Bamboozled is a satirical movie that features black actors wearing blackface makeup. The movie employs satire in the emphasis of different issues such as racism in society. According to the movie, black individuals face torment from whites because of the immense difference in their skin color. At last, blacks get the chance to express their rights satirically through a show created and written by Delacroix who is one of the key characters. This is after the tough racial torments he faces from his boss Thomas Dunwitty. This essay would discuss racism and stereotyping as they are used in the movie Bamboozled. More so, the essay utilizes the works of Judith Andre on stereotyping, Michael Omi and Howard Winant on the formation of racism, and Lynn Weber’s works on the understanding of sexuality, race, gender, and class. Racism and stereotyping are societal issues that need in depth investigations in order to promote understanding among different individuals.
In the movie, racism is promoted by Thomas Dunwitty who was the boss at Continental Network System (CNS). He expresses racism through his speech and actions. He talks like an urban black male and uses the word nigger to refer to Blacks. He asserts that he is darker than black men are because he is married to a black woman who has mixed race children. Therefore, racism has been satirically used to undermine black people in society. Racism has been used to undermine the expression of blacks in society as it acts blackmail. According to the movie, racism is a social perspective that is always aimed at undermining a particular group of individuals. In fact, it is used to instill cowardice into such individuals hence preventing them from expressing their issues freely in society. According to Michael Omi and Howard Winant, racism emanates from social constructions. They assert that racism emerges from the dominant class, and it is a basis of control in society (Omi and Winant, 5). This is in agreement with the movie where Dunwitty, who is the boss at CNS, uses racism to assert his authority over his juniors. Lynn Weber also reports that race and sexuality are forms of social domination in society. They are power relationships that tend to distinguish dominate individuals from those perceived as minorities in society. This is in agreement with the movie because Dunwitty uses racism to show his powers in the Company. He dominates over other individuals through racism.
Racism has also been used to express the animosity that exists between different social structures in society. With racism, blacks and whites find it difficult to coexist. According to the movie, blacks and whites are not at peace with each other because of the racial rifts existing between them. They engage in fights for dominance in society leading to instability. For instance, the Mau Maus kidnap Manray and plot to kill him in front of other public members on a live webcast. The group assassinates Manray while doing his famous dance tapping. This assassination emanated from the fact that he was wearing a blackface. It is used to indicate the racial hatred that exists between the white man and blacks. In a bid to retaliate, police officers attack Mau Mau members killing all but one. They only leave Mc Serch who considers himself a black. Racism prevents the movement of an individual from one class to another. This is in agreement with Omi and Winant who argue that the development of race justifies the existence of inequality and genocide in society. In fact, they assert that most individuals are subjected to sufferings with the existence of racism. This is in agreement with the use of racism in the novel. The assertion that racism leads to discrimination and genocide in society is true according to the movie. Weber’s article is also in agreements with the movie with the assertion that racism leads to discrimination that leads to misunderstanding in society. He asserts that individuals are not able to live at peace with each other (Weber, 7). It leads to instability in society as both the races live in fear of each other. There is always the fear that either of the races would attack the other hence leading to tensions. All of this is emphasized by the murders that occur in the movie due to the existence of racial boundaries.
Stereotypes are the attitudes that are held by a particular group of individuals to another group. In the movie, blacks are excessively stereotyped by their white counterparts. They are stereotyped as poor individuals in society. They are perceived as individuals who do not have the capacity to explore the capacity to explore their full potentials. This kind of stereotype is used to lower their self esteem in society. Thus, they do not have confidence in most of the things they do. Most blacks in the movie stay in doubt because they understand the stereotypes that lie in the white man’s mind. The articulation of these stereotypes also helps them gain confidence as they continue believing in themselves and their duties. The quality services they deliver play a key part in building self-confidence. For instance, Delacroix did not have confidence in his show because of the stereotype that blacks cannot deliver such superb items. It took him time to believe that the movie was successful in highlighting racial issues. This is in agreement with Judith Andre’s view on stereotypes. She asserts that stereotypes always have both positive and negative effects in society. They could lead to the advancement of an individual in cases where people have the capacity to overcome them and pursue their dreams. According to Andre, the truth about stereotypes must be told in order to ensure that individuals utilize the available opportunities (Andre, 10). This related to the movie’s stereotypes that perceived blacks as individuals who do not have the capacity to perform according to the required standards. With this stereotype, Delacroix was able to come up with a show that articulated racial discrimination in society. It showed how whites in society undermine blacks. Therefore, Andre’s article is in agreement with the movie with the assertion that it is vital to state these stereotypes in order to lead to improve performance in society.
In conclusion, Bamboozled is a satirical movie that features black actors wearing blackface makeup. The movie employs satire in the emphasis of different issues such as racism in society. In the movie, whites racially discriminate blacks in society. Racism emanates from the dominance of the white man in society. The movie highlights various matters such as racism and stereotyping that both undermine the minority groups in society. Racism has been used to undermine black people in society. It has been used to portray black people as a weaker race that does not have the capacity to perform adequately in society. This is in line with Weber’s, Michael Omi and Howard Winant’s argument that racism is meant to undermine a particular group of individuals in society. In addition, racism has been used to express the animosity that exists between different classes of individuals in society. Stereotyping is another vital aspect in the movie, which has been used in undermining the performance of blacks in society. The movie concentrates on social issues existing between different races in society.