Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere
This article looks at the ways in which Mama Jack, a South African slapstick comedy, frames certain individuals and groups as makwerekwere. The term, which is popularly used in reference to African migrants in South Africa, appears in the film despite the absence of any African migrant in the litera...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Intellect Ltd.
2021
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| Online Access: | https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/jac/2017/00000009/f0020002/art00009 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4560 |
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| author | Tagwirei, Cuthbeth |
| author_facet | Tagwirei, Cuthbeth |
| author_sort | Tagwirei, Cuthbeth |
| collection | DSpace |
| description | This article looks at the ways in which Mama Jack, a South African slapstick comedy, frames certain individuals and groups as makwerekwere. The term, which is popularly used in reference to African migrants in South Africa, appears in the film despite the absence of any African migrant in the literal sense. Nonetheless, Leon Schuster, who plays the lead roles in the film, provides the conditions of the term’s use by performing blackness and exhibiting a stock of images associated with black foreignness. Makwerekwere therefore signifies a phony presence and serves to visualize violence against black foreigners. The article develops from the understanding that all texts, film included, communicate specific ways of seeing the world and therefore participates in the construction and circulation of normalized and misrecognized forms of violence. Film’s signifying potential need not be understated. By focusing on the various ways in which makwerekwere are deployed in Mama Jack, it will be noted that the pursuit of the comic tends to obfuscate and validate the negative portrayal of black foreigners. |
| format | Article |
| id | ir-11408-4560 |
| institution | My University |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | Intellect Ltd. |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ir-11408-45602022-06-27T13:49:06Z Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere Tagwirei, Cuthbeth Makwerekwere Mama Jack film violence xenophobia This article looks at the ways in which Mama Jack, a South African slapstick comedy, frames certain individuals and groups as makwerekwere. The term, which is popularly used in reference to African migrants in South Africa, appears in the film despite the absence of any African migrant in the literal sense. Nonetheless, Leon Schuster, who plays the lead roles in the film, provides the conditions of the term’s use by performing blackness and exhibiting a stock of images associated with black foreignness. Makwerekwere therefore signifies a phony presence and serves to visualize violence against black foreigners. The article develops from the understanding that all texts, film included, communicate specific ways of seeing the world and therefore participates in the construction and circulation of normalized and misrecognized forms of violence. Film’s signifying potential need not be understated. By focusing on the various ways in which makwerekwere are deployed in Mama Jack, it will be noted that the pursuit of the comic tends to obfuscate and validate the negative portrayal of black foreigners. 2021-11-18T12:04:07Z 2021-11-18T12:04:07Z 2017 Article 1754-9221 https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/jac/2017/00000009/f0020002/art00009 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4560 en Journal of African Cinemas, Vol.9 , No.2 : p. 231-242; open Intellect Ltd. |
| spellingShingle | Makwerekwere Mama Jack film violence xenophobia Tagwirei, Cuthbeth Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere |
| title | Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere |
| title_full | Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere |
| title_fullStr | Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere |
| title_short | Mama Jack and the Spectre of makwerekwere |
| title_sort | mama jack and the spectre of makwerekwere |
| topic | Makwerekwere Mama Jack film violence xenophobia |
| url | https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/jac/2017/00000009/f0020002/art00009 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4560 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tagwireicuthbeth mamajackandthespectreofmakwerekwere |