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.

I have skimmed through this thread and YES black face is totally unacceptable and the op's cousin should be directed to this thread to inform her. I have now learnt something about Native American war bonnets and misappropriation and was really interested in the links so thanks for that. I do think the op set this up to fish out the "racists" on MN as an earlier poster suggested. But what shocked me was Chopinface demanding a report to the Police. Were you a Stasi informer in an early life Chop? You argue with passion and clear conviction but any admiration I may have for you has been lost with that nasty little suggestion....

Scarlett you made a v. reasoned post there. Said it so much better than i ever could.

It doesn't trump it Buffy, but often feathery-stroking is what's required.

Same with gender equality to an extent - I have tinkly-laughed and worked harder and longer to get equal recognition in my very male dominated work, because most of the people in my chain of command were dinosaurs; now I have a position of minor influence, I pick people up on their misconceptions and bigotry with relish and without having to fluffy it up.
(I still allow them one slip up though, before unleashing the beast ).

Yes, agree - it's tiring and it should be unnecessary, most of the ignorance comes from the groups with the most privilege.

I just think that on mn it is going to achieve so much more to feathery-stroke and lead/educate nicely.

Until last year it never occurred to me that complexion darkening to portray a particular character would cause offence, it was a mn thread that made me .
I have then used the same examples given to me at the time to educate others on their innocent ignorance.

So many thousands of people use and read mn, it is nice to think that other people like me, to whom racism is not an issue in daily life, would read something and say "well, I never realised - that's something I won't do again".

"But sometimes I think, ffs, so we have to spend ages leading them by the hand and stroking their hair and saying now look, don't be upset please, but if I explain to you nicely about all this nasty history, do you think perhaps you could try a bit harder next time?

It irritates me that ignorance is this big get out of jail free card and everyone has to tiptoe around the ignorant so as not to upset them while they're upsetting other people with their ignorance. Why does their right not to have their feathers ruffled trump the right of the people they're offending?"

I understand it can be frustrating but it depends what kind of result you are hoping for. Do you (and that's a general "you" - not particularly directed at you) really want to engage people, challenge their views and broaden their understanding or do a frustrated hit and run where they feel attacked, accused and cornered - often because of their background, education and upbringing).

I felt sneered at and accused of lying when I said I grew up in a white environment, didn't know any non white people growing up. I also didn't go to university but worked fairly local. People belittling folk for being racist, saying they are ignorant etc and showing their own ignorance in the process. Some people are educated to these things, live in a background that makes it more relevant and easier to understand. For others - race just didn't raise it's head much and just wasn't a priority or something to worry about. Add people living in poverty, having to deal with prejudices directed at them and maybe many just didn't get round to discussing "black face " or "white privilege".

I've just read my post back and I didn't mean to sound so patronising.

It's fine to get angry and pissed off when you have to explain something for what must feel like the thousandth time, and it's irritating seeing yet more people claiming ignorance - why should you always give someone the benefit of the doubt.

I am not trying to blithely tell people how they should feel or react, I'm just trying to explain why I would approach differently (and I understand that it is easy for me to have that approach purely due to the fact that I have not had to argue the point for my entire life).

Buffy, I have been deleted on quite a few occasions now - always due to a flippant sarcastic aside to someone who is being deliberately obtuse.

I am clearly not as reasonable as you

OP here!

Just to say, I didn't write this post to fish out racists!

I genuinely was shocked and angry with my cousin because of the picture - I would up to upload it; it is of her blacked up but her husband is even worse... He appears to be covered in jet black boot polish.

"Love to upload it"

Totally ridiculous, you need something to do! Thank god you're not my cousin.

Oh stop being silly, Patsy

Patsyandeddie have you actually bothered reading the thread?

Actors 'Whited Up' for the role of White Chicks.
Why was that acceptable?
Please explain.

Got to be honest, haven't seen the film "White Chicks" so can't really comment.

I would imagine that a blacked up version would be offensive!

I think the general feeling is that parodying race etc by blacking/whiting up or using "tribal"/Native American motifs etc in a way that is demeaning is wrong.

My original post was basically expressing my shock at a cousin having a pic of her blacked up in a parody of a Rastafarian.

I asked in my OP whether I should report the pic to FB but decided this would be rather mean, passive aggressive, petty etc so I PM'd her instead.

Got to be honest, haven't seen the film "White Chicks" so can't really comment.

It's a film about two black men who pretend to be white women (chicks).
To achieve this, they put white makeup on their faces.

I'm curious as to how that isn't seen as offensive, but if a white person does the same, then that is?

I don't think the film should be shown. It's highly offensive.

12 pages in and people are still asking for explanations as to how blackface is offensive? Unbelievable! Why bother explaining if they couldn't understand the first ten explanations, how else could you explain it to make someone understand? It has to be people being deliberately obtuse, which is so juvenile and irritating to engage with that I personally cba. Props to those who have taken time out to explain though.

Yes, of course blackface is racist, it is official.

I also happen to think blackening up is racist,
but so's whitening up.
(nobody seems to want to explain that)

Sweetness - just realised the film you are referring to. Yes, it is racist. The whole premise is that the two main characters disguise themselves as a different race and gender so sexist to boot...

Blackface is much more offensive, for these reasons.

www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-don-lemon-no-nick-cannons-whiteface-is-not-racist/