Blackface Halloween ?

[burnin_vernon]

I want to dress as Mr. T for Halloween. Full mohawk, denim sleeveless vest, and dark brown/black facepaint. I'm relatively new to the term "blackface" and only after doing some googling tonight did I realize this may be seen as extremely offensive.

People's opinions seem to vary wildly. Some say that this wouldn't even be considered blackface, while others suggest any costume with a painted blackface is as bad as the N word.

I am not a racist, before tonight I would never have even thought that such a costume might be considered offensive, and as a kid, I loved the crap out of Mr T, his skin color never being a consideration for myself or my friends as we fought over who got to be B.A. when we played A-Team.

While I think I would be dressing like this for all the right reasons, I wonder if this is a road better avoided.
My girlfriend thinks it ridiculous that I am even considering abandoning the costume.

Is this blackface?
Considering their ugly history, is this more of an issue in the USA than in Canada?
Should I say, "screw it, this is Halloween and I'm just here to have a good time?

[Hemi-Cuda]

Why not just go as a white Mr. T? If you reverse it, how often do you see black people dressing up in white face to complete a halloween costume? You could have some fun with it and make it an albino Mr. T costume, there are a lot of other options out there then deliberately choosing a costume that would likely offend some people

[TSXCman]

Who cares. Go black face for A team accuracy.

[Clarkey]

Why not a hybrid, Mr. Vanilla Ice T.

[Temporary_User]

It's not blackface.

[Devils'Advocate]

Mehn... I'm likely one of, if not the, most PC people on the forum and I think in this case someone really has to have a stick up their ass to get upset at someone wanting to be Mr. T for halloween.

Yes, there is a racist history behind white people doing blackface, especially within the entertainment industry which is why it ruffles my feathers when someone within the entertainment business does it.... but unless you being paid to be Mr. T on television I say go for it.

[Regulator75]

Don't bother using makeup (unless doing the ironic albino Mr. T works), just wear even more gold chains to compensate.

[missdpuck]

Well Mr T is so over the top anyway so what the hell.

The black people I know would only react unkindly if someone they didn't know was doing it. I work with many Africa-Americans and we goof on race a lot. However, it's in the family so to speak.

And then again I'm in 'Murica, in the south so...

[gargamel]

It's not racist, but it is insensitive. Maybe you could get away with giving yourself a little bit of a tan with makeup, but you're better off staying clear of face paint or shoe polish.

[missdpuck]

I'm beginning to think a white Mr T is best. I dunno.

[Fusebox]

Yes, of course this is blackface. How could it be considered anything else? Don't you remember the whole Usain Bolt blackface controversy in Quebec a couple of years ago?

Come up with a better costume idea.

[Cuz]

Why do you need the blackface to complete the costume anyways? A Mohawk, lots of gold chains and speaking with the right attitude is all you need for people to know you're Mr. T.

[Coys1882]

It sucks you have to ask as People shouldnt be so sensitive. I could give two ####s if a black or brown dude did whiteface to dress up for hallo-####ing-ween.

[PsYcNeT]

I wonder if any of those who "wouldn't care" replying here are actually black.

"I don't care if you dress in black face!" - white guy

Guess what white guys, your opinion about what black people find racist doesn't matter.

[flylock shox]

To really muddy the waters, you could go as Minstrel T.

[stang]

It's effing Halloween! I can't believe this is an issue!

[You Need a Thneed]

People being overly sensitive about what is really a non-issue, doesn't help the racism issue.

I'm certainly not saying that any use of blackface is a non-issue. Dressing up as a specific person for Halloween is simply not an issue. Dressing up as a generic black person may be an issue, but isn't necessarily. It's how you are presenting that person that makes the difference.

[SeeBass]

I look at it this way

If I was going to dress up as a stereotypical German for Halloween with the shorts and the hat thing it would be wrong to have a Hitler mustache as if all Germans are Hitler.

But if I was going out as Hitler and I had a mustache it would be ok as I am portraying an individual's appearance not a group.

The rules should be the same and that is how it has been explained to me by people of colour. You can colour your skin for a portrayal of a person just not an entire group.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

People being overly sensitive about what is really a non-issue, doesn't help the racism issue.

I'm certainly not saying that any use of blackface is a non-issue. Dressing up as a specific person for Halloween is simply not an issue. Dressing up as a generic black person may be an issue, but isn't necessarily. It's how you are presenting that person that makes the difference.

On the flipside from my post above, white people shouldn't be getting offended on behalf of black people, because that's just dumb.

Continuing, it's facetious to insinuate that it can't or won't be an issue for some black people however (it certainly has been in the past). Ignoring their opinion of blackface (typically trending towards the negative) isn't very cool.

[SeeBass]

^the problem is you and I could sit on the street corner and probably find an issue for some group with every 4th costume going by