Relics of racism
I love old movies, and I was watching the old Fred Astaire movie “Swing Time” on TCM today, but I had to turn the channel when I saw Fred putting on blackface. In one sense, I’m glad that these cultural documents aren’t bowdlerized; it’s probably a good thing to be reminded of cultural attitudes. But it was just uncomfortable to watch. I changed the channel until after that musical number was over.
To make matters worse, after the movie they showed a cartoon short from that same era that had mild suggestions of racial stereotypes (even though all you saw were singing frogs on screen).
Meanwhile, on a very similar note, Brittney at Nashville is Talking was shocked at what she found in a Chattanooga-area souvenir store.
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Darrell Grizzle

