I Am Not a Costume!

[DrPhil]

To keep this thread from being about anything other than racist Halloween costumes:

Originally Posted by The Root Article

The 10 members of Ohio University's STARS organization were fed up with offensive costumes that reinforce negative racial and cultural stereotypes. So STARS, which stands for Students Teaching About Racism in Society, created a poster campaign to draw attention to those costume choices that are simply "not okay." With just five powerful posters featuring young men or women of various races holding a photo of a "racist costume," the students of STARS have started a movement

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Speak for yourself dear, but my culture is NOT Jersey Shore.

You live in the northeast. Close enough

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

Meh I think people get hung up on the whole body paint/face paint issue when (as Phil put it) there are other ways to incorporate racial identifiers that are just as offensive as face paint if not moreso.

I do not rank these things. They are all unnecessary coming from an outsider.

Originally Posted by christiangirl

I found the cheerleader's face/body paint to be unnecessary but wasn't personally offended by it. Mostly because she was imitating as one person in his usual attire. If she had put on that same outfit and just said "I'm a Black person for Halloween," the my offense would come from her assumption that Black men are thugs. This would be true whether she painted herself brown or not.

Is there a substantive difference between imitating one person in his usual attire and imitating a group of people? If a nonBlack woman had the luck and privilege () of dressing up as me for Halloween and she used makeup and a wig to depict my skin shade and hair, does that remain in the realm of her only imitating ME? While I love my Blackness and my afro, I do not want a nonBlack person having the luxury of reenacting that. Find another way to be me for Halloween.

For the record, these issues do not require that we find personal offense or even have personal consciousness. I say this because I often hear people say things like "my Black friend says this isn't bad so that means it is okay...why are you offended as a Black person" as a defense for things. Not all Black people agree on what is appropriate but, like I said earlier, let the Blacks folks disagree on that. Meanwhile, nonBlacks need to spare us the "I'm going to do this to prove that I can do it just like you can" routine.

[southernbelle14]

[Mevara]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I do not rank these things. They are all unnecessary coming from an outsider.

Is there a substantive difference between imitating one person in his usual attire and imitating a group of people? If a nonBlack woman had the luck and privilege () of dressing up as me for Halloween and she used makeup and a wig to depict my skin shade and hair, does that remain in the realm of her only imitating ME? While I love my Blackness and my afro, I do not want a nonBlack person having the luxury of reenacting that. Find another way to be me for Halloween.

For the record, these issues do not require that we find personal offense or even have personal consciousness. I say this because I often hear people say things like "my Black friend says this isn't bad so that means it is okay...why are you offended as a Black person" as a defense for things. Not all Black people agree on what is appropriate but, like I said earlier, let the Blacks folks disagree on that. Meanwhile, nonBlacks need to spare us the "I'm going to do this to prove that I can do it just like you can" routine.

I am a little confused by what you are saying. So is it or is it not okay to dress up as you for Halloween? Is it okay as long as we don't use the black face and an afro?

I dressed up a few years ago as Paris Hilton when she was in jail. I put on an orange jump suit, a blonde wig and carried around a small chihuahua. So in this same context is this offensive since I am not white and/or blonde?

[amIblue?]

For the record, these issues do not require that we find personal offense or even have personal consciousness. I say this because I often hear people say things like "my Black friend says this isn't bad so that means it is okay...why are you offended as a Black person" as a defense for things. Not all Black people agree on what is appropriate but, like I said earlier, let the Blacks folks disagree on that. Meanwhile, nonBlacks need to spare us the "I'm going to do this to prove that I can do it just like you can" routine.

Do you need to add that bold part to the agenda at your next Black Folks Meeting?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

Do you need to add that bold part to the agenda at your next Black Folks Meeting?

LOL. You're trying to get my Black Card revoked. The purpose of the Black Folks Meeting is so we can agree on everything.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Is there a substantive difference between imitating one person in his usual attire and imitating a group of people? If a nonBlack woman had the luck and privilege () of dressing up as me for Halloween and she used makeup and a wig to depict my skin shade and hair, does that remain in the realm of her only imitating ME?

To me, yes. But it doesn't seem so to you. If you were to show up in a blonde wig and Marily Monroe-type dress, would you be imitating Whites in general if you put on lighter makeup and a blonde wig to complete the look? Would that change if you thought people would assume you were Etta (or even Beyonce) if you didn't walk around singing "Happy birthday, Mr. President" all night?

Originally Posted by DrPhil

While I love my Blackness and my afro, I do not want a nonBlack person having the luxury of reenacting that. Find another way to be me for Halloween.

See, now you're just being vain.

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Not all Black people agree on what is appropriate but, like I said earlier, let the Blacks folks disagree on that.

iQualify. FYI I'm going as a White girl (Hermione Granger) and not using makeup to do so. I wonder if anyone will know who I am?

[Mevara]

What if I was to dress as any of the following: cowboy, Indian, Princess Jasmine, pocahontas.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

To me, yes. But it doesn't seem so to you. If you were to show up in a blonde wig and Marily Monroe-type dress, would you be imitating Whites in general if you put on lighter makeup and a blonde wig to complete the look? Would that change if you thought people would assume you were Etta (or even Beyonce) if you didn't walk around singing "Happy birthday, Mr. President" all night?

Why wouldn't I do the bolded? That's the point of dressing and acting like (minus the cigarettes, drugs, and dress in the air) Marilyn Monroe for a costume party. As my other post stated, if I can't convey Marilyn Monroe without the whiteface, I do not need to do Marilyn Monroe. (I would never depict Marilyn Monroe, anyway. There are too many gorgeous and talented Black women to depict. Dorothy Dandridge > Marilyn Monroe)

Besides, costume parties are not government surveillance. You CAN tell people who you are if they can't figure it out. LOL.

Originally Posted by christiangirl

iQualify. FYI I'm going as a White girl (Hermione Granger) and not using makeup to do so. I wonder if anyone will know who I am?

I had to Google who that is so I wouldn't know who you were even with the white face. I would know you were a Harry Potter character if you dressed liked the Harry Potter characters and did other stuff they do (I don't know too much about them).

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Mevara

What if I was to dress as any of the following: cowboy, Indian, Princess Jasmine, pocahontas.

Are you trying to figure out what to dress up as?

[IrishLake]

There was a little boy dressed up as one of the "Three Amigos!" tonight. He even did the little dance. I laughed!

[amIblue?]

Personally, I hate dressing up as anything. It's just a pain in the butt and expensive. After college up until my daughter was born, my Halloween agenda typically included lights off and quietly watching TV.

My daughter asked me what I was going to be for Halloween this year, and I told her "an office worker." Usually a costume ends up being uncomfortable somehow (Hot, itchy, too tight, etc.), people don't get what I am, and I'd just rather wear my regular clothes.

That being said, if I were to dress up, I would never want to dress up as something that would be considered hurtful by anyone; hell, it's supposed to be fun. I don't find offending other people fun. I just don't get the attitude of someone who thinks that it should be OK because a member of another group can do it. There are too many choices that wouldn't be offensive. It's not as if the choices are limited to witch, ghost, Black stereotype, Hispanic stereotype, and Asian stereotype.

Also, all that makeup to change your skin tone on all visible skin would fall into that uncomfortable costume arena for me. (not that this is the reason NOT to do it, but just a practicality!)

Am I offended by a nonCaucasian dressing up as any Caucasian person? No. Am I offended by white face? No. Have at it. Unless you're dressing up as me or my family and showing up looking like a jacked-up mess, you're probably not going to hurt my feelings.

[agzg]

But there is a difference between going in white face versus going in black face.

1. Black face has a historical significance that white face does not have.
2. Part of privilege is expecting everyone to be just like you (general you here). While there are a lot of ways that people of non-white races can be racist, white face is not one when taken out of context.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by 2010 Colorlines Article

In the memorable words from "Mean Girls": “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Apparently, the same holds true for costumes that mock, imitate and belittle certain racial groups. So, as we all get ready for the coming weekend’s parties, here’s my review of some of the most racist options being sold this year, along with some bad ideas that recur every Halloween. Share it with anybody you think might need the help.

http://colorlines.com/archives/2010/..._to_avoid.html

This "Ghetto Fab Wig" is how my REAL hair looks. Damn Kohl's for doing that.




http://www.jsonline.com/business/105402358.html