the cast was all black it offered African americans opportunities that they never had before and also allowed them the potential to get other parts. Another major complaint the NAACP had that i also agreed with from our screening was the character Kingfish. The episode we watched focused entirely on a crime he was trying to commit. Which seemed to send the message that all African American are thieves. The Counter argument to this point was found in the Cripps reading, he explains that throughout the course of the series Kingfish becomes a more relate able character who is driven by his the desire to look impressive to his peers. This and other moments apparently made the characters much more examples of the human condition rather than the stereotype comedy it had been as a radio show. In Conclusion the show Amos n Andy was very polarizing it did have its issues and yet it also benefited many in the black community and eventually paved the way for many shows of the late 90's that had a black ensemble cast such as the Jamie foxx show.
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