Since 19th century, African Americans have often been subjected to racism and marginalization within the American society. Although they have been brought as slaves to America several centuries ago and thus, probably live since generations in the country, they are barely recognized as members of the American community and are forced to live on the fringe of society. As a consequence, African Americans have become the targets of cinematic and television comedy, delineating various stereotypical images of African American men and women. David O. Selznick’s film adaptation Gone With the Wind, published in 1939 and adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s eponymous novel, offers the first portrayal of an African American woman. Conspicuously, the African American woman in the movie emphasizes stereotypical images being decisively devised by white American writers and film producers. Expeditiously, stigmatized ideas of African American women become coined under the imagination of Selznick’s the ‘Mammy’. Since the Mammy is defined as an obese, tall, and broad-shouldered woman, the majority of African American women in America clearly feel their stigmatization conforming the depiction of the Mammy by the white community, culminating in experiencing even greater social marginalization and rejection. Bearing in mind that the Civil Right Movements, where African Americans fought heavily for their personal rights and for an elimination of established stereotypes, occurred many years after the publication of Mitchell and Selznick’s Gone With the Wind, readers and spectators are, nevertheless, confronted frequently with stigmatized images of African Americans. In 2000, Raja Gosnell published his comedy Big Momma’s House, starring Martin Lawrence, representing not only drag performances, but also underlining anew the image of an overweight, broad-shouldered, and colossal African American lady. Martin Lawrence, acting as agent Malcolm Turner, dresses up as lady Hattie Mae Pierce, commonly known as Big Momma, by wearing a fat suit in order to proceed with his investigation. Consequently, similarities between the Mammy archetype and Big Momma in Gosnell’s movie become rapidly obvious. Therefore, this research paper aims to answer the question whether Big Momma can be considered as a contemporary representation of the Mammy archetype or whether producer Raja Gosnell uses the Mammy stereotype in order to add extra comedic relief.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Mammy
Depiction of Big Momma in Big Momma’s House
Comparison between the Mammy and Big Momma
Conclusion
Research Objective and Core Themes
This paper examines whether the character of Big Momma in Raja Gosnell's film Big Momma's House serves as a modern-day iteration of the historical "Mammy" archetype or if the characterization relies on the stereotype primarily for comedic effect.
- Analysis of the historical "Mammy" icon and its origins in American society.
- Examination of the specific physical and behavioral traits of Big Momma.
- Comparative study between the traditional Mammy archetype and contemporary film representation.
- Investigation into the influence of race, gender, and social power dynamics in cinematic portrayals.
- Critique of drag performance and the usage of "fat suits" as a form of comedic relief.
Excerpt from the Book
The Mammy
African Americans have consistently been the target of cinematic and television comedy. Considering African American women, the Mammy has emerged as an icon throughout the 20th century, representing the foil to American white women (cf. Atkinson, 2004: 3). Having its roots in antebellum Southern America, the Mammy “was an important figure in the socialization of white Southern children” (DelGaudio, 1983). Considerably, various depictions of the Mammy present her performing arduous domestic duties in the household of their slave owners. Therefore, the Mammy replaces the white lady in educating the white children and taking care of the home (cf. Jewell, 1993: 38). In their work, Jennifer Bailey Woodard and Teresa Mastin stand their suggestion that the Mammy cares even more for the white family, particularly for the white children than for her own family (cf. 2005: 271). Despite the depiction as the foil to the white lady, the Mammy conversely also serves as an assistant of her female master or even as her “shadow sister”, being in charge of everything pertaining to the household (cf. Patton, 1993). Hence, the Mammy in the white household is seen as an intelligent servant to the white family, solving wisely and even god-like every duty she has to fulfill.
Unsurprisingly, she constantly balances between the white and the black community, being a spokesman for the black minority (cf. Atkinson 2004, 2). Although the black servant is a slave within a white household, the Mammy is portrayed as being content with her way of living, having a satisfying master-servant relationship and feeling not inferior, but rather seeing herself as a member of the family (cf. Jewell, 1993: 38). In acquiescence with Kimberly Wallace-Sanders, the image of the Mammy has been applied to create an atmosphere of racial harmony within the slave system (cf. 2008: 13). Hence, the role of the Mammy proposes creating an image of the Mammy contrasting to the stereotypical image of the African American slave, whom the white society forces to live under the worst living conditions.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter provides the historical context of African American marginalization in media and introduces the research question regarding the Mammy archetype in modern cinema.
The Mammy: This section details the historical origins, characteristics, and sociological function of the Mammy icon in antebellum American society.
Depiction of Big Momma in Big Momma’s House: This chapter analyzes the character traits, physical appearance, and actions of Big Momma in the film, noting how the portrayal blends comedic caricature with stereotypical imagery.
Comparison between the Mammy and Big Momma: This chapter highlights the similarities and differences between the traditional Mammy figure and Big Momma, focusing on labor, domestic abilities, and social independence.
Conclusion: This final section synthesizes the findings, arguing that while Big Momma embodies the Mammy archetype, the character serves primarily as a comedic device rather than a faithful contemporary representation.
Keywords
Mammy, Big Momma, Raja Gosnell, Stereotype, African American, Cinema, Gender, Race, Drag Performance, Fat Suit, Racial Harmony, Domesticity, Archetype, Representation, Marginalization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the connection between the historical "Mammy" stereotype found in American media and the protagonist of the film Big Momma's House.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers the social history of the Mammy figure, the use of stereotypes in modern comedy, racial representation in film, and the gendered expectations of domesticity.
What is the central research question?
The author investigates whether Big Momma is a modern representation of the Mammy archetype or if the director uses the persona simply as a vehicle for comedic relief.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The paper uses a comparative qualitative analysis, examining film scenes against scholarly definitions and historical critiques of the Mammy archetype.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body evaluates the characteristics of the Mammy, details the portrayal of Big Momma in the film, and compares their similarities and differences in behavior, social role, and appearance.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Mammy, Big Momma, stereotype, representation, cinematic comedy, and racial archetypes.
How does the author view the use of "fat suits" in the film?
The author views the use of fat suits and drag performance as a problematic allusion to minstrel shows that mocks the Black community while relying on ancient tropes.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding Big Momma?
The author concludes that Big Momma serves as a new epitome of the Mammy archetype, likely intended by the director for comedic entertainment rather than accurate social representation.
- Quote paper
- Janine Evangelista (Author), 2018, A Comparison of the Mammy Icon and Big Momma in Raja Gosnell's "Big Momma's House", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/415747
