America Bamboozled

Birth of a Nation is one of films greatest achievements, yet it is also the most shameful piece of popular cinema. No doubt it was one of the most influential films in history as KKK memberships grew nearly 20 times because of it and the film was so powerful it was used well into the 1970's to recruit. The film demonstrated the full power of the film medium and how it influences those who watch it. Sadly, it also demonstrated what happens when great film making gets into the wrong hands. D.W. Griffith's epic portrayal of a false history tricked Americans, or bamboozled them if you will. So how much has changed since it's release in 1915? The entire film of Bamboozled seems to answer that very question... not much. The only thing that has changed are the stereotypes. The black image in films started with Birth of a Nation as it portrayed the savage black beast stereotype. Soon after, Hallelujah! and other films gave America the happy Southern Negro. Later came the revival of minstrel shows and black face with Jim Crow and Zip Coon among others. Than came the 70's with the Blaxploitation era. In this era came the Baaaad Asssss black man and the Kick-ass sexual woman. Finally, today we have the gangster image who's popularity grew entirely from rap music. It seems that with every generation comes a new stereotype. And these stereotypes occur for one reason, the entertainment industry is still controlled by white corporate America. Back in 1915, big studios were producing films written, directed, and acted in by whites under the approval of white studio executives. Today, blacks now have the opportunity to write, direct, and act in films but they still must be approved by white studio executives. If people in America only see entertainment that passes through the white executive filter, they are not seeing the full America. And it's been like that since 1915.