| This thesis addresses the unlikely success of Whoopi Goldberg as a Hollywood film star. It examines her comedic style, filmic sexuality, female stereotypes, and challenges and successes of her career as a black actress.; Research on this subject reveals that Whoopi Goldberg has definitely reached a supremacy among Black female stars and has become a new kind of movie icon. She began her film career ten years after the Blaxploitation period (1970--1975). Although her debut film, The Color Purple was a drama, her comedic style provided a unique quality on screen and she immediately became known as a comedic actress. Her filmic sexuality has not revealed her as a sexy, romantic leading lady as she desires. She has portrayed stereotypical roles such as the Mammy, but has also created two new screen types, Fontaine and the female buddy/sidekick. And last, she insists that she be credited solely as an actress. |
