Black Face Minstrels

So did that offend you? Well honestly, I'd hope it did offend you at least a little bit, because nowadays people won't stand for anything like this. Times have changed in nearly 100 years, as we all know, but still, this happened, people got a kick out of it, and nobody thought anything of it. As I say this, I'll just let you know that I'm going to use the words "white" and "black" to describe the races. Because honestly... let's grow up a little, guys. It's terminology. We won't bother calling a white person by their European decent, and not everyone who is "black" is an African American. And while I honestly don't think of any humans as less than others in value, there's just so much drama surrounding these issues that I know I'll tick someone off for assuming I'm showing hostility. So, sorry if my use of these words in such a sensitive culture is offensive, but hey, at least I mean nothing by it.

The Black-Faced Minstrel shows were little comic sketches of white men/women (at first, because soon, black men and women became attracted to acting in them) who would paint their faces with black paint and act, um... According to exaggerated stereotypes of the 1920s for the black population. And honestly, nobody thought anything of it, not even the people they were making fun of! In fact, they liked it! Why? because they were included. They felt outcast once slavery was removed, sort of like half-citizens, so getting some sort of acknowledgement in the entertainment industry was a big encouragement to them.


Nowadays, people would throw things and break stuff once they saw this. But has it really disappeared? And are blacks the only targets? Well strangely, there's been somewhat of an odd reversal in some cases. But first, let's look at Die Antwoord. She's like Lady GaGa, but much less... Well... You wouldn't hear her songs on the pop radio station. One of her songs, "Fatty Boom Boom", has a music video in which she paints herself black and gives herself yellow eyes. Is she imitating black-faced minstrels, or a black cat? Honestly, I'm not at all sure.

But that's pretty terrifying. Perhaps there are still more remains of this satire? Perhaps it isn't always meant to be in insult? Perhaps it isn't always the blacks who are the targets? In my favorite, FAVORITE video game of all time, Team Fortress 2, there are nine playable characters, each one very unique and with a specific personality and distinct ethnicity. There's a young-aged Bostonian, a crazed American warhero wannabe, a mumbling and muffled pyromaniac in a gas-mask, a Scottish demolitions specialist with an alcohol problem that can only be described as stereotypically Scottish, a Russian heavyweight, an Australian bushman, a German medical practitioner who may or may not have had actual medical training, a Texan supergenius, and a French ladykiller. So... guess which one is black.

Well, as a little joke, they made the Scot the black one! Why? Because it is a part of their very stylistic humor. They mean nothing bad about it and they're never racist with it, but instead, they're breaking the stereotypes. Ever heard of a black Scotsman? Because not many other people have. In fact, only 0.16% of Scotland's population is black! Quite the minority! Here's a little video they released about the character. The TF2 developers are known for making little "Meet the ____" videos for each of their 9 characters (and one for a sandwich), so here's his. Discretion alert: he blows people up into cartoony bits, and swears once or twice.

So, in a way, they sort of did put a "black face" on a "white man". Scots aren't typically recognized as being black, and so, one could in fact argue that Tavish DeGroot (that's his name) is a minstrel of sorts! In the video, he gets bleeped out, but the line he says is "I'm a black, Scottish cyclops... They got more [censored content] monsters in the Loch Ness than they got the likes of me..." He's my favorite character to play as, by the way.

Black faced minstrels may be seen as rude and absurd, but little, milder versions of it exist today. Even white-faced minstrels are around, in a sort of manner! Steve Urkel from Family Matters could be portrayed as a white-faced minstrel, picking on the typical nerd which is usually associated with being white. And yet, he's a hit.