A popular internet meme claims Esther Jones, a famous black performer, was unethically exploited when cartoonist Max Fleischer invented the cartoon character Betty Boop, based on Jones’ image and singing style. The meme also claims Esther Jones spent years unsuccessfully trying to win back her legal rights to the image. But the “black Betty Boop” story isn’t true.
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KARAH D. “I Didn’t Know Betty Boop Was Black. * True Story * #bettyboop #africanamerican #americanhistory.” YouTube, 13 September 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9j053VRqLM.
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Sandoval-Palos, Ricardo. “A Short Item Promoting PBS’ Black History Month Programming Suggested the Betty Boop Cartoon Charact.” PBS Public Editor, 13 September 2021. https://www.pbs.org/publiceditor/blogs/pbs-public-editor/betty-oops/.
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The1920sChannel. “Baby Esther Lee Jones: A Forgotten Child Star (1920s Spotlight).” YouTube, 19 July 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KGAp8-2owA.
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WM Nonsense. “Esther Jones Rare 1928 Voice Recording.” YouTube, 16 March 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc0xb8VXfNg.
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“Performance Style on Trial: Helen Kane, Max Fleischer and the Battle Over Booping.” Fleischer Studios, 28 July 2021. https://www.fleischerstudios.com/performance-style-on-trial.html.
