Racist or not? Or just racially insensitive?

[Hatter]

This is a weird situation. Is this more or less offensive than the 400 people you see every year dressed up as ultra-orthodox Jews? They've been significantly oppressed by white people too, but nobody seems to get up in arms about that.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GGG

For anyone claiming Canada isn't racist or significantly less racist than the states is really burying their heads in the sand. Canada may not be racist against black people but Natives certianly are targeted.

We are only about 10 years out since cops in Saskatoon were dropping natives off outside the city to walk back without shoes. A few died. So Canada definately has institutionalized racism just of a different group.

As to the above i would say it was insensitive but on Halloween you are allowed to be insensitve so the Michael Jackson costume is okay by me.

Ok... Quick question. What motivated that behavior? Because until we actually bother to address that, just calling 'racism' is not going to help anything. But we all know nobody is ever interested in actually addressing a problem, just doing what is necessary to feel better.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by FlamingLonghorn

You obviously don't know what I was laughing at.

Just because black people burned half of Los Angeles to the ground a few years back doesn't mean they can't differentiate between actual hatred and jackass athletes having fun on Halloween. I mean, Sharpton might have a problem, but he doesn't count.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Hatter

This is a weird situation. Is this more or less offensive than the 400 people you see every year dressed up as ultra-orthodox Jews? They've been significantly oppressed by white people too, but nobody seems to get up in arms about that.

The day the Jews can't take a joke is the day all is lost.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Nice try bigboy.

There is a distinct difference between dressing up as a famous person (one of the most recognizable people of the last 30 years +) and using a word that is meant to demean/insult/offend someone.

Well, the point that seems to have gone over your head is that 1 person doesn't speak for an entire race. Because one black person doesn't find X offensive doesn't mean that X isn't offensive to black people.

But if you are going to compare, again, we are right back at you, and I'm just guessing here since I can't tell over the internet, a white person are determining what is more or less offensive to black people. And I'm just not going to go there. I don't think I, as a white person, should be making that kind of determination. I can define what is offensive and insulting to me, personally... but I don't think I get to define what is offensive to another race, another gender, another sexual orientation.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by GGG

It seems that organizations that are funded as a result of inequality are always offended. It this case have their been any real black people who have stated that Bozak dressing as MJ and painting his face actually offends them?

When I say "real" I mean an actual person and not a agenda driven agency or an academic who is evaluating the historical context. Just a regular person who is offended buy. If someone like that or a large number of people like that exist then yes the minority group can decide it is offensive and the majority shouldn't do it aka the N word. Regular people are highly offended by it. But ... in this case is anyone actually offended

Well, we don't know if they were lying or not, but there were quite a few angry twitter responses coming from people claiming to be black...

[Shawnski]

This whole issue is a serious WTF one for me.

The guy dresses up as MJ in a period correct style from his Thriller days, because he likes him. And gets hammered for it?

If MJ were alive and EVERYONE decided to do the same thing for Halloween, do you not think he would be humbled and proud? How is this disrespectful in any way?

Forget the "blackface" argument, it doesn't hold water for this situation. The guy simply dressed up as someone he LIKED! And I see no malicious behaviour intended by it.

What if a kid did the same thing to dress up as Obama, because he liked him?

Seriously people, get...a...freaking....grip.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Well, we don't know if they were lying or not, but there were quite a few angry twitter responses coming from people claiming to be black...

Can you point me to a good link for people posting about because I am useless at twitter but from bozaks feed it looks like 1 black person being offended and then the general white guilt vs white forget about it.

I guess my other thought would be if there is no racist intent is it okay to do it despite the fact that it offends some people?

For example the word ######ed when used to mean doing something stupid. It is part of everyones vocabularly but some would argue is a highly offensive word.

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by GGG

It seems that organizations that are funded as a result of inequality are always offended. It this case have their been any real black people who have stated that Bozak dressing as MJ and painting his face actually offends them?

When I say "real" I mean an actual person and not a agenda driven agency or an academic who is evaluating the historical context. Just a regular person who is offended buy. If someone like that or a large number of people like that exist then yes the minority group can decide it is offensive and the majority shouldn't do it aka the N word. Regular people are highly offended by it. But ... in this case is anyone actually offended

Why it matters to white people and especially young white people is many of us view ourselves as not racist and don't want to be subject to the white guilt and racial tensions of older generations. I think that people no longer want to have to think is this racist in a historical context whenever they do or say something related to race. We want to be able to not care about it anymore. So if I want to dress up as a black historical figure for halloween I can do it with out thinking about racial undertones I know nothing about. Until the last few years when it has turned into a big deal news wise I had no idea 'blackface' was a thing and was offensive. I was a little ignorent of that aspect of history.

There's black people posting on the comment sections of articles about this that say it's offensive. If it can't be an organization or a professor, who can it be? Should 20 dudes magically get the power to have the press publish their opinions do it? Won't they be considered and agenda driven organization as soon as they become and organization. They also probably won't band together because their opinion is being expressed already by the organizations that exist.