# Gimme that old-fashioned racism **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 5, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133 "2013-11-05T11:45:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/1 "2013-11-05T11:45:21Z")
Happens every Halloween. Some people wear costumes in questionable taste and get accused of racism. And other people claim that it isn’t racism. So we argue over whether going in blackface as a TV character is racist or dressing up as Trayvon Martin is racist or making fun of Barack Obama is racist. But I think we can all agree: this is [racist](http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1442696/thumbs/o-KKK-COSTUME-570.jpg?6). Not a lot of hidden symbolism there. And Jessica Black (yes seriously) isn’t claiming that her boy was wearing it ironically or anything like that. She says her family has been wearing klan costumes for years. And she thinks that’s a good thing because she’s down with the klan: _“It’s supposed to be white with white, black with black, man with woman and all of that. That’s what the KKK stands for.”_ [cite](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/boy-kkk-halloween-costume-draws-threats-article-1.1505265) [cite](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/04/mom-son-kkk-halloween-costume_n_4212461.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular) [cite](http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/Mother-Responds-to-Controversy-After-Son-Dresses-as-Klansman-for-Halloween--230306501.html) ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/2 "2013-11-05T13:11:27Z")
Shitheads have a tendency to raise their kids to be shitheads. ---
**Author:** ![WilyQuixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@WilyQuixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WilyQuixote)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/3 "2013-11-05T13:23:56Z")
When Mommy Racist took her child trick-or-treating, she should have worn one herself and bear the risk. Don’t use your son as a shield. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/4 "2013-11-05T14:04:06Z")
I don’t understand, what’s racist about dressing up as a ghost? Is it because it’s a white ghost? Oh, so are we supposed all be black ghosts now or it’s racist? Fucking Obama… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/5 "2013-11-05T14:06:40Z")
Well, I don’t know. [ul] [li]On Halloween, it’s appropriate to dress up as something scary[/li][li]Venerating the KKK is scary[/li][li]That costume venerates the KKK[/li][/ul] QED, the costume is appropriate for Halloween. And that family is scary. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/6 "2013-11-05T14:08:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And Jessica Black (yes seriously) … Missed this on the first read. I find it absolutely hilarious that her surname is “Black.” ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/7 "2013-11-05T14:54:56Z")
Well, all is not lost. Prussian Blue got better. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/8 "2013-11-05T14:59:26Z")
I have to admit, I used grease makeup to change my skin tone and dressed up as a person of color for Halloween. People stared at me when I took my kids trick-or-treating. But I just assumed everyone loved Papa Smurf. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/9 "2013-11-05T15:19:21Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > Well, all is not lost. Prussian Blue got better. Yeah, it’s the same thing Lamb & Lynx experienced. That little boy is at the same age where he his racist mother does the speaking for him. Ms. Black is a racist bitch. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/10 "2013-11-05T15:40:41Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I have to admit, I used grease makeup to change my skin tone and dressed up as a person of color for Halloween. People stared at me when I took my kids trick-or-treating. But I just assumed everyone loved Papa Smurf. How dare you walk around in blueface you horrible racist person. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/11 "2013-11-05T16:28:10Z")
I think you have it all wrong, the kid’s just supposed to be a ghost! …the ghost of a Klansmen… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/12 "2013-11-05T17:33:47Z")
The costume is clearly inappropriate because the kid’s vision is going to be limited by the small eye holes. That’s unsafe. On the other hand, it’s going to be easier to see at night than the same thing in black. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/13 "2013-11-05T17:39:50Z")
Having kids is great, you can teach them to hate the things that you hate. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/14 "2013-11-05T17:40:40Z")
> [@](#): > > _“It’s supposed to be white with white, black with black, man with woman and all of that. That’s what the KKK stands for.”_ Given the former logic, shouldn’t the latter be man with man, woman with woman? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/15 "2013-11-05T17:44:30Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I have to admit, I used grease makeup to change my skin tone and dressed up as a person of color for Halloween. People stared at me when I took my kids trick-or-treating. But I just assumed everyone loved Papa Smurf. So you blue yourself for Halloween? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/16 "2013-11-05T17:57:22Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Having kids is great, you can teach them to hate the things that you hate. You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear, You’ve got to be taught from year to year, It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear, You’ve got to be carefully taught. You’ve got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made, And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade, You’ve got to be carefully taught. You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late, Before you are six or seven or eight, To hate all the people your relatives hate, You’ve got to be carefully taught! Thank you, Oscar Hammerstein II, for those unfortunately timeless words. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/17 "2013-11-05T18:20:45Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Well, I don’t know. > > [ul] > [li]On Halloween, it’s appropriate to dress up as something scary[/li][li]Venerating the KKK is scary[/li][li]That costume venerates the KKK[/li][/ul] > > QED, the costume is appropriate for Halloween. > > And that family is scary. In the movie _Cabin in the Woods_: At the end, when it’s revealed there’s a giant government complex filled with goblins, zombies, werewolves, monster bats, flesh eating mermen, gigantic snakes, and just about every other conceivable monster, in the background of one scene you see one of the monster holding cells has three guys in Klan robes. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/18 "2013-11-05T18:20:52Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Thank you, Oscar Hammerstein II, for those unfortunately timeless words. Racism isn’t born, folks, it’s taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list. - Dennis Leary ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/19 "2013-11-05T18:53:02Z")
Poor kid probably just wanted to be a wizard like Harry Potter for Halloween…so she dug out her grandfather’s Grand Wizard costume for him. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133/20 "2013-11-05T19:02:13Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Yeah, it’s the same thing Lamb & Lynx experienced. That little boy is at the same age where he his racist mother does the speaking for him. Ms. Black is a racist bitch. I want Lamb & Lynx to go on tour & call it “The De-Nazification Tour”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-that-old-fashioned-racism/673133.md?page=2)