Do you find this offensive? (blackface related)

[Andarvi]

So every now and then, particularly around halloween, you find that rare gem of an ignorant ass who, while impersonating a black celebrity, decides to dawn head to toe black coloration over their Caucasian skin. The outcome is as follows:

http://usversusthem.files.wordpress....-blackface.jpg

http://www.cbsnews.com/i/cbsnews/200...age5526055.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jmhiEtcPCE...ace+looter.jpg

I went to a very liberal school and at least once a year there was one idiot who came out dressed as some rapper, looking like that above. Amazingly, none were every beaten to a pulp, but a couple came close.

Anyways, my question to you is, do you find this offensive, why or why not?

My opinion: I am the type of person who believes once you reach a certain age, and for the love of god attend any sort of post high school education, you lose your "i didn't know" card. I am not expecting everyone to know in detail the history of minstrel shows, but I am not excusing someone's behavior if they subsequently dawn the dark makeup head to toe and start acting "ghetto" or "hood." If you do that, look in the mirror, and think its fine, you are an idiot who deserves to get his ass beat.

[Dontkare]

It's fucking halloween. Give it a rest. You going to start slamming all the little kids dressed up as witches for making fun of the wiccan religion?


Edit: there are some exceptions I'd say, like if somebody is doing it to deliberately make fun. If it's just some white kid who likes rap I don't see anything wrong with it

[Jotaru]

I agree.

On topic, those people who dress up as Zombies are pretty alright, and I get what they're doing and all, but once they start putting on makeup to look as if they ACTUALLY have necrosis of the skin and festering wounds.. that's going too far. Do they think they're REALLY zombies? That's pretty unfair to zombies around the world. I mean, there's more to a Zombie than being a festering undead corpse.

[Cream Soda]

wayne sucks anyways, now if they tried to be will smith...

[Falcon]

People dress up as figures. Popular icons. For fun.
Unless they're doing it to directly mock and antagonize the people they are charading as, there is no harm done.

People need to get over this whole hypersensitivity. Its over-analyzation taken to frightening heights.

[Dontkare]

This thread reminds me of epic beard guy. Some black dude waaaay too sensitive/just wants to start shit.

[Deadgye]

You're just jealous that their stuff is easier to use than white out.

[Cream Soda]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jmhiEtcPCE...ace+looter.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/34t972g.gif

[Mayareira]

Michael Jackson did the other way around, did that offense anyone at all?

[Blarg]

not offended

[Moss]

the first dude actually looks like lil wayne, second chick is scary

it seems pretty harmless to me

[Andarvi]

Funny thing is im half cape verdean, which is light skinned black at best, and half french. And frankly, I am not looking for a fight, just opinions, because every time it happened on campus, its was a polarizing and big deal.

At the very least,you would have to concede its in poor taste, no?

[Draylo]

Harmless if you ask me, don't see why someone would get offended by this. I would laugh if someone did it that I knew.

[Cream Soda]

At the very least,you would have to concede its in poor taste, no?

would be better off wearing trash bags and saying they're white trash

[Dontkare]

Funny thing is im half cape verdean, which is light skinned black at best, and half french. And frankly, I am not looking for a first, just opinions, because every time it happened on campus, its was a polarizing and big deal.

At the very least,you would have to concede its in poor taste, no?

I wasn't talking about you trying to start shit. I meant anybody at those parties that would get pissed is just doing it to look cool or something. I don't think it's in poor taste if it's done properly. Look at Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder. Is it ok that he did it just because he got a shit load of money or is famous?

[Jotaru]

At the very least,you would have to concede its in poor taste, no?

No.

People dress up as aborted fetuses, and you think them wanting to impersonate someone who happens to be a different color 'in bad taste'? Sure, its a bit of an off-color joke, but that's about it.

[miokomioko]

it's always funny. the end.

[Andarvi]

Ok, so so far there is a general consensus its not a big deal.

Let me also get opinions on probably my 4 years the biggest race relation deal, well, maybe the second.

So, Tufts is like 85% liberal, thus the remaining conservatives tend to go far right to counteract it. The conservative newspaper every year around christmas posts carols satirizing policies that they do not agree with. This particular article dealt with affirmative action (to the tune of Oh come all ye faithful) and received huuuuuuuge backlash. Boston news stations reported on it and everything (must have been a slow news day I guess.) Anyways, it is as follows:

O Come All Ye Black Folk
Boisterous yet Desirable
O come ye, O come ye to our University
Come and we will admit you,
Born in to oppression;
O come let us accept them,
O come let us accept them,
O come let us accept them,
Fifty-two black freshman.

O Sing, gospel choirs,
We will accept your children,
No matter what your grades are, F’s, D’s, or G’s,
Give them all privileged status; We will welcome all.
O come let us accept them,
O come let us accept them,
O come let us accept them,
Fifty-two black freshman.

All come! Blacks, we need you,
Born into the ghetto.
O Jesus!We need you now to fill our racial quotas.
Descendants of Africa, with brown skin arriving:
O come let us accept them,
O come let us accept them,
O come let us accept them,
Fifty-two black freshman.

Main issues that were brought up by the opponents were referring to all black people as boisterous, mentioning quotas (which are illegal and not once mentioned in any affirmative action law), the whole taking shitty students because of skin color (again, not an affirmative action policy),and saying all the freshman that year (52) were admitted along the mentioned guidelines.

The opposition wanted the paper to stop being school funded as punishment, which ultimately didnt matter because it is largely done so by donors.

What

[Tricen]

Why is it offensive to begin with?

[Nightfyre]

At the very least,you would have to concede its in poor taste, no?

Can't say I do, actually. Robert Downey Jr. reference was spot on, if it's not ok for one person it shouldn't be ok across the board but nobody I know gave a shit about that.