I Am Not a Costume!

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

This whole topic just reinforces my curmudgeonliness: Halloween costumes are supposed to be scary -- ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties...

"Is that a ghoulie or ghosty or wee student beastie?" Peeves ITY?

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. IIRC the 3rd photo was one of a guy in a sombrero and poncho "dressed as a Mexican." I went to a Halloween party last year and saw a guy in the same outfit, drinking tequila in the corner, and he said "I'm a Mexican." That's offensive because (among many other reasons), he was assuming that poncho+sombrero+tequila = an accurate representation of a Mexican man. If he had been wearing brown paint to tint his skin (he was white), that would have been (or should have been IMO) the least of the concern.

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.

[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?

[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?

[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).