Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 'blacking up' isn't necessarily racist?

297 replies

Fabuloo · 02/01/2013 20:29

Apologies in advance for the Daily Mail link....

this article

I think it's more to do with the intention behind it rather than the 'act'. DD is mixed race and sometimes dresses up in a blonde wig and in the past has put my make up on. My DS is blonde and fair and I would have no problem if he wanted to do the same in reverse. I do feel people need to get a grip...

OP posts:
FamilyGuy22 · 03/01/2013 20:25

PicadilyCervix

I'm not a white Brit and think you're taking it too far, irrespective of your family being coloured. I'm not saying you're wrong but just expressing my opinion.

My race were oppressed by Brits in history as were many others. I don't see any harm in what the child did and have no doubt none of my family would either.

If we all acted in fear of offending anyone then we would cease to walk out of our homes. Especially in the diverse country we live.

The Irish have been oppressed by the English but they sell daft stereotypes of themselves in tourist gift shops, as do the Scots. Europeans wiped out the native American Indians but does that mean we should never have a wild west fancy dress night? Facial colour is but a feature of one's ethnic background, along with hair, eyes, nose and clothing. Slamming someone because they've decided to replicate one of these features is foolish IMHO

PiccadillyCervix · 03/01/2013 20:26

Of course it isn't the wee kid's fault, but surely an adult in the family must have thought this through.

You would think that wouldn't you. Until you read this thread.

FreudiansSlipper · 03/01/2013 20:32

who lives in fear of offending others?

I do not. I have learnt what is acceptable and what is not and I go by that, if I offend someone unintentionally I apologise for doing so and learn from that it's not hard unless you want to make it difficult for yourself

DameMargotFountain · 03/01/2013 20:47

as an aside, OP, what made you apologise for the DM link in your 1st post?

seeker · 03/01/2013 21:02

You don't have to live in fear of offending people- just don't do or say offensive things. Then you don't have to worry!

FamilyGuy22 · 03/01/2013 21:16

Seeker

What one finds offensive may not be to another so saying, "just don't do or say offensive things" is a bit of a non-starter surely.

Is replicating someone's facial colour really offensive? Does the BBC or ITV have to actively stop playing Silver Streak on TV because viewers may get offended by Gene Wilder? Or will Tropic Thunder never get air time because of Robert Downey Jnr?

ComposHat · 03/01/2013 21:20

"just don't do or say offensive things. "

What a meaningless, trite statement. You seem to think there is an absolute definition of 'offensive' and 'non-offensive' words and deeds.

seeker · 03/01/2013 21:46

"What a meaningless, trite statement. You seem to think there is an absolute definition of 'offensive' and 'non-offensive' words and deeds."

I actually think that broadly speaking there is. There might be a little bit of fiddling at the margins, but for the most part, it's pretty easy to tell what's offensive and what's not.

seeker · 03/01/2013 21:48

And even if it's not offensive, some things are much better not said or done. For reasons of courtesy or good taste. I think this particular blacking up thing comes under that category. Not very courteous and not in very good taste.

FierySmaug · 03/01/2013 22:14

I hope I never come across an Italian dressed as an Englishman, complete with bowler hat and umbrella. Now that would be racist wouldn't it? I mean come on, after those pesky Romans came over here, forcibly recruited our native British men to fight for their empire, and then stayed to oppress us for 300 years..Hmm

seeker · 03/01/2013 22:17

To reprise an earlier post, god above, why are people so stupid!!!!!!!!!!!

JustAHolyFool · 03/01/2013 22:21

FierySmaug there is no weight of history there. You're talking about stuff that happened thousands of years ago. There are still people who can't see anything but skin colour when they see someone who isn't white, which is why this is a problem.

JustAHolyFool · 03/01/2013 22:22

seeker beats me, it really does.

Alisvolatpropiis · 03/01/2013 22:22

Fiery that quite simply isn't the same thing.

tittytittyhanghang · 03/01/2013 22:26

There are still people who can't see anything but skin colour when they see someone who isn't white

And these are the people we should be handwringing about, not the people in the op.

ravenAK · 03/01/2013 22:29

The Black & White Minstrel Show last aired in '78. I won't link, but I've just watched a couple of fairly jaw-dropping clips on youtube.

Bit more recent than the Roman Occupation of Britain.

JustAHolyFool · 03/01/2013 22:30

You can be concerned about more than one group of people.

I find blacking up completely awful, and I don't know anyone who doesn't.

OldMacEIEIO · 03/01/2013 22:33

I used to love the black and white minstrels. and george formby
and that little fat bloke...

whatsisname. mr pastry or summat

Charlie Drake. thats him

seeker · 03/01/2013 22:34

Nobody's handwringing. The people described in the op were obviously a bit thick, and blacking the kid up was a bit tasteless and silly and it would have been much better not to do it.

What boggles me is people's insistence on their inalienable right as English people to be silly and tasteless and to do stupid things! Who was it said that nobody ever went bankrupt underestimating the public taste?

OldMacEIEIO · 03/01/2013 22:41

We need a new O level in the curriculum

'Taking offence on someone elses behalf'

I was thinking of an A level or a bacalaureate, but thats probbly a stretch

JustAHolyFool · 03/01/2013 22:43

So are you only offended by things that directly affect you then?

FierySmaug · 03/01/2013 22:43

I'm afraid I just fail to see that a white person should be considered racist or offensive for blacking their face, on the basis that black people have been oppressed by white people through history. As long as it isn't done in a deliberately derogatory way, where's the real harm?
I'm from Cornwall where in Padstow, they have 'Mummers Day' or 'Darkie Day' which originates from a Pagan winter celebration and has nothing whatsoever to do with slaves or black people at all. But guess what, people have tried to ban it after wrongly speculating that it stems from slavery. I know this is going off point a bit, but it just makes me a bit Hmm when people get offended on behalf of other people over something completely innocent - like a little boy dressing up as his hero.

JustAHolyFool · 03/01/2013 22:46

Fiery it's been said over and over that the little boy is innocent in all this. No-one is disputing that.

I don't see what Mummers Day has to do with it, totally separate issue and nothing to do with this.

Again, do you only get offended by things that directly affect you? And how do you know what race people on this thread are? I know plenty of people, black, white, Asian who are offended by blacking up. To paint this as an issue that white people wring their hands over and black people don't care about is ludicrous.

sunshine401 · 03/01/2013 22:47

People do need to get a grip like the op states . Agree :)

OldMacEIEIO · 03/01/2013 22:50

if you want to be a busy-body, thats up to you. If you want to be a gossip and a nosey parker - carry on.
if you insist on being a holy fool - hey.