Black Face was used as a way for white people to portray and denigrate black stereotypes. It is a way for white people to perform minstrel shows which were acts specifically done by black people to cater to white views and tastes. It is an inherently racist and demeaning thing by its very nature. It is sometimes used now as a way of highlighting racism, not as a genre in and of itself. This was seen most recently in Tropic Thunder. The difference there is that the movie is self-aware of the taboo, and uses it as a mockery of RDJ's character, not as a mode of entertainment in and of itself. A recent subversion of black face was Chapelle doing white face in his comedy show a few years ago.
It is a tool of racism to demean and take away humanity. The whole idea of a minstrel show is to define an entire race in a certain way.
also I just read through the wikipedia article and it doesn't say black face is anything other than a depiction of racial stereotypes anywhere. It's actually a pretty well documented summary of its use. No one has added Tropic Thunder yet, though.
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TrippyJingMoses supposes his toeses are roses.But Moses supposes erroneously.Registered Userregular
so wait are you saying that black people don't find blackface inherently offensive
From my field research growing up as a black male, yes, I have not met any black people off the top of my head who find blackface genuinely offensive.
I'm sure some out there do and I have already agreed that my opinion is "stupid and ironic."
Uh...did you actually walk up to them and ask straight up if they find it offensive? Because I don't see too many ways of inserting it into everyday conversation.
Marty: The future, it's where you're going? Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
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TonkkaSome one in the club tonightHas stolen my ideas.Registered Userregular
is racist in its construction. that is the end of it.
It can be used as commentary on racism, in the same way that showing a lynching can be commentary on racism. It can be used ironically or subverted, but the act, at its core, is racist in nature. It is an inherently demeaning thing. There aren't any good sides to black face. There isn't anything salvageable. The only way to use it now is, again, either as part of a statement about race or to subvert it. If you just straight up did a minstrel act with white performers in black face (or even black performers in black face! which was highly popular in the 19th century!), it would still be wrong. It caricatures an entire race of people, and is demeaning in nature.
Standing by itself, there is no other way to use black face other than in a racist manner.
for starters, you can use blackface to pretend to be a black person
you can also use a wig and a dress to pretend to be a woman
Paladin on
Marty: The future, it's where you're going? Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
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TonkkaSome one in the club tonightHas stolen my ideas.Registered Userregular
for starters, you can use blackface to pretend to be a black person
you can also use a wig and a dress to pretend to be a woman
paladin are you serious.
what do you think I'm thinking
cause I had no followup from there
Marty: The future, it's where you're going? Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
for starters, you can use blackface to pretend to be a black person
you can also use a wig and a dress to pretend to be a woman
paladin are you serious.
what do you think I'm thinking
cause I had no followup from there
Blackface is a specific term about co-opting another identity and portraying the most denigrating sort of stereotypes while doing it. The whole point is to lessen an entire group of people, that is the idea. It is impossible to divorce those things from the act because of its genesis.
Pretending to be a different race by depicting extreme stereotypes is racist. It just is.
The blackface in Mad Men was so, so uncomfortable.
Roger, just... don't do that.
But the whole point of that show is to be swimming in self-aware political incorrectness.
yes, I loved that episode, and any episode where the show is completely unapologetic about the time period. It's just like "yep, this is what people did back then. can you believe it?"
FishmanPut your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain.Registered Userregular
Yes, I'm aware that Blackface has a very specific and racist connotation for you, I was just sharing the fact that my own culture is blithely ignorant of such things and does not have exactly the same cultural baggage (although we have plenty of our own), and there fore we have subordinated the term to mean something different, although I suspect it will die out in the face of overwhelming cultural assimilation.
I don't think that's the same kind of blackface. I mean, if I, as a Panthers fan, paint myself all black and write "CAROLINA PANTHERS" on my body in blue/white, I'm not going to expect to be seen as racist.
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It is a tool of racism to demean and take away humanity. The whole idea of a minstrel show is to define an entire race in a certain way.
Uh...did you actually walk up to them and ask straight up if they find it offensive? Because I don't see too many ways of inserting it into everyday conversation.
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
Even Tropic thunder was kinda uncomfortable.
But then that may be because I didn't like the movie.
Polishing shoes.
is racist in its construction. that is the end of it.
It can be used as commentary on racism, in the same way that showing a lynching can be commentary on racism. It can be used ironically or subverted, but the act, at its core, is racist in nature. It is an inherently demeaning thing. There aren't any good sides to black face. There isn't anything salvageable. The only way to use it now is, again, either as part of a statement about race or to subvert it. If you just straight up did a minstrel act with white performers in black face (or even black performers in black face! which was highly popular in the 19th century!), it would still be wrong. It caricatures an entire race of people, and is demeaning in nature.
Standing by itself, there is no other way to use black face other than in a racist manner.
you can also use a wig and a dress to pretend to be a woman
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
Oh my.
Chico, what is your opinion on blueface?
I think it is very
very
erotic.
paladin are you serious.
That makes two of us.
what do you think I'm thinking
cause I had no followup from there
Doc: That's right, twenty five years into the future. I've always dreamed on seeing the future, looking beyond my years, seeing the progress of mankind. I'll also be able to see who wins the next twenty-five world series.
Jazz Singer?
?
Roger, just... don't do that.
But the whole point of that show is to be swimming in self-aware political incorrectness.
Al Jolson
Blackface is a specific term about co-opting another identity and portraying the most denigrating sort of stereotypes while doing it. The whole point is to lessen an entire group of people, that is the idea. It is impossible to divorce those things from the act because of its genesis.
Pretending to be a different race by depicting extreme stereotypes is racist. It just is.
yes, I loved that episode, and any episode where the show is completely unapologetic about the time period. It's just like "yep, this is what people did back then. can you believe it?"
http://www.hulu.com/watch/309556/saturday-night-live-j-pop-talk-show
ahahahaha yes
pointing out how racist using blackface is
but that's pretty much it
all of you
What do you mean "all of you"
I don't think that's the same kind of blackface. I mean, if I, as a Panthers fan, paint myself all black and write "CAROLINA PANTHERS" on my body in blue/white, I'm not going to expect to be seen as racist.
Oh christ this fucking video.