Yellow face in a children’s play!

[Hypotenuse]

I’ve named changed to an old name, I imagine this is quite identifying as I can’t believe anyone else would be this stupid in this day and age!

My daughter is in a small production company, for children, run by the local community. She’s been it in for years, they’ve put on great productions and she enjoys it.
I’m writing this in the interval of their latest show, which I’d not seen a script for or heard much about as she’s mostly learning backstage things this time and just doing the odd dance number. I am horrified at what I am watching. The play is set in Shanghai and everyone is called ping pong wong, or chow mien, or emperor peaking duck... one adult in the play is there as a comedy idea, in yellow face, and only says stereotypical Chinese words, or items from the menu of a Chinese restaurant and ends everything with a bow and ‘yum yum’.

I am so upset my child is a part of this, I had no idea, they’ve not done anything like this before! It’s all been Cinderella or Snow White, cutesy things!

My question is, WIBU to refuse to allow her to partake in the show again tomorrow night and withdraw her? I’m friends with a lot of the people running it so I will probably lose a lot of friends if I tell the truth as to why, but I could lie and say she’s ill and then that she’s growing out of it so won’t come back. Or should I tell the truth? The right thing is to tell the truth isn’t it?

[Valerrie]

How vile. I'd have to tell them.

[retpally]

Disgusting - tell the truth!

[grasspigeons]

Id just point out if she acts out some of this stuff at school a lot of questions would be asked and you don't want to risk it. Might get them thinking about how awful it is.

[AppleKatie]

Tell the truth they need to hear it!

I complained to Gullivers land this year because in their —terrible— pantomime one of the characters had blacked up there’s no excuse for it.

[GreenTulips]

Well yes, but Cinders may be cute but she hardly helps with the strong independent woman we have all been fighting for, for years? Banished to the kitchen, not worth looking at unless she's glamed up etc

[newyearsameme80]

What’s the show called?

[JoeyMaynardssolidlump]

I think you should go see the producer and mention to them that if a local paper reviews it they may find themselves at the centre of a national media scrum.

I assume they havnt thought it through? If it’s community funded I imagine any hint of this to the council could stop funding? You should warn them.

[Ragusa]

Good grief. No.YANBU. and teaching your DD about peaceful protest by pulling her out.

[goldangel]

Just awful, withdraw your DD & tell them why, totally unacceptable.

[RefuseTheLies]

Never mind tomorrow - get your daughter out now during the break!

[Callamia]

I think I’d ask, straight out, why they chose to put on a racist production.

I’m sorry for your daughter - taking her out seems to punish the wrong people, but I entirely get why you want to. Is she of an age that you could explain to her why it’s terrible? (Did she already realise?)

[5plusMeAndHim]

I think you are over reacting -every Aladdin panto I have seen has been just like this.

[Sprinklestar]

That is appalling!

[CaoNiMa]

I think you are over reacting -every Aladdin panto I have seen has been just like this.

Do you live in the 1950s??

[EduCated]

YANBU at all, though wondering if you’re local to us, my DM said very similar about a local panto she saw recently...

[floriad]

I'd tell them.

And I'd also mention that many people might be outraged if they heard of this.

Also for the sake of the childre involved, they really don't deserve the be part of a possible controversy.

[dancinfeet]

As a dance teacher I feel very strongly about pulling a child out of a show last min / letting the rest of the cast down. I think in this circumstance, you should. What on earth was the director of the group thinking putting on such a production? I would contacting the local media myself, in your shoes!

[ReanimatedSGB]

Yes - if anyone else gets hold of this, the group could find themselves in the middle of a huge media ruck.

(Please don't be the one who brings this down on them, however horrified you are. The people in charge have been hugely, hugely crass and stupid, but the fallout could be pretty grim for the kids involved. I have to assume you live in a fairly monocultural area, and the kids themselves probably won't understand quite how tasteless and nasty this is.)

[stopfuckingshoutingatme]

Yuk
Pull out . Will also teach her about making a stand
Awkward conversation ahead poor OP

[ArchchancellorsHat]

Definitely take her out. You could lie and say she's ill, or tell the truth about the play material. Who on earth thought that was ok?

[Agerbilatemycardigan]

Despite what a PP said, this is NOT overreacting. Shit like this is why my mixed race daughters were subjected to racism at school. They also have a Chinese surname (it rhymes with one of the comedy ones btw) and were taken the piss out of for that reason alone, never mind their skin colour - and no, it's not fucking yellow!

Perpetuating racist stereotypes does nobody any favours. If someone doesn't pull them up on this, then they'll think that it's perfectly acceptable for them to behave as if they're in a bad 70s sitcom!

[Yukbuck]

Yes this sounds really racist. I would also pull her out and explain why.

It's the words used that I'm most cross about.

I actually don't think there's anything wrong with a child dressing up and painting face to the colour of the person they are playing. For example, when talking about strong women, Rosa parks?