Sign in or register
for additional privileges

Birth of An Industry: Blackface Minstrelsy and the Rise of American Animation

Nicholas Sammond, Author
Race, page 7 of 25

 

You appear to be using an older verion of Internet Explorer. For the best experience please upgrade your IE version or switch to a another web browser.

Race, Page 224

As Mickey Mouse heads upriver in Trader Mickey (1932), he strums the classic minstrel tune "Old Zip Coon" on his banjo, reprising his first sync-sound performance in Steamboat Willie (1928).  

In these instances, Mickey as minstrel evokes the Old South, the plantation, and slavery. The minstrel was based upon the fantasy of a black body in willful disobedience: lazy, cunning, resistant to pain, and able to navigate the brutal regime of chattel slavery through that cunning. Like many animated continuing characters in early American animation, Mickey performed just that sort of resistance.

 
Comment on this page
 

Discussion of "Race, Page 224"

Add your voice to this discussion.

Checking your signed in status ...

Previous page on path Race, page 7 of 25 Next page on path

Related:  Space, Page 188Race, Page 221Conclusion, Page 290Space, Page 148Labor, Page 129Labor, Page 109Space, Page 172Conclusion, Page 296Labor, Page 123Conclusion, Page 304Race, Page 220Space, Page 181Labor, Page 112Space, Page 190Labor, Page 122Race, Page 230Labor, Page 110Performance, Page 34Space, Page 152Space, Page 193Race, Page 219Performance, Page 72Conclusion, Page 292Race, Page 229Space, Page 183Introduction, Page 2Conclusion, Page 278Introduction, Page 21Race, Page 232Space, Page 165Performance, Page 74Race, Page 254Race, Page 253Space, Page 175Performance, Page 84Introduction, Page 30Space, Page 189Space, Page 137Labor, Page 88Space, Page 177Labor, Page 128Space, Page 178Performance, Page 60Performance, Page 76Race, Page 239Performance, Page 50Space, Page 194Labor, Page 98Space, Page 155Race, Page 225Conclusion, Page 289Introduction, Page 14Conclusion, Page 302Space, Page 138Performance, Page 54Race, Page 251Labor, Page 101Conclusion, Page 298Race, Page 231Performance, Page 35Performance, Page 47Space, Page 196Space, Page 146Labor, Page 133Race, Page 252Race, Page 258Race, Page 206Introduction, Page 29Labor, Page 131Space, Page 166Space, Page 150Space, Page 182Labor, Page 132Labor, Page 113Conclusion, Page 286Space, Page 197Labor, Page 102Introduction, Page 6Space, Page 191Race, Page 204Space, Page 187Performance, Page 42Performance, Page 46Labor, Page 119Space, Page 195Conclusion, Page 291Space, Page 141Race, Page 235Race, Page 247Race, Page 261Space, Page 163Space, Page 162Labor, Page 93Space, Page 159Conclusion, Page 273Performance, Page 70Space, Page 169Performance, Page 77Performance, Page 82Performance, Page 41Space, Page 143Performance, Page 52Introduction, Page 23Space, Page 184Performance, Page 43Space, Page 171Performance, Page 44Performance, Page 45Conclusion, Page 284Space, Page 170Conclusion, Page 300Race, Page 213Space, Page 156Conclusion, Page 275Introduction, Page 4Introduction, Page 1Race, Page 248Introduction, Page 16Race, Page 242Conclusion, Page 303Conclusion, Page 268