Is wearing blackface face paint always a racist act?

“Like it or not, offensive or not, blackface was part of our cultural heritage in the US for around 100 years.”
Not an argument in favour of it. Which you know.

No, it’s more an act of gross ignorance, crass stupidity or a combination of the two.

I agree with every word of @ucme‘s excellent comment except the unequivocal-sounding “No.” Even if not intended to be racist, it would almost certainly be construed to be.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room Of course it would & that’s as it should be, but the idiots in question are not always racially motivated. All racists are fucking dumb morons, not all morons are racists.

Not all people who wear blackface are racist, but since we know it is so offensive to so many, it seems fairly ignorant to choose a costume wearing blackface. I hadn’t seen the reports, I don’t know who are what exactly she was dressing up as. Add in she is (or was raised) Mormon and that religion has a history of being racist; I am not sure if anyone raised that issue. Not that I think all Mormons are racist, far from it, but they carry that old stigma like southerners in the US.

Edit: I found this article and she wasn’t exactly black face, she darkened her skin I guess to look like a specific character on a show. I am not defending her, but if someone dyed their hair or wore a halloween mask to look like a different person we wouldn’t be so up in arms. The history counts, again I am not defending her, but if we did not have that history she would just be making herself look like a character in a show. If a Hispanic girl who has olive skin and lack hair dressed up like the legally blond actress making her skin lighter and putting on a blond wig and wearing a pink suit no one would blink. I know it is not the same, and I understand why, you don’t need to explain it to me. Too bad in the US we were so awful to an entire group of people that these things are so offensive and hurt people. A totally justified and understandable hurt.

It is ignorant and racist, as is any costume that takes a racial characteristic and uses it to highlight a stereotype.

It’s kind of weird that she didn’t wear a black wig, if the point was to really be in character. She does sort of have crazy eyes, though.

I would agree with those who say that yes, it is always a racist act because of the historical connotations, but no, it doesn’t make Julianne Hough a racist.

I remember watching Toddlers and Tiarras (yes I embarrasingly have seen a few episodes) and this one little girl was doing a Beyonce dance as her talent. She was a southern white girl. She had a big life size standing poster of Beyonce that she put on stage during the performance, and the little girl was dressed in the same cosume as Beyonce in the photo. Before the competition she asked her mom for one more spray tan layer. Her mom let her do it. She loved Beyonce, loved the song and the music and wanted to look like her. Honestly, I thought it was sweet, it was like she completely was unaware that skin color might be something to discriminate against. She just wanted to look like Beyonce for her routine. Hair, skin, costume, dance moves. She did a lip sync to a Beyonce song and danced to it. She was not mocking Beyonce in any way, she wanted to be like her.

I think younger people maybe are completely clueless to why black face is offensive. In one way that is a good thing. It maybe means they don’t see color like people did in the past.

@GoldieAV16 Does the character she played have black hair? I actually wondered that myself.

@GoldieAV16 -this is a “tree makes a sound in the forest” question

If Hough isn’t a racist, can she make a racist act?

Or was it an innocent (and dumb) act, that others perceive as racist, based on their own background and teaching?

In today’s world I think it is. Perhaps in a better future world it won’t be.

EBR, when discussing who or what is racist, I subscribe to the approach advocated in this video

Avoids “the rhetorical Bermuda Triangle where everything drowns in a sea of empty posturing until somebody just blames it all on hip hop…I don’t care what you are, I care what you did.”

Probably not her brightest moment, but I really don’t believe she was trying to be offensive.
People are way to thin skinned these days. Would people be all worked up if, say, Rihanna went to a Halloween party dressed as Katie Perry? I doubt it.
I would like to hear what “Crazy Eyes” has to say about it.

@JLeslie Yes, the actress does have black hair.

Edit:
This is offensive.

@Katniss Thanks. That does work against Hough. Why wear darker skin and not change hair color? I guess the hair style is like the character though?

It’s hard to believe no one in Hough’s circles didn’t know this might be taken the wrong way, even if she was totally clueless.

Well, would wearing white, red or yellow face illicit the same response?

I think that’s almost more to the intent of the question?

@JLeslie The style is correct, the color is wrong.
I agree with you that somebody should have known better, I just don’t think that all the Julianne Hough hate is justified.

@ibstubro Dressing up white does not illicit the same response. It only has to do with mimicking minorities. It seems some people take offense now to dressing like a Geisha for halloween (I just learned this myself) and for a while now people take offense to dressing like a Native America Indian, including face paint.

@Katniss I agree. I’m sure it will blow over.

So extra spray tan is now considered blackface? I looked at the article @JLeslie linked to and thought she looked like an oompa loompa. I never would have guessed she was portraying Crazy Eyes.

I think she did a bad job with her costume, but I fail to understand why it is considered blackface.

@Cupcake lol Oompa Loompa crossed my mind as well!

Course, when it’s done in the right spirit, it’s neither racist or moronic.
Downey Jr/Tropic Thunder.

Those that are offended decide what is offensive. Blackface is racist. It was done in a racist way historically. You cannot pluck a racist act out of history without the context it was done n.

@marinelife – but that’s just the issue. Who decided this was a racist act? Julianne Hough didn’t know it was a racist act, so it was clearly not done with intent to offend. Lacking that, in this situation how can it be considered racist? Doesn’t intention play some role?

I especially disagree with the * “those that are offended decide what is offensive*” comment. It doesn’t make sense. Suppose that I am Jewish and I am offended by the fact that you wear a large crucifix around your neck. Your cross is offensive to me, hypothetically. Is that my problem or your problem?

I googled what her costume actually was, and it didn’t come off as racist to me. Racism is a highly touchy subject in the USA, which is unfortunate in my opinion. It is expanded further to between the races, too. Apparently it’s okay if Grace Jones’s video (I guess the opposite is acceptable, too) has someone with blackface makeup in it since she is black, yet Julianne Hough can’t even wear a Halloween costume that doesn’t seem to be making fun or a fool of anyone because she is white…am I missing something?
It doesn’t even look Hough’s face was black, just really tan.

Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, where the lips were painted white.Their performances would exaggerate what were considered black mannerisms. During those days it went way beyond satire and resulted in hatred and discrimination.This was the reason why it was considered offensive.I don’t find it offensive when someone just dresses up as a black person, after all it’s just a costume, which is all in fun and not meant to offend anyone.

@elbanditoroso As much as I defended Hough above, I do think the minority gets to decide what is racist. They understand in a way other people don’t why it is upsetting. Like when some kids at my university drew swastikas on some dorm doors. A friend of mine didn’t understand what the big deal was. And, the southerners around me when I lived in the south who didn’t understand why the confederate flag is so offensive. Maybe they mean no harm, maybe it is just a joke, but to the people who were terrorized it is never a joke.

Wearing a cross is not part of some historical scare tactic, but burning a cross on my lawn would be.

@dxs, I think you have hit on the hypocrisy (or at a minimum, knee-jerk reactions) of the discussion.

@jleslie – want to think about that answer again? (your last sentence)

The Crusades were all about killing Jews on behalf of the cross. Does the term Judenrein mean anything to you (for a more recent historical episode)?

Julianne Hough and a group of her friends went to a party as the cast of OITNB. This means that somebody was dressed as Pennsatucky. Are Hillbillys with awful teeth going to throw a fit now?
Wouldn’t that be just as silly?

@elbanditoroso You miss that it is about being aware of what is seen and felt as offensive at present time. People in America are still offended by black face. Jewish people are not offended by a cross pendant on a necklace. If you wear a cross, shave your head, and have a swastika tattoo, then that is a different picture. 75 years ago calling a black man a colored man was not offensive, it was preferred to more offensive terms. Now calling someone colored is offensive, but using people of color seems to be ok. What matters is what the group prefers. I use black or African American, whichever the individual prefers. Some people don’t like to be called Jews, they prefer Jewish person, just as some people prefer black people not blacks. Whatever it is, we can try to be respectful of how our words, symbols, and actions affect those who have been through unfair agonizing times, or their people have.

I would venture to guess most Jewish Americans would fight for the Christian’s right to wear their pendant, the same way they would fight to wear a star of David if they feel like it. If Christians started wearing the cross as a way to exclude others, the way they marked Jews in Nazi Germany with a star, then wearing religious pendants might come under scutiny, you never know.

I think it straddles the fence, in these modern times. What makes it racist is hateful and/or demeaning intent.

Ask the Dutch, they had thousands of people protesting over the right to wear that over the last couple of weeks.
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/10/17/dutch-black-pete-netherlands/3000531/

@whitenoise What do you think? Should they do away with the tradition?

I think it should be adapted.

While I grew up, I was told that Zwarte Piets used to be ordinary white boys that were taken by Sinterklaas to be his helper, after being very naughty. (I had only heard about black people, I met my first black person when I was 10, or so.)

Zwarte Piets supposedly became black by going down chimneys.

That story is fine by me, but doesn’t warrant the afro wig and painted red lips.

Living in Holland, we never gave it much thought… It was a national party and we all adored Zwarte Piet. Now living in the Middle East – in a place where racists go to die, as one of my local friends puts it – I find it rather hard to explain. prticularly to our dear nanny from Ethyopia.

We need to not abolish it, but adjust it. It is a aprty and no one should get hurt.

yeah, little boys being abducted by a strange fat bloke in a funny costume and then turned into his slaves. nothing objectionable about that.

I think it it. I know a group of racists who dressed up as blacks a few years ago for Halloween, and they thought it was hilarious. A friend of mine said something the other day about him wearing blackface and his black friend wearing whiteface for funzies.

All I know is it isn’t going to be me, I feel uncomfortable with both.

@ragingloli
We didn’t realy trust the spanish, I guess, for years.

Sinterklaas eve on the Dutch islands in the Waddensea, is celebrated seriously more weird way. Women and boys that go out on the streets get beaten up by guys dressed up as demons.

The sport for the boys in particular is to still go out, but they risk. Some serious bruises.

I do not find it offensive since it was a halloween costume.

Julianne Hough should have known. There are sources all around that tell of the history. Of she had consulted someone older they would have told her.

As to whether you are offended by my wearing a cross around my neck that is your problem. It becomes my problem if I put the image of a cross on all of the business papers I sign.

@marinelife – with regard to your second sentence, I totally agree – it’s my problem if I’m offended when you wear a cross.

But that’s in conflict with your first sentence. Is it Hough’s problem that others were offended? Look at the response here – I would say 25% of the answerers said that they wouldn’t be.

I think it’s a personal choice whether or not to be offended.

When I first read the question, I had no clue what a “blackface” was. Of course I had an idea, but I didn’t know for sure what it was. I actually googled it to learn about the history.

I don’t think Julianne had a “blackface”. I also don’t see a problem with a person of one race dressing up as another for a Halloween costume when done in a way that is not meant to be hateful/derogatory/harmful.

If I had the idea to dress as she did with a group of others, I wouldn’t think to ask anyone if it was going to be a problem and I would have never asked if someone would have seen it as a “blackface” since I didn’t even know what that was until now. I think this is being blown was out of proportion.

This explains the Zwarte Piet better for foreigners, I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m48x1IzP3uI#t=236

I’m curious, for those who do not find black face offensive: If a little African American girl wants to dress as her favorite Disney princess, should she paint her face white?

My personal feeling on it is that the best way to ensure that something isn’t about race, is leave race out of it. Make it about the personality, the costume, the gestures and mannerisms. IMO Julianne’s costume was a dud because she wore a name tag to tell who she was.

@GoldieAV16 If the little girl wants to paint her face, I think she should be able to without it being an issue. That’s for any race. There is no requirement to do so (so it isn’t that she should do it), but there is nothing wrong with it if that is what the girl wants to do. This is strictly in regards to face painting/skin color changing in character.

If someone was doing a true “blackface”, that would be different because it is more than just dressing up as a black person/character and changing your skin color for the costume.

No, it’s not, and this entire Julianne Hough costume debacle is just plain bullshit. Who cried about being offended when the Wayans brothers made White Chicks? Nobody, that I remember. Fuck the black/white double standards!

The media and attention whores are the ones who turned this into a big deal. This just pisses me right the hell off. Shut the fuck up and quit crying racism unless someone’s actually being a racist.

@elbanditoroso This is in no way addressed to you, at all, but people who do this kind of thing.

/rant

@WillWorkForChocolate – no need to apologize to me at all – my whole point has been that the ‘crying racism’ crowd was not justified and rather hypocritical.

But thanks for the answer.

Yeah. It probably is.

@elbanditoroso I just didn’t want you to think I’d misunderstood your question and was telling you to stfu. :)

@elbanditoroso In a racist area known for hanging black people and running them out of town, it’s not odd to find it in poor taste. Whether it’s racism can truly only be determined by knowing the person in black face. When the KKK wanted to adopt a highway here, it wasn’t met with a lot of resistance except for the minimum PC folks and a some churches/ Christians.

In other words, I wouldn’t do it in my area, because I know it would be taken as racist, and I don’t want to perpetuate that ugliness personally. And before you criticize, I was almost forced into a white pride group here when I was young and dumb so I know of what I speak.

This situation is not racist, but it is also not blackface.

Wearing black makeup on your face and exhibiting exaggerated and stereotypical “African-American mannerisms” is racist.

@Cupcake that’s like saying that wearing a KKK robe is not racist, unless you’re burning a cross on someone’s lawn while you’re wearing it.

Too many excuses for a behavior that isn’t at all necessary in the name of good fun.

@GoldieAV16 I don’t understand your comparison.

Are we both talking about the young lady who wore lots of spray tan for Halloween?

Yes. You are saying that wearing black makeup is not racist unless accompanied by behaviors that typify racism.

I am saying that is like stating that wearing a white hooded robe is not racist unless accompanied by behaviors that typify racism.

Why do either? Where is the necessity? Why not just avoid even the appearance of racial insensitivity?

@GoldieAV16 Exactly my point, totally not worth it.

@GoldieAV16 But she wasn’t wearing “black makeup”!!! I think a lot of people haven’t even looked at her pictures.

And has anyone else thought of this: she looks orange… helloooooo? Orange? As in “Orange is the New Black”... Play on words?

The point is, she dressed up as a TV character, okay? She didn’t dress up as a “black stereotype” by wearing blackface and putting gold teeth in her mouth and pantyhose on her head. She dressed up as a damned TV character with a group of friends who dressed up as the other characters! It’s NOT racist! People keep making this out to be something it’s not.

@WillWorkForChocolate Well said. And I agree she looks orange, not black. She looks like she got a really bad spray tan. People are completely blowing it out of proportion.

@WillWorkForChocolate I’m ‘Well said’ #2.
Pilloried for poor costuming.
Racist? “link” https://www.google.com/search?q=white+hooded+robe&client=firefox-a&hs=SGO&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=rbZxUpOjKceSkwX9mYHQAQ&ved=0CGQQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=603

If you have to ask…

http://shouldidressinblackfacethishalloween.com/

Poll Shows 4 In 10 Americans Still Think Blackface Is Acceptable