No blackfaces allowed.

BattleCorp

http://news.sky.com/story/1162816/blackface-costumes-lead-to-school-suspensions




White guys dress up at a Halloween party as the Jamaican bobsleigh team from Cool Runnings and get suspended from work because they went "blackface".


For fcuk sake. Over the top or what?

MagicMarker

Hey, I know, let's dress up as a black person for Halloween.

Utterly fùckin moronic.

BattleCorp

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hey, I know, let's dress up as a black person for Halloween.

Utterly fùckin moronic.

What's moronic, the suspension from work or the fact that they dressed up as black people?

smcgiff

404

General General

BattleCorp wrote: »

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hey, I know, let's dress up as a black person for Halloween.

Utterly fùckin moronic.

What's moronic, the suspension from work or the fact that they dressed up as black people?

Who's on first base, what's the guy's name on second...

smcgiff

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hey, I know, let's dress up as a black person for Halloween.

Utterly fùckin moronic.

But they dressed up as characters that were black. BIG difference.

What next, can't dress up as green witches for fear of offending WICCA practitioners?

Shanotheslayer

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hey, I know, let's dress up as a black person for Halloween.

Utterly fùckin moronic.

Not as moronic as that post.

Friend Computer

smcgiff wrote: »

But they dressed up as characters that were black. BIG difference.

Because blackface, specifically, has absolutely no racist connotations. Nope. None at all.

This is going to be one of those threads so I'm just going to say that now before it goes down the tubes.

Festy

hfallada

Remember its only racist when a majorly dress and acts like a minority. Like the film white chicks isn't racist, but if there was a 90 min film on a white person, dressing and acting like a black person there would be up roar.

o1s1n

Cindy Marten, superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, announced the suspensions with officials from the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Anti-Defamation League.

National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People?

That name is more backwards than going blackface.

Friend Computer

Is there a long history of black people dressing in caricatures of white people? Oh no, sorry, don't let the facts get in the way of the usual whataboutery.

smcgiff

Friend Computer wrote: »

This is going to be one of those threads so I'm just going to say that now before it goes down the tubes.

What, insanely PC?

So, you want to dress up as the characters of Cool runnings, what do you do?

You could say there are millions of white characters they could dress up as, but why the restriction?

Ush1

Friend Computer wrote: »

Because blackface, specifically, has absolutely no racist connotations. Nope. None at all.

This is going to be one of those threads so I'm just going to say that now before it goes down the tubes.

The main thing is you got your condesending comment in early.

Cantona's Collars

o1s1n wrote: »

Cindy Marten, superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, announced the suspensions with officials from the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Anti-Defamation League.

National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People?

That name is more backwards than going blackface.

Sounds like something out of South Park.

Turtyturd

hfallada wrote: »

Remember its only racist when a majorly dress and acts like a minority. Like the film white chicks isn't racist, but if there was a 90 min film on a white person, dressing and acting like a black person there would be up roar.

But that was dressing up as specific white people which is completely differe....eh never mind.

WindSock

Having black skin is not a costume to mock. It's not unlike sticking tape over your eyes to make them slanty.

And let's forget about that abomination of a film 'White Chicks'.

cooperguy

They were dressing as a character from a film, I really cant see the issue. They were in no way (from what I can see) trying to imply Black people are inferior.

drumswan

hfallada wrote: »

Remember its only racist when a majorly dress and acts like a minority. Like the film white chicks isn't racist, but if there was a 90 min film on a white person, dressing and acting like a black person there would be up roar.

Tropical thunder

smcgiff

Friend Computer wrote: »

Is there a long history of black people dressing in caricatures of white people? Oh no, sorry, don't let the facts get in the way of the usual whataboutery.

Do you think the characters from a successful film that showed the characters in a positive light to be caricatures?

Hande hoche!

San Diego has a bobsled team.

WindSock

hfallada wrote: »

Remember its only racist when a majorly dress and acts like a minority. Like the film white chicks isn't racist, but if there was a 90 min film on a white person, dressing and acting like a black person there would be up roar.

8 Mile?

Muise...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVN_0qvuhhw

(It's ethnically ethical for me to post this. )

BattleCorp

WindSock wrote: »

Having black skin is not a costume to mock. It's not unlike sticking tape over your eyes to make them slanty.

How were black people mocked? The lads went dressed up as characters from a film, who happened to be black.

Friend Computer

Ush1 wrote: »

The main thing is you got your condesending comment in early.

And you got your thankswhoring comment in too! Not to mention the passive-aggresive smiley! Well aren't you just swell?

smcgiff wrote: »

Do you think the characters from a successful film that showed the characters in a positive light to be caricatures?

What? I wasn't talking about the film, I was pointing out that blackface is caricaturing black people and has a history attached to it which can't be applied to white people because there's no similar history of caricatures.

mikemac1

The Lyons tea minstrel turned Ireland into a nation of flamin racists!

Except the Corkonians, they only drink Barrys

aaakev

I wemt to a hallloween party a few years ago as Mr. T. I dressed as him from the snickers ad and it never crossed my mimd someone would think it was racist

Pc gone crazy...

suicide_circus

You're my wife now!!!

DEFTLEFTHAND

Can you imagine if PG Wodehouse released his acclaimed books of Bertie Wooster today? I don't think the story of Bertie and the 'N' minstrels would have gone down to well. :pac:

humbert

Nothing malicious or racist in the intent. Simply 'blacking up' in any form has been categorised as racist and to consider individual cases would be much to difficult.

smcgiff

There is a tendency for people to go out of their way to get offended on their own behalf or on behalf of others *cough* see this thread for example.

In the film Cloud Atlas there's a central theme of characters going throughout history and being affected by their previous actions. The same actors played themselves as different characters throughout several hundred years.

There was disquiet by some in Korea when a European character played his Korean character.

Pathetic stuff really.

smcgiff

Friend Computer wrote: »

What? I wasn't talking about the film, I was pointing out that blackface is caricaturing black people and has a history attached to it which can't be applied to white people because there's no similar history of caricatures.

Well, let's try and keep it specific to the OP post shall we. This specific case is a joke. Dressing up and caricaturing subservient blacks would be wrong.

We need to be mature enough to differentiate and not have knee jerk reactions.

Sonics2k

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hey, I know, let's dress up as a black person for Halloween.

Utterly fùckin moronic.

Is it any different to dressing up as a "Red Indian" though?

What's next, English people can't dress as Leprechaun's in case it offends the Irish?

Turtyturd

WindSock wrote: »

8 Mile?

You know what he meant...but hey it got a couple of thanks.

Ush1

Friend Computer wrote: »

And you got your thankswhoring comment in too! Not to mention the passive-aggresive smiley! Well aren't you just swell?



What? I wasn't talking about the film, I was pointing out that blackface is caricaturing black people and has a history attached to it which can't be applied to white people because there's no similar history of caricatures.

You enabled the thanks whoring if that's the case. Saying "it's going to be one of those threads", really adds so much.

Are you saying it's okay for one but not for the other re the white chicks example?

wexie

Reminds me of this.

Absolute nonsense, if anything it'd be a hommage to the (I think pretty cool) characters from Cool Runnings.

Not like they were dressing up as Golliwogs.

WindSock

BattleCorp wrote: »

How were black people mocked? The lads went dressed up as characters from a film, who happened to be black.

It's not directly mocking in its intent, but it is in its action. To say that skin colour is a costume that can be donned for an evening and washed off straight after, given the history I guess it can hit a nerve with dark skinned people and no I am not offended on behalf of anyone, just giving my opinion on why I can see blackface is not really acceptable anymore.

Reekwind

smcgiff wrote: »

So, you want to dress up as the characters of Cool runnings, what do you do?

Don't black up. Simple, no? Anything else you want (try a a sled, for example) is fine but don't try to appropriate something that's got such racist connotations. Particularly not in the US

I mean, the title of this thread is astounding. Is it really news to people that blackface - ie a practice indelibly associated with racist caricatures - is no longer considered acceptable? What year is this, 1970?

You could say there are millions of white characters they could dress up as, but why the restriction?

Because there has never been a popular genre where black people 'whited up' on national television to propagate the worst racial stereotypes and prejudices. Basically, there's never been an equivalent of this

Sonics2k

WindSock wrote: »

It's not directly mocking in its intent, but it is in its action. To say that skin colour is a costume that can be donned for an evening and washed off straight after, given the history I guess it can hit a nerve with dark skinned people and no I am not offended on behalf of anyone, just giving my opinion on why I can see blackface is not really acceptable anymore.

But going as Cowboy's and Indians is fine? Right?

Vicar in a tutu

What a load of nonsense.. They wanted to resemble the guys in the film as much as possible, will we start being attacked for using orange hairspray on paddys day now?:pac:

Peregrine

That's a stupid reason for suspending someone to be honest.

I don't see the problem with people dressing up as a certain person or group who has a different skin colour.

But if they were to simply "dress up as a black person for Halloween", now that's stupid too.

humbert

WindSock wrote: »

It's not directly mocking in its intent, but it is in its action. To say that skin colour is a costume that can be donned for an evening and washed off straight after,

What an odd and imaginative interpretation.

WindSock

Sonics2k wrote: »

But going as Cowboy's and Indians is fine? Right?

Cowboys yes, Indians not really.

WindSock

humbert wrote: »

What an odd and imaginative interpretation.

Really? It's that odd to see why using racial characteristics as costumes may be offensive? I didn't even have to stretch my imagination much for that one.

rainbowdrop

suicide_circus wrote: »

You're my wife now!!!

Hello Dave......

Sonics2k

WindSock wrote: »

Cowboys yes, Indians not really.

But nobody gets suspended for that?

In fact you can to Tesco and buy an outfit and face paint for it. Why the exception?

Should Germans not go out as Rabbi's? Or even Moses, just in case it offends?

wexie

WindSock wrote: »

Cowboys yes, Indians not really.

hmm....

See I can kinda see where you're coming from. The bit I disagree with though is that, if someone actually had any racist feelings towards a particular group (like first nations people f.e.) then I much doubt they'd be dressing up as them.

To be honest, if you had racist feelings towards 'indians' they'd be more easily expressed by dressing up as a cowboy......

smcgiff

Reekwind wrote: »

Because there has never been a popular genre where black people 'whited up' on national television to propagate the worst racial stereotypes and prejudices.

Yeah, and we should get rid of the National flag just because the 'RA have appropriated it.

AGAIN, these guys were not dressed up as golliwogs, they were dressed up as characters that had POSITIVE connotations.

humbert

WindSock wrote: »

Really?

Skin colour is a costume? Who said that?

banie01

Muise... wrote: »

(It's ethnically ethical for me to post this. )

Ethnically ethical!
Is that cos your avatar is black? Or an illegal alien???? Or both!


Sorry I'll get me coat!

wexie

Reekwind wrote: »

Because there has never been a popular genre where black people 'whited up' on national television to propagate the worst racial stereotypes and prejudices.

And would you cry racism if they did? As in if a bunch of black people decided to dress up as the characters from Friends for Halloween for example?

No?

No I didn't think so.