From LIFE Magazine, June 19, 1939

  • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Why?

    Even if we write off the blackface as “it was a different time”, it contributes nothing to the story. Putting cousin Zeke in ANY other costume, with or without blackface doesn’t change the ad at all.

    So strange why they choose this as the final print.

    • GraniteM@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 days ago

      There’s a certain mentality, a little less common now but all over the place in old media, where the very existence of a particular group was the entire joke. Just, “Hey! What if a guy in black face! HAHAHA!”