Bamboozled analysis and notes:
- Bamboozled (2000) was directed by the Spike Lee. The film is about a black middle aged man Pierre Delacrox played by Damon Wayans, he is working for the television network CNS.
- Thomas Dunwitty is Pierre's boss who claims that he is blacker than he is which is quite satirical because he is white. Moreover he uses the derogatory term "nigga" repeatedly. This term was used during the slavery times, the black population were refereed to as "niggas".
- From the opening scenes we are shown that Pierre is not liked by his colleagues, he says "hello" to them and they completely ignore him and therefore don't even acknowledge him.
- Pierre wants to quit his job however, he can't because he has a contract, the only way that he can leave the company is if he gets fired, which is what he intends to do, hence the reason for creating Mantan The New millennium The Minstrel Show.
- However he boss loves the idea of "black people making baffoons of themselves" and the show is a reasonable hit.
- ManRay is a tap dancer who performs outside the CNS building with his Dad collecting money from the public if they like ManRay's performance. The act contains shoe shining, this was a stereotypical role of a black person during slavery times.
- They have asked Pierre for a job however, it was unsuccessful, until Pierre's idea about the Minstrel Show.
- ManRay's is changed to ManTan and his Father's name is changed to Sleep And Eat.
- The show basically consists of black actors in "blacker faces": unrealistic, making fools out of themselves in order to engage the white audience.
- They originality and identity is taken away from them, they are now the actors for this new show and that is it.
- There is a scene within the show, it consists ManRay faints and nothing reawakens him apart from a watermelon "a black apple" this was also a stereotypical view of black people, also quite derogatory.
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