Between her recent profanity-laced public remarks, “Governor Hot Wheels” quip, and admission that she isn’t interested in legislating, it’s clear that Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is focused on being a full-time congressional content creator. Crockett is by far the most visible Democrat among the anti-Trump “resistance.” But her role in politics today seems far more reminiscent of the 1987 film “Hollywood Shuffle” than the hit Netflix series “House of Cards.”
The satirical comedy starring Robert Townsend follows an aspiring actor, Bobby Taylor, who begins to feel conflicted because the roles reserved for black performers are tied to racial stereotypes. Taylor and his fellow actors grow frustrated with being cast as slaves, pimps, prostitutes, and drug dealers. Their frustrations are exacerbated by white movie executives who let them know they aren’t “black enough” for the roles they seek.
To many black commentators, Jasmine Crockett is the embodiment of all the worst stereotypes people believe about black women.
Bobby lands the lead role in “Jivetime Jimmy’s Revenge,”playing a “jive-talking” gangster,but he quits after the director tells him he needs “a little more black” in his lines. The film ends with Bobby — dignity intact — taping a public service announcement for the U.S. Postal Service. One of his final lines is, “I have the respect and admiration of the entire community, and that makes me proud.”
Playing into stereotypes
“Hollywood Shuffle” was critical of an entertainment culture that pigeonholed black performers. It also showed that desperate actors were often willing to take these roles, regardless of the damage it did to their self-esteem or the public image of the black community.
My sense is that Jasmine Crockett is caught in a similar identity trap. Her behavior is frequently labeled “ghetto” and “ratchet” by her conservative detractors, but she is the daughter of a pastor and attended private schools her entire life. To many black commentators, Crockett is the embodiment of all the worst stereotypes people believe about black women. A viral video of her speaking about running for Congress a few years ago, however, sounds more valley girl than “city girl.”
Today, the representative is playing an entirely different character. She curses frequently, even in congressional hearings. Her fake hair and fluffy, fake eyelashes are outward representations of the inauthentic “sistergirl” vernacular she often employs in the social media videos she posts.
Progressive commentators frequently criticized Trump-loving sisters Diamond and Silk for their over-the-top appearance and rhetorical style, but Crockett is no less of a walking stereotype. The difference is that her brand of crassness and vulgarity is exactly what Democrats want from their members at this moment.
The left seems to have trouble with black politicians who grew up in the suburbs and speak the Queen’s English. Leftists took a young Justin Pearson and transformed him from a clean-cut Bowdoin graduate to a man playing the role of an Afroed civil rights preacher. That is not surprising. The left loves black men who are — or act like — gangsters and dope dealers if they’re in the entertainment industry. Black men seeking political office must be dutiful social justice activists, who wouldn’t dare offend the party’s feminist and LGBTQ base.
The ‘sophista-ratchet’ act
As we see with Crockett, the “sophista-ratchet” schtick that repels conservatives has only made her more popular among liberals. The only question is how long she can keep up this act and how far she will go to create a spectacle in Congress.
In “Hollywood Shuffle,” the main character has a dream where he is being boycotted by the local NAACP. The civil rights leader, played by the late Paul Mooney, said the organization needed to make an example of Bobby Taylor to dissuade others from accepting stereotypical roles. In his words, “They’ll never play the Rambos until they stop playing the Sambos.”
Something similar needs to happen to Jasmine Crockett and every other politician who thinks the purpose of his or her office is self-promotion and brand-building. Voters can send that message, and they should use their voices to demand candidates who represent their values and interests.
Crockett said her district is one of the most densely populated black districts in the country, but she also said her voters skew older and more conservative. I doubt elders who grew up in an era where people carried themselves with dignity approve of her behavior. They may get a temporary thrill from seeing someone troll Trump, but people generally vote for candidates who want to be leaders, not just play them on television.
It’s bad enough having to deal with bad actors pushing stereotypes in Hollywood. There’s no need to have them in Washington, too.
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