Miller and Lyles and Stepin Fetchit excerpt

[horarwgt]

The dubbed-in rap background detracts from the presentation because it is from an entirely different time and culture. One must not forget that in the early part of the 20th century, each ethnic group (black, Jewish, German, etc.) had their own vaudeville specially designed to please audiences of their own ethnic type. Jokes and characters which would be considered outrageous black stereotypes today were favorites.with BLACK audiences. Ethnic humor was always most loved by the same thnic. .

[IJS54]

Do you think 50 Cent, DMX, Shyne, T.I., etc. are traitors?

[BestHBCU]

Very well done.

[honeegrrl]

Even though this was stereotypical, remember Lincoln Perry was portraying a character, Lincoln Perry was NOT Step n Fetch It.

[jxhensley]

7:36 yes Perry looks stereotypical and buffoonish

BUT

the real joke is on the whites, because even as a buffoon, Perry is in control of the situation, and the whites know it. You can see how they get angry because they can't control him. That's the genius of Stepin Fetchit, using stereotypes to take control.

[honeegrrl]

@jxhensley Very well said.

[Soulblackman]

@jxhensley The coon was in no control. He was a bumbling, scared, punked-out fool who had no power or control, whatsoever.

[bambizzoozled]

Very nice research. There is another interruption routine in the all-black-cast, Stormy Weather (1943). The math routine can be found in post-minstrel hillbilly humor, such as Ma & Pa Kettle.

What is that Miller and Lyles clip; Yes, Sir Mr. Bones?

[BestHBCU]

@bambizzoozled

Miller and Lyles wrote those routines and Miller wrote Stormy Weather. The Ma and Pa Kettle routine, like the white Amos 'n' Andy show, took their routines from Miller and Lyles, who had been performing those routines for years. I found out about it from Redd Foxx's book, The Redd Foxx Encyclopedia of black Humor.