The story of Bamboozled revolves around a Black studio executive and his attempt to create a successful show for the major network where he is employed. Instantly, Spike Lee’s film becomes a format for political discussion, as he highlights the state of the media industry and the difficulties minorities face within it. Pierre Delacroix, the Black studio executive, is tasked with creating the idea for a show that represents Black culture, however, his boss insists the storyline must be “as black as can be.
The end result arrives in “Mantan: The New Millenium Minstrel Show,” which instantly turns heads with its ability to push the bounds to an extent never seen before on television. Although Lee’s film is satirical, it shows the harsh reality of life within the industry for minorities, and Kristen Warner’s essay “Strategies for Success: Navigating Hollywood’s Postracial Labor Practices” parallels Bamboozled’s themes. Professor Warner clarifies how important the issues with minority representation are within Hollywood, as she tells her life experience in correlation with other media.
Her work and Lee’s Bamboozled align on the belief that blacks are underrepresented, and something must be done to change this before it is too late. Warner’s essay defines the problem within Hollywood. Minorities are simply not given equal opportunity at a variety of roles that include producing, directing, acting, casting, and many others. Over the course of the last several years, there has been improvement, but this improvement is so miniscule that it does not truly solve the ongoing issue. Warren’s essay states that only “19% of programs have been directed by minorities,” while another statistic says “only 14. % of roles in film and television were held by minorities” (Warren).
This lack of racial and cultural representation is derived from a lack of these individuals in a position where they can speak on their experiences to the masses. A story told by someone who does not truly experience the event is simply insufficient compared to firsthand accounts. Warren also makes a point in “Strategies for Success” that these struggles cannot be ended if there continues to be a “plight of women” or a “plight of minorities” (Warner). Plight insinuates that there is a looming struggle, and the ultimate goal is to end the struggles for these groups.
Aside from just race. Warner points out that women also face similar struggles with misrepresentation, and these issues are multiplied for black women. There is no hiding the fact that women make less money for essentially the same work as men do, and additionally, it is imperative to understand that there is also a much more difficult time to even secure a job. Throughout Warren’s essay on minority struggle in the media industry, I believe she raises strong points that need to be considered. In an age of advancement through innovation and technology, progressiveness is increasingly popular.
However, it seems in the midst of the society, certain crucial people have been left behind. While these are extremely difficult issues to solve, I agree there needs to be a change. The challenge arises on the best route to take to accomplish these goals. Is it an issue that improves over time, or does major action need to be taken place? It also becomes difficult to gauge these issues with statistics, because it is impossible to pinpoint the true number of people from each group that are actively seeking work in each field.
For example, it is possible that the 14. 4% of actors who are minorities represent around 90% of all minorities seeking acting roles. However, it is also possible that the 14. 4% represents only 2% of total minorities seeking work. Warren is correct in furthering these claims by talking of firsthand accounts of struggles in the work place. Case by case experiences vividly explain the struggle for these groups, and now, it becomes a task to make these poor experiences known widely so that the issues are resolved.
Furthermore, Warren mentions a circumstance where racial ambiguity seems to lose certain important cultural aspects of minority life, and I question the root of the statement. Is the end goal to give black culture equality in film, or is it to give each race equality? I believe certain casting jobs that cast a racially ambiguous character may not represent a political motive. Instead, it simply provides a representation for a character that may have a mixed ethnicity. However, if the goal is to ensure that black culture is highlighted, then I would understand her point on racial ambiguity.
The article written by Professor Warren parallels many of Lee’s themes throughout Bamboozled. Instantly, we notice a strong sense of misrepresentation in the network office, as Delacroix walks into a meeting where he is the only minority. As the film progresses and the audience learns more about his character, we see that his whitewashed lifestyle is most likely the only reason he is even represented. In relation to Warren’s point on racial ambiguity, Spike Lee raises an issue with this strategy, because Delacroix seems to need to act white to get his job, but he is ridiculed for not acting black enough once he has the job.
This leads into the question about skills required for certain tasks. The dichotomy between skills vs. ability is present throughout Mantan’s performance on his variety show. Mantan is initially depicted as a character who has no real talents, but he must work for financial reasons. The allure of Mantan revolves around his appearance and lifestyle, which highlights the limited roles for minorities. It is not until Delacroix desires to make a stereotypical black show, and then, Mantan is contacted about potential work. These is a representation of reality for many minority and female stars.
It often seems that they will be requested for work when they fit a character’s type, but instead, it should be an equal playing field for all potential candidates for roles and jobs. In addition to minorities, the story exactly parallels Warren’s comment on women in the workforce. She explains that many women she talks to had “an internship that led to a fulltime job” (Warren). A scene in Bamboozled explains that Delacroix’s assistant, Sloan, had to perform sexual duties in order to receive the position. However, she always stated that she “had an internship that led to a fulltime job” (Warren).
Perhaps a coincidence, but the movie proves that this occurrence happens too often. The story also seems to turn poorly for Delacroix’s character. His early role as a successful executive is shot down in a scene where his mother explains her disappointment in him. Later on, he is shot and killed, which symbolizes the demise of his character, as he obeys his own culture. Ultimately, he did not stay true to himself, so he paid the consequences of selling out. Though these are difficult subject matters, it is crucial to have a conversation in order to help end these struggles.
Professor Warren’s article reminds the audience that, although progress has been made, there is still a significant amount of work to do. Bamboozled satirical nature attempts to lightly introduce ongoing issues, and although the delivery ends up being intense, Spike Lee’s film succeeds in getting its point across to the viewers. There is a widespread issue of underrepresentation that must be solved soon. There is no easy way to fix these problems, and the solution must be natural. The passage of time will hopefully alleviate some of the issues, but for now, media executives need to be aware of the struggles and at least attempt change.