Step Away From The Damned Blackface, Already
| November 14th, 2006Blackacademic points out yet another case of young whites deciding that putting on the blackface is just, y’know, hilarious. And she also points out that the University President’s letter, which is mainly about saying “it was just a few bad apples, there’s no larger problem to be addressed here!,” manages to avoid ever using the word “racism.” Because using that word would apparently be in bad taste or something.
Look, it’s not that complex: If you’re white, put the blackface down. Whether you’re a frat boy or a liberal blogger, put it down. If you’re not white - well, even then, you should probably put it down. (Ebogjonson has a very fine blackface appropriateness test that bloggers of all colors who considering blackface should consult.)
Because if you happen to be an artist of Spike Lee’s caliber, then maybe you’ll be able to use blackface in a way that is both genuinely interesting and genuinely anti-racist. But you know what? Odds are very very high that you’re not Spike Lee.
Just leave the goddmaned blackface alone, already. It’s not… that… hard.
More reading: Zuky, Wampum, Dark Sun, Prometheus 6, Slant Truth and Pen-Elayne.
UPDATE: Carmen at Racialicious reports on a constructive approach campus administrations can take when students wear blackface.
UPDATE 2: And do check out this post on My Private Casbah:
To ask whether or not this was “Racism or Stupidity” is to create a false dichotomy. Is there some reason why it could only be one or the other? I’m going to go out on a limb here and introduce what might seem like a really far-fetched notion to some. Could it be that it was racist stupidity? I know it’s anecdotal but, in my experience, racism and stupidity are not exactly strange bedfellows.
[Crossposted at Creative Destruction. If your comments aren’t being approved here, try there.]
November 14th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Hey thanks for the link! And yes please everyone, step AWAY from the blackface. It’s *never* appropriate.
This comment was written by Carmen Van Kerckhove.Report this comment to the moderators
November 14th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
But it’s so, you know, -edgy!- Smash the oppressive P.C. police! Smash, I say, smash!
plus, how dare you stifle these peoples’ creative expression? I mean, it’s -really- creative. and did i mention about the edgy? Well it is. Edgy edge edge edge. HOO! Boy, is that ever edgy…
*…sorry, I must have dozed off there. Where was I? Oh, yeah, right.
“Blackface Is Cool. And: Fight for your Right to Party. Because you mustn’t let Them tell you what to do, EVER.”
–oh, shit, I think I hear Mom coming, quick, light some incense and open the window…
This comment was written by belledame222.Report this comment to the moderators
November 14th, 2006 at 11:09 pm
I don’t know if they did it with racist motives, but it was racist.
I think it’s simply the “frat boy culture” (which I find utterly obnoxious) is constructed — it’s basically one big, neverending competition about who does the most outrageously offensive thing.
I agree, those assholes are making legitimate criticisms of political correctness more difficult. This is something that has bothered me for a long time — that for some (generally right-wing, admittedly) “anti-PC” people, being “politically incorrect” all the time is thought to be required by their political stance.
In essence, for some “Anti-PC” people, “politically incorrect” is politically correct. Which is pretty fucked up.
This comment was written by Tuomas.Report this comment to the moderators
November 14th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
I think it’s simply the way frat boy culture…
This comment was written by Tuomas.Report this comment to the moderators
November 15th, 2006 at 4:39 am
I just think it’s a stupid thing to do.
Unfortunately, I did lots of stupid things in college, but I didn’t do that.
I don’t know if it’s a sign of anything in general … other than college students can be dopey.
This comment was written by JG.Report this comment to the moderators
November 15th, 2006 at 6:44 am
Wow. Blackface is not a sign of anything other than stupid college kids?
I’m seriously at a loss for words on that one.
Can we just begin with the idea that MAYBE, just MAYBE 18-22 year olds CAN be smarter, more mature and better informed than we expect them to be and that this notion of “Kids will be kids” is just creating an EASIER atmosphere for ADULTS to act like children? I’m sorry. I don’t buy that anyone over the age of about 10 doesn’t KNOW that this is incredibly offensive and does it anyway. The fact that they get away with it with such minor slaps on the wrist and the fact that people are arguing it doesn’t mean anything is demonstrating just how racist we all really are.
This comment was written by Kate L..Report this comment to the moderators
November 15th, 2006 at 9:45 am
After reading about it on Blackademic (I never pass up an opportunity to provide a link to her site), I skipped around the net to see what other sources had to say about it. Alas, A Blog mentions it in “Step Away From The Damned Blackface, Already” and you can take a look at the actual message from the invitation to the party here. I also found an editorial on Johns Hopkins University’s student-run newspaper’s website entitled “Sigma Chi’s Long Night”
This comment was written by My Private Casbah.Report this comment to the moderators
November 15th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
spots some sexism as yet another article about blogging comes out that completely ignores over half the blogging population. Hey Roxanne, has it been three months already? • Et tu, Johns Hopkins? (Via Bint and Barry.) Et tu, Maru? • Atrios inadvertently supplies a very good reason why blog ads are a bad idea. I don’t think “people fail to understand” his point, I just think people disagree with it. Running any
This comment was written by Pen-Elayne on the Web.Report this comment to the moderators
November 15th, 2006 at 9:30 pm
Right on, blackface = unacceptable. Have to say, though, that the “only Spike Lee can do it” standard doesn’t work for me. I think he’s got some major blind spots about gender. Definitely not the last word in progressive film.
This comment was written by Katie.Report this comment to the moderators
November 15th, 2006 at 11:09 pm
I didn’t mean to say that Spike Lee is the be-all and end-all, and I agree about his gender blind spots. But I nonetheless thought Bamboozled was a terrific film.
This comment was written by Ampersand.Report this comment to the moderators
November 16th, 2006 at 8:53 am
per “politically correct,” and the “legitness” of it, at minimum of the (increasingly tired) phrase itself, i think zuky has the the best piece on it i’ve ever seen:
http://www.kaichang.net/2006/11/the_sloppy_prop.html
This comment was written by belledame222.Report this comment to the moderators
November 16th, 2006 at 10:00 am
my god, belldame, that was awesome. thanks for linking!
This comment was written by mandolin.Report this comment to the moderators