tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-474883570056801679.post1960177298807697756..comments2024-03-28T14:49:11.638-04:00Comments on Jeff Rapsis / Silent Film Music: Thoughts on Martin Luther King, Jr., racism, and Buster Keaton's silent film 'The General'Jeff Rapsishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17644170925769760796noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-474883570056801679.post-35128185764251455202020-08-12T01:22:59.463-04:002020-08-12T01:22:59.463-04:00Adding to your notes about the "black woman g...Adding to your notes about the "black woman gag" of the 'Seven Chances', as I researched, I found that in many states, and in the US in general, interracial marriage was ILLEGAL until 1967!!! and that's a real turning point for those recent viewers who dismiss the film and in general, Buster Keaton, on the account of that scene, which truly is just a misunderstanding of the viewers: the guy in the movie has to lawfully marry a girl by 7:00 PM of his 26th birthday, so when he's desperately looking for a girl to marry on the streets and social clubs, ILLEGAL marriage is the last thing he wants! Hence, there is that reaction of his after seeing the black lady, which the audience at that time, and sadly for more than four decades after that, had definitely understood.Erfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06146484341212100442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-474883570056801679.post-29489212209062006812020-08-07T16:22:16.506-04:002020-08-07T16:22:16.506-04:00Thanks for the thought. I think you're putting...Thanks for the thought. I think you're putting words in my mouth. It's racism by our standards, and I call it as such: "So I take heart in the ability of at least one group of middle schoolers to recognize racism, but also demonstrate some understanding of context in which it took place."Jeff Rapsishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17644170925769760796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-474883570056801679.post-3739319824759414612020-07-01T00:47:17.733-04:002020-07-01T00:47:17.733-04:00You say he's just riffing off of "a commo...You say he's just riffing off of "a common institution of the time" and therefore it isn't racism. But wasn't racism a common institution of the time? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com