Amos & Andy

The fact that this cartoon uses the word "rassling" instead of wrestling in its title immediately indicates that there is something off-color about the cartoon. However, the ambiguity that exists in regards to why the word "rassling" was chosen for the title is quickly eliminated, as the cartoon depicts racist African-American stereotypes throughout its entirety. The main characters, Andy, Amos, and Kingfish, each display ridiculous traits, while all of the characters' faces appear to be covered in blackface makeup that was common in racist minstrel shows. The audience can assume that the cartoon was created by White people, as the characters are essentially archetypes of Black men that exist in racist minds. Amos appears to be the smooth talking, street smart, but physically weak Black man that is still common in movies today. Andy is the lazy, impulsive, and stupid character, while Kingfish is the traditional black pimp character. Additionally, Andy's wrestling foe, Bullneck Mooseface, portrays the "black brute" character that is present in other racist media, such as the character of Gus in "the Birth of a Nation."

One of the most irresponsible aspects of the cartoon is that the target audience appears to be impressionable White children. Therefore, even though the cartoon was supposedly viewed as comedy when it was released, it served the purpose of perpetuating racial stereotypes. The color line, as discussed in class, is clearly present in this cartoon as there are zero white characters present in any of the scenes, including the mob at the wrestling match. Ironically, the wrestling match illustrates the absurdity behind the separate but equal doctrine of Plessey v. Ferguson, as the barn used for the match was most assuredly subpar in comparison to the venues at which White people would watch wrestling matches.

During the time period in which the Amos & Andy cartoon was produced, African-Americans were taking great strides as a people. Therein lies the greatest shame associated with the cartoon, as the cartoon's depiction of Black people attempted to undermine the progress made by African-Americans. This progress includes the promotion and support of the New Negro movement and the Harlem Renaissance, as well as other positive ventures undertaken by the African-American people. This cartoon illustrates disappointing behavior by the American public for allowing such representations of an entire race to become popular.