Blackface, sociology homework help

Write a helpful response for each one of these. Your response should start with I agree with…..

Each response should be at least 50 words

1) Blackface was a minstrelsy character that was played by a white person who used shoe polish in order to darken their faces to portray African Americans. This misrepresented their culture, language, and musical traditions. One of these characters was “Mammy,” who was responsible for the hospitality of white families. An example of “Mammy” is the famous Aunt Jemima who is the face for syrup and pancakes. The opportunity that both European Americans and African Americans had to make a living as performers in minstrelsy is traveling to small American towns and cities. African Americans decided to do something about whites misrepresenting them, so they began to paint themselves as blackface and performed in all-black shows to mock the whites on how they sang and dance. Despite the racial impact minstrelsy had, one positive aspect of it was that it served as a template of American popular music, specifically English and Irish-American music and these shows were the most popular live stage entertainment in the US.

2) Minstrelsy were a series of travelling shows especially successful in the United States. The shows gained much popularity in the 1800s due to them being the main and first form of musicals that were fully American and not of European descent. These shows features routines of songs, comedy, and dancing. These shows were particularly important of forming the backbone of spreading American pop culture and social views around the country. The shows were known for their use of “blackface”. “Blackface” was used by white performers to act out African Americans. These roles were usually formed around racist stereotypes. These characters severely misrepresented African Americans and continued to dehumanize them.Though these shows were racist toward African Americans they did allow African Americans to make a living in the shows. Many African Americans participated in their own minstrelsy by actually making fun of white actors using blackface. The shows were really popular so whites and African Americans could make a living off of these shows. One blackface character was “Jim Crow”. This character was named after the Jim Crow laws passed in the South. The character was meant to represent African Americans as lazy and illiterate. Overall the shows were very negative, but it did provide both whites and African Americans a platform to gain popularity. A lot of classic blues stars had their roots in minstrel shows , so in a way the shows lead the United States toward the music we all know today.

3) Most music genres originated from Europe and Africa, however, ragtime was started in the United States which gave the country its own unique musical identity. The word ragtime came from the phrase “ragged music” to describe its sound. Today we know it as “syncopated” music. Unfortunately the genre was only popular for some twenty-five years before being replaced by Jazz. Ragtime became popular very quickly because others wanted to get in on the act as well. The hip thing to do was to buy the sheet music of popular tunes and play them on the family piano as a way of entertaining. Ragtime was not initially accepted as a “wholesome” genre. Its negative reviews made people perceive it as something bad. It had a fast feel to it which made people want to get up and move and it didn’t help that it was mostly played in saloons and brothels. Later on history repeated itself and condemned Rock N Roll as the new “devil’s music.” People back then were ignorant because they were scared of things they didn’t understand. They didn’t understand that it was the “kids” music. It was new and hip and made people want to dance.

4) Minstrelsy went hand in hand with Black face. One of first songs of minstrelsy was “Jump Jim Crow” by Thomas D Rice written in 1820. Minstrelsy gave the white people a insight to the lives of the African American slaves. It also portrayed the interactions of the typical “white man and black slave” relationships. Minstrelsy was a new type of entertainment for the world. It was not just a show but also even a ration segment. The popular culture of Minstrelsy opened the door for African Americans to begin to perform since they weren’t allowed before. They first have to start by actually painting their face black but then they did without the blackface. They Were able to in a way take advantage of Minstrelsy’s popularity to make a living for themselves. They we able to advertise it as being “Authentic” black face since they were already considered black. Although the white people and the African American people didn’t mix in the shows they still were able to perform their own shows.

5) Ragtime was unique in the context of late-1800s American popular culture because of how it started. “to rag” meant to recreate the music(Walton, lecture). it was influenced by African Americans. it was mixed with European piano and brass tradition. Ragtime music became really popular late 1800 because of the hypnotic dances. it was the youths favorite type of music because of dance scenes and how it gave energizing movements. Ragtime was also commercialized and majority white people (conservatives) did not like it because ragtime made it easier to dance with opposite sex in dance halls. Ragtime is also similar how Hip-hop was started. their similarities are dances, played by Black artists and majority white people (conservatives) did not like because they both change the norms of young audiences. Ragtime especially put fear in the hearts of majority white people because of how they thought their daughters would act up ” Many Americans feared that young women could become sexually vulnerable by merely hearing ragtime rhythms”(Walton Lec). But that would not stop ragtime from being popularized and same goes for hip-hop. They both addictive and amazing forms of an artistic way of expressing one’s (singer/rapper) emotions.

6) Ragtime was a unique sound that came out of the late-1800’s due to its combination of syncopated (offbeat) rhythms, classical piano, and brass band instruments. Its appeal was the creative way in which it turned classic music upside down and sped it up. Ragtime was popularized by the accessibility to sheet music via Tin Pan Alley production, which consumers could play on household pianos; pianos also gained popularity during this time. Ragtime gained immediate approval with the American public, particularly with younger Americans. They found the unique contortion of their parents’ classical music rebellious in nature and thus, heavily approved. Ragtime is similar to the Ska genre, which emerged around the 1950’s, combining calypso, jazz, and blues with emphasis on brass instruments. The way in which these brass instruments are sped up and layered with its other influences make ska a fast paced manipulation of classical music, as is ragtime.

7) I chose the middle topic for this discussion in regarding Ragtime.

The Ragtime that took place from 1880 to 1918 was a remarkable time full of great characteristics in music (Week 1 Lecture Notes). The style of some of the sound of music in ragtime would have an influence on the “band group” that you may see when you go to a high school or college football game. These bands in the 1800s were identified as “Brass Bands” (Week 1 Lecture Notes). In American culture, Ragtime-style had a huge influence on what we consider the “swing” rhythm, which is prominent element to the sound of jazz (Week 1 Lecture Notes). In strong ways the Ragtime in terms of the sound of the music was visualized as a celebration sound especially today. Generally, when you hear a band at a high school or college; it would be in the form of a celebration to keep the football team energized and the crowd pumping. The sound of the Ragtime was also linked with the sound of classical piano (Week 1 Lecture Notes). As we know, the prominence of ragtime piano music is still very well known in modern time even sampled in modern music (week 1 Lecture Notes). I can see how the Ragtime and the era of rock and roll have a parallel in terms of how they were both influenced in the future. When early rock and roll came out; it was a complete hit in the American culture and is still influenced in modern music just like Ragtime. Still continued in the future It is more than likely that both Rock and Roll and Ragtime music are going to continued to be influenced. The American culture see’s both of these types of sound in a very positive way. Especially because a majority of the time when I watch commercials, if it’s not hip hop in modern culture, I would hear classical music or rock in roll in the advertisement displayed.

8) In the musical style of Vaudeville, there was major exposure for women of color as vocalists. During this era, many black women were not given equal rights nor were they given equal opportunities. Despite society constantly degrading them, black women rose to stardom in the 1920s as interest in Vaudeville music increased. A huge component of Vaudeville music was live performance. Performances were at Vaudeville Clubs or other places where live music was played. The featured singer was always a black woman. She sang alone, however her vocals were accompanied by an ensemble behind her. Ensemble sizes ranged, but they featured a variety of instruments. Performances were planned out to ensure that the ensemble played in unison. Unlike country blues, where a single male performer could add in additional parts as he performs. Vaudeville music gave many opportunities to black women, who were not valued by society. It also gave opportunities to musicians that were not strong solo performers, but instead were strong musicians.