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