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

[Tinlegs]

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.

It's taking the piss because of the history of exploitation and ridicule inherent in blacking up. As I said upthread, you need to educate yourself.

I said it was the hallmark of a bully rather than bullying in its own right. It's a classic ploy to minimalist bullying behaviour.

And I'd probably find the attitudes in your office utterly offensive if your statements are a reflection of them.

OMG, people please chill out - lovely has not been a racist or said anything racially offensive at all - who cares what people dress up as? As long as it wasn't meant offensively???

And I don't believe anything mentioned in regards to 'dressing up' was meant offensively at all.

Nope not scared to breathe. It's easier to be racist actually because a lot of people are! But standing up to them is important. There is no reason to be racist and it benefits no one so why do you do it?

Mylovelyboy what is your opinion on minstrelling?

You're another one who needs to read up on the history of blacking up, taffleee. You may not believe that a white person blacking up is problematic, but thankfully most people in Britain see it and name it for what it is: highly offensive.

tafflee only one post on this thread of over 200 messages has been deleted and it was one of mylovelyboy's posts.

So obviously, HQ feel that she's been offensive - or are you saying they're wrong too?

And whether something was meant to be offensive or not is irrelevant. Blacking up is offensive. That is a fact and not something you can keep brushing off. Millions of people aren't wrong about that.

Oh yeah thants challenging racism is a walk in the park, just people being oversens itive

I don't find anything offensive in the descriptions of OP

Thants Please tell me exactly what i have said that is racist. Give me one example. A sentence that i have written. Just one will be fine that you are offended by.

mylovelyboy - why is your stock answer to anyone disagreeing with you that they're being over sensitive?

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.

mylovelyboy - that sentence above is racist, you just refuse to see it.

It's really odd. Some people seem to have absorbed the message that being racist is bad and wrong. Since they think they are good people, they conclude that they can't possibly be racist. They don't seem to understand that simply declaring themselves non-racist doesn't actually make it so. They would also have to discard racist beliefs. But they don't actually want to stop having those beliefs, they just don't want anyone to call them racists. Well, it doesn't work that way.

Of course "blacking up" is racist. It is idiotic to suggest otherwise.

So OP my friends and I blacking our faces to dress as the Three Degrees

Racist and offensive

Okay, one my bessie mates is black, and she has just said about us going out one night dressed as the 'three degrees' (have just talked about this thread, so maybe it influenced her decision slightly lol!!)

Why not!!! She sees no offence, why should anyone else?? This is NOT racism !!

going to a party and blacking up as the 1980's Mr T - racist.

Shall I continue?

LOL!!! Heart, I posted before reading - in NO WAY racist!!!!

Thants I think Minstrelling is very outdated and has connotations of the past. It would not be acceptable in todays society. That i agree. But we are not talking about minstrelling. We are talking about todays society when for example someone dresses as the Jackson Five. Three Degrees. Michael Jackson. Its not taking the piss out of their colour. Its who they are. Black or white. Does it matter if you change the colour of your face for a costume. Its not putting someone down.

Taffleee - please tell your 'friend' she's an ignorant idiot who is helping to perpetuate stereotypes and is helping to keep racism alive and kicking.

MrsDeVere I was called a cunt as well but took it on the chin. Like you should in a debate.

Full house!

I've figured it out. Mylovelyboy and taffleee are media studies undergraduates doing a project on racism in online chat environments, and are role-playing to provoke opinions. I'm hoping the poor writing is part of the experiment.

At least I hope so.

Taffleee - when did your friend become the spokesperson for all black people then? When did she get to decide that because she's not offended by blacking up (and boy is she thick if she really feels that way) that other people shouldn't be?

A Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson skit on Australian tv was rightly called as offensive by Harry Connick Jr mylovelyboy.