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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Why is comparing Womanface to Blackface offensive?

317 replies

Backinthecloset123 · 30/10/2019 21:45

I've seen quite a few people state this is offensive and still don't understand why.

Here's an example.

twitter.com/Bon_QuiGirl/status/1189546024479707137?s=19

Could someone explain?

The way I see it, the abhorrence of the history of slavery and racism, and of course blackface, can be equated to the abhorrence of Womanface due to the history of the rape, abuse, murder and hatred towards women by men, the FGM taking place to this day, the murdered female infants, the list goes on.

I am trying hard to understand and would love to hear why my thinking is wrong, and the comparison offensive. I have no hidden agenda.

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Fraggling · 31/10/2019 23:21

'Drag is entertainment based on stereotypes, often negative ones, of women. Blackface was entertainment based on horrible caricatures of black people'

Bit pissed not going back

If you said that, it clearly says, well, what you wrote. I take issue with what you wrote.

Sorry if it wasn't you.

OccasionalKite · 31/10/2019 23:20

Like PP have pointed out, I feel that people telling us not to use 'womanface' are unacquainted with women's history.

BeMoreMagdalen · 31/10/2019 23:16

Not sure what your point is fraggling. I obviously agree with you, I don't like or support drag, and I don't think there is a hierarchy of oppression and women don't count.🤷‍♀️

Fraggling · 31/10/2019 23:13

Aw fuck typed a long post lost it.

Summary.
Women have always been oppressed and still are. Horribly, around the world.
We die and get killed in droves because we are seen as, treated as, less than human.
The fact this is seen as the norm, which is what it boils down to, is awful.

Women are not seen as fully people anywhere, as far as I know. I mean barring tiny groups, somewhere.

Looking years ago at what happened in USA. Terrible. Women being bought and sold as they weren't allowed to work under taleban. Less terrible?

Missing millions?

This needs to not be a numbers game.

Because the numbers usually counted are male.

Quitedrab · 31/10/2019 23:08

To argue that the consequences of historical racism have always been worse than the consequences of historical sexism just seems incorrect.

I honestly don't think anybody has tried to make that argument. It would be a silly argument to make, I agree.

BeMoreMagdalen · 31/10/2019 23:00

Drag is entertainment based on stereotypes, often negative ones, of women. Blackface was entertainment based on horrible caricatures of black people

Drag is horrible caricatures
How can people not see that.

You've misunderstood my post, which is probably my fault for not constructing my parallel there using exactly the same terms. I agree with you. They both use hideous caricatures of the targets of the parody.

My point was that the purpose is not the same. Blackface was an active propaganda tool against black people in the US to stoke up violence toward them. DragRace is deeply horrible mockery, but it isn't being used to justify violence against women.

As I said, the tweets picturing hanged women and vaguely 'feminized' men with weapons are a much closer analogy.

Quitedrab · 31/10/2019 23:00

They pick it as a point of comparison because they're both about dressing up as something you're not.

Everyone has experience with dressing up, halloween, theater etc. So if that's all people meant, they would have plenty of examples. Blackface is a kind of dressing up that's not socially acceptable. That's why people use it in argument.

Some people who refer to blackface don't even necessarily appreciate why it's unacceptable. They just know it's something that carries moral force.

But I think we agree on essentials. Drawing thoughtful parallels is great, and some people on here and on the twitter thread have made really interesting comments about blackface and drag.

Fraggling · 31/10/2019 22:52

And taking the piss out of us. Of what they think we are. Because we aren't real people, just types.

Fyi I fucking hate pantomime dames as well.

And tits always seem important. Which is sex, not gender.

merrymouse · 31/10/2019 22:52

I mean blackface itself not being acceptable, not the use of the word.

I understand the details of why black face is harmful and offensive, but is it also therefore wrong to talk about 'yellow face'?

To argue that the consequences of historical racism have always been worse than the consequences of historical sexism just seems incorrect.

Fraggling · 31/10/2019 22:50

'Drag is entertainment based on stereotypes, often negative ones, of women. Blackface was entertainment based on horrible caricatures of black people'

Drag is horrible caricatures.
How can people not see that.

The names.
Earlier on the thread, Cupid stunt.
Another thread, drag persona is called Sandra bollock. Who laughs at that name? It's so utterly disrespectful. I remember as it was the other day and the person who uses this persona is quite mainstream in other roles.

And many more examples.

It is toxic misogyny that only gets airtime in a society where women are inferior.

I don't do this comparison using the terms.

But thinking women have laughable bodies and 2d stereotype personalities doesn't reflect our position? No.

terfsandwich · 31/10/2019 22:41

They pick it as a point of comparison because they're both about dressing up as something you're not.
There was a recent thread saying we couldn't compare the silencing of feminist activists and academics with the rise of Nazi Germany.

I think parallels are useful. Sure, when examined there are distinct divergences. But in understanding patterns they are useful.

Quitedrab · 31/10/2019 22:34

Who says it's unacceptable?

I mean blackface itself not being acceptable, not the use of the word.

It seems like some people use blackface as an analogy without knowing much about it or having any experience with it. So I do wonder why they pick it? Seems a bit disingenuous.

However, if someone did have knowledge of the history of blackface, or personal experience with racism and used the analogy thoughtfully, then it would be different.

BeMoreMagdalen · 31/10/2019 22:32

Ok, I'm a bit confused now after the last few pages. My understanding of the use of 'womanface' in feminist conversation recently has been specifically in relation to the prevalence of drag artists. This is where the comparison to blackface strikes me as inaccurate enough to not be helpful.

Drag is entertainment based on stereotypes, often negative ones, of women. Blackface was entertainment based on horrible caricatures of black people. The difference that is crucial here is that blackface was a tool actively used in the ongoing violent oppression of black people, including women. RuPaul's dragrace is unpleasant and rife with negative female stereotypes, but it isn't being used as a tool to actively encourage violence against women.

If we're talking about the elements of Transactivism that use Trf as a pejorative, complete with drawings of hanged women or pictures of weapon wielding assailants via 'POV if you're a Trf in my mentions', then I think we are a lot closer to womanface being an accurate analogy.

terfsandwich · 31/10/2019 22:21

How honest is it, though, to use the blackface analogy? If it's just because it's something you know is unacceptable nowadays, not entirely sure why, then it's lazy to use it

Who says it's unacceptable? Some black women. Black women are not a sacred caste nor are they an amorphous mass. I agree with some and disagree with others. I'll choose to think what I want based on views and persuasive arguments. I'll agree with those with whom I have an ideological affinity.

Some black women say prostitution is empowering and you're racist if you disagree.
Some Muslim women say the hijab is an empowered choice and we should help them fight to get halal lipstick.
Doesn't mean I get to set aside my own views on these things.

Justhadathought · 31/10/2019 21:51

seems to me you can't understand the origins of racism without understanding the origins of sexism first

Remember what John Lennon said about 'Woman', and he was right.......

Backinthecloset123 · 31/10/2019 21:49

Thanks creepster. Smile

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ShesDressedInBlackAgain · 31/10/2019 21:48

Have we all seen the drag abortion act thread?

Sure, they don't hate us.

Karabair · 31/10/2019 21:47

I've come up with at least one accurate phrase but I think it would get me deleted and banned, so that's a bit of a problem for truthtelling.

Quitedrab · 31/10/2019 21:41

If women don’t like drag we can call it what we like.

How honest is it, though, to use the blackface analogy? If it's just because it's something you know is unacceptable nowadays, not entirely sure why, then it's lazy to use it. It would be better to use concepts you know about to explain things.

Creepster · 31/10/2019 21:29

Backinthecloset123
All it takes is one space within the * to cause a bold fail, to say noting of a line break.

merrymouse · 31/10/2019 21:22

The category of woman has always featured a range of images - from the demeaned to the widely respected.

Like who - the Queen? the Virgin Mary? Caroline Criado Perez received death threats when she campaigned for Jane Austen to be featured on a £5 note.

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SpinneyHill · 31/10/2019 21:18

Blackface - we're nice. Musical. Affable We won't rape,kill or complain about being shot(cause you wont shoot white men) Course we're not black, we wouldn't claim that, it's offensive.

Womanface - Women will cause us to be raped by men, murdered by men Women are evil. Women are pink lippy that we wear better and Lesbians being bitches cause they still not fucking us. Fucking bitches pretending they know the difference between Women and Womanface which is us and we are women. ps punch women

Gee I don't know why one is offensive....But I'm guessing you pointing it out and not being a powerful man is the main reason WomanFaceinc is so sure your wrong

Backinthecloset123 · 31/10/2019 21:18

I would also love to know why my attempts at bolding with ...... only works sometimes?

I enjoyed reading the robust and differing opinions. That I don't agree with 2B, for example, does not entail that I am being disrespectful, racist, dismissive, or any of the other terms thrown out there. I understand her argument, but just don't agree with it.

I do feel, now, the same pressure to not use the term womanface as I do with the pressure to not correctly point out biological realities regarding trans ideology. I'll ponder some more over time and try to keep an open mind.

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Karabair · 31/10/2019 21:15

What on earth is the point of quoting this statistic in this discussion, if not to gain cadence in the Oppression Olympics. The logical endpoint is to say small populations that have experienced genocidal events are less worthy.

Is that right?

It was in response to this:

It's not just slaves in America who had a shit life. Yes, their life was shit.

A lot of enslaved Africans didn't get the chance to have a life in America at all. Millions of them were dead. It's always a good idea to remind people of the dead, in discussions of men's oppression of different groups.

Not sure where oppression olympics comes in or what "cadence" means in this context.