AIBU to think that "blacking up" is never acceptable?

[CoolRunnings2017]

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I appreciate that the people on the float probably didn't mean to offend, but surely common sense would tell you that this wasn't in good taste?

Of course it's never ok.

Anything that involves a member of a privileged group taking on the appearance of a less privileged group for humour and entertainment should be a thing of the past.

I would extend this to male-to-female drag, but this isn't a popular viewpoint.

It is i poor taste and not even funny so I don't see the need for it

I think excusing their actions as ignorance or naivety or a 'harmless bit of fun' is being a bit generous and plays into the stereotype of people in small Welsh towns somehow being a bit backward. I'm betting that during the time it took to build and plan the float there were occasions when the appropriateness of what they were doing was questioned and they carried on regardless. There's a lot of casual racism in areas with low numbers of minority residents, and a lot of indignance when white people are encouraged to change their behaviour because it's archaic and offensive. If they wanted to 'pay homage' to comedy movie underdogs there are hundreds of other films they could have chosen which would have been hilarious without being offensive.

I think some Morris dancer groups do but afaik it represents miners so ok

Thank you! I thought I was going crazy! I live in Wales and this is all over my fb feed: everyone saying how ridiculous it is and how it's not offensive. I think it's so wrong, whatever the innocent intentions. It just shows a severe lack of judgement and understanding of the world.

Absolutely not okay. No questions about it. CaoNi hit the nail on the head

Its backwater Wales isnt it. A bit like where i live in East Anglia (not far from cambridge) I've never met so many racist sexist people since moving here. It seems to be about 50 years behind the times here and I'm wondering if that part of Wales is the same. Not condoning it, i think its appalling.

I'm in Wales too, and I'm horrified by the number of people defending 'the lads' and their right to 'have fun'. On FB - even when there are people of colour explaining why it's wrong - people are refusing to contemplate how it's offensive. You would think people would want to morally disassociate with racism when a black person is explaining how and why it's racism, but no, they're just indignant and aggrieved and denying it's racism. There are so many retorts of 'get a grip snowflake' etc it's frightening.

It's not well thought out, is it?

I'm trying (unsuccessfully) to logicallly work my way to the premise that's it's racist. This is not an offensive portrayal of black people, is it? I mean, those bobsleigh people (they were real people, yes?) weren't parodies/etc. Which means for it to be racist, the very act of a white person dressing as a black person is racist in itself, and that opens up any other type of cultural mimicry to similar scrutiny?

Yeah, agree. Magdalen's Morris dancer example is a bit different, in that it genuinely seems to be a traditional reference to mining tradition (rather than an excuse retroactively added to a racist practice).

Has anyone here ever been to Holland in December? My sister lives there and feels pretty uncomfortable about St Nicholas's comedy side-kick clown (who also happens to have very thick lips, curly hair and a blacked up face). Basically lovely, liberal, Holland have a charming tradition where Santa's slave gives out sweets to children.

I saw Kim Kardasian getting it in the neck too for a series of shots or her in Jacquie Onassis mode. She was definitely darker than normal and I didn't recognise her (not that I'm up on celebs). Not really on point, I know...

That's an interesting point: why is drag OK and blacking up not OK?

I though Morris dancers tried to disguise their faces as they didn't want to be seen begging.

Could be right Fekko
The ones I saw with backed faces we called the miners something so I thought that was it

Wearing costumes and wigs, fine. Actually blacking faces, nope. It would have been clear who they were with everything else and not the face paint.

I've watched a stage show of hairspray in my decidedly rascist, sexist, ageist neck of the woods - similar area to @Gladys123 by the sound of it. And even with only one black cast member, they didn't see the need to black up the other half who were playing black characters in 1960's Baltimore. It was clear from the acting who was who.

Fekko is right about the Morris dancers, there's a specific form/tradition within Morris called molly dancing where the dancers have black faces. It comes from using spot to disguise themselves. So not really comparable.

My DD likes to cosplay, tbh i don't know most of the characters, but if there was a black character, would it be wrong then? Considering she cosplays as "white" characters too? Surely it's not discriminating as she's treating the black character the same as white? I don't know if that's how I feel, never thought about it until now, just wondering.

One of the characters is this one. And yes DD did put yellow face paint on. Is this wrong? Maybe I need to have a word?

How is it racist , it's fancy dress. It's not done to mock . PC gone mad.

Agreed. Blacking up has a horrific history, regardless of whether the conscious intent in this case was racist/stereotyping or not, and even if this was hardly a Sloaney 'Colonials and Natives' party, mimicking the appearance of a less privileged group for kicks is never OK -- and I agree with CaoNiMartacus about drag, too.

I almost choked when I first saw Baba nourooz.

coconut dancers

wiki

shadow your Dd can cosplay as black characters. She just doesn't need to paint herself black to do it.

Is that character you posted Asian? Or just yellow. If it's the former than yes it's a bit racist...

PC gone mad

There's always one isn't there?

Of course it isn't offensive.

I would be embarrassed to be offended by someone dressing as Jackie Chan (even if they had to change the colour of their skin).

The people on the float weren't trying to offend, mimic, belittle or insult anyone. They were emulating characters based on admiration. It's a compliment.

Are men who dress as women on stag nights offensive? Given the 'straight, white male' slur often used, surely it's as insulting. Those men don't know what it's like to be a woman!

The perma-offended love telling others what is okay to say and do and think but life doesn't work like that and nor should it. Think about the backlash in the states.

Pretending to be liberal but with a heavy slant on thought-crimes, PC-ness, safe spaces and no platforming, it's hard to take them seriously.

I don't feel the need to distance myself from racism. Why should I? I don't ahve a print out of my CRB check on a t-shirt to distance myself from actual criminals.

Besides all of the hysteria and calling this a hate crime, everyone has missed the point and that's that this was politically motivated and a rush to challenge the other councillors to see who could be most offended.