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 confess I wouldn't do it personally - not because I believe it to be racist in any way, but because I can do wiithout the angst it would risk creating at what should be a happy social event

I always find it interesting the the idea about "it's racist if the observer feels it is" tends to be reserved for some groups but not others ...

I think YABU to report it. Just block her posts/the photo from appearing on your news feed if you find it offensive.

www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/kim-kardashian-reacts-to-blackface-incident-at-vienna-ball-on-kuwtk-2014306

I don't think it is, in itself, racist. But there are connotations which means it will make people uncomfortable and therefore I would be very about someone wearing it. If you were specifically dressing up as someone who's black, then it's not exactly racist, but there's a whole history of blackface which is white people making fun of black people, exaggerating and stereotyping them, which is you shouldn't do it.

Mrswhiskerson, the explanation that rang clearest with me re not actually needing to black up was that if a black woman could 'be' (for e.g.) Marilyn Monroe without making her face white, why would I need to darken my complexion to be (for e.g.) scary spice?

The fancy dress aspect is what identifies the character, not the skin colour - for Marilyn it's the dress and hair, for scary spice it's mad hair, animal print jumpsuit and mega platforms (bellowing "girl power" at all and sundry).

I was Shirley Bassey once, no darkening my v pale complexion required - the feather boa, amazing 70s frock, wig etc did the trick (along with my James bond sidekick and my shit rendition of goldfinger).

The blacking part it the offensive part as it is reducing the character to little more than the colour of skin. It is not the black face that made the cousin Bob Marley or whatever, the dreadlocks, hat and other accessories would.

Don't worry, I understood, Phaedra

And blacking up isn't anything like dressing up as a stereotyped idea of a French person. Have French people been oppressed and discriminated against for centuries in the same way? It's the history behind it.

I've thought about this and YABU OP. FB will do nothing. So what's the point of reporting? If you want her to know your feelings about it, tell her.

I haven't watched the Kardashians and really know who they are, but I know they are famous TV stars - wasn't aware of the blackface issue with them.

Dressing up as a person of colour or from another race is considered racist because it shows that the person dressing up sees them as 'other'. Our society sees white (males usually) as the default. Look at 'nude' colour dresses or shoes. Blackface is just one way of showing that you see people of colour as different/exotic.

Lots of people upthread have said it can't be racist if you're doing it as a compliment or as flattery but of course it can. It's still treating them as other.

In any case it's hard to say 'it's not offensive' when there are plenty of people here and elsewhere saying they ARE offended. It's not for the white majority to tell people how they should feel about something.

By the way Google sociological images and cultural appropriation for really smart discussion of this and lots of examples.

Blackfacing, wearing an afro wig and "acting black" are ways if mocking black people.

Mocking someone for their ethic origin is racist.

But I would never report a friend to FB or any authority. I would feel embarrassed for her though.

I am American. It is the history of blackface that makes it so offensive. I can't speak for the UK, and there are few generalizations about the US that don't have major exceptions, but this one does not: It is deeply offensive for a white person to wear blackface.

Interesting point about "nude" shoes. "flesh coloured" tights that are actually pale and only "nude" on white people.

Of course blacking up is racist. I am appalled at the number of people on this thread who are defending it. Really illustrates how casual racism is still an undercurrent in society.

But would I report? Nah, as it wouldn't achieve anything. I'd either text her along the lines of "what Tue actual fuck is wrong with you", or ignore for the sake of family harmony. If she's not bright enough to understand that blacking up is racist, chances are she wouldn't be bright enough to understand my complaints.

Cultural appropriation is just that attitude that other people's culture is there to be used for your amusement or entertainment. Aspects of Native American culture that are deeply sacred to them are just picked up and used as fashion or fancy dress. It can be very offensive. Couple that with the history of blackface and you're really guaranteed to upset people.

Lorelei's point about "other" is very important. There was a thread recently where the OP was asking for ideas about how to dress for an "OAP fancy dress" party. Needless to say the suggestions were in no way flattering to older people. A couple of posters were happily commenting on the fact that no one had come on to say that what they were doing was ageist. So I did.

It's unacceptable, offensive and racist. There are always people on here who will come on here and bleat about PC etc though. Ignorance is still out there.
I wouldn't report to FB. I'd raise it with her which you have done.I'd block or even unfriend her. And of course if the silly ignorant little cow has employerswith a social media code she might well be disciplined, and quite justifiably so IMO.

Well as a drama student we had to white up to play a Geisha girls. Is that racist? What about if a black person whited up to dress up as Gazza or Simon Cowel for fancy dress, would that not be racist?

I think all Geishas traditonally wore heavy white make up so really not the same.

Yes, dressing up as a Geisha girl in order to parody/stereotype is racist but if you are just playing a Geisha girl in a play it isn't racist.

Whiting up is just as offensive as blacking up. If someone changed their skin colour to white/pink to dress up as Gazza etc - yes, racist.

Poor gazza, he gets brought into Everything

And I think Othello is generally played by black actors now. Actors don't black up for the role anyway.

Putting white make up on to be a geisha girl - this is part of traditional geisha culture so not racist.

Going to a fancy dress in a geisha wig, costume etc = cultural appropriation.

Lol Owllady - agree, poor Gazza.

I hope he manages to recover from his addictions, it must be horrible for him.

According to John Oliver. I think this explains it in a funny way. Even if you think it is not a parody, it could be.