Nick Cannon in Whiteface. Wat.

[bigchiefbc]

Yeah I mean if there's anyone who gets to speak out about being victims of prejudice and racism it's white people...

Well John isn't white, so does that mean he's allowed to have an opinion?

[morange]

[John]

Opinions are like racists, every one's an asshole.

[dase]

I was talking more about all the white people that find this offensive. Whiteface doesn't have a cultural history. It's not at all funny but it ain't really racist either.

[Iommic Pope]

Dase, when weighing this on the scales of injustices and crimes committed by white people against the rest of the world, this is nothing, and in practice, this is true. You are right, I totally agree with you.
But, for the sake of philosophy, it must be conceded that any element of racism, even "reverse racism" (which I personally think is a stupid term) is forfeit to scrutiny from an ethical point of view.

The fact that this is blatantly unfunny has little to do with it's being perceived as racist. It's just not that good for a laugh.

[dase]

Yeah see I feel like there's racism as an a trial definition and then racism as a social force, with all the weight of historical baggage attendant. It's one of the above, I guess? Pretty sure it's definitely not the other.

[Iommic Pope]

Yeah man, there's theory and there's reality.

[jfrey]

How often does everyone type like an article long response to a thread or page of a thread or whatever, and then just delete the whole thing? I can't be the only one.

[Achtane]

How often does everyone type like an article long response to a thread or page of a thread or whatever, and then just delete the whole thing? I can't be the only one.

"Ahhhh, fuck this..."

[Iommic Pope]

How often does everyone type like an article long response to a thread or page of a thread or whatever, and then just delete the whole thing? I can't be the only one.

All the fucking time.
Although, surprisingly not in this thread.
Usually its when I don't have a strong enough segue into a bear joke in the Doom Room.

#whitedoomerproblems

[DarkAxel]

Iommic Pope, Dase... YOU GUYS GOT IT RIGHT

I think people should be allowed to be annoyed by it - even if just because it's a bad joke and it's coming from a "famous" person. We can call it ignorant and stupid, but no one should be allowed to call it racist - that word is a very unfortunate word with various connotations and also, IMHO, an dated term and doesn't at all apply here, among the other reasons because there's no cultural history of whiteface, as Dase said. That's my whole point.

So - I believe I can be annoyed by it without people making waves about white people freaking out

(also annoyed might not be the best word, but i can't find a better one. I simply consider it low)

[Iommic Pope]

Cheers Axel!
We are Australian...I think if anyone is qualified to identify racism, its most certainly an Aussie.
Although, you could just as easily argue the alternative: that we are the last people who should be weighing in on what is racist.
I'd like to think our country was making progress in terms of this, but I get this awful sinking feeling we might be stuck in reverse...dase lives down south, its somewhat more progressive there (I would forward, but he'll tell you about it. Get it from the source), but here in Queensland there's a disturbing trend of what is pretty brutal racism among younger people, which I find really disturbing.
That's a whole other thread though.
I get what you're saying, but I would be super cautious in venturing that the term 'racist' is outdated.
I get 100% what you're saying, especially in this context, but just be careful someone doesn't misconstrue that.
Sadly, the internet is full of fuckwits, I'd hate for someone to read that and think, "cool, so we've moved into a space where there's no more racism. Ima do and say whaIwant!"


I am a complete intellectual alarmist though, so...you know.
I just get mental flashes of the Hate from 1984....then I realise, that's network news in this country.

[DarkAxel]

Oh I meant that the concept of racism as it used to be might a bit outdated by now. Now it seems to move more towards this cultural clash thing - with making fun of people eating certain food etc know what i mean? At least in majority of those comments. Of course there still are people who consider people lesser because of the colour of their skin, but I feel like those are less frequent and more extreme examples now,. So I think that the term "racism" just might mean something different to a lot of people now and it might not be working that well anymore, know what I'm saying?

however - i'm European. What the fuck do i know... We Czechs are pretty racist ourselves against Roma people but I feel it's not about the biological difference anymore, it's the cultural clash... Also I am white and as you said, it is easily arguable we should not have say in this, because we're not a discriminated minority. But I still study it as part of my curriculum, so I tend to make comments and observations based on my education... social commenting basically

[pelliott]

The painful history of whiteface continues

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJERImN3J_c[/youtube]

[futuresailors]

Oh I meant that the concept of racism as it used to be might a bit outdated by now. Now it seems to move more towards this cultural clash thing - with making fun of people eating certain food etc know what i mean? At least in majority of those comments. Of course there still are people who consider people lesser because of the colour of their skin, but I feel like those are less frequent and more extreme examples now,. So I think that the term "racism" just might mean something different to a lot of people now and it might not be working that well anymore, know what I'm saying?

however - i'm European. What the fuck do i know... We Czechs are pretty racist ourselves against Roma people but I feel it's not about the biological difference anymore, it's the cultural clash... Also I am white and as you said, it is easily arguable we should not have say in this, because we're not a discriminated minority. But I still study it as part of my curriculum, so I tend to make comments and observations based on my education... social commenting basically

Fuckin gypsies.
But you guys are racist (culturalist?) as fuck.
Did you see that news segment about when they put a picture in the tiger pen at the Prague Zoo? "...He walked around it like a Japanese tourist at the National Museum."