So you find it offensive, if (on Halloween) a white person dresses up like a famous black person? Is it the use of the black make-up? For example, what if there is a Kobe Bryant mask. Is it offensive to you if a white person wears a Kobe Bryant mask (Laker jokes aside)?
I kinda wanted to go to the Rockets game as Kobe Bryant. I would have put black stripes over his jersey like some prison garb, and handcuffs around my wrists. I don't know anyone that owns a Bryant jersey. I don't think I would have thrown some black spray paint on my face though.
This kind of stuff cheapens the race issue debate, honestly. When you make a non-issue like this into a front page story it detracts from racially tinged problems that really do need to be addressed. It's halloween... its theatre... its costumes... if you're offended by this, grow some thicker skin and start paying attention to the real world, because you need to find something more important to worry about.
Except that it's not a front page story. The only mention I've seen of it is Deadspin and they specialize in the off the way sports angle stuff.
i guess you don't like BET either. edit....meaning BET and american black pop culture is pretty damn stereotypical of american blacks.
It seems, though, that there is a difference between Al Jolson blackface and using make-up on Halloween to dress up as a black singer. Obviously I can't put myself into your shoes and see it from your perspective. Did you find the story and make up in Soul Man (C Thomas Howell) offensive?
I know right? Who cares? If you are offended, ok....fine, be offended.....but man, at some point we have to learn to relax and laugh at ourselves. Life is too short. DD
If black people find this offensive (they probably do) then okay fair enough. I won't argue it. But for me personally... had she dressed up as a black person I would be offended. But the fact she chose a specific famous black figure to portray seems to make it okay by me. Men dress like women on Halloween, Elvis, so I dunno... not that big of a deal. And its all how you play it (Downy Jr.). But ya if a black person tells me it offends them after listening to my initial take then I really won't argue.
This thread reminds of the thread in D & D about an Australian Gong Show act where they dressed in black face as the Jackson 5 and Harry Connick Jr. happened to be a celebrity guest and pointed out that would be offensive. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=175337&highlight=harry+connick I have no idea what she knows about the history of black face but I would hope she would realize that something like that is offensive and probably not something to take lightly.
It's fine if you're offended, you dont have to justify yourself. But look at number 1 on your list. You're pissed because white people are telling you you're wrong for what you think. Then you go on and try to tell them what to think. Just say you think it's racist, and the other posters do not and leave it at that. If it's a principle then you shouldn't be trying to tell people what is racist any more than they should tell you. If you think that because you're black you have more "right" to decide in the matter... consider that the girl is WHITE. And what these dudes are discussing is if it's racist for a WHITE person to dress up like that. If it's a black-white thing, then both sides have equal right to an opinion right? On a side, if she went as Shane Battier I wonder if she'd have foregone the blackface or at least gone with a lighter shade. The costume seems to indicate that for her, being really really dark is one of the main characteristics of Lil Wayne. As is mugging like a fool with her grill in every photo. Like some other posters have said, it goes to show how much of a self-caricature a lot of these artists are themselves trying to market themselves to a mainly white audience of kids
