Re: Fwd: A new klezmermusical in Berlin

[Marvin <physchem...>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Bloom <bloom (at) gis(dot)net>
To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 11:22 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: A new klezmermusical in Berlin


<snip>
> I hesitate to respond, since I'm not well-educated on this topic - but
> since no one else responded, I'll throw in what I think I know, and let
> someone else correct me if necessary.
>
> As I understand it, blacks were allowed to perform in vaudeville if they
> portrayed stereotypical blacks, just as Jews were allowed to perform if
> they portrayed stereotypical Jews.  If you were a "stage Jew", you might
> use putty to make your nose look bigger.  If you were a "stage nigger",
and
> your skin wasn't dark enough to fit the stereotype, then you had to put
> burnt cork on your face.  In either case, the act you performed had to
> reinforce the image that the audience already had of your ethnic group.
> Just a case of giving the audience what they wanted.

Blacks have a name for this kind of performer - Uncle Tom.  I've never heard
of a similar name for Jewish performers who took on the streeotypical role.

A telling part of minstrel shows with white performers is that they made
themselves up to look black.  White jazz musicians never did that.



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