Thoughts on the bus

I enjoyed the White Like Me skit.

Naturally, some thoughts and questions popped into my head while I was watching.  Eddie Murphy begins by saying that a lot of people talk about racial prejudice, and he moves on.  At the same time, he also says that talk is cheap.  On the real, what is racial prejudice?  When Mr. White goes to the bank, the two bankers pronounce “White” differently.  Is this a form of racial prejudice “against” someone perceived to be of the same race, or just a regional difference?

Mr. White doesn’t seem too confident when he first tries to consciously “pass” in this new world.  On the bus, Mr. White thinks/says there is only one “other” black person on the bus.  Was he correct?  Eddie Murphy says that some people think there are two americas in this world.  But without the number, what’s left is america right?

On another note, there was a laugh track added to the video.   Does this detracts from the experience as a whole?  If one viewed this skit as it was truly filmed (without laugh/commentary), does the performance move from less comedic, to more realistic.  Consider the scene where Mr. White enters the store to buy a newspaper.  At the point where the cashier urges Mr. White to take the newspaper for free, the laugh track or commentary would “mask” the tension or awkwardness there.  But how well?  The silence in that particular scene goes on for a long time.

Finally, as Eddie Murphy makes his concluding arguments, the classic patriotic music can be heard playing in the background.  Whats going down with that?

For consideration,

http://www.hulu.com/watch/10387/saturday-night-live-tommy-in-jail