h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

H2G2 has no guide entries for Kate Smith, an American singer who lived from 1907 or 8 until 1986. She popularized "God Bless America," and in all sang at least 1,500 songs (or was it 3,500?) She was always quite obese, but she must have had a strong constitution, as she entertained people with her singing from the age of five until her retirement in her late 60s. She was capable of extraordinarily powerful singing, as in:
[I heard the bells on Christmas day]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrjKJMqgCRA
[The Lord's Prayer]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON5TDLVhHVw

but could also be soft and gentle
[Dream a little dream of me]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh8hW0irwpo

Anyway, on April 2019 someone was apparently listening to her songs from the mid-1930s, and realized some seriously offensive material from a racial standpoint. In particular "Pickaninny heaven," sung by Smith in the film "Hello, everybody," would likely have been offensive in many quarters even in the 1930s.

https://heavy.com/news/2019/04/kate-smiths-racist-songs/

This is pretty heavy. Smith had been dead about 33 years, and would not have known or been able to comment on the matter. Not many people under sixty would have even been able to remember Smith, unless they lived in families where Smith had fans.

"Pickaninny heaven" was not the only such song, but Smith probably did not consider it one of her best songs. She only got one movie where she could star, and you know how Hollywood can steamroll people. She would likely have gone along with the material she was given.

From the age of five, she would sing just about anything that she thought might entertain people. She was the hostess on some radio and television shows from the thirties to the sixties, and he had a signature warmth. She wanted people to feel at ease.

(Not everyone did feel at ease. Some people thought she was condescending, just by saying "Hello, everybody." I can see that aspect of her, too.)

One of the racist songs that she recorded was thought to be a parody. Indeed, Paul Robeson also sang it, though I can't tell you what his motives here. But we have a guide entry about him:
http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A87814948

So, there you have it. Songs that almost no one has heard in eighty years, coming back to cause consternation. Yes, I agree that there is much that is unconscionable about this material. Should Hollywood have known better? Yes. But they also should have known better from "Babes on Broadway" (Minstrel show scenes in blackface) through some Burns and Allen shows in the 1950s, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. (Burns and Allen would seem to belittle women in many quarters today, but that is another topic. I'm willing to deal with in in another thread, if people want me to.)

I would rather remember Smith from material that she felt was important to her. Just my opinion. Bury the offensive material, if you can.