Black Identity In Spike Lee's Bamboozled

Bamboozled In Spike Lee’s Bamboozled we see a satirical synopsis of the absurd way in which African Americans are being depicted in films and television since the beginning of it’s time. The film challenged Hollywood’s portrayal of black identity; how it is stereotyped in real life and how it is fabricated on screen. It shows us a social commentary on how media works in fueling popular culture and the white man’s view of the black community. Though the days of blackface might seem like ancient history to Americans today, Spike Lee resurrects it to refresh our memories. In the beginning of the film we are introduced to Delacroix, the main character, followed by a Webster definition of the word “Satire”. Delacroix in the film is portrayed as a black man who has assumed the white impersonation in order to become successful in the American Television world. Delacroix seems to reject his culture for an identity that is more similar to the ideal of being white, he aims to please and satisfy the white masses even at the expense of his own racial identity. …show more content…
The show Pierre writes up is a modern-day minstrel show circa the time of slavery with black actors wearing black face. Ultimately Pierre’s plan backfired, he was celebrated a “genius” while the audience loved the show and it ended up being a major success. Pierre and his assistant Sloan start to be seen to some as traitors of their own race and of course start to receive large amounts of criticism from their friends and