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Post by Kash Flagg on Oct 9, 2009 22:38:21 GMT -5
I still have excellent relations with my Australian sidekick woody.
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Post by Sir Woodrow on Oct 9, 2009 22:40:53 GMT -5
I still have excellent relations with my Australian sidekick woody. You sure do Chief! ;D
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Jay Peas 42
El Dandy
Totally flips out ALL the time.
Is looking forward to a Nation of Domination Kwannza Special.
Posts: 8,329
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Post by Jay Peas 42 on Oct 9, 2009 23:20:03 GMT -5
Um, yeah. The reason we don't do blackface in this country is because African Americans have asked us not too on the grounds that find it offensive on the grounds that it mocks them and perpetuates demeaning stereotypes. Why should Aussies care one wit about American racial issues? Just because all Anglos look alike doesn't mean we tell what's what. The Chinese and the Japanese seem to find a good amount of humor in it (see Popo, Mr.). The Aussies like to pretend that they are asian this week. It's galling that people around the world seem to have bought into the racist and stereotypical caricatures of black people which have been promoted for decades. I think it's a cheap cop-out to say "Oh, we didn't KNOW any better." What it implies is that ignorance is an excuse for racism. Racism is not unique to the United States and I'm not going to go any further because I would probably end up going into the politics behind this stereotypical garbage. Props on Harry for taking a stand. So your contention is that using makeup to impersonate a member of another race is universally racist, and everyone should know this, correct. If that is the case, 1. It is not. Example A: White Chicks. And if you claim that "whitey has it coming”, you admit that in some circumstances that it's not racist, and you lose the argument. But to the point, Blackface is not racist, Minstrel shows had racist aspects to them and used actors in blackface to reinforce negative stereotypes about Black vices. Surely if an actor wears blackface to play Othello the Moor, that would not be found offensive. Or if actors had to use Asian makeup to put on the Mikado, that would not be found offensive either. Which as Minstrel Shows are an American art form from the 1800s, it does not make any sense why Aussies would have any idea what they are or why they would be offensive. Surely, Ayer's Rock, Tasmanian Extinction and the Stolen Generations are concepts that Non-Aussies would not be familiar with, but somehow, presumably every non-black person is expected to know what African Americans think of makeup used in association with 19th century folk drama, and not to use cheap grease paint on bad reality shows appearances. In conclusion, blackface is found offensive by African Americans due to it’s historical connection with 19th century Minstrel shows and other media of the time that used stereotypes that depicted blacks as slow and lazy, et alia, and places that lack a history of those forms of entertainment, cannot be expected to know that history. And also I would like to say, Mr. Popo does not lie.
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Post by Kroot bringing Justice on Oct 9, 2009 23:23:05 GMT -5
I just feel like saying as a black man I find this in no way offensive.
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Post by Clarence "Showstealer" Mason on Oct 10, 2009 0:05:43 GMT -5
It may have been on the wrong side of good taste. But seriously Harry isn't one to talk, he did a sketch that COULD be construed as Racist on Mad TV about 10 years ago
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Post by El Cokehead del Knife Fight on Oct 10, 2009 0:40:47 GMT -5
It may have been on the wrong side of good taste. But seriously Harry isn't one to talk, he did a sketch that COULD be construed as Racist on Mad TV about 10 years ago The Southern Preacher one, correct? Anyways, my thoughts on this is simple. Blackface is always going to be interpreted as racist even when no offense is intended. The skit seemed to have no intention of offending people and I think it was actually quite funny.
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Post by Clarence "Showstealer" Mason on Oct 10, 2009 0:45:59 GMT -5
It may have been on the wrong side of good taste. But seriously Harry isn't one to talk, he did a sketch that COULD be construed as Racist on Mad TV about 10 years ago The Southern Preacher one, correct? Anyways, my thoughts on this is simple. Blackface is always going to be interpreted as racist even when no offense is intended. The skit seemed to have no intention of offending people and I think it was actually quite funny. Bingo....let me say I never found the Southern Preacher skit he did racist but it COULD be viewed that way
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Post by Threadkiller [Classic] on Oct 10, 2009 1:03:48 GMT -5
I thought this thread was going to be about Australian Idol and the fact that he's guest mentoring/judging Big Band night on Sunday.
So what if I'm a Yank? I'll find ways to watch my beloved Idol shows (okay, just the English-speaking ones...and even then, just America, Canada and Australia).
I'll be leaving now.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2009 4:20:32 GMT -5
I couldn't believe when this made the papers in the UK
I can just imagine the thought process being it "Brilliant! A chance to get all indignant over something that has nothing to do with us and condemn other people!"
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Post by Clarence "Showstealer" Mason on Oct 10, 2009 5:26:45 GMT -5
I thought this thread was going to be about Australian Idol and the fact that he's guest mentoring/judging Big Band night on Sunday. So what if I'm a Yank? I'll find ways to watch my beloved Idol shows (okay, just the English-speaking ones...and even then, just America, Canada and Australia). I'll be leaving now. He is? I hope one of the contestants dresses up like Al Johlson (sp?) then
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Bones58
Don Corleone
Shuup Baby, I know it!
Posts: 1,474
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Post by Bones58 on Oct 10, 2009 6:26:53 GMT -5
So to impersonate someone, you can have a huge exaggerated nose, ears, accent. But heaven forbid someone try to paint themself black in an exaggerated manner to do an impression of a black singer. Really? Do you find that offensive? If that's the case, then a new perspective on things is badly needed.
Oh and I take it White Chicks was racist as well?
A complete non-story.
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Bones58
Don Corleone
Shuup Baby, I know it!
Posts: 1,474
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Post by Bones58 on Oct 10, 2009 6:36:33 GMT -5
I just feel like saying as a black man I find this in no way offensive. And there it is. Who are other people to decide what's offensive to other ethnicities? I'm sure as a white person, I couldn't truely understand how it felt to be called the N word. So I'm not going to even try pretend that I would feel it just as a black person would. The sooner these petty incidents leave the papers, and the big picture about racism is focused on, the better.
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Post by thatguybayne on Oct 10, 2009 7:06:23 GMT -5
When the act came on I turned to my wife and said "This is a little racist isn't it?" but to me it seemed they were booked because anything Michael Jackson is a sure fire crowd pleaser these days and sure enough the audience clapped along while they performed and booed when they were gonged. I don't think it really crossed too many people's minds that this could be taken the wrong way by some cultures. It's kind of like when Americans make Dingo got my baby jokes. To Americans it's no big deal but from what I understand if you were to make a joke like that in Northern Territory where it happend you'd be lucky to make it out alive.
I should also point out the reason some sections of our local media are running with it is because this reunion special delivery big ratings numbers and our TV networks are very vicious towards each other.
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