Minstrelsy Analysis

Minstrelsy emerged in the middle of the 19th century in America and its popularity and success remains a topic of discussion by critics. The article by Robert Toll in the second chapter of Major Problems in American Popular culture evaluates minstrelsy from the perspective of show business, explaining its success by simplicity and adaptability of such a show and by Northern American white population's curiosity about the African-American culture. Another explanation is offered by one of the speakers in 'Blacks and Vaudeville' documentary, saying: “Anything you can do to get a laugh, should be on the stage. Show business is show business.”1 At the same time, the suggested sources mostly criticise the whole genre of minstrelsy as being obviously …show more content…
As it has been said in the PBS documentary, minstrelsy was no more than a successful comedy project, and it was only business that has no principle of morality and driven by financial success. Other critics suggest that minstrelsy in the stage of its further development provided work for the black population and allowed them to perform, which was not possible until then. However, the performance that requires to parody one's own culture and support white stereotypes about it cannot be considered a step further to the establishment of black people in the society. In turn, it seems to be the opposite, another step to degradation of the black culture. Ultimately, the view of minstrelsy phenomenon is negative. Robert Toll comments: “Minstrelsy was the first example of the way American popular culture would exploit and manipulate Afro-Americas and their culture to please and benefit white Americans.”2 Paradoxically, the performers were majorly white, but even when the show group could have been extended to including black performers, they still had to perform as if they were the white actors parodying the blacks. Thus, the genre of minstrelsy is obviously white-dominated and from all the perspectives degrading for the black