"Blackface" Discussion

[Snow]

This thread is mostly filled with morally outraged white people right? Just making sure what exactly people are getting offended over.

Mac did a pretty good Murtaugh in black face and everyone was fine with it.

 

[Irrational.]

Stupid. Guess this also ends any chance of him joining us. A PR disaster.

He can join the other racist at Barcelona.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Griezmann loves basketball. It's a known fact, but he's definitely better in cosplaying young Meg Ryan.

 

[Devil may care]

Exactly this. And these faceless people are quick to go into full hysteria mode. But, I am sure every single one of them is no purist themselves and have been guilty of racism themselves.

This is what troubles me, before Griezmann has even had a chance to respond these people have whipped up a swarm of hate on the guy which spreads like wildfire.

 

[hobbers]

Meh, still want us to sign him.

 

[JonDahl]

If I whitened up my body fancy dressed as C Ronaldo would it be classed racist?

Is there a racial charged history behind the connotation of darker skinned people whitening themselves to mock those lighter than them?

 

[Epicurean]

Jesus Christ. You dont get it do you?
Him having black friends doesn't absolve him of guilt of doing a daft, ignorant thing or being ignorant.

Mad about anything? You don't know the history behind it, do you?

What I get is that not everyone has got to think the way you think. Not every culture is like Anglo culture. Did he do it because he thought it will drive you all up the wall? Or did he do it because he thought it to be harmless.

 

[Minimalist]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[Bojan11]

Stupid. Guess this also ends any chance of him joining us. A PR disaster.

He can join the other racist at Barcelona.

Why would it end? He’s daft but he’s not bloody racist.

 

[VorZakone]

Stupid. Guess this also ends any chance of him joining us. A PR disaster.

He can join the other racist at Barcelona.

You genuinely think Griezmann is a racist?

 

[Summit]

This thread is mostly filled with morally outraged white people right? Just making sure what exactly people are getting offended over.

Mac did a pretty good Murtaugh in black face and everyone was fine with it.

I also don't remember there being an issue with Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

This is what troubles me, before Griezmann has even had a chance to respond these people have whipped up a swarm of hate on the guy which spreads like wildfire.

He will be fine.

 

[SammyUnited_83]

But if his favourite basketball player is black, and he wants to go out in fancy dress as him, then what's wrong with colouring his face so he looks more like said basketball player???? That's kind of the point of fancy dress...

Is this a joke? Don't you know the history behind this.

By painting his face black and putting on a fake afro make him look remotely like "said" basketball player. No.

The whole thing has racial connotations, it's so dumb and the fact he put it on Twitter? Ffs attention seeking bellend.

 

[SuperiorXI]

I also don't remember there being an issue with Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder.

I know, it's really weird isn't it, what is considered 'racist' these days.

 

[2mufc0]

Is there a racial charged history behind the connotation of darker skinned people whitening themselves to mock those lighter than them?

He's not mocking them though, is a huge NBA fan, there's reasoning behind it even though he looks rediculous.

 

[ivaldo]

As a recipient of the act, quite honestly whether your intentions are not to cause offence doesn’t necessarily mean that no offence can be caused. Semantics doesn’t even come close.
So no, we don’t agree and never will on that basis.

I must have said half a dozen times that it's offensive, including in the post you replied to.

 

[King Eric 7]

For the people claiming that blackface is some sort of historical thing that disappeared some decades ago and thus black people should not be sensitive to it these days, I refer you back to the incident back in 2008 when Lewis Hamilton was subjected to racial abuse at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix by some idiots who wore black face make-up. Of course, you could just do a Bernie and say that it's all "a bit of a joke".

 

[diarm]

I'm sorry but I think the time of ignorance being an acceptable excuse for putting something stupid on social media has long since passed.

These guys are public figures and are paid very well for it. They choose to have social media accounts for whatever personal or financial reasons, and as such, have chosen to be responsible for their actions on such a public medium.

Barely a week goes by without a twitter shit storm and as a public figure, especially one who draws a large percentage of his income from commercial sponsorship, the onus is on him to ensure he doesn't compromise himself.

I don't for a second believe that in this day and age, his club and management team haven't discussed appropriate use of social media. There really aren't that many things to focus on - it's not that hard to tweet while keeping a wide berth of racism, sexism, religion and politics.

I also don't for a second believe that in 2017, whether they've ever heard the term blackface or not, anybody paints their face black without pausing to wonder if there's a chance it will cause offence.

Only last year in Madrid, where Griezmann lives and plays, there was a huge controversy surrounding the tradition of blackface painting in the Three Kings Parade.

He chooses to use social media because it raises his profile and benefits him commercially. He chose to paint his face black at best, because he didn't bother to spend 10 seconds checking if it was suitable to do so and at worse because he knew it wasn't but didn't give a shit.

He is 100% responsible for any and all fallout from this. Anyone defending him should give their heads a wobble.

I've spent the last few years criticising twitter shitstorms and defending people at the centre of them but not any more. If you're famous and you get caught out at this stage you're at best an idiot and at worst actually fully deserving of the accusations.

 

[ivaldo]

What's "black culture"?

Google it.

 

[BigTimeCharlie]

Mods can we have a poll on what ethnicity you are and if you are offended? I think most suburban middle class white guys are offended here.

 

[JonDahl]

People will soon forget this. For example, didn't prince Harry dress up as a Nazi once?

You can take the people out of Germany...

 

[NinjaFletch]

The bloke has practically immersed himself in black culture, but is himself racist? I don't think so, it just doesn't make any sense, especially posting it on social media for all to see.

I agree it's ignorant, incredibly ignorant, but I do not believe it to be racist.

Surely this is a nonsense of an argument?

If he has 'immersed himself in black culture' then it's very difficult to see how you can claim his is simultaneously ignorant of a pretty well known stereotype.

 

[Ban]

What I get is that not everyone has got to think the way you think. Not every culture is like Anglo culture. Did he do it because he thought it will drive you all up the wall? Or did he do it because he thought it to be harmless.

He did it cause he thought it's harmless, he didnt think it was stupid and ignorant.
I'm not an Anglo culture.

 

[Snowjoe]

Mods can we have a poll on what ethnicity you are and if you are offended? I think most suburban middle class white guys are offended here.

No chance no

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

How did he not know this was a bad idea?

 

[SammyUnited_83]

I'm sorry but I think the time of ignorance being an acceptable excuse for putting something stupid on social media has long since passed.

These guys are public figures and are paid very well for it. They choose to have social media accounts for whatever personal or financial reasons, and as such, have chosen to be responsible for their actions on such a public medium.

Barely a week goes by without a twitter shit storm and as a public figure, especially one who draws a large percentage of his income from commercial sponsorship, the onus is on him to ensure he doesn't compromise himself.

I don't for a second believe that in this day and age, his club and management team haven't discussed appropriate use of social media. There really aren't that many things to focus on - it's not that hard to tweet while keeping a wide berth of racism, sexism, religion and politics.

I also don't for a second believe that in 2017, whether they've ever heard the term blackface or not, anybody paints their face black without pausing to wonder if there's a chance it will cause offence.

Only last year in Madrid, where Griezmann lives and plays, there was a huge controversy surrounding the tradition of blackface painting in the Three Kings Parade.

He chooses to use social media because it raises his profile and benefits him commercially. He chose to paint his face black at best, because he didn't bother to spend 10 seconds checking if it was suitable to do so and at worse because he knew it wasn't but didn't give a shit.

He is 100% responsible for any and all fallout from this. Anyone defending him should give their heads a wobble.

I've spent the last few years criticising twitter shitstorms and defending people at the centre of them but not any more. If you're famous and you get caught out at this stage you're at best an idiot and at worst actually fully deserving of the accusations.

Well said. Close thread.

 

[AndyJ1985]

Google it.

Why? You used the term black culture so you must know what it means. I'm just curious how billions of people from all over the world can all share the same culture.

 

[devil in me]

Is this a joke? Don't you know the history behind this.

By painting his face black and putting on a fake afro make him look remotely like "said" basketball player. No.

The whole thing has racial connotations, it's so dumb and the fact he put it on Twitter? Ffs attention seeking bellend.

No i don't know the history behind it. I've never ever heard of blackface.
I wasnt saying he WAS dressed like his favourite basketball player. I was simply responding to a poster who said if he was dressing up as his favourite basketball player then he should do so without colouring his skin. Which is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[ivaldo]

Surely this is a nonsense of an argument?

If he has 'immersed himself in black culture' then it's very difficult to see how you can claim his is simultaneously ignorant of a pretty well known stereotype.

Why is it? The other option is he looks down on/hates the type of person he aspires to be.

 

[Smores]

Actually people trying to defend him here

 

[Green_Red]

I had a friend who did it for a fancy dress costume one halloween. Dressed up as Mister T. Is that racist?

I had a black friend do the Dave Chappelle newsreader too. All in good fun.

 

[devil in me]

I know, it's really weird isn't it, what is considered 'racist' these days.

I could do with finding out before I go to my Bob Marley fancy dress Xmas party next week that's for sure.

 

[Trizy]

Why are people getting angry and offended? The Wayans Brothers did an entire movie in ''white-face'' and no one gave a shit.

 

[ivaldo]

Why? You used the term black culture so you must know what it means. I'm just curious how billions of people from all over the world can all share the same culture.

Also known as Black-American culture, it refers to the cultural contributions of African Americans to the culture of the United States, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture. But you knew that, you were just being pedantic.

 

[villain]

If I whitened up my body fancy dressed as C Ronaldo would it be classed racist?

No because there isn’t a history of white people being mocked and compared to animals and being deemed as less than human.

It’s not just painting your skin a different colour, there’s historical references to oppression that’s linked.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

I had a friend who did it for a fancy dress costume one halloween. Dressed up as Mister T. Is that racist?

I had a black friend do the Dave Chappelle newsreader too. All in good fun.

Did they wear blackface? If so yeah.

 

[2mufc0]

No because there isn’t a history of white people being mocked and compared to animals and being deemed as less than human.

It’s not just painting your skin a different colour, there’s historical references to oppression that’s linked.

That's clearly not what he intended.

 

[Green_Red]

Did they wear blackface? If so yeah.

Yes he did. So is the Dave Chappelle character equally racist?

 

[JonDahl]

He's not mocking them though, is a huge NBA fan, there's reasoning behind it even though he looks rediculous.

Whether he's mocking them or not is irrelevant (I really doubt any sane person really thinks he's doing it on purpose), it's the connotation.

 

[ivaldo]

Why are people getting angry and offended? The Wayans Brothers did an entire movie in ''white-face'' and no one gave a shit.

It's the historical context that rightly offends people. It's not the mere act of dressing up as a black person, it's what the act of doing so has meant in the past.