When you turn on your T.V., what do you see? Whether it’s
When you turn on your T.V., what do you see? Whether it’s BET, USA, TBS, or your local news channel, you’re faced with the same images of African-Americans. More than likely, a black man is being arrested, working as a professional athlete, or participating in multiple sexual relationships. In the popular sitcom, “The Game” , you’re likely to get all three stereotypes at once. Similarly, black women are often presented as drug addicts, single mothers, or desperate singles searching for a good man. Troubled by these stereotypes of black performers, playwright Young Jean Lee set out to write “The Shipment.”
The 90-minute play opens with a stand-up comedy act. The comedian’s references to a 7-year-old girl masturbating and ridiculing white audience members are comparable to Chris Rock’s or Dave Chapelle’s routine. The second part of the play follows the popular narrative of a young black boy, who plays basketball and aspires to be a rapper, but gets caught dealing drugs, and ends up in jail. After a series of variety acts (yes, the play is structured like a minstrel show), the final scene really takes the audience for a ride. Douglas Scott Streater is hosting a dinner party. As the few guests struggle to make conversation, the all-black cast starts to play a game called “Things Black People Do.” Crude jokes about black people are thrown around before one of the characters says, “I really don’t think we would be doing this if there were a black person in the room.”
The curtains close and the audience is left confused. Once they realize that these black actors are performing as white people, they are surprised. Some people are even frustrated. Young Jean Lee really messes with your mind — and uses comedy do it.
While I think Lee’s unique approach to fighting stereotypes helps with starting an open and honest discussion about race, racism, and stereotypes, many people can’t get pass one thing– Young Jean Lee is a Korean-American! Lee has written plays about Korean-American identity, but “The Shipment,” on the other hand, is undoubtedly a black play.
As a black twenty-year-old from Texas puts it, “What the hell does she know about African-American stereotypes?” Yes, we do have to take into consideration that this is coming from an “outsider’s perspective.” But it has to be known that Lee’s all-black cast is responsible for a lot of the play’s content. We have all seen, heard, and probably even said a few inappropriate chicken and watermelon jokes at one point or another. And we’ve definitely seen these stereotypes performed on television. So, why not on stage? At least Lee’s work is contesting these stereotypes through satire and not just reproducing them! What’s more important? Whether the person writing about black people is black themselves, or whether African-Americans are being portrayed in a positive light?
African-American stereotypes should be an issue for everyone. Young Jean Lee’s “The Shipment” proves that stereotyping of any race affects people of every ethnicity. As an Asian-American, Young Jean Lee is ahead of the game. While some people may think that being empathetic of your brothers and sisters of another color is good enough, with “The Shipment,” Lee shows that stereotyping of African-Americans affects her directly.
So, when talking about “The Shipment,” how important is Lee’s race? Especially since discrimination of any kind is a universal problem. With that said, Lee’s work should not be dismissed as “an outsider’s perspective.” We need to welcome different perspectives and approaches to African-American identity. The more people we have fighting for a positive presentation of African-Americans, the more progress we will make.