Of Shithouse and Blackface

Julie's recent "editorial" on FACEBOOK addressed "offensive" words and concepts.

She said she was not offended when described as "built like a brick shithouse."

It was intended as a compliment.

She then theorized on the motives behind the Governor of Virginia's use of "blackface," including darkening up to enter a contest as Michael Jackson.

We'll probably never know what was behind the governor's infamous yearbook picture: someone in minstrel black standing next to a Klansman. The governor denies it was him. Hopefully it was intended to point out that the KKK should not be targeting black people, and instead posing together as one.

We do know that the governor of Virginia has not been "racist" in appointing blacks or in allocating funds to black causes. His black classmates in college say he treated everyone the same. (This is similar to Al Jolson, who was known for defending blacks when they were denied entry to a restaurant or subject to any kind of slur. Jolson, who started with blackface because he needed a "mask" in order to have confidence, never sang demeaning songs or made racial jokes. He sang "Mammy" and "Old Black Joe" with tearful sincerity.)

Julie's point is how far do we take "being offended?" To the point of forcing people to resign their jobs?

"Shithouse" just on profanity alone could offend some people. Some feminists might resent the term.

But if Julie and many others aren't offended, should the term be avoided now, and worse, censored in any book or movie made years ago?

"Blackface" as well as "Yellowface" has led to the virtual banning of everything from "The Jolson Story" to old Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto movies. Al Jolson, Sidney Toler and Peter Lorre would all be surprised to be considered "racists."

While there were certainly offensive joke books, 78's and vaudeville acts, most ethnic humor was not motivated by hate. Chico Marx wasn't trying to demean Italians. Radio stars Bert Gordon "The Mad Russian" and Minerva Pious, aka "Mrs Nussbaum" and Kenny Delmar as "Senator Claghorn" found that "funny" accents got laughs. Nothing was mean-spirited about it. Laurel and Hardy got laughs for the contrast of fat and skinny. As Art Linkletter used to say, "People are Funny."

78rpm records had plenty of "ethnic" and dialect humor making fun of anyone un-assimilated, and talking funny. "Cohen on the Phone" was a huge seller. It was stereotypical but not intended to incite hatred. There was Dutch dialect (Weber and Fields) and Irish and German comedy, too. My book,"Comedy Stars at 78rpm" was a study of what was funny then (and how a surprising amount of that old stuff is still pretty funny even now).

One of the most successful comedians of the day was Bert Williams. He was black, but light-skinned. He "corked up" for the stage. Ziegfeld made him a stage star, and he rivaled the era's other Ziegfeld headliners Eddie Cantor and W.C. Fields. Talking about racism, Bert once said to Cantor, "Eddie, it wouldn't be so bad if I didn't still hear the applause in my ears." Bert wasn't talking about racism from the audience. The audience loved him. The racism was in being denied the same hotels as white performers. What happened off-stage to black people was more racist than "blackface" on stage.

Today the cry is "no blackface," because blacks were oppressed by slavery Southern states. There isn't a similar cry against "redface." The Washington Redskins haven't changed their name, and in this case, it wasn't slavery in the South, it was an entire people swept off their land, North and South, and confined to a few desolate reservations. Nobody is too offended by anti-Semitic humor even though 8 million Jews were killed in the 1940's and today, an Orthodox Jew is going to be targeted for his appearance. Around the world, Jews remain the most persecuted minority on the planet and their homeland is regularly threatened with obliteration and sanctions.

It comes down to intent. If it's "just for laughs," maybe "let it be."

It can be a complicated issue, though. Kenan Thompson on "Saturday Night Live" last week, appeared in a sketch in which he told a group of people that blackface was "NOT ALL RIGHT," referring to Halloween "COSTUMES." If whites are dressing up to ridicule blacks, no that's not funny. But if it's their fantasy, and they're trying to be realistic, is it ok? What about a male dressing up as female, and vice versa? Are "drag queens" to be banned because they are obviously caricaturing women? What about "drag kings," women who try to be "butch" and put on false beards?

Today's PC craze has led to Scarlet Johansson withdrawing from a film role as a transgender. She's an actress...but she's NOT a good enough actress to play a transgender? The role must go to one? Billy Crystal used to imitate Muhammad Ali — in fact, he got his big break by doing it at an Ali tribute when Billy was just a newcomer stand-up comic. Was that wrong? Or Billy later doing sketches as Sammy Davis Jr., out of admiration and not hate?

If "PC" thinking was around some years ago, Julie Newmar would have not been cast in "MacKenna's Gold" or "F-Troop." She played Indians. In "MacKenna's Gold" she was made-up to have darker skin than her own.

Was Julie "racist" when she played Hesh-ke in "Mackenna's Gold?" Of course not. Was that role implying that all Apache women are murderous? No.

Would she have won a Tony Award? Maybe not. In "Marriage-go-Round" she played a Swede. Julie was born in California, and has no Swedish accent. Today, the role would go to a Swedish woman. Or maybe a black actress in whiteface. (Remember the Wayans Brothers in the ovie "White Chicks" which nobody wants banned?) Reverse racial profiling is all right...people applauded when a black woman played Joan of Arc on the Broadway stage, and when non-whites played founding fathers in "Hamilton." It was even declared "understandable" and "just" when white actors were told not to show up and expect to be cast in that show.

It gets confusing. Megyn Kelly was fired for even asking if "blackface" was so bad on Halloween. She was racist? No, she was wondering if a little white kid could wear a Black Panther super hero outfit or an Obama plastic mask. If dressing up as an Indian was wrong. If wearing the Michael Jackson white glove and spangled outfit was wrong.

Years ago, in a letter Julie sent me, she wrote "morality is how you behave toward people." The Governor of Virginia, today, has not been racist. Al Jolson was not racist. George Jessel (who also wore blackface on stage in the vaudeville days) once walked Lena Horne into a restricted club. When blocked at the door and asked who had reserved a table, Jessel said, "Abraham Lincoln."

We do not want "blackface" now, but perhaps under special circumstances, we would. If "Black Like Me" was remade, would a white man be hired to play Griffin, the white man who darkened his skin? Maybe not. It's possible that movie could be banned in today's climate. (But not "Watermelon Man," in which Godfrey Cambridge was in "whiteface."

What about "womanface?" Drag is all about effeminacy, not femininity. How many women are offended by males in garish make-up prancing around with stereotypical falsies and padded hips, cartooning sexuality? Isn't "drag" a bit different in tone from what Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis did in "Some Like it Hot," or what Charles Pierce did in impersonating famous actresses? Things can get complicated. Transvestites are now allowed in the ladies room. Does it matter how good their "drag" is?

Genya Ravan, a brilliant R&B singer, was acknowledged, as Dusty Springfield was, as Janis Joplin was, as someone who sang soulfully. And yet when she met Etta James, Etta sourly grunted, "How DARE you sing black?" Really? Should Maria Callas have said to Leontyne Price, "How DARE you sing Italian opera?"

Dick Gregory's catch-phrase was: "We all have problems."

A problem is whether to constantly point the finger, declare our suffering greater than somebody else's, and to also insist that what WE find offensive must always be banished from everyone's view.