By Jennifer Hanley
Spike Lee’s infamous satire Bamboozled was the subject of a screening and panel discussion on October 17 in the Ekstrom Library auditorium. Leigh Viner and Eileen John of U of L’s philosophy department invited panelists Larry Blum of the University of Massachusetts, Gina Dent of UC Santa Cruz, Robert Douglas of U of L, Professor John, and Azya Maxton, a graduate student in U of L’s African American Theater Program.
Professor Viner stated that she and Professor John were disappointed by the lack of reception for the movie, as they felt that Bamboozled was one of Lee’s most powerful works. Originally slated as part of a Spike Lee Film Festival, John and Viner wanted to make sure the movie was seen, but after last year’s racial controversies, they felt it was too sensitive a topic and therefore postponed the viewing and discussion.
Blum, author of the book I’m Not A Racist, But…, discussed what it takes for a cultural representation to be offensive. He stated that historical and cultural resonance plays a great role in a representation’s connotation, and that if a representation is stereotypical, it is most likely offensive. Maxton remarked on the fact that Lee is in control of his message and the importance of artists doing so. Dent addressed the context of the movie and why it was not received as well as some of Lee’s other works. She maintained that it was no less an artistic achievement due to the fact that the movie was aimed at African American audiences. Douglas weighed in on the degrading past of blackface minstrel shows, educating the audience on the fact that whites originally performed in blackface. When blacks fought to get into the shows and change the format, the minstrel shows lost their white audience. John concluded by stating that Lee allows the viewer to question what they find humorous and why.
The discussion was then opened up to the public, and topics from the idea of an “authentic black experience” to the 2002 Academy Awards were discussed in the context of Lee’s message in the movie. A question arose that opened up a lot of discussion on whether or not people are in danger of looking for racial connotations in everything. Dent said that people of color realize that race is a very important component in the idea of meritocracy. She said that the rules that determine what is the best are not objective. The rules depend on the race, gender, and class of the individuals involved.
Bamboozled came out in 2000 with less-than-glowing reviews. The film features Damon Wayans, Jada Pinkett Smith, Savion Glover, Tommy Davidson and Michael Rapaport. Wayans (In Living Color) stars as Pierre Delacroix, a hip, young, Harvard-educated writer who is the only black man working for a large network losing the ratings war. Despite several attempts to produce intelligent shows about respectable middle-class blacks, Delacroix has yet to see any of his concepts go into production. His boss, Dunwitty (Rapaport), issues him an ultimatum: come up with a hot new show or be fired. Desperate to escape the network, Delacroix decides to present the most outrageous, stereotypical comedy he can imagine in hopes of getting fired- a “blackface” minstrel variety show featuring Manray (Glover), a homeless tap dancer, and his sidekick Womack (Davidson). However, Delacroix’s spoof turns into a ratings bonanza, which leaves audiences of all types howling. For Delacroix, the runaway success of Mantan, The New Millennium Minstrel Show is the start of a rapid unraveling. Despite trying to defend his hit show, Delacroix comes under attack from all sides, especially from his own assistant, Sloan Hopkins (Pinkett Smith).
