I don’t watch SNL, but I constantly see news clips of a white man portraying the President with is face painted black-ish. Last week there was a white woman in blackface as Oprah and Mrs. Ob. My oh my, that was just so hilarious to all concerned. Yet, some non-media guy is now being persecuted for dressing up as Mr. T. - in blackface - during Halloween.
I am entirely in support of civil rights but 1). I don’t understand why it is so funny on national TV and so repellent for an individual, 2). I must have missed something in seven years of undergrad and graduate studies and 65 years of life, but I do not understand what the offence (other than for a criminal act) is in costuming one’s self with an altered complexion which is black.
But I do understand that for the past few decades or so, nothing is so precious to so many as breathless self-righteous indignation and suffering loudly from having converted an insult out of some unintended speech or action.
Is the horror of black face on mere mortals the latter problem, or something I missed?
Uh, both actors who played the Obamas on SNL - Kerry Washington and Jay Pharoah - were black. Although I think SNL used to have the president played by Fred Armisen, who I guess is half Hispanic (his mother was from Venezuela).
As to the rest of your post - you’re terribly ignorant of the history of blackface and minstrel shows, I gather.
Is it “I’m not racist I’m Just Asking Questions” month? Well, it’s good to have a new kind of month, anyway. I’m tired of bouncing between rape month and guns month.
Some of my best friends are black, And they all think it’s Hi-larious when I dress in blackface and therefore it’s okay and YOU’RE the racist for telling us how to act.
If we’re gonna do this stupid month, we’re gonna do it RIGHT, dammit!