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.

Why is putting brown make up on your face to dress up for a themed party racist? Can someone explain it to me (without ranting or calling me stupid) please?

I disagree that it's racist.

Read storms links whisper, they explain it well.

Oh give over! My dp went dressed as Mr T one year.

Please do report to facebook and tell us what they say!

I can't see FB doing anything.there are several 'Black and white' minstrels groups and pages on there.

Mrs Whiskerson. Have you read the thread? The main theme is that parodying the features of another race, particularly a race which has been mocked for certain characteristics as part of a wider oppression, is offensive. Suggests there is something comical, lesser or ridiculous about a racial group.

Also "blacking up" evokes old so called entertainment acts which reinforced prejudicial attitudes, reinforced racist bullying and caused hurt to many.

Blacking up us racist and I would not be friends with someone who did this.
Fb unfortunately won't do anything, they really are terrible.
I don't like drag queening either, I find it offensive but because sexism isn't taken as seriously as racism most people don't care. It also doesn't have the same history so is more acceptable.

www.ftmovie.com/trading-places-movie.html

Another Eddie murphy film in which a white person blacks up.

Now what is the diffrent between that and what urbane posted.

I can understand the problem if someone dressed as a man from the Black and White Minstrel show (it was only men who blacked up).
But to just be as 'normal', but black, is it really racist?

Are there any black women on here with an opinion? Because I would have thought it's theirs that counts.

Mrs whiskerson- if you insist on being spoon fed, blacking up (using something dark over your face/ body to make you look black when you are not) has a long & racist history. Maybe you can't be arsed to
Consider this history, but not only did white actors black up to make racist jokes based on black stereotypes in the very racist days, but in the US white musicians often blacked up to perform "black" music such as jazz. The reason they did this is because under segregation it was not legal for blacks to perform or work in white establishments.

I can see the sun do you understand that white people
Haven't been repressed by black
People? So it's not the same?

I am sad and frustrated that there
Is any need to have this
Discussion in 2014

MrsWhiskerton this is merely my take on it but dressing up and blacking up as a stereotype of an entire racial or national group is lazy, stupid and unimaginative. And undoubtedly black face , especially of the B&W Minstels variety comes with a lot of baggage which is no longer acceptable.

Going as a "German" in lederhosen and a comedy German accent is the same as is a comedy "Paddy" with shamrock and saying "begorrah"

Going to say a Hollywood themed party of come as your favourite star/character then I think, as long as you were a genuine fan and your costume clearly identifies you as that person or character, is OK.

Women have been repressed by men, it still happens in 2014 with sexism.

Should men dressing up as women on stag do also be banned.

WHAT ABOUT- ITUS

I can promise I can't answer every distraction you can think of but men didn't spend many years dressed up as women mocking them
For entertainment. You know it's not the same, you're just being contrary

Another good article which addresses the comments about darkening your skin to dress up as a specific person.

Are you sure, because women wasn't allowed in theatres and all parts of a play was played by a man.

So what you are suggesting OP is that you should only ever go to a fancy dress party dressed as someone of your own ethnicity or you are a racist. What bullshit. I'm not surprised that your cousin hasn't replied to you, she probably thinks you have lost the plot.

I must tell my father that going to a recent fancy dress party as a Viking means that he is a racist. Maybe I should call the police and provide them with a photo

You are being pathetic. And you sound very unpleasant towards your cousin.

Oh for goodness sake a Viking isn't remotely the same. And why can't you dress up as a black person? Just don't fucking black up. Go as mrT, wear a shit load of jewelry, a track suit and a wig, I'm
Sure people will realise who you are. No one is curtailing your rights, unless it's your right to be racist you're desperate to protect

After reading the full thread I've calmed down slightly because, thankfully, there have been some sensible comments.

I am gobsmacked at the ignorance. It is a FACT, blacking up is OFFENSIVE. People, take the advice and learn something.
It is NOT political correctness gone mad, there is so much history to this. Please read the link provided by a pp and accept that you're wrong.

Yabvu mountain out of a molehill

Shocked, really shocked at the ignorance displayed on this thread.

Anyone who thinks that blacking up isn't offensive or comparable to dressing up as a Viking or a German or a British person really needs to educate themselves about the history of blackface. And think a little bit more about the dynamics of a powerful group taking on and ridiculing the characteristics of an oppressed group, just for their own entertainment.

And the whataboutery in bringing up men in drag is just that, whataboutery and bluster.

Stormclouds if one is going to write an article about lazy stereotyping it might be well to avoid using it oneself. Oh I know the opening paragraph was meant to be ironic, but still.

I don't think going to a fancy dress as a Viking is the same thing at all.

Anyway, it seems that those who think IANBU agree that blacking up is racist.

Those who think IABU believe that blacking up is not offensive and that I am making a fuss about nothing. They think that blacking up is no different to or more offensive than dressing up as a Scottish person in kilt/Viking/French person with beret, striped top and onions round neck.

A good number of people think I am spiteful, petty and ignorant.

Anyway, as I said below I did PM cousin, cousin didn't reply - probably thinks in a twat - and I didn't report pic.

I'm really surprised how many think blackface is acceptable tbh.

Were you watching a recent episode of the KUWTK OP, Kim and Kriss were discussing this in Vienna?

Janine I mentioned dressing up as a comedy German. I have been clear blacking up is wrong but all racism is wrong.