Amos 'n' Andy

I too had never seen the cartoon before, and therefore did a little research on the show. I discovered that the producers were white actors who had experience in minstrel traditions. What began as a radio comedy turned into a television series, and was syndicated for over a decade after production stopped. What surprised me the most was the obvious racial stereotypes relative to the time period the series was popular. I was shocked to find out episodes were shown as late as 1966. The minstrel style was readily apparent, as all of the characters possessed exaggerated facial features, distinct dialect, very awkward movements, etc.

This cartoon ties into our discussion in section this week as well. The stereotypes presented served to further the racial undertones that existed in our Country at the time and continue to exist in some forms today. Taking a course in humor concurrent to 201, I was able to especially notice the minstrel humor presented throughout the cartoon. The extremely dark skin tones act as a form of blackface, indicating a production is supposed to be funny. The overll slow movement of the characters along with thier "primative" actions especially in the fight scene fall right in line with typical Minstrelsy humor. While this type of show did serve to strengthen the color line and contribute to the civil rights movement, it is important to understand that this was a part of American humor at the time. One can see similarities between the advancement of society in regards to progress and the path that humor and entertainment took as it developed into what we have today.