![]() ![]() Lou Bolton, Jones' manager, asserted Kane had only started using the "boop a doop" phrase after having visited one of Jones' performances. However, Fleischer completely denied the Betty Boop character had been based on Kane.Īt trial, Fleischer's lawyer claimed Kane herself had taken the phrase "boop a doop" and her singing style from Esther Jones. It was not Esther Jones, but a white woman, Helen Kane, who sued Fleischer and his studio for US$250,000 for copying her visual appearance, including hair style, dress, makeup, and voice, as well as the "boop a doop" catchphrase she used while singing. The character first appeared as a white woman with a long poodle like face, and drooping ears, and only later developing into a normal looking woman. Thirdly, the Betty Boop character was originally based on a French poodle not on Jones. Secondly, Esther Jones never claimed she was the original inspiration for the Betty Boop character, and never showed any interest in claiming any rights to it. It's a photo of Ukranian model Model Oyla (Модель Оля), in 2008, dressed as Betty Boop. Hidden Figures: Esther Jones (Baby Esther)įirstly, the woman in the photo at right is not Esther Jones.Baby Esther Jones the Original Betty Boop.Esther Jones: The Original Black Betty Boop!.Various videos and websites make the same claim, sometimes with different photos. ![]() Another case of a talented black woman exploited by the white entertainment industry. The meme claims Esther Jones spent years unsuccessfully trying to win back her legal rights to the image. The meme typically claims the woman in the photo is Esther Jones, a famous black performer whose image was apparently unethically exploited when cartoonist Max Fleischer invented the cartoon character Betty Boop, based on Jones' image and singing style. She is, however, mentioned in many documentaries and books about the Harlem Renaissance, and her legendary way of singing does live on in the iconic Betty Boop character.For a five minute video version of this post, go here.Ī widely spread meme shows a picture of the 1930s cartoon character Betty Boop, and a photo of a woman looking very similar. During her entire career, she was mostly only known locally in the New York City area, and she reportedly died at a very young age. In fact, she never even really achieved mainstream success. Meanwhile, the very woman who inspired the character, Baby Esther, was never compensated in any way. It's estimated that the Betty Boop franchise generated millions of dollars in revenue from televison networks and sales of merchandise. ![]() But soon after, she was transformed into a white woman and remained so until her character was finally retired. She appeared in at least one animated scene in the popular Popeye The Sailor Man series. Initially, Betty Boop was shown in cartoons as an African American woman. That very same style was heavily imitated by the Betty Boop animated character. Her stage name was "Baby Esther", but unfortunately, when her character become the first and most famous sex symbol in animation she was whitewashed with most people having no idea where the original inspiration came from.īaby Esther had a popular cabaret act at the infamous Cotton Club in Harlem, New York where she sang with a unique vocal style that featured “boop-boop-a-doops” and other similar scat sounds. PBS has confirmed that Betty Boop, the popular cartoon character introduced to the world by cartoonist Max Fleischer in 1930, was actually inspired by a real-life African American jazz singer and entertainer from Harlem named Esther Jones. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |