Based on Thomas Cripps’ article, how did the television show portray middle class African Americans? Discuss why the sitcom became the center of a hot public debate. What were some of the various arguments made about the show?
Amos ‘N’ Andy was hotly debated for its years in production as a television show because of its portrayal of the African American community and the people living within it. The biggest takeaway I noticed from this article was a divide between how A ‘N’ A showed African American people and how viewers perceived it. On the one side, many felt creators had shown the characters as “complex, increasingly political black bourgeoisie” (p. 34) but on the other hand, many more felt that they were portrayed as uneducated and inept human beings. Likewise, many felt that A ‘N’ A displayed African Americans having aspiration as a bad thing while forming the entire community into this urban, fowl speaking, and “verbally crippled” image. I believe the second point is what upset most people in the middle class. Finally, one of the aspects that I think really hurt their chances of success was this notion that the show didn’t represent how far the black community has come, rather portraying the community in a severely over simplistic manner.
This sitcom became the center of a debate for a number of reasons. The first being that after World War II, the topic of race and representation in the media was huge. Shows displaying a number of ethnicities were on air and extremely successful, and the idea of how to better represent various ethnicities in the media was at an all time high. The debate really came when the show went on air. The NAACP felt that the show portrayed the African American community in a very fowl and negative way, focusing mainly on how the black middle class was misrepresented. This debate became heated when members of the African American community couldn’t position a united front. Black actors in Hollywood praised the show for its ability to bring more African American representation into Hollywood, which was and is still lacking. As argued by actors like Clarence Muse, this added representation in the entertainment industry gave more opportunity for African American actors and entertainers. The show ran for years on primetime for reasons including the African American community couldn’t provide a united front, and it eventually made its way to syndication.
Thomas Cripps’ article puts ‘Amos n’ Andy’ in historical context. He explains well the struggle of blacks gaining financial and political power in postwar America to grapple with issues of integration into a society fraught with racial tension and a history of slavery. He especially focuses on black representation in Hollywood and television as a source of possible integration into society. ‘Amos n’ Andy’ portrayed blacks in a racist and stereotypical manner (they speak in an uneducated dialect) but also portrayed them as good hearted people living out solidly middle class lives who possess strong bourgeois aspirations. This dual representation that was seen as inclusive and flattering by some and a step backwards in fair representation split black opinion on the merits of the show.
The NAACP fought hard against the racial bias of the show, sponsored letter writing campaigns and spoke out against with protests the CBS network and Blatz beer for sponsoring the show. A lot of black actors however, were supportive of the show as it gave them a ‘toe in the door’ of television and representation in media. Many argued that the show was offensive to the aspirations of the black middle class, but did not outwardly state that the show was offensive to other groups of black persons (specifically the working class). Many blacks that enjoyed the show felt that the NAACP was unfairly pressuring them to not watch or being too sensitive. Overall, because the black middle class did not present a united front, Thomas Cripps argues, they failed to fight an effective battle against CBS to get the show removed from the air.
Thomas Cripps’ article puts ‘Amos n’ Andy’ in historical context. He explains well the struggle of blacks gaining financial and political power in postwar America to grapple with issues of integration into a society fraught with racial tension and a history of slavery. He especially focuses on black representation in Hollywood and television as a source of possible integration into society. ‘Amos n’ Andy’ portrayed blacks in a racist and stereotypical manner (they speak in an uneducated dialect) but also portrayed them as good hearted people living out solidly middle class lives who possess strong bourgeois aspirations. This dual representation that was seen as inclusive and flattering by some and a step backwards in fair representation split black opinion on the merits of the show.
The NAACP fought hard against the racial bias of the show, sponsored letter writing campaigns and spoke out against with protests the CBS network and Blatz beer for sponsoring the show. A lot of black actors however, were supportive of the show as it gave them a ‘toe in the door’ of television and representation in media. Many argued that the show was offensive to the aspirations of the black middle class, but did not outwardly state that the show was offensive to other groups of black persons (specifically the working class). Many blacks that enjoyed the show felt that the NAACP was unfairly pressuring them to not watch or being too sensitive. Overall, because the black middle class did not present a united front, Thomas Cripps argues, they failed to fight an effective battle against CBS to get the show removed from the air.
Amos N’ Andy was a hot public debate because of its portrayal of African Americans. The show portrayed middle class African Americans as loud and ignorant individuals. Until I read Thomas Cripps’ article, I never realized that this show started off on radio. Many were upset with CBS for allowing the show to be on air. It became so controversial that the NAACP filed a lawsuit to take Amos ‘N’ Andy off the air. African Americans were on two sides of this debate. On one side some believed that the show portrayed African Americans with typical stereotypes was something that should not be celebrated. On the other hand, others believed that seeing these actors that looked like them was progress.
The media, Black actors and other people in the business were on different sides. One actor, for example Clarence Mose, praised the show and called it an “artistic triumph”. The media wanted to give their support to the cause but at the same time they were still sending out press releases for CBS.
Amos & Andy, like many of the Hollywood-produced “Race Films” before it, was an insidious ploy by the white Hollywood bourgeoisie to use black faces and voices to espouse their own racial and political beliefs about the role black people were to play in American society. Historically a radio show performed using white actors portraying black characters, the Amos & Andy show was an example of what contemporary writers would refer to as “Sock Puppeteering,” the construction of a minority media persona by white people to push their controversial agenda through the mouth of someone directly affected by it. Cripps points out that the postwar wave of political activism within the black community contributed to a nationwide debate about the political merit, or lack thereof, of the show. Critics of the show argued that it completely failed to portray middle class black americans as competent, intelligent beings, rather, bumbling, childish oafs. It was a matter of integration - these portrayals not-so-subtly hinted that integration for black americans into bourgeois society was impossible, they were too simple and crude. Meanwhile, supporters of the show noted that it brought wealth and careers to many black performers, and that being too “sensitive” about their portrayals just as black people were finally breaking into the hollywood mainstream would be counterproductive to their cause.
In postwar America, roles for African Americans were limited in entertainment. But when Amos ’n’ Andy first premiered, whose main cast were black actors, it was not beloved by the African American community. Thomas Cripps wrote about the racial conflict created around CBS’s television show Amos ’n’ Andy. Instead of a show marking the progress and post-war social revolution underway, it instead depicted some of the characters as illiterate and silly. It portrayed the actors as middle-class, who had quirks and spoke in “rural dialect” ( 44), which was made worse because minor white characters spoke in “crisp Yankee accents” on the show. This emphasized a racial middle-class difference. Julius Adams made a point that television was a new form of media, one that had yet to be tainted with racial stereotypes (38). However, to him and others such as the NAACP, this show brought with it many racist commentaries.
While many African Americans found the show offensive and battled with CBS over it, some African Americans found the show to be a gate for more opportunity for black actors, who barely had opportunities in show business. It became difficult battleground for NAACP, attacking a medium in which black actors gained fame, making the debate difficult, especially since there was a devoted black audience watching the show.
According to Crisps' articles, Amos 'n' Andy represented many untrue stereotypes of the Afro- American community. He says it depicted them as "feckless, verbally crippled, ineptly conniving with hearts of gold." A lot of the black community was in an uproar about bringing this knowingly racist show to television, more specifically the NAACP. But what made it a very hot topic was that the black community was actually torn on the topic. In a time where acting roles for blacks outside of being maid and valets came few and far between, many black actors saw this as a good opportunity and as progress for the black acting community. But people who stood with the NAACP and their views felt that this show misrepresented the black middle class and presented them in a very negative light. In the show clip posted above Amos takes Andy's mail, breaks the law by opening it and reading his personal information, and scams to be able to steal his coin from him in order to get the fortune it is worth. his displays the community in a bad light because a man who is supposed to be friends with another is willing to go behind his back and steal from him. This tear in ideals in the black community surprised many and stations like CBS tried to use it to their advantage.
Amos ‘n’ Andy portrayed middle class African Americans as a group of naïve, lazy, albeit good-natured, slackers. The show relied on stereotypical racial traits and general misrepresentations of an entire race to simply incite laughter. Unlike its run on radio, Amos ‘n’ Andy’s television presence sparked “resentment and emphatic disapproval” from many of its black viewers. One reason why much of the audience was up in arms about the content was because the move of Amos ‘n’ Andy from radio to television coincided with the rise of the black bourgeoisie to postwar political awareness and its recent success in influencing the racial content of motion pictures. This, in combination with the general feeling of powerlessness in the black community re: access to broadcasting prior to World War II, can be seen as the catalyst that launched Amos ‘n’ Andy to the center of a hot public debate. Organized black citizens were certainly shocked at the portrayals of their own people on Amos ‘n’ Andy, but were even more outraged at the timing of its television debut—at a cresting of black political consciousness. Despite this, the black community had a split opinion on the show’s social and political impacts, and were unable to form a united front. Many arguments were being made in reference to the show by black Americans, many of them on par with the NAACP’s thinking that the show smeared the middle class, but not all of opinions were aggressively negative. Contrary to the assumption that the show sparked general disapproval, black people in show business, for example, applauded the increased opportunities for black actors generated by the show. Cripps makes an important point regarding the various arguments surrounding the show when stating that the central issue in the debate actually never came into focus—the in-fighting polarized the community so much that the show successfully ran for years, despite valid the various valid complaints.
The writers of Amos 'n' Andy tried extremely hard to write the show in such a way that it would be at least acceptable to the black community. They were aware of the negative feelings toward the radio show, and the bad reaction to the announcement of the TV show probably caused the staff to rethink their strategy (41). While some characters, such as Kingfish, still portrayed African-Americans extremely poorly, others seemed to have some nuance to them. Above all, the show's unwillingness to mention race probably had the most to do with the split in opinion on the show. Cripps says, "White characters, for instance, are never allowed to refer to race or even to notice that the principals are black," (45). Clarence Muse, a black actor, said, in reference to a scene in the show, "Now there's a situation that could happen in any home with any race of people, isn't that right?" (42). The show intentionally tried to ignore "blackness," and attempted to portray an African-American family the same way it would portray a Jewish-American family on The Goldbergs. This is, in my opinion, what would cause the split in opinion in the black community. While middle class, educated, organized African-Americans could spot the racist tendencies of the show, people outside of that milieu had a hard time identifying what could possibly be wrong with the show. Add that to the fact that many black actors praised the show as a "foot in the door," and it's clear why organized, middle class African-Americans could not successfully translate their feelings about the show to the black community as a whole. While they viewed the show as a racist portrayal of the African-American middle class, other African-Americans viewed it in a similar light to The Goldbergs, and those who didn't necessarily enjoy the show may still have thought of it as a good thing because it gave African-American actors more opportunities.
Amos N' Andy emerged in the wake of postwar liberal movements which were striving for racial integration in the US. The NAACP advocated for African American advancement in American society after WWII and many television networks took advantage of this opportunity by creating nearly a dozen shows featuring African Americans. Amos N' Andy depicted two black bourgeoise type characters living a seemingly normal life. The show essentially was "colorblind" yet still exaggerated stereotypes of an African American. They were all "happy people" living regular lives and resolving their issues in a funny or happy way by the end of the episode. All the other characters spoke in a typical "yankee" fashion and they were well spoken, while Andy and Kingfish used slang and spoke in broken english. The show seems to mock the progress of the African American bourgeoisie in that it made the black men look like fools even amongst their success.
The NAACP was shocked that the network chose to release the show during a time of "liberal rededication". Where progressive movements towards integration were occurring, yet the show seemed to mock the ideals of the African American middle class. The NAACP pushed to have the show changed or removed and continued to complain and use press releases to put pressure on the network. However, the show was well liked amongst black audiences because it was still a show centered around their race and they were able to represented in the entertainment industry. Black actors also applauded the show because it provided work and opportunities for more African Americans in the industry. This caused a clash amongst the African American community. Most viewers argued that it was a step towards the integration progress. Black actors also stated that the show did depicted some form of their own reality, Clarence Muse made the claim that the show presented "real negroes that you and I know". Black activist argued that African American aspirations were embedded into the show and the character portrayals were making fun of those aspirations, but African American audiences seemed to enjoy the fact that their race was represented in the new entertainment medium.
During post World Ward II era, CBS’s released it’s new comedy, Amos n Andy. This show derived its humor from representing African Americans in stereotypical parodies. Originally a radio show voiced by two white actors, the television version included mostly black actors. Although, this initiated opportunity for black actors at the time, they played characters that were as Cripps describes, “feckless, verbally crippled, ineptly conniving parvenus with hearts of gold” (Cripps, 34). These two aspects of Amos n Andy caused a great debate between many members of the black community, especially in the shows representation of the Black middle class. According to Cripps, the NAACP thought the American show’s “ caricature of the middle class as indecorous, prone to use “street slang” and no more than a nest of “quacks an thieves and slippery cowards, ignorant of their profession”” (Cripps, 42). On the contrary, the black community involved with show business made an argument of inclusivity and integration of race on television in an otherwise exclusive environment. Despite the pure racism and misrepresentation of the show, there were so many differing political opinions that the black community was never able to approach the issue as a united entity. Overall, Cripps makes the important point that Amos n Andy caused great divide between the black community in a time when full integration was possible and achievable in American society causing unfortunate uncertainty within a recently organized black middle class.
Amos 'n' Andy depicted the African American middle class in a way that the white community would agree with, without sacrificing qualities that make characters enjoyable. They're lazy and dim, but caring and charismatic. Bringing Amos 'n' Andy to television was rightly controversial. The radio show had starred two white men whose goals were to portray the African American community as uneducated and clumsy. It was a racially insensitive program, to put it lightly. CBS decided to bring the show to television after the community had taken so many steps forward in radio in the postwar era, and the NAACP took issue with that. What should have been a unifying platform became a divisive issue. Amos 'n' Andy provided representation and opportunities in television that hadn't previously been available to African American actors, and the writers chose to break from the status quo. Cripps writes about an episode where Andy works as a Santa in order to buy a Christmas gift. He follows the system and demonstrates his integrity and willpower, where a lazy writing crew could have sent him down a less admirable path for the sake of white laughter. The episodes like this one were crucial in creating a united community of supporters, despite the opposition of the NAACP, without sacrificing the respect that the African American community needed.
Amos 'N' Andy was originally a radio show that depicted black lives (but voiced by white characters) that was adapted for television in the early '50's (this time with black actors). During this time period, black people were in the minority in the film and TV industry, so it was rare for any depiction of African Americans to make it to main stream media. However, the show was extremely controversial and received ire from numerous groups and communities, the strongest and most relevant criticism coming from the the NAACP. The main point made by NAACP is that this show was going to be used as a representative of what black middle class was like in America, when in fact it was a shrewd stereotypical representation of how middle class blacks actually lived. One example of this would be the side character Kingfish, who Cripps describes as being an inept, ne’er-do-well conniver used as a real life cartoon parody of black Americans. The NAACP also cited other shows that portrayed minorities in America, such as The Goldbergs, to argue that the show was not appropriate. By comparing Amos and Andy to The Goldbergs, the argument is able to be made that minorities are able to be portrayed in ways that do not ridicule the groups, but rather celebrate them and allow people to see and experience a different culture.
In Thomas Cripps’ article, the television show depicted the black middle/class Americans as urban tricksters that marked by naïve, cunning, languid manners, and drawling malapropisms. The most important reason that Amos “n” And became the center of a hot public debate is the background situation of the time. During the time the sitcom released, racial integration was moving to the center of American attention and also activist organizations are swelled to trying to participate more in the American life. And also since that Amos ‘n’ Andy make use of the black’s stereotypical racial traits as a way of humor, it also offers opportunity for blacks to debate for racial prejudice. In the article, it says that it creates a huge contention. On one side” it was a complex, increasingly political black bourgeoisie; on the other hand, the feckless black and ineptly conniving parvenus with hearts of gold. (34)”
Some of the various arguments made about the show are that the character Kingfish, his malapropisms and feckless manners seems like a caricature of black middle-class aspiration. The show seemed to cast doubt on the black social goals and to mock especially to the middle class black Americans.
Amos 'n' Andy was originally a radio program that CBS turned into a television show. While the radio show never received as much critical attention from audiences, the television program sparked debate over the representation of African Americans in popular media. This was in part because post World War II, the African American community had a renewed sense of growth and communal identity- the NAACP memberships grew in vast numbers, the American government was redirecting some of its efforts towards social justice, and a more general awareness of black issues began to flourish.
Amos 'n' Andy was a hot point of debate because it was received differently by various populations. Some African Americans felt the show reinforced negative stereotypes- images of poverty, lack of intelligence, and the use of black dialects (often misrepresented to emphasize the former two points). The NAACP was strongly against the show, believing it to continue these narratives. However, black actors (specifically the stars of "Amos 'n' Andy") defended the show, in part citing that the work provided for black talent was a sign of progress in and of itself. In addition, the simple "all-American" framework for the show, whereby the characters dealt with small day-to-day issues that generally ended on a happy note (perhaps leaving the audience with a sense of hope and "feel-goodness"), complicated the reception of the show. While the show failed to represent the complexity of the black experience during this time period, while it failed to recognize black struggle and acknowledge racial differences, it didn't exactly portray blacks in a villainous role. Blacks were placed in a "just like one of us" situation. On one hand, they are "othered," on the other, assimilated. Ultimately, the show laid bare the fact that the black community was not wholly in agreement on every issue concerning the community. How was the show to be received? Even if one settles on whether or not it is a "positive" or "negative" representation of the black community, the reasons for this quickly become complicated, perhaps even contradictory.
Amos ‘N’ Andy was hotly debated for its years in production as a television show because of its portrayal of the African American community and the people living within it. The biggest takeaway I noticed from this article was a divide between how A ‘N’ A showed African American people and how viewers perceived it. On the one side, many felt creators had shown the characters as “complex, increasingly political black bourgeoisie” (p. 34) but on the other hand, many more felt that they were portrayed as uneducated and inept human beings. Likewise, many felt that A ‘N’ A displayed African Americans having aspiration as a bad thing while forming the entire community into this urban, fowl speaking, and “verbally crippled” image. I believe the second point is what upset most people in the middle class. Finally, one of the aspects that I think really hurt their chances of success was this notion that the show didn’t represent how far the black community has come, rather portraying the community in a severely over simplistic manner.
ReplyDeleteThis sitcom became the center of a debate for a number of reasons. The first being that after World War II, the topic of race and representation in the media was huge. Shows displaying a number of ethnicities were on air and extremely successful, and the idea of how to better represent various ethnicities in the media was at an all time high. The debate really came when the show went on air. The NAACP felt that the show portrayed the African American community in a very fowl and negative way, focusing mainly on how the black middle class was misrepresented. This debate became heated when members of the African American community couldn’t position a united front. Black actors in Hollywood praised the show for its ability to bring more African American representation into Hollywood, which was and is still lacking. As argued by actors like Clarence Muse, this added representation in the entertainment industry gave more opportunity for African American actors and entertainers. The show ran for years on primetime for reasons including the African American community couldn’t provide a united front, and it eventually made its way to syndication.
Thomas Cripps’ article puts ‘Amos n’ Andy’ in historical context. He explains well the struggle of blacks gaining financial and political power in postwar America to grapple with issues of integration into a society fraught with racial tension and a history of slavery. He especially focuses on black representation in Hollywood and television as a source of possible integration into society. ‘Amos n’ Andy’ portrayed blacks in a racist and stereotypical manner (they speak in an uneducated dialect) but also portrayed them as good hearted people living out solidly middle class lives who possess strong bourgeois aspirations. This dual representation that was seen as inclusive and flattering by some and a step backwards in fair representation split black opinion on the merits of the show.
ReplyDeleteThe NAACP fought hard against the racial bias of the show, sponsored letter writing campaigns and spoke out against with protests the CBS network and Blatz beer for sponsoring the show. A lot of black actors however, were supportive of the show as it gave them a ‘toe in the door’ of television and representation in media. Many argued that the show was offensive to the aspirations of the black middle class, but did not outwardly state that the show was offensive to other groups of black persons (specifically the working class). Many blacks that enjoyed the show felt that the NAACP was unfairly pressuring them to not watch or being too sensitive. Overall, because the black middle class did not present a united front, Thomas Cripps argues, they failed to fight an effective battle against CBS to get the show removed from the air.
Thomas Cripps’ article puts ‘Amos n’ Andy’ in historical context. He explains well the struggle of blacks gaining financial and political power in postwar America to grapple with issues of integration into a society fraught with racial tension and a history of slavery. He especially focuses on black representation in Hollywood and television as a source of possible integration into society. ‘Amos n’ Andy’ portrayed blacks in a racist and stereotypical manner (they speak in an uneducated dialect) but also portrayed them as good hearted people living out solidly middle class lives who possess strong bourgeois aspirations. This dual representation that was seen as inclusive and flattering by some and a step backwards in fair representation split black opinion on the merits of the show.
ReplyDeleteThe NAACP fought hard against the racial bias of the show, sponsored letter writing campaigns and spoke out against with protests the CBS network and Blatz beer for sponsoring the show. A lot of black actors however, were supportive of the show as it gave them a ‘toe in the door’ of television and representation in media. Many argued that the show was offensive to the aspirations of the black middle class, but did not outwardly state that the show was offensive to other groups of black persons (specifically the working class). Many blacks that enjoyed the show felt that the NAACP was unfairly pressuring them to not watch or being too sensitive. Overall, because the black middle class did not present a united front, Thomas Cripps argues, they failed to fight an effective battle against CBS to get the show removed from the air.
Amos N’ Andy was a hot public debate because of its portrayal of African Americans. The show portrayed middle class African Americans as loud and ignorant individuals. Until I read Thomas Cripps’ article, I never realized that this show started off on radio. Many were upset with CBS for allowing the show to be on air. It became so controversial that the NAACP filed a lawsuit to take Amos ‘N’ Andy off the air. African Americans were on two sides of this debate. On one side some believed that the show portrayed African Americans with typical stereotypes was something that should not be celebrated. On the other hand, others believed that seeing these actors that looked like them was progress.
ReplyDeleteThe media, Black actors and other people in the business were on different sides. One actor, for example Clarence Mose, praised the show and called it an “artistic triumph”. The media wanted to give their support to the cause but at the same time they were still sending out press releases for CBS.
Amos & Andy, like many of the Hollywood-produced “Race Films” before it, was an insidious ploy by the white Hollywood bourgeoisie to use black faces and voices to espouse their own racial and political beliefs about the role black people were to play in American society. Historically a radio show performed using white actors portraying black characters, the Amos & Andy show was an example of what contemporary writers would refer to as “Sock Puppeteering,” the construction of a minority media persona by white people to push their controversial agenda through the mouth of someone directly affected by it.
ReplyDeleteCripps points out that the postwar wave of political activism within the black community contributed to a nationwide debate about the political merit, or lack thereof, of the show. Critics of the show argued that it completely failed to portray middle class black americans as competent, intelligent beings, rather, bumbling, childish oafs. It was a matter of integration - these portrayals not-so-subtly hinted that integration for black americans into bourgeois society was impossible, they were too simple and crude. Meanwhile, supporters of the show noted that it brought wealth and careers to many black performers, and that being too “sensitive” about their portrayals just as black people were finally breaking into the hollywood mainstream would be counterproductive to their cause.
In postwar America, roles for African Americans were limited in entertainment. But when Amos ’n’ Andy first premiered, whose main cast were black actors, it was not beloved by the African American community. Thomas Cripps wrote about the racial conflict created around CBS’s television show Amos ’n’ Andy. Instead of a show marking the progress and post-war social revolution underway, it instead depicted some of the characters as illiterate and silly. It portrayed the actors as middle-class, who had quirks and spoke in “rural dialect” ( 44), which was made worse because minor white characters spoke in “crisp Yankee accents” on the show. This emphasized a racial middle-class difference. Julius Adams made a point that television was a new form of media, one that had yet to be tainted with racial stereotypes (38). However, to him and others such as the NAACP, this show brought with it many racist commentaries.
ReplyDeleteWhile many African Americans found the show offensive and battled with CBS over it, some African Americans found the show to be a gate for more opportunity for black actors, who barely had opportunities in show business. It became difficult battleground for NAACP, attacking a medium in which black actors gained fame, making the debate difficult, especially since there was a devoted black audience watching the show.
According to Crisps' articles, Amos 'n' Andy represented many untrue stereotypes of the Afro- American community. He says it depicted them as "feckless, verbally crippled, ineptly conniving with hearts of gold." A lot of the black community was in an uproar about bringing this knowingly racist show to television, more specifically the NAACP. But what made it a very hot topic was that the black community was actually torn on the topic. In a time where acting roles for blacks outside of being maid and valets came few and far between, many black actors saw this as a good opportunity and as progress for the black acting community. But people who stood with the NAACP and their views felt that this show misrepresented the black middle class and presented them in a very negative light. In the show clip posted above Amos takes Andy's mail, breaks the law by opening it and reading his personal information, and scams to be able to steal his coin from him in order to get the fortune it is worth. his displays the community in a bad light because a man who is supposed to be friends with another is willing to go behind his back and steal from him. This tear in ideals in the black community surprised many and stations like CBS tried to use it to their advantage.
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ReplyDeleteAmos ‘n’ Andy portrayed middle class African Americans as a group of naïve, lazy, albeit good-natured, slackers. The show relied on stereotypical racial traits and general misrepresentations of an entire race to simply incite laughter. Unlike its run on radio, Amos ‘n’ Andy’s television presence sparked “resentment and emphatic disapproval” from many of its black viewers. One reason why much of the audience was up in arms about the content was because the move of Amos ‘n’ Andy from radio to television coincided with the rise of the black bourgeoisie to postwar political awareness and its recent success in influencing the racial content of motion pictures. This, in combination with the general feeling of powerlessness in the black community re: access to broadcasting prior to World War II, can be seen as the catalyst that launched Amos ‘n’ Andy to the center of a hot public debate. Organized black citizens were certainly shocked at the portrayals of their own people on Amos ‘n’ Andy, but were even more outraged at the timing of its television debut—at a cresting of black political consciousness. Despite this, the black community had a split opinion on the show’s social and political impacts, and were unable to form a united front. Many arguments were being made in reference to the show by black Americans, many of them on par with the NAACP’s thinking that the show smeared the middle class, but not all of opinions were aggressively negative. Contrary to the assumption that the show sparked general disapproval, black people in show business, for example, applauded the increased opportunities for black actors generated by the show. Cripps makes an important point regarding the various arguments surrounding the show when stating that the central issue in the debate actually never came into focus—the in-fighting polarized the community so much that the show successfully ran for years, despite valid the various valid complaints.
ReplyDeleteThe writers of Amos 'n' Andy tried extremely hard to write the show in such a way that it would be at least acceptable to the black community. They were aware of the negative feelings toward the radio show, and the bad reaction to the announcement of the TV show probably caused the staff to rethink their strategy (41). While some characters, such as Kingfish, still portrayed African-Americans extremely poorly, others seemed to have some nuance to them. Above all, the show's unwillingness to mention race probably had the most to do with the split in opinion on the show. Cripps says, "White characters, for instance, are never allowed to refer to race or even to notice that the principals are black," (45). Clarence Muse, a black actor, said, in reference to a scene in the show, "Now there's a situation that could happen in any home with any race of people, isn't that right?" (42). The show intentionally tried to ignore "blackness," and attempted to portray an African-American family the same way it would portray a Jewish-American family on The Goldbergs. This is, in my opinion, what would cause the split in opinion in the black community. While middle class, educated, organized African-Americans could spot the racist tendencies of the show, people outside of that milieu had a hard time identifying what could possibly be wrong with the show. Add that to the fact that many black actors praised the show as a "foot in the door," and it's clear why organized, middle class African-Americans could not successfully translate their feelings about the show to the black community as a whole. While they viewed the show as a racist portrayal of the African-American middle class, other African-Americans viewed it in a similar light to The Goldbergs, and those who didn't necessarily enjoy the show may still have thought of it as a good thing because it gave African-American actors more opportunities.
ReplyDeleteAmos N' Andy emerged in the wake of postwar liberal movements which were striving for racial integration in the US. The NAACP advocated for African American advancement in American society after WWII and many television networks took advantage of this opportunity by creating nearly a dozen shows featuring African Americans. Amos N' Andy depicted two black bourgeoise type characters living a seemingly normal life. The show essentially was "colorblind" yet still exaggerated stereotypes of an African American. They were all "happy people" living regular lives and resolving their issues in a funny or happy way by the end of the episode. All the other characters spoke in a typical "yankee" fashion and they were well spoken, while Andy and Kingfish used slang and spoke in broken english. The show seems to mock the progress of the African American bourgeoisie in that it made the black men look like fools even amongst their success.
ReplyDeleteThe NAACP was shocked that the network chose to release the show during a time of "liberal rededication". Where progressive movements towards integration were occurring, yet the show seemed to mock the ideals of the African American middle class. The NAACP pushed to have the show changed or removed and continued to complain and use press releases to put pressure on the network. However, the show was well liked amongst black audiences because it was still a show centered around their race and they were able to represented in the entertainment industry. Black actors also applauded the show because it provided work and opportunities for more African Americans in the industry. This caused a clash amongst the African American community. Most viewers argued that it was a step towards the integration progress. Black actors also stated that the show did depicted some form of their own reality, Clarence Muse made the claim that the show presented "real negroes that you and I know". Black activist argued that African American aspirations were embedded into the show and the character portrayals were making fun of those aspirations, but African American audiences seemed to enjoy the fact that their race was represented in the new entertainment medium.
During post World Ward II era, CBS’s released it’s new comedy, Amos n Andy. This show derived its humor from representing African Americans in stereotypical parodies. Originally a radio show voiced by two white actors, the television version included mostly black actors. Although, this initiated opportunity for black actors at the time, they played characters that were as Cripps describes, “feckless, verbally crippled, ineptly conniving parvenus with hearts of gold” (Cripps, 34). These two aspects of Amos n Andy caused a great debate between many members of the black community, especially in the shows representation of the Black middle class. According to Cripps, the NAACP thought the American show’s “ caricature of the middle class as indecorous, prone to use “street slang” and no more than a nest of “quacks an thieves and slippery cowards, ignorant of their profession”” (Cripps, 42). On the contrary, the black community involved with show business made an argument of inclusivity and integration of race on television in an otherwise exclusive environment. Despite the pure racism and misrepresentation of the show, there were so many differing political opinions that the black community was never able to approach the issue as a united entity. Overall, Cripps makes the important point that Amos n Andy caused great divide between the black community in a time when full integration was possible and achievable in American society causing unfortunate uncertainty within a recently organized black middle class.
ReplyDeleteAmos 'n' Andy depicted the African American middle class in a way that the white community would agree with, without sacrificing qualities that make characters enjoyable. They're lazy and dim, but caring and charismatic. Bringing Amos 'n' Andy to television was rightly controversial. The radio show had starred two white men whose goals were to portray the African American community as uneducated and clumsy. It was a racially insensitive program, to put it lightly. CBS decided to bring the show to television after the community had taken so many steps forward in radio in the postwar era, and the NAACP took issue with that. What should have been a unifying platform became a divisive issue. Amos 'n' Andy provided representation and opportunities in television that hadn't previously been available to African American actors, and the writers chose to break from the status quo. Cripps writes about an episode where Andy works as a Santa in order to buy a Christmas gift. He follows the system and demonstrates his integrity and willpower, where a lazy writing crew could have sent him down a less admirable path for the sake of white laughter. The episodes like this one were crucial in creating a united community of supporters, despite the opposition of the NAACP, without sacrificing the respect that the African American community needed.
ReplyDeleteAmos 'N' Andy was originally a radio show that depicted black lives (but voiced by white characters) that was adapted for television in the early '50's (this time with black actors). During this time period, black people were in the minority in the film and TV industry, so it was rare for any depiction of African Americans to make it to main stream media. However, the show was extremely controversial and received ire from numerous groups and communities, the strongest and most relevant criticism coming from the the NAACP. The main point made by NAACP is that this show was going to be used as a representative of what black middle class was like in America, when in fact it was a shrewd stereotypical representation of how middle class blacks actually lived. One example of this would be the side character Kingfish, who Cripps describes as being an inept, ne’er-do-well conniver used as a real life cartoon parody of black Americans. The NAACP also cited other shows that portrayed minorities in America, such as The Goldbergs, to argue that the show was not appropriate. By comparing Amos and Andy to The Goldbergs, the argument is able to be made that minorities are able to be portrayed in ways that do not ridicule the groups, but rather celebrate them and allow people to see and experience a different culture.
ReplyDeleteIn Thomas Cripps’ article, the television show depicted the black middle/class Americans as urban tricksters that marked by naïve, cunning, languid manners, and drawling malapropisms. The most important reason that Amos “n” And became the center of a hot public debate is the background situation of the time. During the time the sitcom released, racial integration was moving to the center of American attention and also activist organizations are swelled to trying to participate more in the American life. And also since that Amos ‘n’ Andy make use of the black’s stereotypical racial traits as a way of humor, it also offers opportunity for blacks to debate for racial prejudice. In the article, it says that it creates a huge contention. On one side” it was a complex, increasingly political black bourgeoisie; on the other hand, the feckless black and ineptly conniving parvenus with hearts of gold. (34)”
ReplyDeleteSome of the various arguments made about the show are that the character Kingfish, his malapropisms and feckless manners seems like a caricature of black middle-class aspiration. The show seemed to cast doubt on the black social goals and to mock especially to the middle class black Americans.
Amos 'n' Andy was originally a radio program that CBS turned into a television show. While the radio show never received as much critical attention from audiences, the television program sparked debate over the representation of African Americans in popular media. This was in part because post World War II, the African American community had a renewed sense of growth and communal identity- the NAACP memberships grew in vast numbers, the American government was redirecting some of its efforts towards social justice, and a more general awareness of black issues began to flourish.
ReplyDeleteAmos 'n' Andy was a hot point of debate because it was received differently by various populations. Some African Americans felt the show reinforced negative stereotypes- images of poverty, lack of intelligence, and the use of black dialects (often misrepresented to emphasize the former two points). The NAACP was strongly against the show, believing it to continue these narratives. However, black actors (specifically the stars of "Amos 'n' Andy") defended the show, in part citing that the work provided for black talent was a sign of progress in and of itself. In addition, the simple "all-American" framework for the show, whereby the characters dealt with small day-to-day issues that generally ended on a happy note (perhaps leaving the audience with a sense of hope and "feel-goodness"), complicated the reception of the show. While the show failed to represent the complexity of the black experience during this time period, while it failed to recognize black struggle and acknowledge racial differences, it didn't exactly portray blacks in a villainous role. Blacks were placed in a "just like one of us" situation. On one hand, they are "othered," on the other, assimilated. Ultimately, the show laid bare the fact that the black community was not wholly in agreement on every issue concerning the community. How was the show to be received? Even if one settles on whether or not it is a "positive" or "negative" representation of the black community, the reasons for this quickly become complicated, perhaps even contradictory.