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I will probably get more downvoted than answers, but I'll try anyway: could anybody explain why "blackface" is seen as "racist"? Especially in the context of a

I will probably get more downvoted than answers, but I'll try anyway: could anybody explain why "blackface" is seen as "racist"? Especially in the context of an event where everybody is wearing a costume. I lived (among some other continents) in Africa for some years, and you have tribes where people use a "whiteface" in some celebrations. Are we supposed to get upset about their "racism" as well? Also, how will this in any way help socially disadvantages people, regardless their skin tone, anywhere in the world? To me, this seems like just another made-up topic, so that people can yell and hate each other.

dcow 6y ago
It doesn't make any sense when you actually think about it. The problem is people don't actually think about it. Blackface was actually one of the few avenues available to black comedians at a time when they were actually oppressed. None of this fits the post-modernist narrative though so it's ignored because blackface is obviously racist, rite?
ephextom 6y ago
The historical links to minstrel shows are valid grounds for the offensiveness. But sometimes you have to wonder about the validity of the outrage when a case has no links to this whatsoever, and where it is done out of pure admiration and celebration of a person of color. A few years ago in Australia, a young kid and his mother were nationally shamed when the kid went to a school dress-up day as his favourite footballer, who is a dark-skinned man of Fijian descent [1]. He wore dark skin paint and a dreadlock wig, obviously because he idolises this footballer and wanted to look as much like him as possible. The footballer then had to comment on the matter, and admitted that he himself had endorsed people dressing up this way in the past, and that even he had to be educated that it was not a cool thing to do. [1] https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/its-a-shame-nic-naitanui-responds-to-blackface-outrage-20160826-gr1jlf.html https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/its-a-shame-nic-...
sebazzz 6y ago
> To me, this seems like just another made-up topic, so that people can yell and hate each other. Well, it does distract a bit from the real issues like systematic racism, COVID-19 and global climate chance.

dcow 6y ago

It doesn't make any sense when you actually think about it. The problem is people don't actually think about it. Blackface was actually one of the few avenues available to black comedians at a time when they were actually oppressed. None of this fits the post-modernist narrative though so it's ignored because blackface is obviously racist, rite?

ephextom 6y ago

The historical links to minstrel shows are valid grounds for the offensiveness. But sometimes you have to wonder about the validity of the outrage when a case has no links to this whatsoever, and where it is done out of pure admiration and celebration of a person of color. A few years ago in Australia, a young kid and his mother were nationally shamed when the kid went to a school dress-up day as his favourite footballer, who is a dark-skinned man of Fijian descent [1]. He wore dark skin paint and a dreadlock wig, obviously because he idolises this footballer and wanted to look as much like him as possible. The footballer then had to comment on the matter, and admitted that he himself had endorsed people dressing up this way in the past, and that even he had to be educated that it was not a cool thing to do. [1] https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/its-a-shame-nic-naitanui-responds-to-blackface-outrage-20160826-gr1jlf.html https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/its-a-shame-nic-...

sebazzz 6y ago

> To me, this seems like just another made-up topic, so that people can yell and hate each other. Well, it does distract a bit from the real issues like systematic racism, COVID-19 and global climate chance.