Devin Greenlee Drama of Diversity

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:
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The Help
(2011)
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To Kill A Mockingbird
(1960)
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Tom & Jerry
(1940)
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Beulah
(1939)
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Aunt Jemima
(1893)
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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.”
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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/
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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
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