This week we talked about minstrel shows, how white people would wear black faces to put on performances. I agree that this was a very strange phenomenon and I found it to be an awful way to put african americans down. I honestly had never heard of minstrel shows before this class and I couldn’t believe this was an actual event that occurred. When we examined the photo of Billy King, it was quite disturbing. His teeth were overly exaggerated and his expression looked as though he was in extreme pain. I think the idea of minstrel shows connecting to the idea of carnivals is something that is not surprising. In a carnival atmosphere, the idea is that the original rules are suspended and you are allowed to be something that you are not on a regular basis. I believe minstrel shows were an outlet for white citizens to explore the idea of being almost inhuman but at the same time it made for some really awful jokes towards the African American people.