When did it become an issue with Black Actors playing Black Women?

[get these nets]

Growing up, it was never an issue with Jamie playing Wanda or Martin playing Sheneneh. Even Tyler Perry playing Madea was extremely popular in our community for a long time. When did the perception on this change?

Simple answer.

Before, it was seen as a decision of the comedian to add another character to their comedic bag of tricks.

Flip Wilson, Martin Lawrence, Jaleel White played different sketch or tv characters, so the drag character was just one more.

At some point, people perceived that newer drag performances were coerced by producers/directors to actors. Actors who were not known for doing "characters"

Personally, I lived long enough to see multiple actors of different races perform drag. I think it's lazy comedic writing and a cheap sight gag.

But I can see why/how a younger dude might buy into conspiracy theory about it being done to emasculate Black actors.

The comedian who wrote the IG post should know more about comedy history than me, so I think he's being a bit disingenuous with this question.

 

[frush11]

Wesley Snipes went through it for wearing a dress

Yall need to stop this, shiiit was not like this back then.

Cut it out, that Movie was just trash according to whomever saw it.

How old were you back then?

 

[Wiseborn]

When cacs actively worked towards casting black men in emasculating roles that didn't even require dressing up as a woman. Eventually the cross dressing became insult to injury of an already growing issue.

If black men started getting casted as strong black heterosexual leads more often than almost never there will be no issue having a Madea every now and then.

yes when Black Men started waking up and seeing it as a diss to their Manhood and a Diss to Black women’s femininity by cosplaying as Black women.

Also it took jobs away from Black women.

It made the collective of Black People look bad.

 

[Vandelay]

People forgetting how Dave Chappelle exposed that shyt?

Now they just embarrass these brehs in other ways e.g.

People forgetting Dave dressed up as a woman too.

It's a hacky bit, but I don't think there's a greater conspiracy. It's just a hacky unoriginal way to get laughs.

 

[Swirv]

People forgetting how Dave Chappelle exposed that shyt?

Now they just embarrass these brehs in other ways e.g.

For real, they didn’t even let breh have a proper lineup in this shyt smh

 

[3rdWorld]

Told you. We not traditionally with the weirdo shyt. Conservative is not just a political designation.

"Somethin' about a conservative, regular girl that still can beat a bytch ass."

Black folks can be colorful, extroverted and flamboyant but don't confuse that for not being naturally conservative..we generally frown upon deviant behaviors and I dont know any Black society anywhere that ever embraced confusing men for females..

 

[Field Marshall Bradley]

When cacs actively worked towards casting black men in emasculating roles

Give some examples

 

[HarlemHottie]

Black folks can be colorful, extroverted and flamboyant but don't confuse that for not being naturally conservative..we generally frown upon deviant behaviors and I dont know any Black society anywhere that ever embraced confusing men for females..

What you describe is a-political conservatism in the modern era..

 

[Elim Garak]

Am I the only one who feels that in modern times the concept of "c00ns" was dead for years until the 2010s? I don't recall hearing anyone ever being called a c00n prior to like 2013. Yeah c00ns existed during the civil rights era but you didn't hear of them for decades until the 2010s.



Were ppl throwing around the word c00n on SOHH in the 2000s? Were any Black celebrities considered c00ns in the 90s in real time?

People weren't using the word c00n, but the concept was never gone. They were using words like Uncle Tom or minstrel show particularly when referring to certain TV shows.

 

[skylove4]

People forgetting how Dave Chappelle exposed that shyt?

Now they just embarrass these brehs in other ways e.g.

You mean this nikka

 

[skylove4]

My grand parents hated this. A lot of black people from that time called him a c00n and sell out because of this

Those same black folks watched Mammie and gone with the wind without an issue and related to the cowboys instead of the Indians on tv shows. They have or had zero room to come at flip for that shyt

 

[Sauce and Footwork]

I know this is something comedians have done period since like the beginning of time. I mean you go back to Shakespeare and they had comedies where men dressed as women and things for laughs. And black people have always had comedy to where it engages in some but of self humiliation for the benefit of a laugh. That’s just comedy regardless of color, so for me it’s more so how it’s done. Big mamma house for example.. you have a comedian who dresses up as a black woman, but the film says nothing bad and stereotypical about black people, nor do you forget Martin Lawrence is making it clear it’s a disguise. You can say the same with something like ms doubt fire with robin williams. And then other times comedians do it, it’s just in some silly joke shyt. Like Jamie fox or Martin in his show. But my issue is with someone like Tyler Perry who dresses up as a black woman and creates entire films and shows that fully portray the nastiest of black stereotypes. That’s the shyt that I don’t like. He has made a career out of this. He isn’t a comedian, which is fine. But for reference, the other comedians didn’t make a career out of doing this. It was just something engaged in once or a couple times

 

[3rdWorld]

What you describe is a-political conservatism in the modern era..

It's false conservatism.
I dare anyone Black residing in the US to try tell me they're a conservative..I don't care how much you hate gays and taxes, you're not a conservative breh

"Conservatism" in the context of America is the reserve and preserve of the White lower, White middle and White upper class.
Conservatism functions only as a White rights, Whites first, White power movement. Anyone Black claiming to be a part of that Klan rally is insane and an irredeemable koon.

 

[Max Power]

People forgetting Dave dressed up as a woman too.

I didn't forget that, it just has nothing to do with him exposing the trend.

You mean this nikka

Unfortunately you're too remedial for this kind of discussion.

 

[Macallik86]

My guess is a combination of social media rumors insinuating that you have to wear a dress to make it in Hollywood and the fact that people are a little more irritated at someone representing them via stereotypes.

It cuts both ways tho, I don't think the Mad TV "Can I get your number" skit would be as well-received in 2024 as it was back then either fwiw. This isn't to say no one is dressing up like the opposite sex/race anymore, but it gets more of a side-eye than it used to.