I wouldn't expect any of you to see the Dance Flick movie, from the previews alone I'm sure many of you wanted to throw up a little.  In either case, the bigger issue is the disturbing reemergence of "blackface" in popular film.  For those of you who are not familiar with blackface or vaudevillian minstrel shows, it was a popular form of theater in America from the early teen years of the 19th century, till the mid to late 60's of the 20th.  It's roots and reasons have been the center of much speculation, discussion and emotions for many years.  

The process of "blacking up" was done by burning cork and applying it to your face.  The popular actors were largely all white, most troupes were white and if black actors were allowed to perform it would be in blackface.  The context of each character was defined by or spun from four popular characters.  Zip Coon, Mammy, Uncle Tom, and Jim Crow.  I don't want to give a deep history lesson but some of this is essential to understanding the modern stereotypes perpetuated against African Americans.  Zip Coon was flashy dressed, gaudy, fast talking northerner with violent substitutes that would be added later.  Mammy, was a matriarchal character who was loud, boisterous, hyper-sexual but subservient to men.  Uncle Tom is largely modeled after the characterization in the book.  Jim Crow, was a slow moving, ratty, baffoon southerner who was always characterized as mischevous.  

Now for a few decades, blackface fell from popularity and the mainstream media.  If it was ever used, it would be highly criticized and the user would be seen as tasteless, i.e. Ted Danson with Whoopi Goldberg.  In some cases, it has been used in popular shows like SNL by white actors who were portraying black people involved in topical events.  This by and large was less offensive, but eyebrow raising none-the-less.  What is more offensive, but also has been more difficult to remove from media is that the act of blacking up was the only issue that has ever been perceived as negative.  The true offense were the caricatures themselves.  Now, because it has never been properly addressed, the caricatures have become more exaggerated and blacking up has crept back into mainstream culture.

Recent films, like Tropic Thunder, White Chicks, Dance Flick, and Tyler Perry's Madea line and popular shows like Dave Chappelle have opened a door for this form of racism to persist.  In an information/media based culture it has not created constructive conversation, as much as it has reinforced the negative imagery against African Americans.  

I urge you to take a stand against this, watch for this racism in whatever venue you are a part of.  What is more important, is for us to continue to have constructive conversations about ethnicity.  

Keep up the good fight,

Resources to get you started:

Books--

Love and Theft/Eric Lott

Demons of Disorder/Dale Cockrell 

Movies--  

Bamboozled

Watermelon Man 

Hit me up for any questions!