Burn Hollywood Burn by Public Enemy
There is another track on the album called "Burn Hollywood Burn," and it is all about the unfair roles given to Black actors and actresses.
This track states,
"As I walk the streets of Hollywood boulevard
thinin' how hard it was to those that starred
In the movies portrayin' the roles
Of butlers and maids slaves and hoes
Many intelligent black men seemed to look uncivilized
When on the screen
Like a guess I figure you to play some jigaboo
On the plantation, what else can a nigga do
And black women in this profession
As for playin' a lawyer, out of the question
For what they play aunt Jemima is the perfect term
Even if now she got a perm
So let's make our own movies like spike lee
Cause the roles being offered don't strike me
There's nothing that the black man could use to earn
Burn Hollywood burn."
Public Enemy was trying to state how bad it is that Black people are only portrayed as butlers, maids, slaves, and hoes in films at this time. He states that it makes intelligent people look uncivilized, and he is making a statement that Hollywood has taken intelligent Black actors and made them look unsophisticated. As for Black actresses, he states that a Black actress should forget about trying to get the role of a lawyer in a film, and should settle for an "Aunt Jemima" role. The song obviously states that White men and women get lead roles over Black men and women because of racism.
Through Public Enemy's lyrics one can see that they do not want anything to do with a gradual change, but they want a complete overturn. They do not want to wait a lifetime to be accepted and to be treated equally, but then again who would?
An interesting thing to note is the music video for the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6MlwT1lBk0. The film actually shows things like BlackFace, which was way before the song was written. Therefore, it is not a very up to date way to show Hollywood's discrimination against Black actors and actresses, but the lyrics do.
This track states,
"As I walk the streets of Hollywood boulevard
thinin' how hard it was to those that starred
In the movies portrayin' the roles
Of butlers and maids slaves and hoes
Many intelligent black men seemed to look uncivilized
When on the screen
Like a guess I figure you to play some jigaboo
On the plantation, what else can a nigga do
And black women in this profession
As for playin' a lawyer, out of the question
For what they play aunt Jemima is the perfect term
Even if now she got a perm
So let's make our own movies like spike lee
Cause the roles being offered don't strike me
There's nothing that the black man could use to earn
Burn Hollywood burn."
Public Enemy was trying to state how bad it is that Black people are only portrayed as butlers, maids, slaves, and hoes in films at this time. He states that it makes intelligent people look uncivilized, and he is making a statement that Hollywood has taken intelligent Black actors and made them look unsophisticated. As for Black actresses, he states that a Black actress should forget about trying to get the role of a lawyer in a film, and should settle for an "Aunt Jemima" role. The song obviously states that White men and women get lead roles over Black men and women because of racism.
Through Public Enemy's lyrics one can see that they do not want anything to do with a gradual change, but they want a complete overturn. They do not want to wait a lifetime to be accepted and to be treated equally, but then again who would?
An interesting thing to note is the music video for the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6MlwT1lBk0. The film actually shows things like BlackFace, which was way before the song was written. Therefore, it is not a very up to date way to show Hollywood's discrimination against Black actors and actresses, but the lyrics do.
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