In this post I want
to talk about the phenomenon of the Black Face Clown. There were a lot of white people, like Thomas Rice, the performer of Jump Jim Craw, taking on this role, using black face paint and leaving out the lips to create the
stereotypical big lips. Black face clowns would represent a ‘mix of envy,
fascination, desire and fear’ according to an article on CBS NEWS.
Minstrel performing began in the 1830s and remained popular for over a century.
Since I am Dutch I can't help thinking about the Dutch 'Black Pete' (Zwarte Piet). ‘Black Pete’ is the ‘scary but funny’ helper of the Dutch version of Santaclaus (Sinterklaas). This is a very controversial topic in the Netherlands, as people argue that ''our friend Black Pete only became black from going through the chimney to bring the presents in the houses, and our tradition isn’t rascist at all.'' Historian Elisabeth Koning argues however, that from the fact that the invention of Black Pete occured at the same time as the minstrel performance was popular in Holland and the fact that there are just so many similarities, it is very likely that Black Face has in fact influenced the creation of the Black Pete character .
Since I am Dutch I can't help thinking about the Dutch 'Black Pete' (Zwarte Piet). ‘Black Pete’ is the ‘scary but funny’ helper of the Dutch version of Santaclaus (Sinterklaas). This is a very controversial topic in the Netherlands, as people argue that ''our friend Black Pete only became black from going through the chimney to bring the presents in the houses, and our tradition isn’t rascist at all.'' Historian Elisabeth Koning argues however, that from the fact that the invention of Black Pete occured at the same time as the minstrel performance was popular in Holland and the fact that there are just so many similarities, it is very likely that Black Face has in fact influenced the creation of the Black Pete character .
In the beginning of minstrel performance African-American
people themselves, were not yet allowed on the stage, that was one of the many white privileges. And then, when they
were allowed on stage, it was with the controlling limitation of having to wear that same black face paint, to
reassure the white audiences that they ‘remain superior’.
The most famous example is Bert Williams, here doing a poker pantomime. He was an excellent performer who has played solo and together with George Walker. He has contributed to clown development
a lot and kept pushing the bounderies of racism throughout his carreer.
http://www.charliethejugglingclown.com/Minstrels.htm
Or the booklet called The Tramp Tradition
This is an interesting topic. One that sometimes gets overlooked in America when dealing with American history of clowns. Regarding Black Pete. This looks like another version of a minstrel. Pete gets black from the chimney, but Santa doesn’t? Plus Pete is the helper?
ReplyDeleteHey Meredith! Sorry only saw your reaction just yet. Thank you. The story is that Black Pete gets black from the chimney because he is the one going through it to bring the presents in to the houses, Santa stays white because he stays on the rooftop with his white horse. Anyway it's a cheap excuse because from the chimney your face would be dirty but not completely black, and they are also wearing big earrings, curly black wigs and red lipstick...
DeleteYes Black Pete is the helper. There's a clear hierarchy about it. In fact, there is only one Santa surrounded by a lot of helper Petes (they all have the same name). They arrive as a group in each city and in each village on the same Saturday, each year by the end of November, on a boat that they tell the kids comes from Spain where they live in a big house preparing the gifts and training to climb on rooftops during the rest of the year. It is by the time kids get old enough to realize that one person can’t possibly arrive in each city at the same time they start to guess that ‘santa maybe doesn’t really exist’ (romance killed by logics). Before that he’s the biggest hero, and every kid likes to dress up like him, and as Pete as well, and change roles.
But now it gets more and more 'forbidden' to paint Pete’s face black or to call him 'black' Pete. The discussion about it was huge though. A lot of people who wanted to keep this ‘sacred tradition’ said: what's the problem anyway, we all like black pete, it's a positive image. He's throwing sweets around, making salto’s, making jokes...
In history he also used to have a stick with which he could hit the kids who hadnt behaved well the past year though, which would all be written in the Santa's book, and this is still present in the songs.