This content is hosted here as close to it's original form as possible to act as educational research content so the program can be judged in full with it's content in context. If you would like to learn more about the racial stereotypes this show was based on consider visiting the web page for "The Jim Crow Museum"' for a in depth exploration of the culture of the time and how it affected people's lives. jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/index.htm
Wonderful evening entertainment. I remember this show at 7.30pm on Sunday nights TV in Australia after dinner at my Grandparents' home. Fantastic. Thank you so much for the efforts you put into bringing these wonderful memories flooding back. Thank You.
My late Grandfather used to watch the Black & White Minstrel show when I was a Nipper and then into my Primary School Years in Brisbane, Australia - it's good to revisit the episodes and the fond memories - G'Day from Brisbane, Australia.
Honestly, thanks for sharing this. I understand it was inspired by some form of music hall tradition and ran for long enough to prove it wasn’t some inappropriate outlier. This is what British entertainment looked like for some time. It’s important not to bury this stuff completely if we’re to understand how society has developed on the topic of race and racism. What’s puzzling to modern eyes, besides the obvious, is how unnecessary the “blacking up” is to the quality of the entertainment. If this kind of music is your thing, does blackface improve it in any way? It’s so ignorant of how black people might feel in a time when the face of Britain was already well on its way to becoming more diverse.
That soft toy clown brought back memories. I had one of those when I was a child. People didn’t seem to regard clowns as 😧 scary back then. I could have sworn clowns were popular, I still think they look too colourful and jolly to be regarded as sinister.
I remember watching this when I was nine and lying on my tummy with my hands seporting my head along side my mixed race cousin's at my aunties house alone with her English black husband in northern Ireland they never found it offensive my cousins wouldn't miss it and we had clown dolls ones that tumbled with a battery pack that plugged into one leg and propelled them selves along in simple plastic clown cars my youngest cousin had the black version of tippet tumbles with the same mechanism as the clowns as they were made by the same firm
It is interesting to see the Black and White Minstrels dressed as Victorian gentlemen. This reminds me of these modern day dramas where the population of Victorian England 🏴 is multi coloured. Surely Britain wasn’t multi racial until the wind rush generation.
Though historical records are incomplete that far back there is actually proof of black people being in England all the way back to the Tudor Era, John Blanke is the first such figure where an image of him survives from 1511 where he had a highly paid job as Royal Trumpeter for the king.
The clown 🤡 doll in the Toy Land 💃 dance routine reminded me of how one of those clown dolls could be seen on the old test card. A photograph was shown of a girl writing something on a blackboard, I think, and with her could be seen a soft toy of a 🤡 clown. I wouldn’t have imagined at the time anybody could think that looked sinister!
How can you sound so sure? Most of us would have difficulty remembering with clarity what happened, or didn’t, five decades ago. Just because you missed something doesn’t meant it wasn’t broadcast.
Times change, and change isn’t always to our liking. The doll/ toy of a clown reminded me how popular clowns were. Dolls of clowns were sold in toy shops and they weren’t like the sinister clowns 🤡 of today. Likewise, the Black and White Minstrels were regarded as quality entertainment. Nobody seemed to think they were poking fun at dark skinned people. Clown routines, like the Black and White Minstrels, were jolly and colourful.
Time Travel. I was 12. I remember finding it peculiar. And Benny Hill . And The Good Old Days Which Featured people dressed in Day-Glo Victorian Costumes. All a Bit odd. But i loved Up Pompei and Rising Damp. Thoroughly enjoyed Some Mothers Do Have em. And found Larry Grayson intriguing. I was more Wombles Clangers Monty Python Faulty Towers and If Allowed To stay up late Bouquet Of Barbed Wire. Happy Days. Actually Happy Days was good too.
These days a black Santa sounds politically correct, yet the politically correct brigade condemn shows like this. Black and White Minstrels fans should say this show was ahead of its time!😅😂
There was an episode from the late 70s where they did the finale without the make-up. I was amazed how young the men were. Somehow as a wee kid, I thought they'd all be older. Les Want still scared me without. I didn't know his name but called him scary minstrel cos he creeped me out! 😂😂😂😂 I hope they show that episode.
I don't understand. I thought actors in blackface usually acted in a way that perpetuated stereotypes about black people. But, that's not done here.. so what's the point of them even wearing the makeup.
What was the purpose of the blackface in 1973? None of this music is African-American music. All of this would have worked as a straight musical variety performance without the silly make-up. Colour me confused.
In 1968 they tried it without the makeup and the ratings dropped considerably. Ten years later the show was dropped entirely. But I often wondered if it could have been tried without the blackface a second time as audiences were most likely more diverse in 1978 than 1968?
I don't know much about Al Jolson, he was more my Dad's era, except he was preforming in the early 1900's, if I am not mistaken. A time when discrimination was an everyday occurrence for a large part of the population of America. So yes I would call what he did has part of his performance offensive because it was discrimination. I think it, more importantly, was & as always been found to be offensive & upsetting to the people it is supposedly portraying.
This content is hosted here as close to it's original form as possible to act as educational research content so the program can be judged in full with it's content in context. If you would like to learn more about the racial stereotypes this show was based on consider visiting the web page for "The Jim Crow Museum"' for a in depth exploration of the culture of the time and how it affected people's lives. jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/index.htm
It just shows how racist or naive people were, why mock a nation of people? It’s too embarrassing for me.
I feel so much better educated! 😂
Wonderful evening entertainment. I remember this show at 7.30pm on Sunday nights TV in Australia after dinner at my Grandparents' home. Fantastic. Thank you so much for the efforts you put into bringing these wonderful memories flooding back. Thank You.
My late Grandfather used to watch the Black & White Minstrel show when I was a Nipper and then into my Primary School Years in Brisbane, Australia - it's good to revisit the episodes and the fond memories - G'Day from Brisbane, Australia.
Netflix's new documentary on Victorian England . 😂
This was a better Christmas Special than the earlier one this year a couple months ago.
I thought at first this was an advert for Boots the chemist
Ha Ha Ha
Honestly, thanks for sharing this. I understand it was inspired by some form of music hall tradition and ran for long enough to prove it wasn’t some inappropriate outlier. This is what British entertainment looked like for some time. It’s important not to bury this stuff completely if we’re to understand how society has developed on the topic of race and racism.
What’s puzzling to modern eyes, besides the obvious, is how unnecessary the “blacking up” is to the quality of the entertainment. If this kind of music is your thing, does blackface improve it in any way? It’s so ignorant of how black people might feel in a time when the face of Britain was already well on its way to becoming more diverse.
At least they could sing, ❤
Good old days
Bring it back to prime time t.v!!
Absolute proof "they have been here all along"
Great singers and dancers
Black face 1970’s Christmas style ! 😄 🖐️ ✋ 🦯 🎩 🕺🏽 🎄
I remember watching this on tv black in the day
That soft toy clown brought back memories. I had one of those when I was a child. People didn’t seem to regard clowns as 😧 scary back then. I could have sworn clowns were popular, I still think they look too colourful and jolly to be regarded as sinister.
From the times when things were normal
Agree bless the wokeys now 😂
Like as if many black people didn't suffered at the hands of slavery and discrimination
To quote DJ Dave Nice, “Good, clean, family fun”!
It's not that clean all the men have got dirty faces😊
Boots chemist indeed Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I remember watching this when I was nine and lying on my tummy with my hands seporting my head along side my mixed race cousin's at my aunties house alone with her English black husband in northern Ireland they never found it offensive my cousins wouldn't miss it and we had clown dolls ones that tumbled with a battery pack that plugged into one leg and propelled them selves along in simple plastic clown cars my youngest cousin had the black version of tippet tumbles with the same mechanism as the clowns as they were made by the same firm
They even blacked up the kids!😂
During the 1960s, did a Petrol Firm use a Black and White Minstrel to advertise their Petrol and Stations.
I remember it well ...good family entertainment,,,far better than the CRAP on today ...
When the world laughed at itself and it was pure theatre nothing more 👍❤🇬🇧
It is interesting to see the Black and White Minstrels dressed as Victorian gentlemen. This reminds me of these modern day dramas where the population of Victorian England 🏴 is multi coloured. Surely Britain wasn’t multi racial until the wind rush generation.
Though historical records are incomplete that far back there is actually proof of black people being in England all the way back to the Tudor Era, John Blanke is the first such figure where an image of him survives from 1511 where he had a highly paid job as Royal Trumpeter for the king.
But they were in the dozens or hundreds. They were so rare that my Manchester grandmother used to make a wish if they saw one.
The clown 🤡 doll in the Toy Land 💃 dance routine reminded me of how one of those clown dolls could be seen on the old test card. A photograph was shown of a girl writing something on a blackboard, I think, and with her could be seen a soft toy of a 🤡 clown. I wouldn’t have imagined at the time anybody could think that looked sinister!
It was British!
These shows were never broadcast in 73 when I was a teenager
How can you sound so sure? Most of us would have difficulty remembering with clarity what happened, or didn’t, five decades ago. Just because you missed something doesn’t meant it wasn’t broadcast.
Times change, and change isn’t always to our liking. The doll/ toy of a clown reminded me how popular clowns were. Dolls of clowns were sold in toy shops and they weren’t like the sinister clowns 🤡 of today. Likewise, the Black and White Minstrels were regarded as quality entertainment. Nobody seemed to think they were poking fun at dark skinned people. Clown routines, like the Black and White Minstrels, were jolly and colourful.
Time Travel. I was 12. I remember finding it peculiar. And Benny Hill . And The Good Old Days Which Featured people dressed in Day-Glo Victorian Costumes. All a Bit odd. But i loved Up Pompei and Rising Damp. Thoroughly enjoyed Some Mothers Do Have em. And found Larry Grayson intriguing. I was more Wombles Clangers Monty Python Faulty Towers and If Allowed To stay up late Bouquet Of Barbed Wire. Happy Days. Actually Happy Days was good too.
when this was first shown it was my first xmas as i was born july 73 shame they dont do jolson songs as great Jolson fan .
HELLO DAVES...
Their his wives now 😂
they even have a black Santa!
These days a black Santa sounds politically correct, yet the politically correct brigade condemn shows like this. Black and White Minstrels fans should say this show was ahead of its time!😅😂
the monarchs were a good act
Bring it back with starmer and legs akimbo in it be brilliant 👏
Was this broad cast in the u.s or England?
UK BBC
@@trudiemundell74 BBC have 2 meanings now 😄
White Christmas I song.
They might have black face women too.
The black make up looks so crude. I always wondered what the singers looked like without it.
@@trudiemundell74 looked good with it, handsome
They looked good they were the same people 🎩👒🎩👒🎩👒🎩👒🎩👒
There was an episode from the late 70s where they did the finale without the make-up. I was amazed how young the men were. Somehow as a wee kid, I thought they'd all be older. Les Want still scared me without. I didn't know his name but called him scary minstrel cos he creeped me out! 😂😂😂😂 I hope they show that episode.
Crap today
American broad cast was not doing this!
Whoops
Not on TV anymore
I don't understand. I thought actors in blackface usually acted in a way that perpetuated stereotypes about black people. But, that's not done here.. so what's the point of them even wearing the makeup.
This would be popular in the United States with the people that voted for Trump.
What a ridiculous comment.
@@dtaylor939How true, President Trump's voter base was very diverse. But we shouldn't be overly hard on individuals who make such comments.
where are the black women performers?
@@michaelmcgee8543 black men white women black and white minstrels, and it was brilliant
What was the purpose of the blackface in 1973? None of this music is African-American music. All of this would have worked as a straight musical variety performance without the silly make-up. Colour me confused.
In 1968 they tried it without the makeup and the ratings dropped considerably. Ten years later the show was dropped entirely. But I often wondered if it could have been tried without the blackface a second time as audiences were most likely more diverse in 1978 than 1968?
Oh no they didn’t! No blackface.
What a terribly black show.
Still horrific
I wish I could say that I'm surprised that this aired as late as 1973, but I'm just not.
I disagree. It is way past the time that this stuff is buried. It is unnecessarily offensive. It was back then & it is now.
What utter nonsense
Would you care to elaborate on your comment? In what way is it utter nonsense ?
@Lord.two.a.penny. Al Jolson painted his face black a brilliant entertainer would you call that offensive
I don't know much about Al Jolson, he was more my Dad's era, except he was preforming in the early 1900's, if I am not mistaken. A time when discrimination was an everyday occurrence for a large part of the population of America. So yes I would call what he did has part of his performance offensive because it was discrimination. I think it, more importantly, was & as always been found to be offensive & upsetting to the people it is supposedly portraying.
@Lord.two.a.penny. Sammy Davis jnr a black man who was an American superstar said he loved Jolson he did not find it offensive well well