blackface or makeup?

[Portia]

Seems there's a to-do about white people using makeup to darken their complexions for Halloween costumes.

I mean, yeah, hipster trust-fund kids donning feather headdresses and warpaint for their parties seems annoying and disrespectful. And no one was more embarrassed than me when I saw a photo album as a kid with my great-grandfather in traditional blackface in some minstrel show. (Oh, wow.) And non-white actors (Asians, especially) get passed over for roles, because they're not seen as "neutral" or "leading man material."

But I think intent matters. This kid thought Karl Malone was awesome and wanted to pay homage to him. Fred Armisen is mixed-race, and as the article points out, wore makeup to appear darker when he was playing President Obama.

So if I wanted to dress up as, say, Josephine Baker, because she's awesome, not because she's black per se, would it be safest to just go with the banana skirt and keep my ivory complexion? Could I wear a wig if I were going as Lucy Liu, but avoid makeup?

I see Halloween as part of theater, and I always had to wear makeup, because I'd be washed out under the lights.

Is there a difference between blackface and makeup? I contend "yes," but I'd be interested to hear any other perspectives.

[mic0]

Reminds me of the website shouldidressinblackfacethishalloween.com.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

Maybe if I refresh it enough, it will say yes...

[Dragon Lady]

I honestly hadn't even heard of blackface until quite recently.

[Digit]

Reminds me of the website shouldidressinblackfacethishalloween.com.

Reminds me of the website isinviteanoun.com.

[mic0]

What about isitchristmas.com?

But invite is totally a noun. It is just a clipping of "invitation"...

[Whistler]

yeah, don't dress in blackface. Now, if you're just using a foundation that's a hair darker than usual, or if you're using fake tanning cream as part of an outfit, I don't think I would call that blackface.

[Katya]

What about isitchristmas.com?

But invite is totally a noun. It is just a clipping of "invitation"...

Furthermore, the OED has citations dating as far back as the 17th century.

[Portia]

yeah, don't dress in blackface. Now, if you're just using a foundation that's a hair darker than usual, or if you're using fake tanning cream as part of an outfit, I don't think I would call that blackface.

Was the Karl Malone guy in the article in blackface, by that definition? What about the girl going as Crazy Eyes?

[UffishThought]

I think intent matters, but how it's received also matters. And I don't think it would be received well. I can't see your article, but I looked up pictures of both of those costumes. Though the who dressed up as them did so because they loved the people they were imitating, they didn't take into account how those people might feel about it. Not every gesture of love and appreciation is equally welcome. Orthodox Jews probably wouldn't like it if I told them I loved them with a bacon sandwich, no matter how sincere I was.

So yeah, I think the Malone guy should have stuck to the jersey and maybe a mustache, and the dancer should have stuck to the uniform and the hairstyle, and you should stick with the clothing, too. Skin-color modification may not be meant as an insult, but it would certainly be taken that way by some, and maybe even by the very person you meant to honor. It seems safer to avoid the issue altogether.

[Digit]

Darrell Hammond, an unmistakably white guy (he was SNL's Bill Clinton guy) used to do Jesse Jackson with just a fake mustache, a voice impression, and word choice. Doing a Google image search to "Darrell Hammond Jesse Jackson," it doesn't look to me like he darkened his complexion with makeup.

[Portia]

Darrell Hammond, an unmistakably white guy (he was SNL's Bill Clinton guy) used to do Jesse Jackson with just a fake mustache, a voice impression, and word choice. Doing a Google image search to "Darrell Hammond Jesse Jackson," it doesn't look to me like he darkened his complexion with makeup.

Ummm ... he almost certainly did. He's pastier than me, if anything.

[Portia]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainm ... e.html.csp

Hopefully that link stays live longer. Google Julianne Hough blackface for the jist.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

Have you seen the blackface costume flow chart? If you really want, I'll try to find it again.

[Digit]

Looks like I was mistaken.

[Portia]

Have you seen the blackface costume flow chart? If you really want, I'll try to find it again.

Yes please.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

It appears that imgur has eaten it, and I can't find it. If it pops up again, then I'll post it.

[Giovanni Schwartz]

My little sister has a (half) black friend who is going as a white girl for Halloween. Ugg boots, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, yoga pants, some kind of shirt that means white girl, and...

White face paint.

How do we feel about that?

[Marduk]

Fine. There isn't hundreds of years of history of black people using white face paint to co-opt white culture, making whites look lazy, foolish, and superstitious, in order to make a profit.

Once there is I'll say it won't be ok.

[Portia]

<sadly has had all of those at some point in her life>