Amos 'n' Andy
Based on Thomas Cripps’ article and your viewing of Amos ’n’ Andy this Thursday, how did the television show portray middle class African Americans? Discuss why the sitcom became the center of a hot public debate as well as the arguments offered by each side.
Amos ‘n’ Andy was a remarkable television program at the time. It was a show with an entirely “African American” cast that depicted the lives of the middle class African Americans. This was huge considering the time for a television show to use all African American actors instead of the traditional blackface of the Vaudeville times. At first glance, people would rejoice at such a breakthrough in social equality, however the NAACP and other activists didn’t see much to celebrate about.
ReplyDeleteThe audience of the show was split between viewers that loved the show and that it was a step forward in social equality, and those who thought otherwise. The main target for debate was how the characters on the show were portrayed in certain stereotypes. While the characters of the show encountered hilarious shenanigans just as any other comedy of the time, the characters had certain stereotypical qualities that activists didn’t approve of. They didn’t appreciate that African Americans were often depicted as having “hearts of gold” and being “verbally crippled.” The main characters of the show all spoke in a very uneducated accent as opposed to the whites of the time who spoke in a much more sophisticated manner.
While I understand why activists of the time would be angry that the characters were portrayed in this manner, I still see this as a huge step forward in television. African Americans were finally given just as much screen time and finally had a place in television and therefore arguably society. It may have taken many years for them to be depicted as equals in shows like The Cosby Show, but that wouldn’t have ever happened if it weren't for shows like Amos ‘n’ Andy.
After viewing Amos 'n' Andy, I began to understand the controversy surrounding the show. There's a certain degree of cognitive dissonance I experienced when reading Cripps' article, because I was unfamiliar with the show. I was, however, familiar with the racial stereotypes that dominated media in the 40s and 50s (and the few exceptions that broke those stereotypes).
ReplyDeleteCripps talks about how the show shifted the focus from Andy to Kingfish in order to follow his exploits/foibles and show how his schemes never got him ahead. Honestly, Kingfish was just about the worst perpetrator of stereotypes within the show. Andy was naive, granted, but his intentions were good, and Amos seemed to be the most "straight arrow" of the bunch. However, Kingfish, with his scheme to cheat Andy out of the money for his 1871 nickel (even more egregious given that Andy is a supposed friend), and the lengths he is willing to go to to carry out said scheme, was the clearest stereotyped portrayal in the program.
With that said, the show did have several positive portrayals of African Americans, including Amos himself and the police officer who arrests Andy and Kingfish. Most of the side characters were also black, including the judge presiding over their case. The NAACP had valid points regarding their dislike of the show, but they did risk losing representation if Amos 'n' Andy were to be pulled, since there was no guarantee that another sitcom with a black cast would replace it.
Amos 'n' Andy was a revolutionary show for its time because of its portrayal of middle class African-Americans using African-american actors in its principle cast (as opposed to caucasian actors in Vaudevillian blackface). I can see why there was so much controversy and split opinions in regards to this show.
ReplyDeleteControversy arose from this show because it was released during a “cresting of black political consciousness.” After World War II, African-americans thought that social order was to change, since African-americans were equal as whites in the national enlisting for the war effort. They achieved a “Double V,” victories over “foreign fascism and domestic racism.” Therefore, when African-americans saw the depiction of the African-american middle class in Amos 'n' Andy (especially Kingfish), they thought that social order was going to revert back to what it was before the war. This was the initial position of the NAACP.
The portrayal of middle class African-americans in Amos 'n' Andy is varied across the board. The main characters presented in the episode “The Rare Coin” were Andy and Kingfish. Andy, while seemingly good natured, is shown as slow-witted, constantly being tricked by Kingfish, someone who seems unscrupulous, as he is willing to cheat his own friend out of potential profit. Both are not well-spoken, which was a common stereotype of African-americans at the time. However, not all African-americans on the show were negatively portrayed. Although he only appeared briefly during the episode, Amos seems to be articulate and level-headed (the same goes for the judge and police officer).
“Amos ‘N’ Andy” caused huge controversy because of the major impact it had on society at the time. It was both positive and negative in its contributions to attitudes towards the Black community in America, and therefore had similarly mixed reviews. Many viewed the show as a great success because of its inclusion of an all-Black cast of actors. It placed them at the forefront of this new, national technology, and gave minorities a voice to be heard. Yet others viewed the show as offensive and regressive in the way it voiced Middle-class, Black Americans as unintelligent and stereotypical. At a time when Blacks were successfully integrating into the wealth and careers of the middle class, seeing themselves portrayed as lazy, greedy or unintelligent was in no way a step towards improvement.
ReplyDeleteAfter our screenings in lecture, I was better able to understand both sides of the argument. Through just the show’s description, I could find no way that the positive aspects of “Amos ‘N’ Andy” would ever make up for its terrible portrayals of the characters in the show. Yet after viewing an episode, specifically in relation to “I Remember Mama” and “The Honeymooners,” I found its format to be much less offensive than one would think. There are definitely aspects of the show that are inappropriate and stereotypical. However, they are done in a way not specific to Blacks necessarily but to the genre of comedic shows in that time period, which involved self-deprecating, slapstick comedy. The naivety of Andy’s character regarding Kingfish’s schemes is almost exactly parallel to that of Aunt Jenny and the con man in “I Remember Mama.” This comparison, while not forgiving of the offensive nature of “Amos ‘N’ Andy,” definitely makes light of the positive argument towards the show.
Amos and Andy is show that reflects the changes in the black community in postwar America. Following WWII certain communities of African Americans experienced prosperity, they settled into more prestigious suburban neighborhoods and united in various social organizations. Meanwhile, Afro-Americans still experienced rampant discrimination in their social and work environments. Amos and Andy displays the struggle for equality that was not yet fully realized through its depiction of African Americans.
ReplyDeleteThe growing NAACP was one indicator of the rising social force in the Black community and the growing efforts to gain social justice and equality. Due largely to the work of the NAACP, many overtly racist films and cinematic practices, such as black face, had been eliminated. As blacks adjusted in the postwar community, they undoubtedly longed for media depicting their American experience. This may be an additional reason why some blacks accepted the show.
The show did signify some of the progress that the black community had achieved in attaining greater equality. As covered in Cripp’s article, it was significant that black actors play a lead role in a television show. Furthermore, actors were not playing them in black face. Cripps even notes that this was considered when the show was being transferred from radio (two white actors) to television.
The show manifests the dichotomy among African Americans and their view of it through its use of black characters. Kingfish was seen as a parody of the black middle class’s aspirations while Andy was more level headed. Kingfish moved in an exaggerated manner and spoke in the stereotypical booming “low-brow” vernacular while strutting around with a cane and big cigar, possibly indicating a vain attempt to be part of a higher society.
Andy is seen as a more positive portrayal of blacks (mostly due to his counterpart, Kingfish) yet he still falls subject to the juvenile schemes of Kingfish. It is no doubt that even though the show did open new doors for blacks in television, it does not negate the portrayal of negative stereotypes. These negative portrayals make it clear why many African Americans fought to end the show and the struggle can be seen in the show itself.
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ReplyDeleteThe television production of Amos ‘n’ Andy portrayed middle class blacks in a way that may have been deemed socially acceptable by some at the time because they did so with an actual black cast rather than actors who put on blackface. However, the manor in which these black actors portrayed their characters relied heavily on negative stereotypes that mirror those of blackface actors as well as Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. The combination of black actors and acting based on stereotypes caused a rift with audiences as some saw Amos ‘n’ Andy as an opportunity while others saw it as a set back.
ReplyDeleteIn Thomas Cripps “Amos ‘n’ Andy and the Debate of American Racial Integration” the controversy surrounding this radio program turned television hit revolved primarily around black audiences themselves. Organizations such as the NAACP unleashed their displeasure with Amos ‘n’ Andy as they vowed to stop buying their advertisers’ products and tried to organize large protests in opposition to the portrayal of blacks. However, blacks in the film and television world embraced this show as an opportunity for black actors to get ahead in this new realm of entertainment. Actors such as Clarence Muse denounced the claims of the NAACP and argued that this show portrayed a more accurate representation of blacks than what the NAACP led on as well as created an opportunity for black actors to get ahead in Hollywood.
While the show did make an effort to show more educated blacks in the form of authority figures, like in the episode we watched during our screening, they were not the main focus of the show and audiences were left with primarily negative stereotypes and feelings about blacks despite their socioeconomic standings. Kingfish was portrayed as sneaky and somewhat maniacal, Andy was kind and morally correct but dumb and inarticulate. Amos was rarely seen but when he was shown it was with high-ranking black official and he was portrayed as the problem solver. It could be argued that this show did do some good for blacks in the television realm but I would have to disagree. If anything shows such as Amos ‘n’ Andy have led to primarily type casting for blacks in television and films even in today’s world, where blacks play either a criminal, an authoritative figure, or serve as some form of comedic relief. Although Amos ‘n’ Andy was not the only show to derive characters off of stereotypes, they set an example and somewhat a precedent for how blacks would be viewed onscreen for years to come.