Coyle/Drawn to Sound, 6. Minstrelsy and Musical Framing in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

WFRR brings the traditions of cartoons and minstrelsy together, although it is not the first example of animation to indulge in the imagery and racism of minstrelsy. The film contains several elements of minstrel performances: singing, dancing, telling jokes, and while there is no direct representation of blackening the face with burnt cork, some more implicit vestiges of that part of minstrelsy may remain in WFRR’s use of ape imagery.