This is a small chapter in the long push-pull of America's racial history and how it has been observed by artists. Several positive points should be noted, and not just the negative plot which stereotypes blacks as agricultural thieves, and the use of watermelons as a racist meme.
After stealing watermelon, black gentlemen outsmart the two "skeletons" and return home with the loot. Good effort in showing off cakewalk from the black company. After the dancing ends, the black troupe simply occupies a large amount of time eating watermelon, with an especially good duet scene of two gentlemen communing while eating, since this is really what watermelon is good for. Finally, a larger white posse shows up with their dogs and smokes out the community of unaware stolen watermelon lovers by plugging their chimney, which could either be seen as funny or tragic.
The filmmaker attempts to endear us to the cultural life among the southern negroes of his time, while at the same time stereotyping both the white and the black race.
I was directed to the movie by theatlantic.com which is a long discussion of the entire culture of watermelon stereotyping. The author concludes that while, "there is nothing inherently racist about watermelons..., the stereotype has a life of its own."
I think both the film and the magazine article can be viewed best as historical artifacts, at least I hope so.
After stealing watermelon, black gentlemen outsmart the two "skeletons" and return home with the loot. Good effort in showing off cakewalk from the black company. After the dancing ends, the black troupe simply occupies a large amount of time eating watermelon, with an especially good duet scene of two gentlemen communing while eating, since this is really what watermelon is good for. Finally, a larger white posse shows up with their dogs and smokes out the community of unaware stolen watermelon lovers by plugging their chimney, which could either be seen as funny or tragic.
The filmmaker attempts to endear us to the cultural life among the southern negroes of his time, while at the same time stereotyping both the white and the black race.
I was directed to the movie by theatlantic.com which is a long discussion of the entire culture of watermelon stereotyping. The author concludes that while, "there is nothing inherently racist about watermelons..., the stereotype has a life of its own."
I think both the film and the magazine article can be viewed best as historical artifacts, at least I hope so.