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Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

I guess my general problem with this is that when I hear "Blackface" I bring to mind pictures and images of the 'old' days in the theatre, with white people in pitchblack face paint with white lips or eyes. I look at something like what Hough did, and see that her dressing up as a specific person, not a race.

But then, I don't have problems with people painting themselves all blue and calling themselves Smurfs or Na'vi, either. Or all green and going as an "Orion Slave Girl" from Star Trek. I understand it's a costume, and generally of something that the person dressing up as them really likes.

I don't see dressing up as Justin Timberlake a problem (I laughed), or Jay Z (though it's not really like he's got any sort of recognizable style, that one's iffy) or Houghs costume (Suzanne Warren) as any problem. Hell, I didn't even recognize her AS Houghs until it was pointed out and I saw a bit of white at the top of her forehead. To me, there's a world of difference between that, and the intentional idiocy represented by the 'original' style of Blackface.

I hear "Blackface", and this is what I'm thinking

Spoiler for poss. offensive image:

Spoiler!

The pics shown in this thread don't even come close.

In all likelihood it probably doesn't really matter what you think though. If a significant portion of the population finds it offensive because of its historical context (a context that doesn't exist with green alien girls and blue Navi, rendering those irrelevant) then it's offensive. Just because it isn't the same picture as the Blackface article in a Britannica Encyclopedia, doesn't mean it's kosher.