Examining Race and Gender Dynamics in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles

As for Mel Brook's film Blazing Saddles it stands out for it's racial, and gender aspect of the film. Which then caused people to realize is Mel Brooks trying to make everyone laugh or have a message throughout the film? Well the film is racially satire in many ways. As you do watch the film you will realize how it has many racial scenes. For example, the scene when Mr. Taggart and his fellow friend show up to the railroad tracks, where Bart and Jim go to visit Bart's friends.

Mr.Taggart starts stating how could Bart be sheriff if he's black. He then states 'here we take the good time and trouble to slaughter every last Indian in the West, and for what? So they can appoint a sheriff that's blacker than any Indian. I am depressed.' This scene is showing slander towards both Indian and African-American race. Taggart who is a white male is basically stating, what's the point of having a new sheriff if he is going to be black.

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I believe the message of this scene is trying to state that black men are not capable of having a job that's higher than working below white men, who think they're superior to black men.

Another scene which also shows racism is the beginning part of the film. As the film starts we see how the African-American men are working on the railroad tracks. As well as a Chinese man, but he ends up fainting on the job and the white male state's 'Dock that Chink a day's pay for nappin' on the job.

' Then the African-American men carry him out of the way. This could show that Chinese men are seen to be weak and can't handle hard work like the African-American men can because they are used to the hard work and labor they were put through, thus the reason he fainted. As well as the same part of that scene the white men make the African-American men sing a song because that is what slaves did back then to occupy themselves from the work that had to be done. Therefore the African-American men start singing a song which is quite sophisticated and is actually sang from Frank Sinatra. Then the white man states 'what the hell is that shit?' saying that the song was basically no good. And to him, it wasn't a real song. As for the white men who start singing Camptown races, by Stephen Foster the men starting dancing and jumping around while singing along. Which then they make themselves look like fools compared to the African-American men who are making fun of the white men dancing around.

Another very interesting part of the film was when Lili Von Shupt, who is a German woman as well as a showgirl who tries to seduce Bart to stay with her. As they become alone in the room she is confident to make Bart fall in love with her basically. Before I get into that aspect of the film the reason Lili Von Shupt was told to do this by Hedley Lamar because he thought that Lili was capable of making any man fall for her. I'm sure it is because she is a showgirl and well because she is a woman. Now, to the race part of this scene when the are in the room she asks him 'it is true what they say, about the way you people are gifted? Oh, it's true, it's true, it's true. Now to me this is a stereotypical race joke about black men. African-American men have been shown to have bigger private parts compared to other races.' Lili Von Shupt, then states it's true, which is probably to just exaggerate the fact of Bart's private part. As for Lili's part since she is a German, white girl she is shown to have the privilege to seduce Bart. Mel Brook's may have added this scene to show both races that it is a racial way to make comedy out of a sex scene.

Now, onto the next scene of Mel Brook's film relating to race when the old lady tells Bart 'up yours n****r!' It is definitely towards his race. She is also standing above him and looks down on him as if he is nothing. As we do look at the scene we tend to notice that she is a racist white lady. It may also be because she is older and is used to how African-American people were used to be slaves during her time, even in the movie that is how they are portrayed as. She may have not been used to seeing a black man as her sheriff, and that is why she may have said what she said. As for the other scene that has the old lady in it, she states 'Sorry about the "Up yours, n****r." I hope this apple pie will in some small way say thank you for your ingenuity and courage in defeating that horrible Mongo.' The old lady tries to apologize with a pie for her racist remark. Therefore you can tell that she ends up grateful for having a sheriff even if he is a black one.

Another scene about race involves Lili Von Schupt who is the German showgirl. Towards the ending part of the movie she is involved for a quick second she is seen with the German soldiers. Although at first, this scene didn't seem like much to me but I'm sure there is a message behind it. She is seen singing to the German soldiers to distract them from what is really happening. Instead of using any other typical women they put her there because she is German. Not only that, since she is a woman she is showing that she is capable to have power over the soldiers because, one she is singing to them, and well two because she is a beautiful woman. The men seem so mesmerized by her singing that all they are doing is sitting down and singing along. And since they soldiers and Lili are German this scene ties in with race for that reason.

Now, as we talk about gender thought this film it is found in quite a couple of scenes. Such as the scene when Miss. Johnson is in front of all the men to speak she starts off by being very soft-spoken. Then someone yells out loud to her to be louder, and then she apologies for not being used to public speaking. Then here comes the funny part of the film she surprises them by actually being very well-spoken and loud, which is the opposite of what the men expected from her. All the men in the building were shocked to hear her speak so clearly. Mel Brook's is showing the audience that although women are usually seen as being the type to just sit pretty with nothing to say and not being intelligent, or even being able to read. Especially in the time period he set the movie in which is 1874 in the Wild West. As Miss. Johnson starts to read loudly she is actually shown as a smart intelligent women who can read well. I believe the message Mel Brook's was going for in this part of the scene was to show that women can be capable of way more than just being the pretty assets of the film. Not only that you can see that Miss. Johnson is dressed differently compared to the other women in the film. She is covered up and not showing her body part to us them so men could pay attention to what she has to say, and I believe that is another thing Brook's is trying to express in his film. That it is not always about the looks of the women, and what they are wearing to get the attention of the men in the film.

Onto the next scene, which involves Miss. Stein who is the Governor's secretary she is shown in a very seductive outfit. With no shirt and just a bra on, she is also sitting next to the governor and she basically has his full attention. She is set to just be that sitting pretty girl that we are used to seeing in Hollywood films. Although women have always been secretaries, aka assistants for governor's who are always men. Mel Brook's who plays the governor seems unfocused and just doesn't seem smart, maybe because his full attention is focused on the beautiful Miss. Stein. Even when she reads out the message about Rock Ridge her voice is seemed to be sexualized by being soft and quite. This is the stereotype of women who are shown to be used in films because of how they look and how their bodies are portrayed, as well as being there beside the male actors like an accessory.