Quote:
Originally Posted by gregorio
Minstrel shows in Australia date back to 1838. The Black & White Minstrel Show was a huge hit on the BBC from 1958 to 1978, and the theatrical version made The Guinness Book of Records as the stage show seen by the largest number of people. It's not like blackface is an American secret.
Yeah, it's an Anglosphere thing to some extent. Blackface is definitely considered offensive in Australia, but a lot of the history isn't well known or understood. For instance, I know, barely, what Americans mean by a "minstrel show", but > 95% of people my age would not. I have never heard the word "minstrelsy" before now. This puts me in a kind of both-worlds position, where I understand why it is so offensive, but also understand that it's largely a cultural value.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trolly McTrollson
Yeah. I'm sensitive to the fact that minstrelry is a specifically American hangup and it's not fair to insist that Euros follow our cultural norms about blackface, but at the same time, people trying to impersonate other racial groups using makeup or costumes or mannerisms pretty much never ends well. Like, if this guy has painted himself yellow and squinted his eyes to impersonate an Asian guy, I think it's fair game to tell our Estonian friends that that isn't super cool.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trolly McTrollson
I'm not sure that "don't do racial caricatures" is exclusively an American value.
But outside the Anglosphere, dressing up like someone of another race doesn't necessarily mean a "caricature". Alec Baldwin's impersonation of Trump on SNL is a caricature and is therefore exaggerated and played for laughs. But it's also possible that a later documentary or dramatization will feature someone playing him straight. Racial caricatures are inherently offensive, but the fact that it's considered impossible to use blackface as a means of just playing someone straight, that's just American culture. Anglosphere culture too, to an extent. I would say that even for impressions, not all impressions are caricatures, it depends on the tone. Baldwin's impression of Trump is exaggerated in such a way as to make Trump look like an idiot, but sometimes people also do impressions that are not intended to be offensive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by H0RUS
Its not, thats why the "im not american so i don't have to find it offensive" argument is a really bad look. Its not an american issue. It's a social issue. It doesnt matter where you are located, imitating another race down to painting your skin and parading yourself around in a sterotypical fashion is disrespectful.
Is men dressing up like women always inherently disrespectful to women? What's the difference?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobo Fett
I think it's fair to expect people to listen when minstrelsy is explained to them, and to expect them to change their behaviour accordingly.
Do you think it's fair to insist that everyone in the world accept the British attitude to "spaz", once it's been explained to them? Supplementary question: What do you think the chances are like that Americans will change their behaviour for this reason?
Last edited by ChrisV; 12-11-2017 at 06:42 PM.