![]() Department stores regularly played the program over their loudspeakers. People from all walks of life were enthusiastic fans of the show, including presidents Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) and Herbert Hoover (1874–1964). Andrew "Hog" Brown was a lazy, shiftless, dim-witted schemer.ĭuring its peak, Amos 'n' Andy claimed some forty million listeners-one third of the nation. Amos was the honest, humble, and intelligent owner of the Fresh-Air Taxicab Company. Like Sam and Henry, Amos and Andy were two poor blacks who had left the South for a better life in the North. On March 19, 1928, they premiered Amos 'n' Andy on Chicago's WMAQ. ![]() Although the series was a popular success, Gosden and Correll left WGN after a contract dispute in 1927. Gosden and Correll performed the characters themselves by employing an exaggerated black dialect. The program, titled Sam 'n' Henry, centered on Sam Smith and Henry Johnson, two poor blacks who migrated from Birmingham, Alabama, to Chicago to seek their fortunes. By 1925, the pair had moved to Chicago, Illinois, and were producing a radio show on WGN. They met in 1919 while working for an entertainment company that offered its services to amateur and local theatrical groups. Gosden and Correll were both white performers with roots in the Confederate South. The show also constitutes a prime example of the limited opportunities faced by black entertainers during the first half of the twentieth century. Amos 'n' Andy is now most remembered for perpetuating the stereotypes of black minstrelsy (traveling entertainment). Complaints about its content eventually led to the cancellation of the radio series and the removal of the TV show from syndication. Although the show was extremely popular, many African American groups, led by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), charged that the characters were racist caricatures and demeaning to the black community. (see entry under 1940s-TV and Radio in volume 3) program from 1950 to 1953. The characters later appeared on their own television Created by white performers Charles Correll (1890–1972) and Freeman Gosden (1899–1982), the series revolved around the comedic misadventures of two black characters-Amos Jones and Andrew H. ![]() The series, which ran on radio (see entry under 1920s-TV and Radio in volume 2) in several formats from 1928 to 1960, is perhaps the most popular radio series of all time. The critics of "Amos n' Andy" would do better to take a shot at recently made crime movies set in the ghettos of today, which contain some of the most evil and offensive racial stereotypes ever put on screen.In the history of American popular culture, no program was both as popular and controversial as the Amos 'n' Andy show. Hostile music critics have voiced similar complaints that much of blues and folk music is politically incorrect, that it demeans a race of people by creating "primitive stereotypes." In both cases, I find the criticisms offensive because vaudeville style comedy and blues singing are arguably among the greatest contributions America has made to world culture. Or perhaps they are irrationally blaming the makers of "Amos 'n Andy" for the fact that black actors have never gotten enough serious roles from Hollywood. Maybe the problem is that "politically correct" critics object to low comedy of any kind. The characters from the show are no more racial stereotypes than any of the other popular characters of low comedy on TV, such as Lou Costello, Baciagalupe, Ralph Cramden, Stan Laurel, Private Doberman, Uncle Tonoose, Gomer Pyle, and a host of others. As a true friend, I have to resent the harsh accusation that "Amos 'n Andy" created dangerous racial stereotypes. The actors were so warm to the audience, watching the show was almost like having a personal relationship with them. When this show was attacked for being politically incorrect, I had a visceral reaction of anger, as I used to love it when I was a kid. ![]()
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