Background & Reading
The blackface minstrel show is one of the most controversial types of early American music. Regardless, it has had a tremendous impact on American society (both good and bad).
This was America's first musical form that was part of a "mass" culture (as opposed to folk or high culture).
Due to the large number of touring minstrel troupes (white troupes prior to the Civil War, and black troupes appearing after), most of America had been exposed to the minstrel show and embraced it for a variety of reasons.
Plan on about 2 hours to complete the reading and assignment.
Read about the minstrel show at the link below before beginning the assignment. Be sure to watch the three-minute documentary clip and other videos embedded into the reading. This will give you some general background on the minstrel show before you read further for this assignment.
Reading and Listening - Minstrelsy
Directions
Read about the minstrel shows at the links below, then answer the questions that appear following the links. First, however, have a look at the topics listed below. The assigned reading for this assignment will provide some information on each of them.
A stereotype is "a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing" (Google). In this case, the stereotypes are exaggerations and inaccurate representations of a group of people (black slaves) that have persisted beyond the minstrel show.
As you read, look for information on these topics:
Stereotypes originating from the minstrel show - what are they, where did they come from?
Stereotypes originating from the minstrel show and their influence on later forms of entertainment (music, radio, television, film)
The impact of minstrel shows on the entertainment industry (not related to race)
Potential positive outcomes of black entertainers performing in minstrel shows
Negative outcomes of black entertainers performing in minstrel shows
1 (Here is a brief overview of the Minstrel Show.)
2 (Please read all seven pages. Caveat: this is an amateur enthusiast's exploration of the Minstrel Show. As such, it is uneven in quality, but does provide interesting perspective. I'm not a fan of the writing at this website. You'll find there many errors of the sort I'm trying to discourage in your own posts. :) Don't use this writing as a model!)
This is a pre-workshop discussion by the director and company members of Spectrum Dance Theatre of Seattle, who in 2015-2016 presented a minstrel-show-based workshop performance. In this video they talk about the content and purpose of this production.
Questions
What are some of the stereotypes originating from the minstrel show? Select and describe two of the stereotypes found in the minstrel show. (Be careful you are referring to the minstrel show and not something that came later.)
How did stereotypes originating from the minstrel show influence other forms of entertainment (music, radio, television, film)? Provide at least two examples from the reading. Then, provide one example of minstrel show influence on entertainment in the last twenty years.
What was the impact of minstrel shows on the entertainment industry (not related to race)?
Were there any positive (or at least practical) outcomes for black entertainers performing in minstrel shows?
What were negative outcomes of black entertainers performing in minstrel shows? Chose the negative outcome you feel is most important to write about, and use quotes from the reading to support your answer.
Why do you think it was so easy for people in the 1800s and early 1900s to believe that what they were seeing on the minstrel show stage was a true representation of African Americans and their lives?
What purpose do you think the Spectrum Dance Theatre is intending to serve by performing a minstrel-show based performance in the modern day? If you could talk to the Director of this production, what would you want to tell him or ask him about the minstrel show?