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Old 05-19-2012, 01:48 PM
 
Location: FL
1,727 posts, read 2,542,907 times
Reputation: 1052

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I think the intent must be considered when deciding whether or not to be offended.
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Old 05-19-2012, 04:58 PM
 
Location: Yuma, Az
344 posts, read 395,239 times
Reputation: 425
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJJersey View Post
I don't think there is anything racist about it. It reminds some older people about negative stereotypes portrayed by actors who painted their faces and played members of another race. There is nothing wrong with painting your face as part of a costume to portray a black leader. The sad thing is that people focus so much on race and so much on the past that it becomes difficult to move forward.
See, painting your face black is in itself concentrating on race. So your argument has an element of hypocrisy from the outset. A white person going "blackface" has historical ties. If you really need to see a white guy portraying a black person in a culturally inoffensive way, watch Saturday Night Live when a white comedian portrays Obama in a skit. It is a white man playing a specific black person (Obama) for comedic purposes. The fact that the white man is playing a black man is due to Obama being black, and is therefore coincidental and not specifically targeting race. The difference is subtle but all-important.
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Old 05-19-2012, 05:50 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
16,876 posts, read 10,539,064 times
Reputation: 16409
Quote:
Originally Posted by KatieGal View Post
See, painting your face black is in itself concentrating on race. So your argument has an element of hypocrisy from the outset. A white person going "blackface" has historical ties. If you really need to see a white guy portraying a black person in a culturally inoffensive way, watch Saturday Night Live when a white comedian portrays Obama in a skit. It is a white man playing a specific black person (Obama) for comedic purposes. The fact that the white man is playing a black man is due to Obama being black, and is therefore coincidental and not specifically targeting race. The difference is subtle but all-important.
It's not concentrating on race, it's part of the costume. It is the people who feel offended who are concentrating on the racist stereotypes of the past.
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Old 05-19-2012, 06:14 PM
 
Location: Treasure Island Fl
663 posts, read 1,141,361 times
Reputation: 868
It's called double standard. Whites wearing a black face is racist. Blacks in white faces, not so much.
Just like when a replica of Sarah Palin was hung from a tree was considered perfectly except able during the last presidential election, but just try and hang a replica of Obama from a tree and see how far you get.
Sometimes I don't think people are really even offended anymore. I think it's almost a running joke to see how far people can push this politically correct BS!
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Old 05-21-2012, 06:30 AM
 
10,854 posts, read 9,285,354 times
Reputation: 3122
Quote:
Originally Posted by Milwaukee City View Post
Nope, you're taking my take to the extreme and using it and applying to all extreme cases is taking my general viewpoint out of context. I wouldn't say so what to them in that case or to my ancestors who were victims of the holocaust!
If your ancestors were victims of the Holocaust then you should know better.

How did it start out?

A little talk, a little derogatory rhetoric, that spread. It eventually fed into the German population's dissatisfaction with the economy and made Jews the focal point of this anger. We all know what the end result was.

This is why hate speech against a particular group is illegal in Germany today.

Sorry but if you let jokes become acceptable then other forms of discriminatory behavior acceptable.

If you lack the fortitude, patience, courage or perseverance to stand up to bigotry and ignorance that a personal choice which you are certainly entitled to.
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Old 05-21-2012, 08:00 AM
 
531 posts, read 500,186 times
Reputation: 488
Quote:
Originally Posted by vamos View Post
Mostly because in a historical context "blackface" was used to depict grossly exaggerated stereotypes - often to deride or ridicule blacks and/or black culture.
Bingo!
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Old 05-21-2012, 08:04 AM
 
23,838 posts, read 23,082,097 times
Reputation: 9408
Quote:
Originally Posted by calipoppy View Post
Honestly, I would suggest that you research blackface and yellowface on film and in theatre first. Don't just skim over a few YouTube videos but REALLY research the origins. Then come back and we will have an indepth discussion. I would be more than willing to do so. But the conversation requires you to do a little legwork first.
Because you're not able to articulate the "why." This makes two threads where you say you're offended but absolutely refuse to tell us why. This is why we don't take you, or any black person with similar attitudes, seriously. Why should we? We can't even get you to spell out your position.
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Old 05-21-2012, 08:33 AM
 
5,524 posts, read 9,924,631 times
Reputation: 1867
Different generations are going to obviously see things differently. Looking something up on YouTube or in a History book is completely differently than having lived through it. The people who where attack by police dogs, sprayed with fire hoses and witnessed friends and family being tortured, raped or hung will have a different feeling about this than those who read it or saw it in a movie.

The point is that people need to get over themselves. That goes for both sides. Harboring this resentment for things that happened hundreds of years ago as well as decades ago does nothing to bring people together. This may sound callous but how many of us (regardless of race) would be here if not for the events of the past. There is only guessing how things would be different but regardless guessing still does nothing.

The past is what is is. The present is predicated off of that but until people quit bitching about the unchangeable nothing is going to change for anyone.
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Old 05-21-2012, 09:19 AM
 
7,492 posts, read 11,802,433 times
Reputation: 7394
It's not. It's just stupid and unoriginal.
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Old 05-21-2012, 09:27 AM
 
Location: La lune et les étoiles
18,258 posts, read 22,489,704 times
Reputation: 19593
Quote:
Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC View Post
Because you're not able to articulate the "why." This makes two threads where you say you're offended but absolutely refuse to tell us why. This is why we don't take you, or any black person with similar attitudes, seriously. Why should we? We can't even get you to spell out your position.
I have no problem articulating the reasons why blackface is offensive, however, in the age of Google the OP is perfectly capable of researching the topic and finding the answer on his own.

After the OP does his own due diligence, I would be happy to discuss the issue with him at length. Until then, he (and the other like-minded posters in this thread) can continue "playing dumb" on the question of why blackface is offensive.
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