Full transparency in this thread - I have been in the wrong plenty of my times, so I want this to be a learning opportunity

I was under the impression that blackface referred to the "Sambo" type characters mocking black people, not any dark makeup on a white person. These blatant and belittling caricatures are obviously horrible, but in the past years some references to blackface have come up that confuse me.

This was sparked by Jenna Marbles thread. I havent seen the vid responsible for her quitting youtube, but I assume she put on dark makeup and a giant fake ass to do an impression of Nikki Minaj. Is this offensive? Is this blackface?

Dave chappelle and eddie murphy put on light makeup to imitate white people and it was accurate and hilarious. Do people who nail it get a pass?

Did Justin Thereaux do "brownface" when he dressed as aladdin? Or did he throw on bronzer to more accurately portray aladdin?

I'd prefer to hear from black people on this, as y'all are who is slighted by blackface, but anyone with input that will help me get it is welcome.

also, is this too heavy for chit chat?

6/29/2020 1:55:32 PM

from the black voices and perspectives that I have listened to and read over the years, something with such a horrible history should almost never be done, regardless of intent

it’s possible to dress up as someone without painting your face to look like them, so because of that, there isn’t a valid enough reason to paint your face, especially given that horrible history

Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder was the rare exception, since it was used a device to show the absurd (and objectively awful) lengths (most liberal) actors go to win awards/recognition

[Edited on June 29, 2020 at 2:36 PM. Reason : in short, the bad far outweighs the good]

6/29/2020 2:25:01 PM

Quote :

" Dave chappelle and eddie murphy put on light makeup to imitate white people and it was accurate and hilarious. Do people who nail it get a pass?"

There’s not a history of offensive and racist “white face” so I don’t think that’s a good comparison. There’s no basis for me, a white guy, to be offended by somebody wearing light/white make up because it doesn’t share the history of black face.

6/29/2020 2:49:35 PM

Quote :

"Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder was the rare exception"

They were very careful with that, since he was actually playing Kirk Lazarus who was an Australian white actor in blackface which is kind of an interesting way to skirt around it.

6/29/2020 3:13:49 PM

What if I'm wearing an Elmo costume for Halloween?

6/29/2020 3:23:13 PM

^ lol like you’re racist against red people?

6/29/2020 4:08:32 PM

^

6/29/2020 4:16:51 PM

Was anyone really offended by Chang dressed as a drow in Community?

6/29/2020 4:18:15 PM

Lol you think Elmo is a person

6/29/2020 4:18:24 PM

^^I haven't asked any Black people personally but all the twitter I've seen is basically some flavor of "we didn't ask for this".

(I'm agreeing with you)

6/29/2020 4:30:45 PM

6/29/2020 4:33:53 PM

too bad northam wasnt cancelled

6/29/2020 4:42:28 PM

Quote :

"I was under the impression that blackface referred to the "Sambo" type characters mocking black people, not any dark makeup on a white person. "

It was not only used in this mocking way. In films such as birth of a nation they simply darkened white mens faces to portray black men, and then misrepresented them as dangerous criminal rapist thugs. This characterization continued and greatly influenced the public’s perception of actual black people, a perception that still exists today for so many

6/29/2020 4:58:53 PM

who woulda guessed a kkk film would do such a thing

6/29/2020 5:15:14 PM

who cares

everyone just chill out

6/29/2020 10:51:34 PM

Most of them smoke weed anyways, and are very chill. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

6/29/2020 11:54:08 PM