FALLACY!

Hmmm. Maybe it's just me but, I felt that Ethnic Notions was one of those films that really makes one feel and realize exactly how ignorrant one can be towards media, art, and to the world of advertising. Growing up, my grandmother had all kinds of memorabelia from the 30's, 50's etc. the cartoons and the black mami mascots on the front of food products depicted in the film were happily embraced by me while growing up. I really use to like them because they were in association with my grandmother. those items made me think of her.

It's makes me wonder and begin to truly question myself after seeing this film. Why haven't I ever questioned the developers of such products motives? Why was it that the portayal of blacks during those times seemed perfectly fine to me until now? Being half African American myself, why did take such a film like Ethnic Notions to be viewed before I truly saw such strong stereotypes? I guess it's all a form of brainwashing. One sees it so much it becomes the norm and therefore accepted. The forms of the illustrated characters (who were once adorned) became grotesqe. These cartoons were extremely damaging. However, because they were before my time, I didn't really become enraged until I saw the Bugs Bunny clip. Seeing my favorite cartoon character (as a child) put on black face with his enemy (Elmer) and begin to antagonize, ridicule, and disrespect an entire nation of human beings made me want to hide under a rock. I kept thinking, "Is he serious?" This was a icon in my eyes. I would constantly watch LOONEY TUNES. I would draw him and put him on my wall, spray paint on my shirts, named a PitBull after him. At 13 I even got a $200.00 dollar ticket for him (I spray painted him on the school wall). This logo has practcally dominated my life as a child. I allowed it into my home and took it so seriously while he quietly took me for a joke.... This film was a huge eye opener. I'm nervous about what else I might discover about this class in the future.


-TERRELL A.-