Spike Lee’s Bamboozled

1. Spike Lee’s Bamboozled Discussion Questions • What is the definition of the word bamboozled? How is it depicted in this film? • What do you believe the main message is in Spike Lee's movie Bamboozled (2000)? • What are some of the ways that Bamboozled explores black stereotypes? How are the stereotypes depicted on screen? What are some of the indications of this, such as naming, language, masks, icons and arts? • How does the film Bamboozled make use of the cultural past?What is the role of material objects of history? What role(s) do the "black collectibles", for example, play in the film? What are the other ways that the cultural past is invoked and used as part of the film's critical logic? Think about this, would you buy a racial collectible from an antique store today? • Are the racist commentaries presented in the film supposed to take on, in your opinion, a source of pain for the viewer or a source of healing? What do these messages try to invoke? • Why would Lee chose to use an African American to dress in "blackface" instead of the historical use of White Americans using "blackface" in minstrel shows to portray "Blacks"? What are his intentions in doing this? • Lee seems to make a clear statement critiquing the status of African Americans today in society throughout the film which poses important questions: Does mainstream acceptance of African American actors and entertainers depend on the stereotypical white definition of blackness? Must African American culture remain mired in images of promiscuity and criminality for white consumption? • General question: How did you feel while watching this movie? What was your reaction to film? Ms. Alexandria Martin Research Methodology