Bamboozled: A Dormant Racism

[TMA_1]

I just saw a film two days ago by the infamous director Spike Lee.

The film is called Bamboozled, and it is dealing with the fact that racism in america has not really been fully addressed, but just pushed under the proverbial rug. It deals with the fact that people havent fully changed, but that racism is just a topic that is repressed in our society, so that we can never really fully heal from the great evils that occured in america towards ethnic minorities.

The main character is Mr. Delacroix, played by Damon Waynes, who does an absolutely amazing job.

He is a studio writer and creator for CNS, a cable network. He has tried to write shows about the black experiance in middle class average settings. The execs of CNS though dont like the ideas, and want more "edgy" types of shows. This obviously stems from the racism that people have that somehow black people in tv and film always have to be protrayed differently than all other people, and cant be played in a serious and normal roll. It always has to be comedy, and if not that it has to always include the strong blackness of the character.

Delacroix gets pissed at this, and decides to create a show that is so disturbing, so racist and sick that people will wake up, and that they will finally fire him. He is so disgruntled that he sets this plan in motion with one of the main execs. This exec guy is so full of ignorant statements that it makes you sick. So anyways Mr. Delacroix actually submits this idea to the exec, and he actually likes it and wants it to work. So the ball is set in motion and you finally find out what Delacroix wants.

it is a minstrel show, a minstrel show that uses blackface.

The show is called "ManTan: the New Millennium Minstrel Show". Delacroix picked two black street performers and hires them to do this show. The two guys are to become the main characters in the show. Their show names are "Mantan" and "Sleep n' eat". The show is like I said a minstrel show, a sort of vaudvillian (bad spelling.lol) variety show with different skits. Anyways the show takes place on a plantation... On the plantation they grow watermelons and the band of the minstrel show are called the alabama porch monkeys. As you can see the show is really racist. It is meant to piss people off and Delacroix finally sees that his show is coming to fruitation and will be shown on the air.

He is so excited that this show will spark an anger and wrath that he will finally prove his point. The sad thing is though is that people actually start to like it...

At first when the first jokes of the first episode are shown, people constantly in the crowd go "oooh" and "oh my god" in complete shock. But slowly people start laughing at the racist jokes, the blackface, the steriotypical writing, and it all goes in the exact opposite way that Delacroix wanted it to go.

There is much more to the movie than that. It would take forever to explain it all. In the end though Delacroix creates a monster, and it all goes the hell. The film itself is so similar to "Network", a satire attacking the media, that you will not help but notice the connections. It is a great film and really shows the racism of our society.

It really got me thinking though. This film really did well in showing how racism hasent really gone away. It is a topic that people push under the rug. People are too afraid to bring up the issue because they are so darn afraid of pissing people off.

In america, political correctness has scared people so much that people will not talk about racism, and if they do it is always in the context of the civil rights movement during the 50s and 60s. Our current state of racism isnt talked about though. People are afraid of being branded racists or extremists, and nothing constructive can be done.

I mean even in the context of learning, if you say the word "nigger" you will actually get uncomfortable and people around you will feel uncomfortable, even if it is to explain about racism. I mean people are so afraid of this extremely touchy issue that racism has really just become dormant. It hasent really been destroyed, just put to sleep.

[Caid Ivik]

Calling a negers as "negers" is not racist and somebody awares me with "aha, neger!" (as in Slovakia there are still only few of them) I feel nothing special, or no "unconformity". Same if we call browns as "cigan" or any of those thousands of pejorative names for vietnamese traders. For example, one black actor here based his career on jokes about his skin. When it comes to valuing or violence, then we can talk about racism.

[TMA_1]

good points, but I am really focusing more on racism in america.

[Egeides]

In Quebec (and I heard the same in Canada) we seem to have one of these opposite phenomenons... You see, it is "cool" to have a friend which is red-yellow-pink-green. A bit like someone knowing an homosexual, or whatnot. Different people are potential sources of knowledge or add-ons, and so it looks like a good idea to make a little collection of rainbow people. This can be genuine (some people are truly interested in anything new) or just jaded glamour.

Personally, I truly appreciate my year near London with people all around the world. Travel forms youth :)

Edit:

Still, I do not only have this to say and wish to add something... there are lots of Asian people in cities such as Toronto (isn't it called "Neo-HongKong" or something?) or Vancouver. Indians, Chinese... I think I already heard about some worries about that here or there. Tensions bring these kind of things. I also have a cousin which is from Bangladesh and... my uncle thaught that he "suddenly" was not welcomed all too well when entering some places in Southern USA. But this is some 10-15 years ago. Tensions do not disappear simply because events show a clear side without its infinite nuances... (Remember, even after the transformation of the Roman Empire into a "Christian" empire, Roman polytheism stayed a looooooooooong time in reality).

[TMA_1]

yeah that sounds like token racism. "I have a friend who is black, he is so cool." 

to me, I see that as racism, just one of many kinds.

[GUNWOUNDS]

Yea but racism is the same as hatred... and hatred is hard-coded into our being.

When some black kids broke into my parents house ... the first words out of my mouth was damn those f'n niggers.

[nemafakei]

Well, it's common for people to call a right wing party or person 'neo-nazi': this is insulting, but it is basically an insult in context, like calling someone religious a fundamentalist. Similarly, we have words beginning with 'b' that we reserve for each gender, and rarely use for the other. Likewise, it is possible to call someone 'white trash' in anger which, while derogatory, is not discrimination per se. When you associate others with the same thing, though (with no reason to), that's different. One conservative you may not like, but that doesn't make every one a Nazi. Just because one religious person has irritated you, don't extend it to others. Deciding that the entire male gender is worthy of insults pertaining to their legitimacy is just unacceptable discrimination.

You can hate as many asian people as you want - and you won't be racist - unless you hate someone because they're asian.

On the other hand, some descriptions are transferrable. It's not unfair, for example, to say that all those of European descent have a higher albedo than average.

[erjin999]

On the other hand, some descriptions are transferrable. It's not unfair, for example, to say that all those of European descent have a higher albedo than average.

Whats that, like a belly button or something ? ???

...And yeah, I agree with guns point about racism being concious and unconcious. We might conciously say "nigger" or we might unconciously think it...

[GUNWOUNDS]

erjin, he meant that europeans have lighter skin and therefore reflect more sunlight.

[Anathema]

Actually it's Africans whose dark scin reflects more sunlight ;)

[TMA_1]

hmm with this topic though, I am talking more about racism in america. Also I am talking about a specific kind of racism. See a large portion of racism in america is more subtle and acceptable. Tokenism as I said before and the use of stereotyping and generalization of races. This is obvious in the media. For example, it is almost impossible to find shows with black people in normal everyday situations and in middle class backgrounds. It always has to be "edgy", and given a "ghetto" twang. This is looked upon as okay though. It seems to me that racism is never really talked about in constructive terms, and is usually covered up because it is such a heated topic.

[Edric O]

The way to eradicate racism, IMO, is to simply not mention to children the idea that skin colour makes any kind of difference. Let them grow up in an atmosphere of "race? what's that? never heard of it..." Of course, this would require some major changes in the way both parents and schools educate children.

And then there's the problem that people of the same skin colour tend to stick together, and create their own "black" or "asian" or "white" subculture, which then perpetuates itself through subsequent generations. Racial stereotyping is often a self-fulfilling prophecy (i.e. black/asian/white/whatever kids behave the way they heard black/asian/white/whatever kids should behave - thus actively trying to meet a stereotype and reinforcing that stereotype in the process).

[TMA_1]

I think you hit the nail on the head in one thing you said edric.

Basically the key to destroy racism is in our children. We need to focus on our children because there will be no way to cure the twisted evil of racism in our time.

There are many enforced stereotypes. Bamboozled shows this perfectly. There is a commercial on the movie for a clothing line called "Timmi Hillnigger". In the commercial it shows a bunch of gangsta rapping homeboys with the sleazy girls dancing around this nerdy white guy who is trying to talk in the street slang and fails at it. And in the commercial it mocks clothing lines that try to sell to the black communties, even though the companies could care less, and really are just trying to make a buck, exploiting communities. Its really sad but Bamboozled is a sad movie, a satire that does its job well, almost too well.

[GUNWOUNDS]

Actually it's Africans whose dark scin reflects more sunlight ;)

Actually no... take that physics class again bro... white is white because it REFLECTS all colors of the spectrum (hence why its bright)..... black is black because it ABSORBS all the colors of the spectrum (hence why it is dark).

If you didnt know that white light contained all the colors you can discover this by shining light thru a crystal and seeing how the white light is split into a rainbow.

[Edric O]

Well, actually, "white" people are more pink than white... :D

[Anathema]

Gunny: now that you mention it, I'm starting to remember all those physic lessons ???

As I understould it, African natives are black because it protects them from the dangers of abundant sunlight (such as skin cancer). Exposure to sun light also helps generating vitamin D, and that therefore black people in the north would quickly suffer from low vitamin D levels (inuit people compensate this through eating lots of meat, also a source of vit D)

Maybe someone can shed some light on this?

The way to eradicate racism, IMO, is to simply not mention to children the idea that skin colour makes any kind of difference. Let them grow up in an atmosphere of "race? what's that? never heard of it..." Of course, this would require some major changes in the way both parents and schools educate children.

I don't think the "keep your kids ignorant" thing is going to work. In today's society where parents have so little grip on what their kids come into contact with, it's not going to work. Kids should be actively tought the facts about racism and its atrocities. I imagine that a kid who has never seen or heard anything about coloured people before might get the impression that the first black kid he meets is "weird".

Plus, inventing different ways of raising your children doesn't mean that everyone is going to follow them. There are plenty of racists today who are parents now and will be in the future, so the following generations will have the same issues with racism as we do now.

The boundaries of these subcultures of whites/blacks/asians should be rendered more vague (as opposed to completely eradicated- there's nothing wrong with a subculture retaining its values and customs per se) by giving each the same chance of education and opportunities to succeed in life. When each racial group participates in social/economical life equally, they inevitably come into contact with together and will have to deal with eachother. When forced to deal with eachother people will inevitably realise that other races are no better/worse then their own, for racists are generally people who have little or only superficial contact with other racial groups.

All IMHO, of course.

[GUNWOUNDS]

black people are shielded from the dangers of sunlight because the melanin pigment in their skin absorbs the light and radiation like a blanket instead of it bombarding the cells themselves.

White people reflect sunlight but there is no melanin to shield their cells from the damaging radiation that isnt reflected.

[Dude_Doc]

I think nazi-groups and such has lost it all. They stick together because of some dislikening of a certain type of people. Look at what many nazis do today: taking drugs, breaking stuff (even breaking the law), in other words - doing things that, at least from my understanding, isn't "very nazi or fascist".

Taking drugs isn't very "aryan" now, is it? And breaking the law? I thought fascists wanted stronger and more restricting laws.

And just like Edric said, let children of the new generation grow up without any concept of "race". Ironically, one of my teachers I had a while back said that there are no "races" - since races are created, not by evolution, but rather engineered or directed. If Hitler had won the war and continued his racial "experiment" - that is, breeding "aryan people" with themselves (or, Germans with Germans) - only then would we have a "race". Or at least that is what he figured.

I recently found out that a classmate from my previous school joined some nazi gang - and the reason for that is because he had trouble with both his parents, friends and in the school. Children and teenagers who are left outside are forced to adapt, to listen to a special type of music, or to have special political beliefs if he or she is ever going to have friends. That is sad because one expects society to do something about it, and I don't think many people can get a profit out of helping other people... or at least change the course they are about to take.

[Anathema]

I agree with what American Cyborg said, and want to add some more.

Whatever else, the NSDAP was a party that stould for something: a rigid code of life, bringing back traditional family values, obedience above all and the infamous racial doctrine.

By contrast, today's "neo nazi" groups consist mostly of misguided kids who spend their days smoking crack, petty theft and mollesting non-white people only because they are pissed because they're unable to make something out of their own lives.

Neo nazis are stupid. Hitler's inner circle consisted of some really scary, yet brilliant men- Goering, Himler etc. Oh sure, there are plenty of semi-intelectual racists today such as Philip de Winter (Belgium) and Jorg Haider (Austria) but they don't associate themselves with neo nazis in public. The average white guy who hates foreigners for "taking our jobs" still doesn't have two good words to spare for nazis, afterall.

And another issue: why is it that you see Muslim fundamentalists painting swatsikas every now and then? Sure, they'd agree with Hitler when it comes to Jew hatred, but Arabs weren't exactly slated to be part of Hitler's future either. (after the jews, the Arabs would probably be the first ones next- Hitler hated all semetic people, it's just that he considered the jews to be the worst of all)

Expanding on that, use of swatsikas and Hitler pictures by anybody else then Germans (like mordern "nazi" groups in the US) never made sense to me. What the hell is it about "Deutschland uber alles" that you don't understand?!

Morons.

[Edric O]

I don't think the "keep your kids ignorant" thing is going to work. In today's society where parents have so little grip on what their kids come into contact with, it's not going to work. Kids should be actively tought the facts about racism and its atrocities. I imagine that a kid who has never seen or heard anything about coloured people before might get the impression that the first black kid he meets is "weird".

I didn't mean keeping kids ignorant of the existence of people with different skin colours! I meant telling kids about skin colour without giving it more importance than, say, hair or eye colour.

Plus, inventing different ways of raising your children doesn't mean that everyone is going to follow them. There are plenty of racists today who are parents now and will be in the future, so the following generations will have the same issues with racism as we do now.

True, but education is (and has always been) the best way to change social attitudes and stereotypes.

The boundaries of these subcultures of whites/blacks/asians should be rendered more vague (as opposed to completely eradicated- there's nothing wrong with a subculture retaining its values and customs per se) by giving each the same chance of education and opportunities to succeed in life. When each racial group participates in social/economical life equally, they inevitably come into contact with together and will have to deal with eachother. When forced to deal with eachother people will inevitably realise that other races are no better/worse then their own, for racists are generally people who have little or only superficial contact with other racial groups.

I completely agree.

Regarding stupid neo-nazis, I was under the impression that many of the rank-and-file members of the NSDAP were not too different from present day neo-nazis, which allowed them to be easily manipulated by the truly intelligent Nazi leaders.

[Dunenewt]

It's not unfair, for example, to say that all those of European descent have a higher albedo than average.

Why do the words libedo and albedo have to be so similar :(  I almost made a bad mistake.

[Anathema]

I didn't mean keeping kids ignorant of the existence of people with different skin colours!

That wasn't what I thought. I mean that eventually kids are going to come into contact with other (white) kids who do have racist ideas (either because they've been raised with them or not, it makes no difference). I mean that kids should be actively tought that skin colour makes no difference, not just letting them draw the conclusions themselves.

About the neo nazis: American History X (one of the best movies ever made IMO) illustrates my point perfectly. (This won't contain major spoilers, so I won't hide it. Read on or not, your call.)

The main character Derreck is a fanatical neo nazi (in the US, but I'll let that rest for now). He is super idealistic, and actually would have been an ideal son to have if he weren't a racist and propogated violence against non aryans. He's generally civilized, highly intelligent and true to his doctrine.

Later in the movie he comes into contact with guys who wear swatsika tattoos etc just like him, and they appear to be likeminded fellows. However, he's dissapointed: these guys smoke drugs they bought from latinos and trade stuff with black people, and they greet eachother with "Heil, Hitler!" only because they think it's cool, or something.

Neo nazis are very shallow compared to the NSDAP.

Newt: that's what I "read" the first time too. Seemed odd coming from Nema :D

[Caid Ivik]

You are true. They all forgot that great testimony of Horbiger's cosmogony, Nietzsche's ethics, Hieschler's social politics, Mengele's biomorphology, findings of Ahnenerbe and other important fundaments, on which that group of geniuses Thule was able to build that fully autonomous civilization in just two decades. To be a great nazist, you must be of great spirit...

[erjin999]

Why do the words libedo and albedo have to be so similar :(  I almost made a bad mistake.

Thats what I thought he said at first ! Why couldnt they just use the phrase "reflects more light" ?

[Anathema]

Caid: at first, I wasn't really sure wether you were being sarcastic. I mean, your entire post is filled with your attempts to show other people how knowledgable you're about history, and it's not the first time it clouds people ability to understand what the hell you are saying ::)

Being intelligent (and psychotic) doesn't make you great. I never said so. I have little doubt that Bin Laden and Kim Jong Il are very bright little fellows, but it doesn't mean I think they're "great".

I don't think I need to defend my point any further, so I'll leave it there.