'And he shall be called woman': behind the mask of selected black male actors cross-dressing in entertainment, 2009
Page, Jennifer Renee'
2000-2009
This research explored Dunbars concept of the mask in order to examine why select black male actors, Flip Wilson (as Geraldine), Eddie Murphy (as Rasputia), Martin Lawrence (as Sheneneh), and Tyler Perry (as Madea), have worn the mask of femininity to survive the vicissitudes of the American stage. It explained what factors compelled these selected black male actors to mask their appearance and why the outward signs of femininity are used as vehicles of communication in their artistic expression. The methodology involved a visual deconstruction of media utilizing literary texts as the instrument to analyze the movies and television shows of these actors, and the research centered on the theories of W. E. B. Du Bois notions of the veil and double consciousness, Stephen Greenblatts idea of self-fashioning and self cancellation, and Franz Fanons views on language found in the book Black Skin White Masks. While wearing the mask, Wilson, Murphy, Lawrence, and Perry challenge societys notion of black manhood, the limitation of the black mans freedom of speech, and the role of black women in their plight for an uninhibited existence. These actors also tackle crucial matters, namely black female sexuality, classism, obesity, and the black family. These actors achieve their objective and combat the gaze of both black and white America by self-fashioning and self-canceling their identities at will.
text
application/pdf
2009-12-01
thesis
Master of Arts (MA)
Clark Atlanta University
School of Arts and Sciences, African-American Studies
Black, Daniel Twining, Mary Bradley, Josephine B.
Georgia--Atlanta
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:2009_page_jennifer_r
