Definition

Noun: 1. A type of theatrical entertainment, popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring performers in blackface who performed comic skits, songs, and dances in a caricatured imitation of African Americans. 2. The troupe of performers itself that presents such a show.

Usage and Examples

• As a form of entertainment:
  • The minstrel show was a dominant form of American popular entertainment for nearly a century.
  • He wrote several songs for a traveling minstrel show.
• Referring to the performing troupe:
  • A famous minstrel show toured the country, performing in major cities.

Advanced Usage and Context

• The is now understood as a deeply racist art form that propagated harmful stereotypes. Modern usage of the term is almost exclusively historical, academic, or critical, analyzing its role in American culture and race relations.
• The structure of a typical included a three-part format: the opening "walkaround," a variety section of songs and skits, and a concluding one-act farce.

Variants and Related Words

• Minstrelsy (noun): The genre or practice of performing in minstrel shows; the body of songs, jokes, and skits associated with them.
• Blackface (noun): The practice of wearing dark makeup to caricature a Black person, central to the .

Synonyms

• Blackface comedy (historical term)
• Negro minstrelsy (historical term)

Important Note

• Due to its racist foundations and content, the is considered offensive. The performance style and its associated imagery are condemned. This entry is for historical and educational understanding only.

Noun

1. a variety show in which the performers are made up in blackface
2. a troupe of performers in blackface typically giving a comic program of negro songs and jokes