Stereotypes on Radio 1337

stereotypes on radio 1337 Stereotypes on Radio As with any other mass medium, early radio broadcasts made both programs featuring orchestras. Moreover, The Goldbergs use of (some more recent critics might say “suffered”) stereo- also used heavy dialects and distinct accents, which had been types in dramatic and other programming. Often, the use of part of the vaudeville and minstrel traditions. clichés simplified groups by labeling them as “other” (that is, Vaudeville programs that made heavy use of African-Ameri- outside the mainstream of society) and emphasizing differences can stereotypes were also heard during the early years of radio. between outsiders and the core society. Such reductive por- For example, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) net- traits may not have promoted universal brotherhood, but they work broadcast a show featuring George Moran and Charlie aided radio show popularity by relaxing audiences so that they Mack, cast as “The Two Black Crows,” during the network’s would continue to listen and to buy the sponsor’s products. Majestic Theater Hour. New York radio station WEAF broad- The focus here will be primarily on American radio’s cast the Gold Dust Twins on Tuesday nights, another show that “Golden Age” (to about 1948) with its greater variety of pro- featured stereotypes of African Americans (played by two white grams and stereotypes, with a few comments about radio in men, Harvey Hindermeyer and Earl Tuckerman) in 1924. the years since that time. That there is less stereotyping today Variety show formats often featured minstrel routines dur- is clearly owing to the stronger sense of political and social ing the 1920s. Dutch Masters Minstrels, for example, was first correctness now pervasive in society. broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in 1929. Moreover, daytime serials also featured caricatured ste- Precedents reotypes of African Americans. For instance, in 1929, NBC broadcast a serial based upon the Aunt Jemima trademark of The minstrel tradition began in the 1840s and produced two the Quaker Oats Company, the show’s sponsor. The focus of enduring stereotypes of African Americans: “Zip Coon” and the program was the Aunt Jemima character and her family. “Jim Crow.” The Zip Coon character was depicted as an indi- All members of her family spoke with the heavy black dialect vidual who wore loud-colored clothes, used language inappro- often heard in minstrel shows. (Significantly, and as was usual priately (malapropisms), and exhibited an air of self- in this period, white actors played the parts of each character importance. The Jim Crow character, on the other hand, was in this show.) Not to be outdone, the Cream of Wheat Com- mentally slow and exhibited features that Caucasians associ- pany sponsored a program based upon its trademark African- ated with African-American field hands: speaking slowly and American chef, Rastus. It featured musical selections per- moving sluggishly, with thoughts that seemed to match both formed by Rastus’ imaginary animal friends and minstrel-type speech and movement. In addition to these two enduring ste- introductions to each song. reotypes, other representations of African Americans included Sam ’n’ Henry, created by Charles Correll and Freeman the trusted servant and maid. Thus, from the days of min- Gosden, made its radio debut on WGN, Chicago, in 1926. The strelsy there were also such figures as Uncle Tom or Uncle program was based upon the minstrel tradition. Although this Remus, Aunt Jemima or Mandy the maid, Preacher Brown and program never made network radio distribution, it served as Deacon Jones, Rastus and Sambo and the old Mammy.” These the basis for Amos ’n’ Andy which made its debut on 19 stereotypes persisted throughout the 19th century, became part March 1928 on Chicago’s WMAQ. The program changed sta- of vaudeville, and later were transferred to radio. tions and name because WGN refused Correll and Gosden a Most Americans accepted these stereotypes as a real depic- salary increase; as WGN owned the program/character names, tion of African Americans; they were, for the most part, a new name had to be chosen. Radio network NBC picked up unquestioned. Their comical nature became a defining feature the Amos ’n’ Andy program a year later. As a network pro- of all of such stereotypes. They made Americans laugh and gram, it soon became immensely popular—even among could be easily laughed at. Hence, racial stereotypes of African blacks—because it drew upon the minstrel tradition, made use Americans served the interest of the status quo by articulating of vaudeville ethnic humor, and offered sympathetic characters how African Americans would interact with white society, pri- with whom the audience could identify. marily as comedians and servants. Stereotypes of Foreigners, Women, and Children Stereotypes in Early Radio Stereotypes of foreigners, women, and children appeared on Early radio often used stereotypes of other ethnic groups in dramatic, adventure, and comedy programs throughout radio’s addition to its portrayal of African Americans. For example, Golden Age. Scripts pictured foreigners, women, and children as there were the Cliquot Club Eskimos and the A&P Gypsies, predictable creatures who would not cause anxiety in listeners. 1338 stereotypes on radio Foreigners assisted on Island Venture, and Botak backed up Green Lan- tern. Asians often had simple two-syllable names such as Kato Historically, the number of immigrants to the United States on The Green Hornet and Toku on The Green Lama. between 1925 and 1950 barely equaled the number who Other linguistic clichés set Orientals apart from Caucasians. entered in one important year—1907. Yet on radio, heavy Gooey Fooey, laundryman on Fibber McGee, gibbered in a accents and “ethnic” behavior routinely identified a large num- manic singsong; Fred Allen’s bumbling sleuth One Long Pan ber of recent arrivals, nearly all of whose characters agreed to threatened crooks with his “lewoloweh.” However, radio play by American rules. Radio boiled down the enormous Rus- soothed listeners by implying that the ancient empires were sian empire into Bert Gordon, the Mad Russian of Eddie Can- eager to adopt Western ways. From 1938 to 1940, This Day Is tor, or Professor Kropotkin of My Friend Irma; all of Mexico’s Ours told how a dead missionary’s daughter carried on his richness was diminished into Pedro, Judy Canova’s pal. On noble religious work, meeting small frustrations with grace Life with Luigi, Luigi Basco told his “Mama mia” in Naples because she had so much support from her adoring Chinese about America with the terminal vowels that placed him as proselytes. The VJ episode of The Charlotte Greenwood Show one fresh from Ellis Island. Typically, he affirmed the values of (26 August 1945) featured the Chinese refugee Mrs. Lee who his native-born listeners by studying English in night school, spoke, as the stage directions say, “definitely Oxford.” avoiding an old-world arranged marriage with Pasquale’s Irish characters used more recognizable words but daughter Rosa, and singing the ditty, “A-may-ree-kah, I love-a expressed equally simplified personalities. Many real-life Irish- you, you like a papa to me.” At least two other shows dealt men had become police officers, so Mike Clancy aided Mr. more cautiously with Italian material: Little Italy and The Keen; Harrington helped Mr. District Attorney; Sergeant Velie Great Merlini. supported Ellery Queen; Mullins abetted Mr. and Mrs. North; Similarly, Englishmen, supposed masters of snobbishness, Sergeant O’Hara facilitated The Fat Man; and Happy were neutered into stuffy blimps (Harry McNaughton, It Pays McMann backed up Martin Kane, Private Detective. These to be Ignorant; Count Benchley Botsford, Judy Canova); cool, Irish helpers loyally appreciated their more nimble-witted work-obsessed police officials (Scotland Yard’s Inspector superiors. Such public servants softened a second Irish cliché, Burke; Hearthstone of the Death Squad); or valets (It’s Hig- that of the bibulous blowhard. Best exemplified by Molly gins, Sir). Even titled gentlemen were domesticated: Lord Bilge- McGee’s Uncle Dennis, this stereotype presented the Irish as water couldn’t compete with Al Pearce, and Lord Henry ever thirsty and gregarious. Duffy’s Tavern seemed the logical Brinthrope catered to Our Gal Sunday. Untitled Britons such gathering place for them. as Nicholas Lacey gratefully fit into One Man’s Family. Jewish roles on radio exuded sentimentality. The Goldbergs French characters, too, lost touch with authentic identity. led this saccharine parade, followed by Izzy Finklestein, the Jack Benny’s violin teacher, Professor Le Blanc, suffered every helpful foil on Kaltenmeyer’s Kindergarten. Some characters, time Jack produced a tortured “Love in Bloom” from his such as Papa David Solomon on Life Can Be Beautiful, strings yet stayed because he’d still not been paid. He satisfied became earth oracles in the pattern of Molly Berg. Others, some comfortable expectation in the audience about starveling such as the Levys of Abie’s Irish Rose, radiated warm humor. bohemians. Alan Young once disguised himself as “Pierre Similarly, another Finklestein on Houseboat Hannah and The Eclair, decorator” in order to escape the rough treatment a real House of Glass series projected exuberant geniality. Mr. Kitzel, man might have expected at the hands of his girl’s irked father. one of Al Pearce and His Gang, and his namesake on Jack The supposed French connection to romance justified the char- Benny—the one who offered hotdogs having a “pickle in the acter of Mademoiselle Fifi, the sultry flirt on Eddie Cantor. middle, with the mustard on top”—glowed with the same Similarly, a heavily-accented French teacher at Madison High lower-East-Side conviviality that made Pansy Nussbaum on School generated excitement in Our Miss Brooks. Fred Allen so endearing. The same Americans who slammed their geographic doors Black characters best demonstrate how small a cookie cut- to genuine foreigners admitted through radio a surprising ter radio used to extract innocuous material from a complex number of often vilified groups, especially Asian, Irish, Jewish, culture.

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