Is it racist for a white person to paint their face black/brown for fancy dress?

[Bjornebye]

Seen a few stories from the weekend about this. Some lad on the Tube on his way to a party as Jules from Pulp Fiction and a black girl starts on him and calls him racist. Also a story in the paper about a young white kid as Mo Salah. Both had painted their faces darker. Is this Racist? 

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mo-salah-halloween-costume-little-13498689

 

 

 

 

[Captain Turdseye]

Nice to have you back, Simon. 

[Alan Sex]

The intention of the person dressing up may not be racist, but in the context of modern culture it will be seen as racist, and lots of people will cry and faint. 

 

So yes, it will be seen as racist. I think rightly so given the history of minstrel shows etc. 

 

I don’t have time for the folk that go out of their way to be offended by stuff either, though. 

[Bjornebye]

7 minutes ago, Captain Turdseye said:

Nice to have you back, Simon. 

What you tit ? 

[Mook]

This reminds me of when I was playing in a Motown/Soul band & I got in a taxi with my drum kit before a gig one night...

 

Taxi driver, "Play the drums do you?"

Me, "No, I just take a drum kit everywhere with me for a laugh."

Taxi driver, "What kind of band do you play in?"

Me, "Soul, Motown stuff."

Taxi driver, "Do you have to black up for that?"

Me, "I'm not sure that the black people in our band would be hugely keen on that."

 

I think in a comedy context (film or tv) you can probably get away with it, but walking down the street 'blacked up' would be pretty fucking stupid & widely regarded as pretty racist (whether it technically is, or not) these days, even at Halloween.

[Numero Veinticinco]

No. Not by any sensible definition of racism. 

[Alan Sex]

Just now, Numero Veinticinco said:

No. Not by any sensible definition of racism. 

There are no sensible definitions of anything that may cause people to believe they should be offended. 

[Numero Veinticinco]

2 minutes ago, Alan Sex said:

There are no sensible definitions of anything that may cause people to believe they should be offended. 

People being offended by something is their business. That has nothing to do with whether something or not is racist (or homophobic, misandrist, etc). So I prefer to look at it from an objective point of view, starting with definitions from dictionaries. Dressing up to look black, or white, isn’t racist. It might offend some people, but that’s up to them. I’m offended by clowns. It shouldn’t stop anybody dressing up though. 

[Bjornebye]

Robert Downey Jnr wasn't wildly condemned for playing a black man in Tropic Thunder was he? 

[Trumo]

Context is everything.

 

[Mook]

[ZonkoVille77]

I dressed up as Winston from Ghostbusters a good few years ago. "blacked up" for it.

Wouldn't dream of doing  it now though. I can see why it could be wrong.

 

That Wayan brothers film "White Chicks" would never get made today either.

[aRdja]

Depends.

[Section_31]

5 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

I dressed up as Winston from Ghostbusters a good few years ago. "blacked up" for it.

Wouldn't dream of doing  it now though. I can see why it could be wrong.

 

That Wayan brothers film "White Chicks" would never get made today either.

Genuine question but why would it be seen as wrong if Winston was black?

 

If you went as simply red and had blond hair that'd be pretty shit.

[Bjornebye]

If a black person painted their face white it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Not even close to offending me. The threshold for being offended these days is as low as its ever been. 

[ZonkoVille77]

4 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

Genuine question but why would it be seen as wrong if Winston was black?

 

If you went as simply red and had blond hair that'd be pretty shit.

 

It would be seen as wrong because I'm a white person 'turning' myself Black. Basically the same principle as Stig mentioned above when the guy dressed up as Jules.

[Trumo]

5 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

Genuine question but why would it be seen as wrong if Winston was black?

 

If you went as simply red and had blond hair that'd be pretty shit.

 

You should be shunned by society just for that.

[ZonkoVille77]

2 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

If a black person painted their face white it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. Not even close to offending me. The threshold for being offended these days is as low as its ever been. 

 

Agreed. It has all gone fucking mad these days.

 

Between this and Fox News reporters saying people are bringing smallpox to the US, I want to blow the whole kip of a planet up.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

The only person who can get away with it (and rightly so) is Bob Mortimer. His Mick from Brookside was bang on.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

It's certainly dickish. I can't imagine that anyone is unaware of the potential for people to be legitimately offended; and knowing that, if you go ahead and do it anyway you're probably a cunt.

[Mook]

4 minutes ago, Babb'sBurstNad said:

The only person who can get away with it (and rightly so) is Bob Mortimer. His Mick from Brookside was bang on.

 

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

No, it isn't racist, if it offends you that's your decision, and you're a dick head, if someone can specifically tell me what the offence is, I'd love to hear it.

[cloggypop]

[Section_31]

19 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

 

It would be seen as wrong because I'm a white person 'turning' myself Black. Basically the same principle as Stig mentioned above when the guy dressed up as Jules.

But the fact he's black is part of the look of the character, otherwise they'd think you were Egon or something. 

 

As others have said, context matters. Some of the stuff that goes on in Holland etc has been suss because there's a hint that the blackness of the character is derogatory and a throwback to bad times, but surely impersonating a film hero is completely different. I honestly don't see the issue. 

[cloggypop]