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


Bjornebye
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Is it racist?   

63 members have voted

  1. 1. Is it racist?

    • Yes
      25
    • No
      38


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4 minutes ago, Babb'sBurstNad said:

Cultural appropriation is another big thing when it comes to dressing up. I wanted to go to a Halloween do in a Mexican day of the dead costume (largely because I want to wear a sombrero), but I wasn't sure about it.

 

Cultural appropriation is the biggest load of guff I've ever heard of in my life.

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15 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

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. 

I agree but I’m going to go on twitter, pretend to be offended and kick off.

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I can understand why a person of black ethnicity might view it as offensive or inappropriate. But, I echo some of the comments on here.

 

Context is important. If you're "blacking up" in a way that serves to perpetuate offensive, over-exaggerated characteristics of black people (big lips, bulging eyes, afro) or to play a dated, offensive caricature such as a golliwog, black and white minstrel etc, then fuck that shit. That shit is definitely wrong. 

 

But, if you're dressing up as a famous character or celebrity and your outfit etc is geared to being a representation of that particular person, that you're trying to look like them rather than a stereotypical portrayal of all black people and their physical characteristics, then I think that's far removed from stuff like golliwogs/minstrels etc. 

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33 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

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

 

 

I totally agree with you.

It is exactly the reason I chose him. I look nothing like the other cunts. At least with going with Winston I stood a chance of being recognised as that character.  I don't see owt wrong with that.

 

We have to now accept that the world is packed to the hilt full of absolute fucking clowns that it's just not worth the hassle of bringing that attention to yourself. 

 

Blacking up as a character from a film isn't wrong. Doing it in a derogatory fashion clearly is. For instance, dressing as a slave and having someone else whip you, or dancing like a Jim Crow character. Wrong. 

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41 minutes ago, Ezekiel 25:17 said:

Dressing up as a Minstrel has historical context, dressing up as Jules Winnfield does not.

I don’t necessarily disagree, and context is all important. But it’s not hard to see why some people would be sensitive about white guys blacking up for a laugh, good faith or not. I’d say, for the sake of being a civilised, friendly human, just pick a different outfit. 

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1 minute ago, moof said:

I don’t necessarily disagree, and context is all important. But it’s not hard to see why some people would be sensitive about white guys blacking up for a laugh, good faith or not. I’d say, for the sake of being a civilised, friendly human, just pick a different outfit. 

Are you suggesting he should go as a shower like Daniel son 

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57 minutes ago, Strontium Dog said:

 

Cultural appropriation is the biggest load of guff I've ever heard of in my life.

I dunno, I can see why, say, a Native American whose people have been all but eradicated due to genocide, might get a little peeved should a culturally significant item like a headdress be reduced to party wear for fat slags in Ibiza.

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1 hour 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. 

I’d condem them as a racist, call the police to report them for hate crimes, and probably even kill them. Racist shits. 

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1 hour ago, Strontium Dog said:

 

Cultural appropriation is the biggest load of guff I've ever heard of in my life.

 

I read an article a few months back, around the time Miley Cyrus released her new country album, about black culture appropriation in the music industry. How you have plenty of white pop ‘artists’ like Miley release a couple of rnb-inspired albums, adopt ‘street’ public image,  make a quick buck and then just fuck it off and chase whatever the next trend is... I found myself in agreement with most of the article. Let me see if I can find it. 

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Vacillate back and forth on this. Struggling people find it harder to take the ribbing that is a natural aspect of human interaction. There's nothing objectively wrong going to a funeral in your underwear but most will think you're a tit. It certainly shouldn't be illegal, anyhow.

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1 minute ago, aRdja said:

 

I read an article a few months back, around the time Miley Cyrus released her new country album; about black culture appropriation in the music industry. How you have plenty of white pop ‘artists’ like Miley release a couple of rnb-inspired albums, adopt ‘street’ public image,  make a quick buck and then just fuck it off and chase whatever the next trend is... I found myself in agreement with most of the article. Let me see if I can find it. 

 

Was "looking like you've suffered a stroke" a trend she was following when she was pulling those faces in every photo?

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I don't know. Personally I wouldn't because it's a world where being offended is the new hero's cape. I also think cultural appropriation is a massive pile of bollocks but completely lacking sensitivity as to why someone might find it/whatever offensive is also a dick move. People should be free to be a dick but don't be too surprised if your pulled up on it. 

 

If a white person wants dreads I don't give a fuck about the symbolism of defiance it might of represented in the past for black people, its fucking hair and if a white person wants to look like an absolute cunt then let them and vice versa with whatever. Be offended don't be offended all I'm saying is I don't care. There's 7 billion people every single one of them will have some view, opinions, haircut, shoes that piss you off why focus on some trivial shit from some none entity. 

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2 hours ago, Alan Sex said:

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

FYI: racism is a little bit bigger than  people believing “they should be offended”. 

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