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
Previous page on path     Next page on path

 

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
  • Local Discussion
    •
  • Popout
    •
 

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
Walt Disney    Mickey Mouse    1930s    Pluto    Cartoons    Minnie Mouse    Sound    1920s    Moving Image    Sound    Black and White

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