Obama, you may have won the Nobel Prize, but you’re being one-upped. The winner for Best Week Ever goes to none other than Blackface!
Blackface, come on up! Who would you like to thank?
“Well, I’d really like to give a shout out to Jim Crow. But I’d especially like to thank Paris and Australia. I’m so glad you all are seemingly oblivious to hundreds of years of oppression. Way to keep me alive! And Stephen Hill, I see you. You biting my style but I’m gonna let you do ya thing my dude.”
No, that wasn’t a leaked transcript of the BET awards (at least I don’t think it is).
The fact is, over the last week, Vogue Paris and some random talent show in Australia both featured black face. Vogue had the (?) Lara Stone appear in black face in a photo shoot. As much as I’m offended, I must say that the joke’s on her because she looks like a Slim Jim.
Meanwhile, in Australia, a group of old white guys dressed in their Sunday (racist) bests and did a Jackson 5 tribute. And crowd, don’t act like I didn’t hear you sumbitches clapping and laughing along. Thank goodness Harry Connick Jr. was on hand to teach the Aussies a thing or two about race relations. Thanks, Harry. You already had props for your post-Katrina work but now you get double daps if I ever run into you. When reached for comment Harry said:
“I thought I was in a Tyler Perry movie or something.”
Zing! See, he didn’t really say that? But I pretended so I could make a joke. It’s funny. Like Blackface and dead babies.
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I heard something about this. I just think it’s poor decision making. Not to mention bad taste. Anyone who has to revert back to what hollywood did to keep from paying afro american actors/actresses is ignorant.
Al Jolson
I’ve never been to Paris or Austrailia, but I know there are some black folks in both parts of the globe. Have you ever been so angry you couldn’t figure out how to describe it without making a complete fool of yourself? I guess I’m almost at that point. :(
You’d think Vogue would have more sense than that. Really, what is the reasoning there? Did they all sit around a conference table and decide, “hmmm, yeah painting a white woman black sounds like a great idea.”
They hate us but so badly want to be us. it is a damn shame.
@Douglas: Not enough Blacks in Australia to kick up dust about such a thing. Plus I’m almost certain it’s happened before… and nobody gave a shit.
As for Paris….whooo lawdy, Paris.
*takes off peacoat*
France is about as racist as it gets, really. So much so that people end up being racist even after toning down their racist proclivities. And when they try to overlook them, or downplay them, you end up with a Vogue situation. My French friends & colleagues say/do the dumbest most racist shit and then laugh about it and I have to give them the head-tilt-side-eye-stare like “wigga waaaaaat?” And then they explain why it’s funny and I facepalm and laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.
They all got good jobs, but dang that was in seriously bad taste. Glad Harry said his piece at the end though.
You all ever seen Papa Lazarou from A League of Gentleman? He’s like a cross between Slash from Guns n Roses, an evil sorceror and Al Jolson. But dude is hilarious, I don’t think there were any complaints from the UK black populus about Papa Lazarou, because A League of Gentleman was a funny show indeed.
Bamboozled.
Papa Lazarou….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a27zbNyf3x4
@ Paw — is that for real? Is this an old program or something actually on TV in the Olde country these days?
@Ragga, new(ish) I would say circa 1999-2002, it’s a sketch show set in a fictional town with all this strange characters and wot not. They actually did a movie of it around 2005, was a pretty big box office hit from what I recall.
The characters on the show were really oddball and often creepy.
Like this homosexual pederast german teacher that prayed on his students, that was real scary.
Papa Lazarou was the most popular character on the show, he got the minstrel painted face, but like I’m saying I never heard anybody complaining to the BBC about it.
So now that you all seen it across the pond, how’s it look from your angle, racist or just made strange and offbeat funny?
Disturbing at best given the history of blackface. I cannot understand the context in which this could be seen as merely funny but I think I am happy in not understanding that sort of thinking. With the English comedy overtones makes it difficult to watch … mostly because I find that kind of humor to be boring and a waste of time and brain cells.
I think its a reflection of the racial climate in both of those places lately.
In Australia the Aborigines have been gettin hell every since the government apologized for treating them like shit in the past, I think it pissed the ‘white’ population off.
And France has been taking the ‘isolationist’ route and has had STRONG resistance to African immigrants and their race relations have been strained lately with protest from BOTH sides.
Regardless, it becomes easy for these images to be displayed, without protest from the majority; when one group already has issues with the other. It will get worse before it gets better.
@Ragga, I think you hit the nail on the head with the word ‘disturbing’ that’s exactly the type of reaction the various characters on this show induce. It’s very dark humour, but it creeps under the skin, because some of the traits that the characters display seem weirdly familiar. Like the guys who wrote the show were thinking, we’re gonna screw with your head, but at the same time make you laugh.
If Papa Lazarou was talking in jive, and strutting it like a Harlem bred pimp, then yeah I think the offence factor would have kicked in. Or strutting it like a minstrel show piece then yes that would have been flagrant.
His face is indeed blacked up, but his behaviour and language is more akin to Eastern European Gypsies, and he does this weird magic where he abducts peoples wives. He’s like a ultra screwed up version of Marilyn Manson or something.
Is the core point of the sketch irony and satire or something else offensive altogether?
Because I would ask the same question about Robert Downey Jnr’s character in Tropic Thunder, where he was all blacked up and wot not.
Because I would ask the same question about Robert Downey Jnr’s character in Tropic Thunder, where he was all blacked up and wot not.
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I think no one went up in arms about it is because they addressed how ridiculous that was in the movie itself.
Because I would ask the same question about Robert Downey Jnr’s character in Tropic Thunder, where he was all blacked up and wot not.
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folk were mad heated about RDJ in Tropic Thunder. The cast and fans just basically told all the critics to eff off and ignored them. Plus, I don’t know many black folks that bothered to see the movie once they heard about the blackface stuff.
I broke down and saw in SoCal–it was a mostly non-black crowd and that’s mostly who laughed. what few brothas/sistahs saw it just seemed uncomfortable by it it the whole time.
this is the same deal—black readers ain’t Vogues audience so unless Vogue’s audience raises hell, they’ll do it again.
If Harry Connick hadn’t gone off, this wouldn’t have been news. they would’ve acted like it’s all gravy…
life goes on.
“They hate us but so badly want to be us. it is a damn shame.”
Sad but true, and I’m white. lol Just look at popular culture/trends. It’s like Snoop said on Hollywood Divorce. It always starts off as a lil hood thing. Until corporate America realizes they can make a buck off of it.
I was talking to a colleague of mine (who happens to teach Fashion Marketing & is Black) and she told me that the Vogue Paris thing didn’t bother her as much because of how elegantly the women portrayed themselves. However she was bothered by the fact that they didn’t consider hiring black women, or other women of color to pull this vision off. I’m disappointed, but I’m still not sure if I should be mad about the situation, or the fact that I’m just not mad enough. :/
So those aren’t Aborigines?
I’m not surprised by this kinda behavior in the least. People are still racially insensitive around the globe and it will always be that way.
Post racial era my ass.
And FTR , I thought Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious in Tropic Thunder cause he was not only playing with the stereotypes of African American roles in similar films but it was also parodying the whole “Method Acting” approach and how silly it can be.
The group that really was offended by Tropic Thunder was the disability advocates. Simple Jack did not go over that well with that crowd.
i wonder if WhiteFace will ever take off?
Im from Australia, and believe me, when this came on the tv screen I was in shock. Please dont take this as a reflection of the thought processes of all Australians.
Just as there is a cross section of beliefs in the U.S., the same can be said in Australia. It was just a dumb move by the Broadcast Station which Im sure they regret.
^ co-sign
I was watching this when it happened and I said to my friends “I bet you this will stir up something.” Having said that, I didn’t find the act racist, but I didn’t find it funny or amusing either. It was just in bad taste.
You would hope that the intl reaction to shit like this on aussie TV might make people stop and think about what message others might pick up from something like this.
———————————–
@Thugnificance
“In Australia the Aborigines have been gettin hell every since the government apologized for treating them like shit in the past, I think it pissed the ‘white’ population off.”
I dunno about det….
@Thugnificance
“In Australia the Aborigines have been gettin hell every since the government apologized for treating them like shit in the past, I think it pissed the ‘white’ population off.”
Yeah none of this is true, except for the fact the new Prime Minister apologised once elected. Aborigines do have it rough, but we do a hell of a lot here in Australia to change the ways of the past, probably moreso than in America.
coming from and australian, firstly it was a reunion show for a program that aired for 20 odd years but hasnt been on for about a decade. the skit was first performed 20 years ago when political correctness wasn’t so rampant. back then nothing was said, no one was criticized, no one raised an eyebrow.
secondly you have to understand that most australians have no idea what ‘blackface comedy’ is and the offense it causes to americans. i don’t condone the skit, i thought it was bad taste myself, but you have to understand that this happened outside america where your (american) past history with the negro culture has almost no bearing whatsoever. imagine that. i would estimate 90% of australians have no idea that in america it is offensive to act in such a way.
i didn’t find it racist, because this is australia, and i’m australian, and here there is NO history of blackface comedy and the offense it causes. in saying that i do understand why some people found it offensive and i think it was a dumb mistake on behalf of all involved.
Numbers—-
coming from and australian, firstly it was a reunion show for a program that aired for 20 odd years but hasnt been on for about a decade. the skit was first performed 20 years ago when political correctness wasn’t so rampant. back then nothing was said, no one was criticized, no one raised an eyebrow.
secondly you have to understand that most australians have no idea what ‘blackface comedy’ is and the offense it causes to americans. i don’t condone the skit, i thought it was bad taste myself, but you have to understand that this happened outside america where your (american) past history with the negro culture has almost no bearing whatsoever. imagine that. i would estimate 90% of australians have no idea that in america it is offensive to act in such a way.
i didn’t find it racist, because this is australia, and i’m australian, and here there is NO history of blackface comedy and the offense it causes. in saying that i do understand why some people found it offensive and i think it was a dumb mistake on behalf of all involved.—-
WTF man you just sound just ignorant!!!!!!
as f@#$…
I’m Australian and I have enough common sense to find that offensive….
Just because we didn’t have a large culture of minstrel shows doesn’t mean that people don’t know that this is offensive or what it is actually is down right degrading…people know the American culture(and it’s not just US culture that propergated this!!!) in Australia better than their own culture.
It is wholly unbelievable to me that they would’ve even considered putting this on TV……but it doesn’t surprise me
I’d just hoped that cultural sensitivities would’ve changed with times but alas no.
This has just added to the misconception that all Australians are ignorant, bigotted yokels from a backwater country which not all Australians are. But seeing all the people across media sites in Australia trying to say ” It’s ok, it was just a bit of fun etc.” makes it’s apparent that it is a large number that are backward.
And I’m not trying to be PC and all that, it’s just common sense if you ask me…
Even worse I read that 2 or 3 of the performers were of Indian and Middle Eastern extraction…
Crazy times down in OZ….Crazy indeed
And Dude Numbers where are from??????????? The Negro Culture????/ sheeet
And Dude Numbers where are u from??????????? The Negro Culture????/ sheeet……
Vogue Paris: I know that they could have found a Black woman to do that shoot. A White chick in blackface? What is that supposed to say?
Australian TV show: The group was called Jackson Jive……I rest my case
@David D: “No, that wasn’t a leaked transcript of the BET awards.” HILARIOUS! At this point TSS can forget ever being invited to any black Entertainment Television function. But who gives a F__k?!!!!!
Hows that that no one has bring this subject when they colored Robert Downey Jr for “Tropic Thunder” ?!?
Everyone thought that is funny?! Why is not funny anymore?!
Demagogy instead of idea!!!
Ups…sorry I didnt seen that someone already mention it!
So Obama gets elected and now racism reaches a new frontier where blackface is an acceptable way to make an ad controversial so you sell stuff? Is that what’s going on here?