Hollywood Mammy
Hollywood Mammy is a short piece that hold a lot of depth to it, and the context behind the writing of this story makes it that much more interesting. This piece is written about the character Mammy from the movie "Gone With the Wind." Mammy is played by Hattie McDaniel and is one of the first African Americans to ever win an Oscar. Hattie's portrayal of the character Mammy is what you would expect of a 60's portrayal of an African American on a plantation, and having seen the movie I can attest that McDaniel's performance for playing her role is spectacular and accurate. The problem herein lies in the fact that McDaniel is receiving praise and being glorified for protruding stereotypical and blatantly racist ideas about the African American race. In the reading Langston tries to show just how McDaniel feels about being awarded for basically making fun of her own race, and the damage that causes not only to her but to the entire race as itself. It brings down African American's as a whole by showing that making fun of blacks in a time like this can be seen as amazing, and when you are the butt of the joke, you and everyone associated with you becomes the joke. The author uses phrases like "
in Hollywood I make my living pretending to be dumb" to show just how it must feel to be an actor with capabilities far beyond what you are allowed to work with, and still get praise for basically making a fool out of yourself.
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