"The commodification of Otherness has been so successful because it is offered as a new delight, more intense, more satisfying than normal ways of doing and feeling. Within commodity cuture, ethnicity becomes spice, seasoning that can liven up the dull dish that is mainstream white culture."- bell hooks, "Eating the Other: Desire or Resistance"
One of the most common reactions we got to doing the production was "I've never seen this stuff before- where did you find the black memorabilia?" Often, people think that black memorabilia is something that was a Southern phenomenon, something that ended when slavery ended. The caricature of Aunt Jemima, one of the more famous Mammies in American history, actually emerged in 1890 when a black woman by the name of Nany Green (a former slave) was hired to sell pancakes at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. More important than the pancake mix she was selling, Ms Green was selling a (false) memory of the "good ole South", when blacks were cheerful and servile. I think it is very important to note that Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup are still available in supermarkets today.
While you are reading this play, ask yourself:
Do we still see images like this? What negative images of Blacks do we consume everyday? Of other racial minorities or marginalized groups?
Writing Assignment #2:
At the end of the play, Mammy interrupts Claire's vow to Adanne, by saying "this isn't over." What do you think she is referring to? Do you agree with her, and why/why not? How does the Chorus' laughter at the end of the play make you feel?
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