Racist or not? Or just racially insensitive? - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

sec304 · 10-31-2012, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coys1882

racists and sexists!!!!!

fyp

Cheerio · 10-31-2012, 02:24 PM

The only reason people are viewing this as racist is because of the history of blackface.

Hockeyguy15 · 10-31-2012, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

it isn't

But it was if people took issue with it on Twitter and they had to write a story about it.

Clearly the majority of CP doesn't have an issue with it, what I was trying to say is people obviously took issue with it but why?

WilderPegasus · 10-31-2012, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

While not racist, some people appear to take Halloween too serious:

Quote:

A Canadian society for the blind is outraged by a U.S. company for selling Halloween costumes locally that allow people to dress up as a “blind referee,” in reference to bad sports officiating.
Carolyn Gunn, president of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians’ Nanaimo, B.C., chapter, said she found the costume at the Spirit Halloween costume shop recently and confronted the manager.
“It came with sunglasses, a foldable-collapsible tapping stick and a referee shirt. I couldn’t believe it. I was completely devastated,” she said Wednesday.

The manager should have told her that she's not seeing what he's seeing.

undercoverbrother · 10-31-2012, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

But it was if people took issue with it on Twitter and they had to write a story about it.

Clearly the majority of CP doesn't have an issue with it, what I was trying to say is people obviously took issue with it but why?

You know what opinions are like.........

My opinion is that it isn't. As I said earlier, you show up in black face eating chicken and waffles there is an issue. Dressing as a famous person, not an issue.

Senator Clay Davis · 10-31-2012, 02:29 PM

The beauty of a Michael Jackson costume is you can choose the black male version (Thriller days) or the white female version (post-Bad days). Its the perfect unisex costume that can be worn by either race.

undercoverbrother · 10-31-2012, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The beauty of a Michael Jackson costume is you can choose the black male version (Thriller days) or the white female version (post-Bad days). Its the perfect unisex costume that can be worn by either race.

Apparently not.

FlamesAddiction · 10-31-2012, 02:33 PM

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/...of_hers_1.html

Hillary Clinton apparently thinks racism is a laughing matter.

Resolute 14 · 10-31-2012, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kipperriffic

"Is it a good idea to go to a Halloween party dressed in blackface if you’re a white hockey player?"

"Blackface"??

Anyways, why don't people say "hey he is dressing up as Michael Jackson maybe because he liked him as a performer?
People always find the negatives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

Historically, blackface acting perpetuated and cemented negative and racist stereotypes.

It is unlikely Bozak was intending to do the same here, but he got caught in the middle of a combination of historical and racial insensitivity and a form of white guilt.

gargamel · 10-31-2012, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/...of_hers_1.html

Hillary Clinton apparently thinks racism is a laughing matter.

Besides the historical aspect, the big difference there is that Black Elvis didn't paint his face white. I don't think anyone is saying that it was racist or insensitive to dress up as Michael Jackson, but the face paint is a more debatable subject. He wasn't being racist, but knowing about the debate regarding Torres last year, he'd have been better off going as the 21st century, white skinned, version if he wanted to be Michael Jackson.

troutman · 10-31-2012, 03:19 PM

What's wrong with being racy? - Nigel Tufnel

Winsor_Pilates · 10-31-2012, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Know what is racist? White people not being allowed to dress up as famous people from another race.

The issue isn't dressing up as a black person, it's the blackface look on the face in particular.
If he dressed up as MJ, but didn't darken his face there would be no story.

I'm not saying I agree with those complaining, but lets be clear what the complaint is.

Locke · 10-31-2012, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

The issue isn't dressing up as a black person, it's the blackface look on the face in particular.
If he dressed up as MJ, but didn't darken his face there would be no story.

I'm not saying I agree with those complaining, but lets be clear what the complaint is.

But doesnt that make it even worse?

"He coloured his face! Racist! Racist!"

We're talking about blackface here. Thats just face colouring. It was used in a racist manner 50+ years ago, but at the end of the day its just makeup. Shouldnt the application and intent determine any potential offense?

Jason14h · 10-31-2012, 03:40 PM

The Bartender at Boston Pizza dressed up as MJ last year before a Flames game including all black makeup.

His costume was much better too! I didn't think it was racist, nor did the 50 other people of the BP's bus to the game. It was actually one of the best costumes I've ever seen.

Rerun · 10-31-2012, 03:41 PM

Judging by the pic in his tweet he painted his face the same color as MJ's here in the pic.

I don't see a problem with this.

Now if he'd dressed up in the same costume and painted his face like this (which he didn't)... its a problem

EDIT: I took a closer look at the pic of Bozak... not sure if he's got the classic "blackface" painted on or not. If he does, its racist IMHO.

Rerun · 10-31-2012, 03:47 PM

nm

AR_Six · 10-31-2012, 04:10 PM

Clearly Bozak heard he was involved in trade rumours to Vancouver and decided to offend hypersensitive west coast sensitivities to ensure that the fan base there would reject any notion of a trade for him, thereby preventing Burke from dealing him.

undercoverbrother · 10-31-2012, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

If he dressed up as MJ, but didn't darken his face there would be no story.

So then his costume would be a white Michael Jackson Impersonator?

Muta · 10-31-2012, 04:22 PM

Would he have been disrespectful if he didn't go as black? I mean, MJ was black and his skin turned color through a rare condition. Therefore, going as white would have been even more outrageous and vile, right? What a-hole would make fun of a condition like that?

Devils'Advocate · 10-31-2012, 07:22 PM

We've had a number of threads like this...
"Is X offensive?" where X may be something that has been considered sexists, homophobic, racist, etc.... and everyone piles on that X should in no way be construed as offensive.... people are too sensitive... this political correctness crap has gone too far... blah, blah, blah....

What I just don't get is why a bunch of mostly white people are determining what should and should not be offensive to black people. Or why a bunch of mostly straight people get to determine what is offensive to gay people? Or why a bunch of mostly males get a say in what is or is not sexist behaviour?

Two months ago a number of native Americans wrote to the papers here stating that they found that the Nepean Redskins football team name was offensive and that they requested they change it. The white people of Ottawa got all in an uproar... "It's not racist! We like the name and we don't mean anything by it! It's just a name! Don't be so sensitive! You shouldn't take offence to it!" And my thought at the time was.... why is the majority deciding on what is or is not offensive to the minority?

And if we can state outright that blackface is no longer racist and people shouldn't take offence to it anymore, why can't we do the same with the N word? I herby state that the N word is no longer offensive. I don't mean anything by it. Black people shouldn't be so sensitive. It's not racist nor demeaning.... it's actually now an endearing term. Is it now okay to call people the N word? How about we now call the Nepean football team the "Nepean N*ggers". The alliteration makes it all the better.