We're a culture, not a costume

[PirateClock]

So i found this picture but i didn't get the reference. I googled it and it brought me to this pretentious bullshit i thought id share:
Parody Picture:


Link to bullshit:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/26/living/halloween-ethnic-costumes/index.html

[PirateClock]

Also they refer to me, a Caucasian person of western European descent, as "whites" which i find incredibly racist.

[F U Clock]

Dressing up as an offensive stereotype? Lame.

Dressing up in another culture's garb that is uncommon in your area? Totally fucking fine. Seriously, that's like, the definition of a costume.

[AbsintheClock]

What would you define as a stereotype? See on one hand I see nothing wrong with dressing up as a suicide bomber for halloween, but at the same time I could see something wrong with dressing up as like a lazy Mexican. I can't really think of a whole lot of things I find offensive though. Even if somebody dressed up as an ugly american type figure, or a horizontally striped shirt, baguette carrying, beret wearing frenchmen. This culture just needs to grow a thicker skin.

[F U Clock]

What would you define as a stereotype? See on one hand I see nothing wrong with dressing up as a suicide bomber for halloween, but at the same time I could see something wrong with dressing up as like a lazy Mexican. I can't really think of a whole lot of things I find offensive though. Even if somebody dressed up as an ugly american type figure, or a horizontally striped shirt, baguette carrying, beret wearing frenchmen. This culture just needs to grow a thicker skin.

I was mostly thinking of blackface.

Yeah I mean the first examples the article gives about dressing up as a Geisha come now that actually would be a kick-butt costume. And like you said, a terrorist isn't really offensive as long as you aren't somehow implying that all Muslims are terrorists. Sure it's making light of a serious issue, but, again, Halloween. We have people dressed up as mutilated corpses. That's pretty Goddamned serious in real life.

[GearBoxClock]

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/culture-not-costume.php

[Topcatyo]

I think these people are being pussies.  Most of the people dressing up in the costumes are having some fun on Halloween.  I would go as far as to say the people are dressing up as the stereotypes that everybody knows and not even the culture itself.  Nobody (unless it's a KKK meetup) is making a statement about those people or are saying that a whole group of people fits that stereotype.

Although the one person was in blackface.

[Thor]

So wait the muslim guy is saying that his culture is suicide bombing?

[AbsintheClock]

I was mostly thinking of blackface.

Interesting you should say that. There's a big stink about a hockey player by the name of Raffi Torres who got in trouble for dressing up as Jay Z for halloween. I can't find a picture I am able to post on the board, but here's the article about it with the picture. http://www.thespec.com/sports/article/617408--torres-s-jay-z-costume-prompts-criticism

Do you think it's racist? I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and I think it is nothing like blackface. It doesn't have the big red lips, or any exaggeration of features. And if it is racist, how is it different than Dwayne Wade dressing up as Justin Timberlake?



I don't think either of the two are racist, but black face is pretty offensive. Unless it's some kind of cultural thing like the dutch have.

Also worth mentioning Raffi Torres knows what it's like being on the other side of the racism fence. In the juniors people used to say his mother should be selling tacos because she is latino.

[patriotclock]

welcome to reddit a week ago

[AbsintheClock]

Not all of us are cool enough for reddit.

[F U Clock]

Interesting you should say that. There's a big stink about a hockey player by the name of Raffi Torres who got in trouble for dressing up as Jay Z for halloween. I can't find a picture I am able to post on the board, but here's the article about it with the picture. http://www.thespec.com/sports/article/617408--torres-s-jay-z-costume-prompts-criticism

Do you think it's racist? I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and I think it is nothing like blackface. It doesn't have the big red lips, or any exaggeration of features. And if it is racist, how is it different than Dwayne Wade dressing up as Justin Timberlake?



I don't think either of the two are racist, but black face is pretty offensive. Unless it's some kind of cultural thing like the dutch have.

Also worth mentioning Raffi Torres knows what it's like being on the other side of the racism fence. In the juniors people used to say his mother should be selling tacos because she is latino.

Well I mean, the inherent problem with blackface is that it's tied into like, minstrel shows and things that were done to poke fun at black people, right? So no, there's nothing inherently wrong with just wearing the costume of a black person, unless you're making some sort of caricature of their features. I think Latin-face (or whatever) is pretty accepted because it doesn't have that history, so actors are able to put on brown makeup and a Spanish accent and do whatever they please:



In summation to me blackface is actually the dehumanization of black people which is different from just wearing makeup to make yourself look dark-skinned.

[AbsintheClock]

I couldn't have said it better.

[PirateClock]

[Munglai]

next Halloween I'm dressing as a white

[WrenchClock]

Post this everywhere
Godspeed, noble Pirateclock
And good luck to you

[Topcatyo]

I don't find dressing up as a nazi to be all that offensive, but it's a tricky subject.

[AlbinoClock]

I was mostly thinking of blackface.

I don't see how wearing blackface to be more passable as Tara is any worse than wearing blue makeup to look like a smurf, or wearing a wig because you can't match your costume's hair color. It's not like she was wearing it as part of a minstrel show.

[Poltergeist]

[WrenchClock]

I don't find dressing up as a nazi to be all that offensive, but it's a tricky subject.

Offensive to Nazis