The “Mammy” Stereotype Devin Greenlee Drama of Diversity Sunday, September 29, 13 What is a “Mammy” archetype? • According to Ferris State University: ”...the mammy caricature was posited as proof that blacks--in this case, black women--were contented, even happy, as slaves. Her wide grin, hearty laugher, and loyal servitude were offered as evidence of the supposed humanity of the institution of slavery.” • Common characteristics of the mammy archetype: ”...obese, coarse, maternal figure. She had great love for her white "family," but often treated her own family with disdain. Although she had children, sometimes many, she was completely desexualized. She "belonged" to the white family, though it was rarely stated. Unlike Sambo, she was a faithful worker. She had no black friends; the white family was her entire world.” Sunday, September 29, 13 “Mammy” in Pop Culture • The “mammy” stereotype has been around for over a century, but was not seen in popular novels, television and radio shows, films, or advertising until the late 1800s. Some of the most well-known instances include: Sunday, September 29, 13 The Help (2011) Sunday, September 29, 13 To Kill A Mockingbird (1960) Sunday, September 29, 13 Tom & Jerry (1940) Sunday, September 29, 13 Beulah (1939) Sunday, September 29, 13 Aunt Jemima (1893) Sunday, September 29, 13 History of Aunt Jemima • The true origin of “Aunt Jemima” is one you will not find on their website. However, it is still documented: “...originally named ‘Self-Rising Pancake Flour’ in1889, [developer Chris] Rutt was inspired to rename the mix after attending a minstrel show, during which a popular song titled ‘Old Aunt Jemima’ was performed by men in blackface, one of whom was depicting a slave mammy of the plantation South. The song... was a staple of the minstrel circuit and was based on a song sung by field slaves.” Sunday, September 29, 13 History of Aunt Jemima • Upon this inspiration, the developers found Nancy Green (right), a former house slave from Kentucky, to become Aunt Jemima. They took it one step further and fabricated a pamphlet on the history of Aunt Jemima’s life: “She was depicted as the actual house slave of one Colonel Higbee of Louisiana, whose plantation was known across the South for its fine dining – especially its pancake breakfasts. The recipe for the pancakes was a secret known only to the slave woman. Sometime after the war, the pamphlet said, Aunt Jemima was remembered by a Confederate general who had once found himself stranded at her cabin. The general recalled her pancakes and put Aunt Jemima in contact with a “large northern milling company,” which paid her (in gold) to come north and supervise the construction of a factory to mass-produce her mix.” Sunday, September 29, 13 History of Aunt Jemima • Tragically after being given a lifetime contract, Nancy Green died in a car accident in 1923. The company proceeded to cycle through many different figures who fit the “mammy” mold. It wasn’t until the 1950s and 1960s that they faced criticism from the NAACP, but during proceeding decades, many other spinoffs and figures appeared--including Beulah. Sunday, September 29, 13 Beulah on the Radio (1939-1947) • Beulah was represented on the radio as a hard-working mammy who was somewhat “man crazy”--a direct opposite from the normal stereotype, seeing as how mammies were generally desexualized. • Ironically, for the first 8 years of the show’s run, Beulah herself was not portrayed by a black women, but instead, a white man named Marlin Hurt (right). Even after his death, the station chose to find another white male to fill the role. Sunday, September 29, 13 Beulah on the Radio (1947-1954) • Then, in 1947, the role of Beulah was filled by Hattie McDaniel (right). She was the first black woman to star on her own radio show. She was paid $1000 a week for her shows; not as much as other radio actors and actresses, but it was a start. She resigned from her role in 1952 due to breast cancer, but she was succeeded by another black woman, Lillian Randolph, and then Lillian’s sister, Amanda Randolph. Sunday, September 29, 13 Beulah on Television (1950-1952) • The television and radio shows featuring Beulah overlapped for a short time. ABC picked up an adaptation of “The Beulah Show” in which Beulah, regarded as “the queen of the kitchen” and “has the ability to solve the problems that her employers cannot figure out.” She was originally played by Ethel Waters (left). The original radio Beulah, Hattie McDaniels, took over for a brief 6 episodes before falling ill to breast cancer. The role then went to Lousie Beavers, and finally to another familiar Beulah, Lillian Randolph, before its conclusion in 1952. Sunday, September 29, 13 Beulah VS “The Help” • After watching an episode of “The Beulah Show”, the first thing one may notice is her complete compliance and utter devotion to the needs of her “family”. She never argues and often sacrifices herself to whatever the father, mother, and son needed at the moment in time. Her thoughts and plans are centered on her employers, bending over backwards to please and to often to go without thanks or appreciation. Even when she is at her own home with her own boyfriend, she worries about how to make life better for them in a completely selfless manner. • Compare this to “The Help”. The work ethic is the same, but in the film, the selfish behavior of the employers does not go unspoken of by their maids. This makes “The Beulah Show” seem like blunt WASP propaganda. Sunday, September 29, 13 Modern Day Mammy • Today, Mammy is seen as a “Southern earth mother, source of nutrition, wisdom, comfort and discipline, cook, advisor, mediator... she remains in myth and memory, the most positive and yet most dangerous of all racist stereotypes. Sambo is no longer acceptable, but Aunt Jemima remains on the pancake mix box, repeatedly updated, a shiny happy face.” She remains in literature, film, television, radio, advertising... The list goes on. And while this stereotype may be one of the most detrimental, what can be done? Dr. Brenda Vemer answers this question elegantly, and her solution can be applied to almost any minority: "Reclaiming and dealing with a negative stereotype is a way of not letting it hurt you." Sunday, September 29, 13 Works Cited • http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/mammies/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammy_archetype • http://blackamericaweb.com/113102/little-known-black-historyfact-the-history-of-aunt-jemima/ • http://blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com/conscious-consumerism/alesson-in-marketing-magic-the-history-of-aunt-jemima/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beulah_(series) • http://www.eddiesotr.com/Beulah_Show.php • http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/links/mammy/ Sunday, September 29, 13 Photo Credits • http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/news/jimcrow/mammies/mask.jpg • http://www.cb-pr.com/Images/To%20Kill%20a%20Mockingbird/Prod%20Art/To%20Kill%20a%20Mockingbird %2010%20TM.jpg • http://media.monstersandcritics.com/articles/1362808/article_images/tom2.jpg • http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-help-movie-image-viola-davis-octavia-spencer-600x398.jpg • http://changeoffaces.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/aunt-jemima-pancakes-old2.jpg • http://a.images.blip.tv/Lbines-RetroVisionTheaterPresentsTheBeulahShow409.jpg • http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/JemimasWeddingDay.jpg/200px-JemimasWeddingDay.jpg • http://www.tvacres.com/images/aunt_jemima2.jpg • http://static.neatorama.com/images/2008-12/aunt-jemima.jpg • http://www.fibbermcgeeandmolly.com/images/marlin_hurt2.gif • http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2008/164/1367_121341037614.jpg • http://images.zap2it.com/celebs/v3/AllPhotos/20256/20256_v3_ba/ethel-waters.jpg • http://www.dreamworksstudios.com/files/th-133r.jpg • http://mediumcoolblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/beulah.png • http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3655/3564352251_543d0e469b.jpg Sunday, September 29, 13
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