# Jackson 5 imitators at UT beyond the pale? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 1, 2002, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810 "2002-11-01T07:56:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/21 "2002-11-01T19:36:12Z")
If wearing makeup to dress as the Jackson 5 on Halloween is a disrespectful and racist thing for 5 white fraternity brothers to do… Was it disrespectful for Eddie Murphy to don makeup in _Coming to America_ and portray a Jewish man in a barbershop? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/22 "2002-11-01T20:19:32Z")
Here is a Halloween mask of [Jesse Jackson](http://www.dannystrixkix.com/killer/prods/6502F01.html). Can I wear this for Halloween? Do you need to know what color my skin is before you can answer? How about these: [Arafat](http://www.dannystrixkix.com/killer/prods/6002F05.html) [Castro](http://www.dannystrixkix.com/killer/prods/6002F12.html) [Kennedy](http://www.dannystrixkix.com/killer/prods/6002F33.html) [Geisha](http://www.dannystrixkix.com/killer/prods/JAPANESE_LADY.html) What’s the difference between putting on a mask to look like a certain kind of person, and putting on make-up to achieve the same end? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/23 "2002-11-01T21:13:39Z")
Too bad they didn’t come as Michael Jackson - they wouldn’t have to change their skin color at all. :rolleyes: This is the flag-burning argument all over again. Would you support suspending a fraternity if some of their members did that? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/24 "2002-11-01T21:46:43Z")
From the linked article: > [@](#): > > “celebrate Africa’s cultural, **entertainment** and educational contributions to non-African cultures around the world.” Isn’t that just what the students were doing? No, seriously. Also, would it be un-PC the sing a Jackson 5 song at Karaoke? ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/25 "2002-11-01T22:12:05Z")
Yeesh. I dunno. When I went home to my old college fraternity’s Halloween party a year or two ago, the then-current president’s costume was Tiger Woods. Golf outfit, a club, and black makeup. Not blackface, mind you, he was made up black. Blackface is a minstrel show thing, and that’s not what he was doing. His girlfriend is black, and she didn’t seem to mind at all. So I didn’t either. The Beastie Boys, most definitely not racist, opened for Bad Brains many years ago when first starting out. Bad Brains was/is a Rastafarian hardcore band, black guys with long dreads. The Beasties were close friends. So, the whole crowd was there to see Bad Brains. When the Beasties came out on stage, they came out dressed as Bad Brains. Black makeup and _freaking black mops on their heads_. Bad Brains were both stunned and choked with laughter. Quoth their guitarist, Dr. Know, “we just couldn’t believe the _balls_ on these guys!” ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/26 "2002-11-17T20:18:10Z")
While stating that the university condemns the actions of the students involved, [University of Tennessee President John W.] Shumaker stressed that the administration would have no authority to punish the offenders. He cited previous federal court rulings that found punishment for such actions to be in violation of the First Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/27 "2002-11-17T20:20:09Z")
Cite for above is [http://dailybeacon.utk.edu/article.php/8217](http://dailybeacon.utk.edu/article.php/8217) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/28 "2002-11-17T20:23:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smiling bandit \* > \*\*But maybe I’m just biased against Fratboys. \*\* Starting with that term “Fratboys”, which is insulting in itself. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/29 "2002-11-17T20:27:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pravnik \* > **Yeesh. I dunno. When I went home to my old college fraternity’s Halloween party a year or two ago, the then-current president’s costume was Tiger Woods. Golf outfit, a club, and black makeup. Not blackface, mind you, he was made up black.** Keep in mind that Tiger Woods’ mother is fully Thai, and his father is only half African-Caribbean, the other half being Native American and Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/30 "2002-11-17T20:45:00Z")
This is ridiculous. The person who needs the sensitivity training is the idiot girl who reported the incident in the first place. What is there to condem? When my school had a drag show, did the women complain about the men dressing as women? No. Michael Jackson shows up in Federal Court looking like Casper the Ghost. White people are no doubt frightened by his appearance, as are all people, but offended? I think not. The OP link is not working, but from the discussion here I can see nothing to warrant a suspension. Hell, one of my good friends went as Castro this year. Should all the hispanic/cuban people be offended? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/31 "2002-11-18T01:51:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Starting with that term “Fratboys”, which is insulting in itself. Yup. But I’m a member of a club which proudly names itself “Wyrd SCi-Fi”. Perhaps they’re nice enough to other people, but these jerks love to annoy us and take down our stuff. So no, I don’t like them. Slit all their throats I would. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/32 "2002-11-18T06:13:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SuaSponte \* > **(considering that people of both the parents’ and grandparents’ generation had kids earlier than people today.** Total hijack, but there has not been a significant change in the average age of a mother when she gives birth. [This page](http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005074.html) gives shows the age of mothers giving birth 1940-2000. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/33 "2002-11-18T07:32:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\* > > Keep in mind that Tiger Woods’ mother is fully Thai, and his father is only half African-Caribbean, the other half being Native American and Chinese. \*\* Yeah. A local black newspaper columnist berated Tiger for taking a white wife, saying it was an insult to his non-white mother to marry this white woman who looked nothing like her. I’m thinking, like Tiger’s father’s Thai wife looked like his black grandmother? I was loudly and angrily complaining of this columnist’s hypocrisy to a black friend from school. I later found out it endeared me to him for life…because he has a white wife. If you’re happy, I’m happy. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2002, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/34 "2002-11-18T13:23:58Z")
Hm. That sounded terse. I meant “If everybody else is happy, I’m happy”. The general “you”. Okay, I’ll be quiet now. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/35 "2002-11-19T03:34:28Z")
How obviously were they jackson 5? Could they have _looked_ like that was just an excuse for blackface or nearly-blackface? Could it actually have been? ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/36 "2002-11-19T19:59:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chula \* > \*\*Total hijack, but there has not been a significant change in the average age of a mother when she gives birth. [This page](http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005074.html) gives shows the age of mothers giving birth 1940-2000. \*\* Actually, your link demonstrates a rather significant change. In 1940, 28.5% of babies were born to women over 30. In 2000, 36.4% were. In demographics, that’s a big shift. Sua ---
**Author:** ![Texican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@Texican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texican)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810/37 "2002-11-19T23:15:19Z")
Hmm, but no one said a thing when Bill Clinton donned a afro wig and played the saxaphone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-5-imitators-at-ut-beyond-the-pale/134810.md?page=1)