A teacher wore blackface to school and rapped on Halloween. He's now been suspended

[JustHanging]

Social media barely existed in 2008. There were maybe 1.3 billiok regular users. The internet in 2016 has 3 billion users.Why is it that things not being discussed in your sphere is indicative of nobody else speaking of a subject before the invention of something else? I think what we are seeing is a case where you're now realizing that black people weren't talking to you about what they thought was racist, and now the internet allows you to see a lot more of their opinions whether you like it or not.

TLDR version:

Sent from the Matrioshka in the WH Christmas tree.

That is a very astute assessment. Well done.

 

[Hatuey]

Nobody thought Robert Downey Jr took himself seriously and so his performance has been called racist by maybe the most obscure of groups on the internet. He was making fun of white actors who think they can play any role. That's the whole point. Did we all watch the same movie?

That's not the same as showing up to your day job wearing blackface, Jake. And just so we are all clear. This was from Reuters when Tropic Thunder came out:

Robert Downey Jr.'s risky role in Tropic Thunder - Reuters

LOS ANGELES*(Reuters) - When Robert Downey Jr. put on dark make-up for film comedy "Tropic Thunder," the actor ventured into the racially charged territory of blackface, an old showbiz convention that is no laughing matter.

Imagine that. Blackface being a controversial topic back when Tropic Thunder came out too. Lol, get outta here with your goofiness guys. You only now realizing people have been talking about this stuff for decades is embarrassing.

Maybe push back the date? Something pre-Ted Danson.



Sent from the Matrioshka in the WH Christmas tree.

 

[uptower]

I say we let teachers wear flannel shirts and crooked shotguns, denim overalls and those ridiculous red trucker hats to Halloween or whatever for a freaking JOKE and watch the other side suddenly come all out against 'bigotry'.

 

[LadyMoonlight]

Not too many seemed upset when it was discovered that the Canadian PM did so, more than once. That appears to have been forgiven. Oh, right, sorry, he is a lefty so he can get away with anything!

 

[Grand Mal]

Not too many seemed upset when it was discovered that the Canadian PM did so, more than once. That appears to have been forgiven. Oh, right, sorry, he is a lefty so he can get away with anything!

Not too many? Not too many Americans maybe, but it was big doin's up here. For a couple days anyway.
And if you weren't upset who's fault is that?

 

[LadyMoonlight]

Not too many? Not too many Americans maybe, but it was big doin's up here. For a couple days anyway.
And if you weren't upset who's fault is that?

For a couple of DAYS? Ok, well that changes everything, right? I am sure if it had been a Conservative rather than a lefty, it would be more than a couple of days!
Upset? I could care less, but then I am not American or Canadian.

 

[j brown's body]

It never ceases to amaze me how times have changed. There was a time in this country when being offended was seen as a personal matter and it was the responsibility of the offended individual to figure out how to deal with their hurt feelings. Now there is no longer even room for context or interpretation. If one person is offended the offensive act automatically becomes an indefensible act and warrants any and all punitive action by the offended in reparations for the offense.

Miss those Jim Crow days, doncha? You cant even call them n*****rs anymore. Or even 'darky'. What's this world coming to?

 

[j brown's body]

For a couple of DAYS? Ok, well that changes everything, right? I am sure if it had been a Conservative rather than a lefty, it would be more than a couple of days!
Upset? I could care less, but then I am not American or Canadian.

Canadians are Americans.

 

[trouble13]

Teacher suspended for wearing blackface to school in California - CNN


Now I feel like dancing. Lol

Blackface seems to be going around a lot lately. While I think this is funny, the teacher should have know better or did he?

I think the teacher was brave to of done it. He went out of the confines and comfort of social norms to reach his students.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[justabubba]

Canadians are Americans.

without the guns

 

[CaughtInThe]

Do you see the youngish girl in this picture whose face is partially blocked? Her kids would be between 60 and 80 in 2019.

Why are we at all surprised when some people still wear blackface or are racist?

 

[trouble13]

Canadians are Americans.

I didnt even know they were people. (Joking)

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[Grand Mal]

For a couple of DAYS? Ok, well that changes everything, right? I am sure if it had been a Conservative rather than a lefty, it would be more than a couple of days!
Upset? I could care less, but then I am not American or Canadian.

You don't know much about us up here, I guess. Had Andrew Sheer been shown in an old pic in blackface the response would have been laughter and ridicule, not the outrage Trudeau provoked. We didn't cut him any slack- he humbly apologized to the country and personally apologized to Jagmeet Singh, the Sikh leader of the NDP. Singh wears a turban because of his religion and that pic of Trudeau when he was a teacher showed him in blackface and a turban playing the part of a genie in a school event.
But we also don't like what we consider muckraking and personal attacks. The only reason I voted in '15 was the Conservative attack ads pissed me off- I was going to sit it out because I didn't like Trudeau and I vote Liberal if I vote. Up to this last one anyway. I voted Green last time because of strategy in my riding.
You're not American? Odd, Americans are the only people I've ever seen use the term, "I could care less."

 

[d0gbreath]

It never ceases to amaze me how times have changed. There was a time in this country when being offended was seen as a personal matter and it was the responsibility of the offended individual to figure out how to deal with their hurt feelings. Now there is no longer even room for context or interpretation. If one person is offended the offensive act automatically becomes an indefensible act and warrants any and all punitive action by the offended in reparations for the offense.

d0g whistle.

 

[Grand Mal]

Canadians are Americans.

Yeah? Oh yeah? Come up here and say that!

 

[ElChupacabra]

Hmm... imitation used to be considered the most sincere form of flattery.

Now it has become "Fire that racist pig!", but after a fair hearing, of course.

The problem in this country is that certain imitation was not flattery, but mockery. It doesn't seem that's the case here, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea given our history of minstrel shows and the like.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The problem in this country is that certain imitation was not flattery, but mockery. It doesn't seem that's the case here, but it just doesn't seem like a good idea given our history of minstrel shows and the like.

OK, so why is this case such a problem?

 

[ElChupacabra]

OK, so why is this case such a problem?

Because it is a sensitive topic. I don't think we're there as a society to accept people imitating people of other races. It's something that's hard to get right as well since the reliance on all sorts of stereotypes (speech patterns, accents etc.) can be easily misconstrued as being a mockery.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Because it is a sensitive topic. I don't think we're there as a society to accept people imitating people of other races. It's something that's hard to get right as well since the reliance on all sorts of stereotypes (speech patterns, accents etc.) can be easily misconstrued as being a mockery.

I do not support that level of "political correctness" being an excuse for the state to fire (or arrest) someone.

 

[ElChupacabra]

I do not support that level of "political correctness" being an excuse for the state to fire (or arrest) someone.

No one wants to get sued. I'm just really surprised a teacher would think this is a good idea regardless of intention.

 

[HenryChinaski]

OK, so why is this case such a problem?

Black face was conceived of as a way to belittle and dehumanize black people by portraying them as semi-literate, buffoonish and lazy. It is highly offensive to those that understand that.

 

[LadyMoonlight]

You don't know much about us up here, I guess.
You're not American? Odd, Americans are the only people I've ever seen use the term, "I could care less."

Nope, not American...I could care less is a common expression...You don't know much about us down here, I guess.

 

[party free]

OK, so why is this case such a problem?

That's what I wonder.

Blackface is offensive because of the specific context and history of the practice. But not every Halloween costume where a white person dresses up as a non-white figure is blackface.

We seem to be reaching a point where white people are only "allowed" to wear "white clothes," to "act white," and to do the things white people do."

Is a young black child allowed to be Thor for Halloween? Is that racist cultural appropriation? Is a black teacher allowed to dress up as a famous white actor/hero/figure?

We seem to be heading to a pretty apparent double standard on this topic right now.

 

[party free]

Black face was conceived of as a way to belittle and dehumanize black people by portraying them as semi-literate, buffoonish and lazy. It is highly offensive to those that understand that.

Are white people disallowed from EVER dressing up as a black figures/heroes/celebrities for Halloween? Does that door swing both ways?

 

[HenryChinaski]

Are white people disallowed from EVER dressing up as a black figures/heroes/celebrities for Halloween? Does that door swing both ways?

If you can't see the difference between dressing up as Storm or Blade for Halloween and donning a get-up that existed for one purpose only, to dehumanize black people by negatively portraying them as caricatures, then you shouldn't be posting in this thread.