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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To find this disturbing for a number of reasons....

529 replies

Tinlegs · 10/11/2013 14:28

Photograph, posted on Facebook (and, therefore, in my eyes, endorsed) by a teacher of a group of people dressed up for Halloween. One person, "blacked up" (face mask, brownish make up on neck etc) one person "whitened up" (face mask, White make up) and a third person, also made up but in a brown colour. "Black man" wearing track suit, trainers and lots and lots of jewellery. "White woman" in curlers, Primark hoodie, track suit bottoms, heels. "Brown person" (an adult) in a child's buggy with a bottle, dummy and carrying what looks like a lunch box.

AIBU to think that this is racist and stereotyping of the worst kind. That they are dressed as a mixed race "chav" (not a word I would use but...) low income family who bottle feeds their baby, dresses badly and pushes a very old child around, who are all overweight etc.

Now I know these people. The area we live in is NOT at all multi cultural so there is unlikely to have been anyone offended at the party. But I am offended.

FWIW at least one of these people works with children on a daily basis.

Mumsnet, over to you.

OP posts:
Heartbrokenmum73 · 10/11/2013 18:47

Taffleee - oh, I see, because there were people dressed up who are also black (or 'asian decent'), then that makes it enlightening?

Not that the people in question were narrow-minded, ignorant and incredibly stupid?

garlicbutter · 10/11/2013 18:47

Some comedians use costume as a means of social commentary. I don't happen to like Little Britain because it descended into social sneering, but the original idea was an appropriate thought-provoker at the time. Harry Enfield used to do this to good effect, with characters like Loadsa Money and Tim Nice-But-Dim. Several old TV series, like Til Death Us Do Part, Steptoe & Son, The Good Life (and more,) were conceived as social satire but ended up sneering. It's probably best kept to short sketches, tbh, and definitely best left to professionals.

taffleee · 10/11/2013 18:48

heartbroken are you taking the piss out of my liverpudlian dialect?? I find that racist.......

ConfusedPixie · 10/11/2013 18:48

But blacking up is racist. Are you purposely just being stubborn or are you really that mad to not realise that after it has been explained to you numerous times?!

If I went and pushed a kid off of their scooter and my mates laughed, that would not make it okay, even if they happened to be scooter riders too.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 10/11/2013 18:50

Taffleee - no, I was taking the piss out of your ignorance and atrocious spelling. How in God's name would I know you were from Liverpool from what you're written Confused.

ConfusedPixie · 10/11/2013 18:50

It is shown on TV because it is supposed to be offensive. Jesus, all kinds of things are on TV, it doesn't have an "offensive" filter.

It's intended audience is dickheads who find that kind of thing funny.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 10/11/2013 18:50

And as Liverpudlian is not recognised as a 'race', I don't see how it could be racist...

taffleee · 10/11/2013 18:52

Heart No, just a lot of blokes who are mates who decided to go and raid Kareoke bars in one night and sing 'Jackson 5' songs', dressed as the 'Jackson 5' - race wasn't even mentioned!! Just a load of friends who wanted to look like the Jackson 5!!

ConfusedPixie · 10/11/2013 18:52

Really? Accents in writing? That's as ridiculous as when the Canadian told me off for referring to her using the American English term of pants.

ConfusedPixie · 10/11/2013 18:52

And they blacked up. That is the fucking problem tafflee!

Mylovelyboy · 10/11/2013 18:52

Blacking up is not putting someone down for their colour. Bloody hell. If I went to a party dressed as a person from Japan. put on a beautiful kimono. a lovely black wig and some eyeliner to make my eyes more slanted would that be considered offensive. ffs lighten up

garlicbutter · 10/11/2013 18:54

race wasn't even mentioned!!

I see. Race was completely irrelevant, they just decided to paint their faces black. OK Hmm

taffleee · 10/11/2013 18:55

heart you knocked me for saying 'bessie mates', thats what we call 'best friends' you didnt seem to understand, was just explaining

Heartbrokenmum73 · 10/11/2013 18:55

If you tried to make your eyes slanted, yes, that would be very offensive. I can't believe some people are so thick as to not understand how racial stereotyping is offensive.

I'm beginning to think you're doing this on purpose now mylovelyboy. You know exactly what you're saying and that it's offensive and you just don't care. No one can be that dense, can they?

taffleee · 10/11/2013 18:56

Oh come on - there's no racism even been mentioned - get a grip

Thants · 10/11/2013 18:58

Mylovelyboy of course that is racist. Dressing up as different race means that you are stereotyping that race!

garlicbutter · 10/11/2013 18:58

You would actually be dressing as a geisha girl, Mylovelyboy, not "a person from Japan". Geisha costume is now limited to restricted folklore activities, as it represents a period of extreme oppression of women ... so it's interesting that you picked this example.

Would you have your feet broken and crushed to go with the costume, or just mince around looking 'crippled'? That'd be a gas, wouldn't it.

MrsDeVere · 10/11/2013 18:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 10/11/2013 19:00

MrsD

I'm still missing a few so far, but we're not that far into the game yet...

Mylovelyboy · 10/11/2013 19:00

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

ConfusedPixie · 10/11/2013 19:01

Heart - I'd say that yes, they are both being offensive and ignorant on purpose because they're getting their kicks from doing so. Well I'm off, you're obviously trolling and I'm not having anything to do with it any more.

Heartbrokenmum73 · 10/11/2013 19:02

Erm, I think you'll find I'm not the only one to tell you it would be racist, but you just go ahead and single me out Hmm.

Are you going to start talking about 'living in bubbles' and 'not living in the real world' again now?

timidviper · 10/11/2013 19:02

You are choosing to be offended by a photo of people at an event you were not at, the exact circumstances of which you are not certain (e.g. is it underclass or celebrities?) and presumably people at the event were not obviously concerned or you'd have heard about it.

I think you, and some others on this thread, are taking this too far

taffleee · 10/11/2013 19:02

I'm starting to believe there are people on this site who just like arguing - mylovely said absolutely nothing racist or offensive - and maybe there should be a strong definition but in place.

taffleee · 10/11/2013 19:04

Timidviper I agree with you also

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