Amos and Andy Vidio Blog

Amos and Andy, imagined characters by two white men, reveal the black sentiment of the early 20th century. There are parallels to minstrel scenes and black face, simply through the dressing up of African Americans with make-up showed through the lips and eyes in this cartoon. This cartoon implored and confirmed certain stereotypes circulating the minds of the American people. It was intended for the popular culture of the time, the white race, as entertainment. As we have seen in our discussions regarding the 'greater' race, they often use lesser races in order for their own gain and happiness. Here, these two white men conjure up these characters in order to appease the white culture. It's almost as if Amos and Andy, falsely, secure the held beliefs of African Americans in the white man's mind. Like others have said, I agree that this type of cartoon is not shocking for the time. Race was the focus of many people, and wanting their beliefs to be proven correctly was important. Therefore the entertainment business stepped in and gave popular America what they wanted. I can't help but think about the ways in which our current culture depicts a minority in order to satisfy the greater populace. Where can we see such examples?