Quote:
Originally Posted by ree-Xi
(I HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE SO NO SPOILERS pretty please!!)
About RDJ playing a black actor. I always wonder (thinking back to "Soul Man") when does it cross the line from being acceptable to not acceptable to change one's skin color to black. I remember reading about prohibition on Blackface from long ago - granted that was often done in mockery of the black race, was distasteful in the presentation (it looked like motor oil), etc. I had seen enough old movies with bad vaudeville in them.
I also remember Eddie Murphy's sketch on SNL where he played a "White man" - thanks to makeup.
What is the line between being offensive and doing it as comedy with the audience being in on the joke? I am probably not asking this correctly, but does anyone have any thoughts?
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Long story short: It depends on the who, what, when, where, and why. You already addressed the historical and purpose context of blackface. If whites were an objectified group, there would've been more offense to the Wayans', Murphy's, and Martin Lawrence's "white face" comedy. That doesn't make the humor any less risque' (risky?
) because there actually were people who were like
when they saw it. But that's a risk that some comedians have been allowed to take.
Even RDJ's cute self was playing on stereotypes in his portrayal of a black man. His role called for him to be a white actor pretending to be a black actor, so it isn't funny if he's not "trying too hard."
That isn't a fun discussion.
Tropic Thunder is a fun movie.