I'm currently watching "Roberta" with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The opening scene includes a joke about American Indians. Fred Astaire plays a member of the "Indianians" of Wabash, a traveling music troupe. The troupe's name causes confusion for a Parisian man who is looking for a group of American Indian performers he has booked for a show. The man asks Fred Astaire's character if he is one of the Indians. Mr. Astaire's character jokes that his is but that he only wears his "feathers in warm weather."
This comment about feathers is, of course, a stereotype of American Indian culture. Anthropologists who study tribes have proven that feathered garb depends on status and occasion in order to be worn. Granted, I should consider the time in which this movie was made, the 1930s, in order to excuse the stereotype. However, living in the 21st century, I have a hard time hearing such ignorant statements. It disappoints me, especially since I enjoy Fred Astaire movies!
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