Black face was a popular way of portraying African Americans in plays. At this time African American were not allowed to act in plays, so whites would use black paint to portray the image of an African American. I believe this is when the first stereotypes of African American began. Actors who would play the black face role would portray African Americans as violent or ignorant. A lot of African Americans today are still uncomfortable with the fact that every movie or TV show portray an African American as violent, ignorant, grew up in a broken home, living in a "ghetto" neighborhood, are drug dealers or are the first one's killed in horror films. Though a lot of African American comedians joke about blacks always being the first ones killed in horror films is still a fact that leaves a lot of blacks thinking "Hey, what's up with that?"
Well, there has been a turn around in one particular film that I love watching occasionally and as goofy or buffoonery as it may be. I probably never laughed so hard while watching a movie. This movie is called White Chicks and it was written, directed and produced by the Wayans Brothers. The Wayans Brothers are known for the original Scary Movie 1 & 2 movies where they make fun of all the block buster movies of that year and turn it into one big comedic-horror film. White Chicks on the other takes the whole stereotype of a dumb blond to a whole other level. Shawn and Marlon Wayans plays two undercover cops who goes extremely undercover to pose as two rich, young, naive and ignorant white women and, of course, the rest is history. I did find it a bit extreme for the most part but it was one of those things where you couldn't help but to laugh. It was ridiculously funny even though they looked very horrible as two white women as oppose to Robert Downey Jr. who looked amazingly good as black man in Tropic Thunder.
We have come a long way in history for the roles to be switched where two African Americans put on a white face with little or no controversy what-so-ever. It was very interesting to witness something like this. Stereotypes are made fun of by comedians every day to lighten the mood about the issue and I believe that it is a good way to show how ridiculous all stereotypes really are. Here is a YouTube clip below of the movie White Chicks. There are some scenes that are a bit explicit.
Well, there has been a turn around in one particular film that I love watching occasionally and as goofy or buffoonery as it may be. I probably never laughed so hard while watching a movie. This movie is called White Chicks and it was written, directed and produced by the Wayans Brothers. The Wayans Brothers are known for the original Scary Movie 1 & 2 movies where they make fun of all the block buster movies of that year and turn it into one big comedic-horror film. White Chicks on the other takes the whole stereotype of a dumb blond to a whole other level. Shawn and Marlon Wayans plays two undercover cops who goes extremely undercover to pose as two rich, young, naive and ignorant white women and, of course, the rest is history. I did find it a bit extreme for the most part but it was one of those things where you couldn't help but to laugh. It was ridiculously funny even though they looked very horrible as two white women as oppose to Robert Downey Jr. who looked amazingly good as black man in Tropic Thunder.
We have come a long way in history for the roles to be switched where two African Americans put on a white face with little or no controversy what-so-ever. It was very interesting to witness something like this. Stereotypes are made fun of by comedians every day to lighten the mood about the issue and I believe that it is a good way to show how ridiculous all stereotypes really are. Here is a YouTube clip below of the movie White Chicks. There are some scenes that are a bit explicit.
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