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Blackface is clearly racist given its history and that it is born out of an animus and inferior view toward black people.
Coloring your skin as part of an otherwise inoffensive costume is trickier. I wouldn't do it and would discourage others from doing it as well given that it can offend people. I might even call it racist. But clearly it is not as blatantly hateful as traditional blackface.
In general social punishment should be proportional to the crime. Someone who wore skin cream as part of a Michael Jackson costume is not on the same (im)moral level as the politician in Florida who dressed in blackface to make fun of poor black Hurricane Katrina victims.
Much of history has a dark past.
You live today. Focus on today just don't forget the past.
If blackface is worn to imitate in a positive light fine.
If worn in a derogatory manner then that is wrong.
I don't worry about whether it is racist or not. That is a judgment that requires you to know what is in the other person's mind. I do think though that it is a stupid and insensitive thing to do.
What really does one think when they are sitting around the house and come up with a stroke of genius like this... "I know, I'll go as a black person. I will paint my face, and speak and act like a buffoon, and... Everyone will think it is hilarious." This is why IMO, these people cannot be placed into positions of power over others, they have proven that they have a bias and that the decisions they make are not always designed to enhance. They have little or no respect for a whole segment of the population.
With that said, I do believe that some people grow and change as they age. If they learn something and disavow their former behavior, then maybe that has made them a better person. If they can't make that leap and defend themselves as "It was just a joke - YOU should get over it" then IMO, they are beyond redemption.
Yes but I don't think people should go back 20 years and find a picture of someone wearing black face and make a big deal about it. Sick of seeing people make big deals of stuff people said/did 10+ years ago.
The old shoe polish black face minstrel type stuff certainly was. It suggested black people were on the plantation or came from the plantation. The stereotypes were pretty darn rude.
Yes. There are people here that TRY to explain it away. They try to test boundaries of saying it's not racist because they are behind a computer screen. They are wrong. Blackface is racist.
Blackface is clearly racist given its history and that it is born out of an animus and inferior view toward black people.
Coloring your skin as part of an otherwise inoffensive costume is trickier. I wouldn't do it and would discourage others from doing it as well given that it can offend people. I might even call it racist. But clearly it is not as blatantly hateful as traditional blackface.
In general social punishment should be proportional to the crime. Someone who wore skin cream as part of a Michael Jackson costume is not on the same (im)moral level as the politician in Florida who dressed in blackface to make fun of poor black Hurricane Katrina victims.
I tend to agree with this. I was a teenager in the 80's and Michael Jackson was *huge* (the album "Thriller" had just come out), and I remember a lot of the boys I knew in my predominantly white school were dressing like him as it was. Granted, none of them painted their skin for 'everyday', but I could see where for a costume contest, some of them might have gotten the idea to take that step, and never have it occur to them it might be considered derogatory. This doesn't mean it would have been a good idea, but there's a difference between teenage boys taking their idolatry of a pop star a few steps too far without thinking it over vs. somebody trying to be hateful.
ETA: Granted, I do think the adults at my school would have pulled the boys aside had they ever painted their skin and advised them it was inappropriate, but I could still see said teenage boys not fully getting why. To them, it'd just be, "But I'm trying to look like Michael Jackson for the contest!"
Last edited by Indigo Cardinal; 02-07-2019 at 08:00 PM..
So, I'm curious, is a man dressing like a woman for some kind of entertainment sexist. Or vice versa? Or if a white man dresses and talks like a mexican, or an Arab, or a Chinesse man, is that racist? Or vice versa also?
So, I'm curious, is a man dressing like a woman for some kind of entertainment sexist. Or vice versa? Or if a white man dresses and talks like a mexican, or an Arab, or a Chinesse man, is that racist? Or vice versa also?
How about using a bit of common sense to determine if something is offensive? If it feels offensive then it probably is. If a group of folks says it’s offensive then it probably is too.
If you are a liberal celebrity like Fallon, Kimmel, Silverman, Behar or Democratic politician it must not be as there are no consequences.
If you are a conservative, then absolutely. Your intent is clear and you are a racist.
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