#stepin fetchit

“I played the part of a simple, sincere, honest and lovable character who won sympathy from an audience by being tolerant of those who hurt him, so that he could be good to those he loved.” - Lincoln Perry (Stepin Fetchit)

This is gonna be a hot one, lol. But if any you reading this know this blog even remotely well, you people know that I don’t shy away from controversy. Few pop consumers remember who Stepin Fetchit was. For the duration of this star analysis, I will refrain from calling him by his stage name, Stepin Fetchit, and refer to him by his actual name, which was Lincoln Perry. Lincoln Perry was a vaudevillian who, in the 1920s, created this “Stepin Fetchit” persona that was parlayed into a successful film career, becoming the first black actor to receive featured screen credit in a film. Perry spawned imitators, such as Willie Best ("Sleep 'n Eat") and Mantan Moreland, the scared, wide-eyed manservant of fictional Asian detective Charlie Chan. Ultimately the Fetchit character made Perry rich—he was the first black actor to earn $1 million—but he also angered many African-Americans due to his use of racial stereotypes. At the beginning of his comic career, Bill Cosby, a frequent moral scold whose own reputation has come under fire in recent years, described Fetchit as, “the traditional lazy, stupid, craps-shooting, chicken-stealing idiot.” Perry, true Pisces moon that he was, wasn’t particularly likeable; there were a lot of dustups with the studios, not over the character he played, but over money and his inability to keep his name out of the papers.

Perry’s Stepin Fetchit was billed “The Laziest Man In The World.” But there was nothing lazy about him: between 1927 and 1939, at the height of his popularity, Perry starred as Fetchit in more than 40 films. By the time he retired from acting in 1976 — shortly after suffering a stroke — he’d had more than 60 film credits to his name. He became friends with Muhammad Ali in the 1960s and was even awarded a Special NAACP Image Award in 1976. His hard work paid off, but, some might say, this success came at a very heavy price. Although his name is no longer greeted with universal revulsion, it is far from being rehabilitated amongst African-Americans and, due to their fragile sense of pride, probably never will. A true Gemini, he split people, particularly black people, right down the middle. One can’t help but draw parallels between the high-minded black attitude toward negative stereotypes of Perry’s own period and the altered attitudes of today, with music that glorifies “the hood”/”the trap”, drugs, sex, pimps and gangbangers. With the simultaneous ascendance of thug culture, representing the masculine aggression of blue-collar blacks, and Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell satisfying middle-class aspirations, American blacks have ascended into the cultural mainstream from above and below. In a sense, it’s the culmination of something Perry prophesied:

“The way I believe the race problem is going to be solved is not by figures or oratory but one of these days we are going to wake up and find ourselves at the top and we won’t know how we got there.”

On one hand, Fetchit was grossly offensive at a time when black Americans were still struggling with appalling and degrading racial stereotypes. His persona only served to mitigate the low status accorded to black Americans by whites by pretending to be an idiot; an act that only fulfilled their negative expectations. On the other hand, Perry was an extremely gifted comic actor. I, and certain scholars can appreciate him for what he was: an embodiment of the “trickster” archetype who pretended to be slow-minded to ensure his white employers had to do the work and thereby exploiting whites’ sense of superiority. In other words, if whites (and other minorities) were stupid enough to believe that this Fetchit put-on was blacks’ true station in life, then they were the buffoons. Also, as a true Gemini, Perry was known as a highly intelligent man and wrote columns for The Chicago Defender, one of the country’s most important black American newspapers. It does take a lot of smarts to play dumb. But unfortunately for him, he wasn’t too smart in his personal life. He lived a chaotic, itinerant life, full of bankruptcies, lawsuits and women. Ultimately, Fetchit went down in infamy and Perry mishandled his fortune and died penniless.

Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, according to astrotheme, was a Gemini sun and Pisces moon (the moon is speculative). Perry was officially born in May 1902, in Florida although there is a suggestion that he was born as early as 1892. Little is known about Perry's background other than that he was born in Key West, Florida, to West Indian immigrants. He was the second child of Joseph Perry, a cigar maker from Jamaica and Dora Monroe, a seamstress from The Bahamas. Both of his parents came to the United States in the 1890s, where they married. By 1910, the family had moved north to Tampa, Florida. Another source says he was adopted when he was 11 years old and taken to live in Montgomery, Alabama. His mother wanted him to be a dentist, so Perry was adopted by a quack dentist, for whom he blacked boots before running away at age 12 to join a carnival. He joined the vaudeville “chitlin circuit” earning his living for a few years as a singer and tap dancer. Over time, Perry evolved into a character known as “the laziest man in the world” who he called “Stepin Fetchit”. His stage name was a contraction of "step and fetch it". In 1926, he auditioned with many others for a role in a new film In Old Kentucky; Perry created the character to make himself stand out from other actors vying for the role. He signed a five-year studio contract following his performance in the film. The film's plot included a romantic connection between Perry and actress Carolynne Snowden, a subplot that was a rarity for black actors appearing in a White film during this era. Perry played comic-relief roles in a number of films, all based on his character known as the "Laziest Man in the World". In his personal life, he was highly literate and had a concurrent career writing for The Chicago Defender.

By the mid-1930s, Perry was at his peak, and was the first black actor to become a millionaire. Meanwhile, black leaders were putting pressure on Hollywood to rid the screen of the stereotype he was responsible for creating. They believed the Stepin Fetchit character was keeping white America from viewing blacks as capable of joining the mainstream. By the end of the 1930s, Perry's star began to wane. The NAACP was gaining some influence in Hollywood and Perry was in a constant battle with Fox Studios to get equal pay and billing as his white co-stars—a battle he never won. By 1940, he walked away from Hollywood, and within just a few years he was broke, declaring bankruptcy in 1947. To the emerging civil rights movement, Perry was a symbol of something black America wanted to forget, and he faded into obscurity. Perry’s first wife, Dorothy Stevenson—with whom he shared a son, Jemajo—filed for divorce in 1930 after alleging domestic violence. This claim would later be repeated by the brother of his second wife, Winifred Johnson, with whom he shared a son named Donald in 1938. As Donald got older, he became involved with the Black Power movement, putting him squarely in the crosshairs of the FBI’s COINTELPRO counter-intelligence program, and he met with a violent end. In April 1969, Donald murdered four people and injured 16 after going on a shooting spree on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Perry believes his son may have been set up but he only met Donald for the first time in 1967. Perry died on November 19, 1985, from pneumonia and heart failure, at the age of 83.

Next, I’ll end this special black history month star analysis marathon on a high note. I’m going to cover a a pioneering actress; the first African-American, male or female to ever win an Academy Award: Gemini Hattie McDaniel.

STATS

birthdate: May 30, 1902*

*note*: due to the absence of a birth time, this analysis will be even more speculative

major planets:

Sun: Gemini

Moon: Pisces

Rising: unknown

Mercury: Cancer

Venus: Aries

Mars: Taurus

Midheaven: unknown

Jupiter: Aquarius

Saturn: Capricorn

Uranus: Sagittarius

Neptune: Cancer

Pluto: Gemini

Overall personality snapshot: He thought on his feet, wore his heart on his sleeve, explained his inner mental workings to the world, and then wondered why he felt so exposed, depleted, and even betrayed. He was a sociable seeker of knowledge and wisdom but had trouble in sorting it all out and expressing exactly what he meant. How could he assimilate all those ideas? Sometimes he just did not know, and so he decided to sleep on it and have a dream. His intellectual curiosity had a way of going to sleep on him, and he needed to recharge his batteries frequently with peace and quiet. He was an introvert in extroverted disguise, and yet it was not a disguise – it was really him. He was a master of improvisation and imitation, and his subtle perception of people’s idiosyncrasies made him a good actor. But because he so easily understood and identified with passing feelings and ideas, often he was not sure in the end what he felt and who, exactly, he was. He was ultra-sensitive, highly aware of his world, and keen to interact and communicate with people. The problem was that he was so impressionable that he tended to try out many different ideas and attitudes, some of them contradictory, because each had its own inner logic that deserves a hearing.

Logic versus sympathy was his struggle. Left brain versus right. There was great literary or artistic potential inherent in this attitude but only if you can establish an interior dialogue between your head and his heart which formed the essential core of himself. This enabled him to develop the one thing he badly needed: concentration. Without this he was prone to breeze along on the surface of a pleasant life with the sense that a potentially profound life is just around the corner, but somehow always eluded him. He would have made a fine counselor or group coordinator, as he had lots of compassion and wanted to understand and express the intangibles about people and what made them tick. He was a natural student of the non-rational and did not have to be convinced that ‘there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy’. He had plenty of empathy, an ability to work with symbols and images, and a strong need to communicate. But he soon found that his communication with others was more effective if he communicate with himself in private more often. Stress and nerve problems may have calmed down miraculously if he developed a musical or artistic talent. Words are not the only way to communicate, and his desire to express the inexpressible required an art form, not a chat.

He had a very good memory and found it easy to learn subjects that interested him. He was very kind and thoughtful towards others. His imagination was very keen, but if it got carried away, he may have experienced irrational fears. Even though he may have tried to maintain a scientific and objective outlook, his mind was actually dominated by his emotions. He was very perceptive, intuitive and compassionate. If he felt threatened or challenged, he tended to withdraw and say little. However, if he was further provoked, he had plenty to say. His sometimes erratic behaviour depended on his mood. He tended to have very strong intuitions about things and generally felt optimistic about the future. This gave him faith in his ability to succeed, and he could be very impatient with those who gave up without at least trying. He showed strong imagination and originality, and felt that by using his intellect to create, analyze and develop new ideas, he was allowing himself to grow. His mental abilities were likely to be the strongest and best expressed in the sciences, music and philanthropy. He was socially adept and enjoyed an extensive social life, although it may have operated on a fairly superficial level. Although he could be fairly pessimistic about life in general, it didn’t put him off aiming for the top. He could be very single-minded about reaching his goals, and was prepared to put his career interests above her personal happiness. He was extremely aware of his own worth. He was prepared to work beyond the call of duty. Him strong sense of ambition gave him a certain rigidity, arrogance and selfishness in the eyes of others.      

He belonged to a generation with fiery enthusiasm for new and innovative ideas and concepts. Rejecting the past and its mistakes, he sought new ideals and people to believe in. As a member of this generation, he felt restless and adventurous, and was attracted towards foreign people, places and cultures. Members of his generation were emotionally sensitive and extremely conscious of the domestic environment and the atmosphere surrounding their home place. Also, as a member of the Cancer Neptune generation, he felt a degree of escapism from everyday reality, and was very sensitive to the moods of those around him. Perry embodied all of these Cancer Neptunian ideals. As a Gemini Plutonian, he was mentally restless and willing to examine and change old doctrines, ideas and ways of thinking. As a member of this generation, he showed an enormous amount of mental vitality, originality and perception. Traditional customs and taboos were examined and rejected for newer and more original ways of doing things. As opportunities with education expanded, he questioned more and learned more. As a member of this generation, having more than one occupation at a time would not have been unusual to him.  

Love/sex life: He was a competitive lover. He was always looking for a challenge in his love life even it was just trying to top his last encounter. Even though he had this luscious capacity for physical pleasure, he was never altogether satisfied with his sexuality. No matter what kind of sex he was getting, he found himself wanting more, or better, or maybe just different. This restlessness often disrupted his basically conservative approach to sex and led him into bad relationships and embarrassing situations. On the positive side, he was the Taurean Martian lover least likely to settle into a predictable, sensual rut in his love life. He was always ready for a new experience and not afraid to take chances. He understood that the plodding search for sensation gets boring after a while unless it was accompanied by an element of passion. This intense, even combative approach to desire made her an exciting, provocative lover who was often hard to satisfy but always worth the trouble.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Scorpio

Lilith: Sagittarius

His North Node in Scorpio dictated that he needed to be careful not to let the more emotional side of his personality overwhelm him. Instead, he should have set out to consciously develop his more practical abilities. His Lilith in Sagittarius ensured that he was dangerously attracted to women who were free spirits and world wanderers who had a lover in every port and a strong penchant for sex with those she thought intellectually simulating. He, for better or usually worse, liked women who needed to be free to shift her vibe as she pleased, to not be pigeon-holed becasue it did more than kill her buzz, it hurt at a soul level.    

elemental dominance:

water

earth

He had high sensitivity and elevation through feelings. His heart and his emotions were his driving forces, and he couldn’t do anything on earth if he didn’t feel a strong effective charge. He needed to love in order to understand, and to feel in order to take action, which caused a certain vulnerability which he should (and often did) fight against. He was a practical, reliable man and could provide structure and protection. He was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms of doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic,  unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at his best, he provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true.      

modality dominance:

mutable

He wasn’t particularly interested in spearheading new ventures or dealing with the day-to-day challenges of organization and management. He excelled at performing tasks and producing outcomes. He was flexible and liked to finish things. Was also likely undependable, lacking in initiative, and disorganized. Had an itchy restlessness and an unwillingness to buckle down to the task at hand. Probably had a chronic inability to commit—to a job, a relationship, or even to a set of values.                        

planet dominants:

Mercury

Neptune

Saturn

He was intelligent, mentally quick, and had excellent verbal acuity. He dealt in terms of logic and reasoning. It was likely that he was left-brained. He was restless, craved movement, newness, and the bright hope of undiscovered terrains. He was of a contemplative nature, particularly receptive to ambiances, places, and people. He gladly cultivated the art of letting go, and allowed the natural unfolding of events to construct her world. He followed his inspirations, for better or for worse. He believed in the fact that lessons in life were sometimes harsh, that structure and foundation was a great issue in his life, and he had to be taught  through through experience what he needed in order to grow. He paid attention to limitations he had and had to learn the rules of the game in this physical reality. He tended to have a practical, prudent outlook. He also likely held rigid beliefs. 

sign dominants:

Capricorn

Cancer

Gemini

He was a serious-minded person who often seemed aloof and tightly in control of his emotions and his personal domain. Even as a youngster, there was a mature air about him, as if he was born with a profound core that few outsiders ever see. He was easily impressed by outward signs of success, but was interested less in money than in the power that money represents. He was a true worker—industrious, efficient, and disciplined. His innate common sense gave his the ability to plan ahead and to work out practical ways of approaching goals. More often than not, he succeeded at whatever he set out to do. He possessed a quiet dignity that was unmistakable. At first meeting, he seemed enigmatic, elusive. He needed roots, a place or even a state of mind that he could call his own. He needed a safe harbour, a refuge in which to retreat for solitude. He was generally gentle and kind, unless he was hurt. Then he could become vindictive and sharp-spoken. He was affectionate, passionate, and even possessive at times. He was intuitive and was perhaps even psychic. Experience flowed through him emotionally. He was often moody and always changeable; his interests and social circles shifted constantly. He was emotion distilled into its purest form. He ventured out to see what else was there and seized upon new ideas that expanded his community. His innate curiosity kept him on the move. He used his rational, intellectual mind to explore and understand his personal world. He needed to answer the single burning question in his mind: why? This applied to most facets of his life, from the personal to the impersonal. This need to know sent him off to foreign countries and places, where his need to explore other cultures and traditions ranked high. He was changeable and often moody. This meant that he was often at odds with himself—the mind demanding one thing, the heart demanding the opposite. To someone else, this internal conflict often manifested as two very different people.

Read more about him under the cut:

Black History Month Day 9: Actors! 

I went for some of my favorites and wanted to acknowledge some of the actors who are also West Indian! 

I can’t help it ok. 

Descriptions under the cut! 

Also let me know if they’re too wordy? I wanted to make sure I was covering what was seen/shown in the image.