Is this racist?

[Zef Otter]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/students-alumni-defend-pep-rallys-chris-brown-ri

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-858297

Basically three students at a school pep rally put on blackface to do a skit bout the Chris Brown Beating Rihanna thing.



Is this pretty bad taste to do at a pep rally? Also do you think they did this to be offensive?

 

[DevilWithaHalo]

So, my curiosity has been itching to anyone/everyone that posts random "is this racist" threads... why do you care? Not a clever quip mind you; I'm genuinely curious.

 

[Zef Otter]

So, my curiosity has been itching to anyone/everyone that posts random "is this racist" threads... why do you care? Not a clever quip mind you; I'm genuinely curious.

Just wondering about your opinions. But I'm glad you care to post, so mind if I ask your opinion?

 

[DarkishFriend]

I think it's more offensive that depicts a man beating a woman senseless and trying to use it as satire.

 

[newfoundsky]

Look, I'm a minority. If someone wants to look "like" me, that's okay, as long as it is not done with the intent to say that looking "like" me, makes them worse people.

Lots of things can be considered racist that are just innocent jokes, acts, etc. My point being is, unless they were jumping around saying they were inferior to white people, no, it's not racist. And that's even if the black community (like there is a place were black people have meetings and decide what is/ is not racist >.> ) thinks it's racist. There is a difference between offending people, and being racist.

 

[Lionsfan]

I always thought Pep Rallies were stupid as hell

I dunno if it's racist since it's making fun of an individual, it's the beating a woman thing. I've made plenty of jokes about that, but doing that in a public setting? C'mon....

 

[JimB]

I'd argue that in and of itself, blackface is about as inherently racist as crossdressing is inherently sexist; which is to say, not necessarily. These things become problematic only when played for laughs ("Ha ha! How absurd that a [white person/man] should look like a [black person/woman]!"), or when there are people of the correct race or gender available to play the role who do not get the job in favor of white people or gender.

It is pretty tasteless, though, and it comes with a lot of baggage that I don't think is worth invoking just so you can pretend to be Chris Brown beating a woman half to death.

 

[Rastien]

My rule of thumb, if you have to ask if something is racist chances are it's probably racist, even if it's just a littttle bit.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

It all comes down to perspective. Some will see it as racist, some won't.
But let's be honest here:

 

[Pebkio]

Y'know what... I'm going to go with "yes" on this one. Yes, depicting a man beating a women while in blackface is pretty racist.

And then I looked at the picture. Oh CNN, you so damnably sensationalist.

That's not "blackface", that's what Gene Wilder wore in Silver Streak. And here I was thinking actual white guys in actual blackface were depicting domestic violence. Sure, it's not funny, but it's not really racist either.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Blackface (at least in the US), comes with all sorts of baggage, it's not something you should indulge in if you are concerned with not being racist. It's not the most racist thing you can do, by any means, but it's not something you shouldn't expect not to be called out on.

As an aside, if you have to ask "is this racist?", yeah, there's probably problems there.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

I think it's more offensive that depicts a man beating a woman senseless and trying to use it as satire.

Uhh... That's what satire is for. From Wiki:

In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement.

And despite that, everything should be fair game for comedy.

 

[Legion]

Look, I'm a minority. If someone wants to look "like" me, that's okay, as long as it is not done with the intent to say that looking "like" me, makes them worse people.

Lots of things can be considered racist that are just innocent jokes, acts, etc. My point being is, unless they were jumping around saying they were inferior to white people, no, it's not racist. And that's even if the black community (like there is a place were black people have meetings and decide what is/ is not racist >.> ) thinks it's racist. There is a difference between offending people, and being racist.

I agree with this.

If they made themselves look black simply in order to make it obvious they were supposed to be Chris Brown, then that's not racist. It's not really necessary, but it's not being done to make a point.

If they were doing it to imply that black people are domestically violent because they are black, then yes, it'd be an issue.

The problem is that a lot of people are quite touchy, and will always choose to assume that it's the latter because it gives them an excuse to get pissed off about it.

I think it's more offensive that depicts a man beating a woman senseless and trying to use it as satire.

Uhh... That's what satire is for. From Wiki:

In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement.

A lot of people assume that satire is just another word for comedy it seems.

 

[NoeL]

I actually clicked on the links, and that is NOT blackface. Blackface is totally exaggerated, with shoe-polish-black faces, bright read enlarged lips, and usually white gloves. It's a (usually) racist exaggeration of black people played off for comedy.

In contrast, this is white kids wearing some light brown paint to more closely resemble the people they're portraying. 100% NOT racist, though whether or not it's tasteful to use domestic violence as the subject of entertainment is another question.


If you want REAL blackface, check this awesomely professional film my friends and I shot for uni a few years ago:

 

[maninahat]

So, my curiosity has been itching to anyone/everyone that posts random "is this racist" threads... why do you care? Not a clever quip mind you; I'm genuinely curious.

I started a similar thread, though I didn't phrase the title as a question. In my case, it was because it was a video game trailer, so it was relevant to the escapist, and I cared because, you know, racism is a problem.

That said, not many agreed with me. I reckon if I specifically avoided using the word "racist", my argument might have persuaded a lot more people. People are very tired of hearing about racism or sexism.

 

[AngloDoom]

Trying to blood black, but not being black = Racist?

Why do I always get the feeling its a bunch of white people who are more offended by this than anything? If a black person covered themselves in flour and said "Look at me, I'm white!" I don't see how anyone could be offended. If that same black person, without the flour, went and mimed having sex with a dog (I don't know any white stereotypes, bestiality will do) and said "Look at me, I'm white!" then perhaps I could see how people could be offended.

 

[Gamer_152]

I think there's an argument to be made that this isn't racist, but while they're not actually donning the full vaudeville "blackface" image, I think it skirts a line uncomfortably close to it. I don't think there's any racial discrimination in itself going on here, but it's arguably unsettlingly referential to genuinely racist performances and a time when widespread racism was an unfortunate reality. As others have said it's something that comes with a lot of baggage.

The fact that the recreation of acts of domestic violence which actually happened are played for laughs here is also pretty damn uncomfortable. Overall, this just seems in very poor taste. I don't think we have enough information to decide whether the kids were really trying to be offensive or not, but I suspect that this was just what they thought was a slightly edgy comedy sketch that ended up going too far.

 

[Shadowstar38]

People actually get offended by this crap? Geez. People need to lighten up. You know, when things like this come up, it's normally white people who inherently PC about something. The allegation that this is racist is more annoying than the act itself.

Oh and, I would be upset that it's depicting Chris beating Rihanna, but comedians have made fun of Ike Turner and Tina for years. Everything in comedy is fair gain it would seem.

 

[dumbseizure]

Does it seem racist to me? No. Maybe it was in poor taste, but does not seem racist. Hell, it doesn't even seem to be the "blackface" everyone keeps comparing it too.


OT kinda: I do have to say though, reading the comments on that article on the website, my god, I wanted to slap half the people on there. It honestly just seemed like a lot of people being overly sensitive, but that is just from my viewpoint.

 

[Simonoly]

That's about as racist as my preference for black socks over white.