When reading this, I automatically thought of menstrual shows and how similar they were. No they weren’t dressed in a specific way or making fun of themselves, but what they were doing still provided entertainment for their white audiences.  These menstrual groups were formed in the 1840s, and became national popular entertainment. At first, menstrual shows were played by white men in black face. Then, when black men were introduced to theses shows, they were forced to make their faces darker and mouths wider.