James, it really doesn't matter how you try to reword it, soften it, or perceive the other person's intentions. If someone is sporting blackface, they are sporting blackface. And whether or not it offends YOU really is moot. Unless, of course, you are black. Or unless you understand the true significance of blackface PERIOD, which you don't seem to.
And celebrities and/or their complexion and/or how the public views them really have no place in this discussion because all of that is irrelevant to the issue.
The issue is a guy at Tennessee put on blackface. The end. Whether he was doing it to be cute, to pay homage, or any other reason really doesn't matter. The fact is that it is ALWAYS offensive. Point blank.
btw, VERY well said, IvySpice.
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Originally posted by James
I am not sure its the same thing in the eyes of the person doing it. Its the whole concept of blackface that is getting people's goats here.
When I hear, These guys dressed up as blackfaces and then see the context as a racist situation I have one kind of thought and its similar to the one expressed here.
However, if someone came up to me and said: Dude it was cool this guy won the costume party last night for looking exactly like Louis Artmstrong, he darkened his face, had the rap down, wore the clothes. My reaction would be different.
Also, without the alabama incident, people probably wouldn't have noticed anywhere near as much. would anyone be willing to concede that point?
Also, there is some indication that when someone reaches celebrity status they kind of lose their color, white or black, and aren't really considered the same way.
I remember that when the movie Bodyguard came out they interviewed people to see if they had a problem with the interracial relationship depicted. And people didn't have a problem because it was Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.
Of course because a racial component has been brought into the argument it might be one of those times when a rational discussion can't really be had . . .
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