Bamboozled: Satirical Takes on Black Art and Entertainment

Black writers and directors like Spike Lee, Robert Townsend, Rusty Cundieff, and Percival Everett (via Cord Jefferson) have used satire to make nuanced statements on the Black experience in the art and entertainment industries.  In this class, we’ll use work from these creators to talk about how satire is used as a tool to comment on oppression, commodification, underrepresentation, and artistic and moral integrity.  

Expect some hilarity, some discomfort, and a lot of layers to the stories being told. Come ready to make connections between the on-screen portrayals and the real-world people and situations being referenced. 

Films:

9/2: HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE (1987, 81 min)

9/9: BAMBOOZLED (2000, 135 min)

9/16: FEAR OF A BLACK HAT (1993, 89 min)

9/23: AMERICAN FICTION (2023, 117 min)

This class will be taught by MMU Education Instructor MJ Jackson, who recently taught classes on THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975), GET OUT (2017), and POSSESSOR (2020).

Each class will begin with a short lecture, followed by a screening of the film, after which an instructor-led discussion will take place.

Class size will be limited to 18.

Questions? Email us at education@moviemadness.org