To report friend to FB for photo of her blacked up?

[Greyhound]

I'm really shocked - cousin of mine has pic of herself on Facebook blacked up. She is white. The picture is of her at a fancy dress party - she has covered her face in dark brown stage make up and is wearing an "Afro" wig and Rastafarian style striped hat.

Her husband is also blacked up.

Again, why so nasty shakethetree?

Skin colour mimicking aside (though it seems to be acceptable to mimic a Caucasian skin tone?)

I genuinely don't see the issue with dressing up in traditional costume or similar.

Whether that is a Caucasian person wearing a rasta outfit (not all Rastas are black are they?) or a black person wearing a kilt (not all scots are white), I think it's wrong to assume that a certain skin colour is needed to be of a certain culture or tradition.

I am Caucasian yet have the cultural background and 'right' to wear traditional Chinese clothing, however I'm sure if some saw me they would class it as cultural appropriation.

I work in a call centre. There's about 100 people in my department over 10 teams.

We have frequent incentive and themed days. The last one was cuisine and dress up day - each team pulled a random Country out of a hat and we had to dress up as someone from that Country (or in that Country's flag or something similar) and bring in foods from that Country.

We pulled Jamaica, and the first person I thought of was Bob Marley. So I bought a dreadlock wig and painted my face and arms with brown face paint then picked some clothes that looked right in random charity shops. The effect was pretty good.

Just to throw it out there...I'm mixed race. My skin is a couple of shades lighter than BM. So was I racist? Or was it maybe a bit more acceptable because I'm halfway there anyway? Is just horrifically insensitive (according to some) and racist to do it if you're white?

Maggie - police, Interpol and the Daily Mail have already been informed.

I'm hoping for a Mail On Sunday exclusive on "White Woman Shops Own Cousin For Pretending To Be A Black Man" but I think said cousin is already in there with her "It's Only A Funny Costume - Lighten Up Bitch" double page spread.

So, it's back to writing soft porn for the Sunday Sport horoscope for yours truly.

Serenity - I was questioning why it is seen as ridiculing them for the colour of their skin.

Also, people are saying it's offensive because black people have been oppressed. So have Irish people but that doesn't make it offensive/racist to dress up as an Irish person. Tbh I think it's the actions of the person rather than what they are wearing that's the issue.

"Irish people would be pretty offended if the type of portrayals of Irish people in the 19th century were considered suitable fancy-dress costumes today"

Was the person in the OP dressed up as a portrayal of a black person in the 19th century? No.

W

Women have historically been oppressed.

You don't get people reporting men for dressing up in drag.

Parallels are not like for like, directly comparable. I'm comparing a racist version of an Irish person (like in Punch Magazine: simian features, paddywhackery, drunken, violent) popular with a racist version of a black person (like the Minstrels: foolish, conniving, stupid, childlike, with an undercurrent of danger). Both of these were designed for the entertainment of a privileged overclass. That the two stereotypes emerged about fifty years apart doesn't mean the comparison isn't valid.

But st Patricks day is an Irish celebration. Celebrated by Irish people- except in the US where you only need a great great Irish grandparent to consider yourself Irish.

It's not a day for no Irish people to dress up as Irish people
In order to ridicule them is it?

As explained time and time again, the history of blacking up explains the ridicule.

And yes emerald, you were racist. Being mixed race doesn't mean you can't be racist

WHAT ABOUT-ITUS
We've done men in drag. Keep up!

FORCED TO MAKE CAKE? I'm outraged. talks about Ferguson. At 7:17 he addresses white people blithering on about all their 'suffering' at the hands of PC. It is very specific to America but the idea that white people, men, straight people, Christians are dealing with prejudice in the same way is unbelievable.

So it is racist to darken mixed race skin to a mixed race skin. - emeralds example

Is it racist to darken Caucasian skin, to a Caucasian skin?

Hmmm do you ever wish you'd never started something?!

Actually glad I did - been a revealing experience

But skin colour does not define how representative you are as a person of another culture. Surely?

I can't look at someone wearing traditional garb and know that because they appear Caucasian, they have no right to wear it.

Janine, but the person in the OP wasn't portraying a black person in that negative way.

Serenity - but why are you suggesting the OP was doing it to ridicule black people? I only brought up St patrick's day because it's a day when lots of people dress up in stereotypical Irish costume - without, for the most part, causing offence.

Buffy, but even a woman could dress up in a frilly dress, high heels and dramatic makeup to mimic someone else. Why is it offensive if a man does it? People tend to opt for stereotypes at costume parties because they are recognisable, I don't think they do it to insult people or ridicule them.

"But skin colour does not define how representative you are as a person of another culture. Surely?

I can't look at someone wearing traditional garb and know that because they appear Caucasian , they have no right to wear it."

Surely then that is also an example of defining someone by the colour of their skin?

That's the fraught history of blacking-up, Mrs Whiskerson. That history is precisely why many people find it extremely offensive. Which is what I and others have been trying to explain to you throughout the thread.

No it's not, because of the very words I used. Why assume that someone is Caucasian because they appear it?

Tbh it's not something I think about on meeting people.
I would not look at someone who appears white, and think they have no right to wear traditional Chinese garb for instance. It seems some would.

There is a wealth of information out there, some of which has been quoted on this thread, about why blackface is offensive.

Not one person has quoted any evidence, except personal opinion, as to why it isn't.

Would anyone bat an eyelid if I, as a very pale Caucasian person, used makeup, fake tan, whatever, to appear as a less pale Caucasian person? Like if I went to a party as Jordan?

If not, then why is it not ok for someone like emerald who is mixed race, to do the same to appear as someone with darker skin?

I've read the history of blacking up Janine. As I just said, the person in the OP wasn't portraying a black person in that way. I see a difference.