Black rapper wears whiteface for 'White People Party Music' album

Blackface goes back to the minstrels and other Jim Crow stuff, so it's pretty disingenuous to say whiteface is the same thing.
That said though, I don't understand how blackface in more recent years is offensive if there is no ill intention behind it and all it is is imitation (e.g. a kid wanting to look like Mr T, as mentioned).

Millicent wrote: »

Agree wholeheartedly with the first part, not so much with the second part. There's so much history behind blackface that it's impossible not to do it offensively.

The reason it's offensive, even if it's a kid doing it, is partly because of that history and partly that it makes skin color the focal part of the costume. It's pretty easy to dress up as Mr. T without blackface.

What if the kid is blonde and pale?
To me, it is literally only someone completely removed from the political/historical connotations and just copying a physical trait, like putting on a wig. But I know I don't speak for black people who still find it offensive; just my personal take though.

Millicent wrote: »

Agree wholeheartedly with the first part, not so much with the second part. There's so much history behind blackface that it's impossible not to do it offensively.

The reason it's offensive, even if it's a kid doing it, is partly because of that history and partly that it makes skin color the focal part of the costume. It's pretty easy to dress up as Mr. T without blackface.

An Irish kid may not be aware of Jim Crow. That said he probably wouldn't know Mr T either.

wexie wrote: »

There was a lethal weapon 5 and 6?

Let me educate you



This clip also neatly illustrates Millicents point about being a black character without make up IMO its just confusing

To be honest though I sort of hate this "white guilt" thing when applied to Ireland (the Irish in Ireland, Irish-Americans are a separate entity).

Ireland is and never has been institutionally racist. We've never had any race discrimination laws, we never colonized any countries apart from acting as the cannon fodder of the British Army.
Dublin wasn't a major beneficiary of the Atlantic slave trade in the way Bristol or Liverpool was.
Whats the major event between the abolition of slavery in the British Empire and its abolition in the USA, the Irish famine.
When the Irish missionaries spread across Africa they might have a patronizing view towards the native inhabitants but it was well intended and they had an influence on some of driving forces behind African liberation movements. Mugabe who can't be described as a big fan of the white man said he benefited greatly from the education he received and its been suggested that the Irish priests tales of the struggles in Ireland may have influenced him.
All in all looking through the historical period the Irish as a people have probably had more experience of being the indentured servants, convicts, forced laborers and literal slaves than beneficiaries of that institution.

I'm not supporting racist black face but if you say that somebody with pale skin can't ever impersonate some one with darker skin regardless of their cultural back ground while the reverse is inoffensive your ironically doing exactly the same thing as a real racist because your reducing everything to skin colour.