Student wears "black face" for Tiger Woods costume, is it racism?

Great Debates
21

Ahh… but you’re FRIENDS. One of my friends had a group of college roommates who were pretty ethnically diverse–and they regularly, jokingly, called their Puerto Rican friend, “Spic.” Did he take offense? No. Because they were all friends, and he knew his friends weren’t really putting him down in any serious way. He called one of the other roommates (of Lebanese descent) a camel-jockey, etc.

Obviously, if they walked up to a random Latino on the street and called him “Spic,” things would be a lot less funny.

In any event, here’s my vote on the OP:

  1. The student exercised poor judgment. He should not have darkened his skin. If he were part of a comdey troupe doing a sketch (remember Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis Jr.?), he might have been able to get away with it. But unless you are VERY careful about framing the setting in which you wear such makeup, you’re asking for trouble.

  2. Unless the incident took place as part of a school-sponsored function, the University should keep the hell out. It’s none of their damn business if their students are racists (even though this kid is clearly not, he just made a questionable costume choice). You know what? I went to a school in central Pa. where there were a LOT of racists. We even had Holocaust revisionists who set up tables on campus to spout their views. Did the University stop them? No. It wasn’t their place. They left it to the students who were offended to shout them down and show how stupid these people were. It worked great, IMHO.

22

Hypothetical:

You are going to a 60s theme costume party. You and your friends decide to go as the Rat Pack. Nary a single one of you is a one-eyed Black Jew. Do you:

a) drop Sammy Davis, Jr. from the Rat Pack;
b) have one of your friends put on a Star of David necklace, but keep a white face; or
c) have one of your friends dress up and put on makeup so that he looks like the person he is impersonating?

This is stupid. Yes, blackface is offensive. Impersonating a famous human being is not.

A few years back, I had a big foam rubber Bart Simpson mask. One Halloween, I decided to wear it. But instead of going as Bart, I decided to go as Rasta Bart, who at the time was a pretty popular spin off the Bart Simpson charater. I dressed up in Jamacain clothing, glued a (fake) joint to the mask’s mouth - and colored the (originally yellow) mask brown with shoe polish.

Was I offensively in blackface? Or was I impersonating a popular character? Let me know.

Sua

23

Since I see that no other Black Doper has checked in please allow me:

I really don’t see a problem here. As Sua (for whom my respect grows every post) mentioned, his problem is that he was trying to look like the person he was portraying. Tiger Wood has brown skin. Unless he did it in some way which implied the more traditional “Black Face” as mentioned by several earlier posters, I think it’s being clearly blown out of proportion.

I think december asked some pretty good questions, that I think deserve some
answers.

**1. What’s the proper standard for a finding of racism? Is someone’s feeling determinative? In that case, might not anything might be called racism? **

I’m going to forgo trying to put a definitive standard for racism down, I’ll leave that to the lawyers. However, I think intent has to be a necessary component.

**2. Would it be offensive for a white person to masquerade as a Black under all circumstances, independent of the blackface issue? **

No and for the reasons a couple of other posters have already addressed.

**3. Is it helpful or harmful to minorities to make a fuss over issues like this? **

There’s the kicker. Without information, you can’t make an objective opinion. Who’s to decide which stories like this get published or not?

**4. Is the university being cowardly? **

While I don’t agree with your inflammatory phrasing of the question, undoubtedly, the university is acting out against the potential of back coverage.

5. Does this sort of issue harm race relations?

I doubt it; rather I think it will reinforce whatever views the potential readers previously held.

24

I’m with fludidruid here – I’d like some context before declaring “racist” or “non-racist” here. There’s a big difference between darkening your skin and holding a golf club, versus going in blackface and speaking bad psuedo-jive (“Yo, I’m Tiger Woods, how’s it hangin’, homes?”).

Needless to say, I do wonder about this guy’s choice of costumes. Didn’t he consider that his dressing-up might have upset some folks? And it’s not like there’s a dearth of anglo golf stars to draw from.

25

Hello, Mr. Black Doper! :smiley:

Aww, shucks.

[Stuffy answers (good) questions raised by december]

I would respectfully submit that making intent a necessary component is over-narrow. I would submit that a standard more akin to “reckless disregard” may be appropriate.
My point is that someone who dresses up for a party as a member of the KKK, even as a “light-hearted prank” is either so contemptuous of the legitimate sensitivies of minorities as to deserve the term racist, or is so stupid that immediate sterilization is the only way to save humanity.

Sua

26

I think it’s a no-brainer that this kid shouldn’t be expelled, but I fail to see how this singular instance will harm “race relations” (whatever that means).

I can see why the guy at the bar would feel miffed. At first glance, I would be taken aback if I saw a white guy pretending to be a black guy. I would automatically question his intentions. At second glance, I would just think he was just being silly. But then again, I think it’s silly dressing up like a sports hero, especially with it not being Halloween.

Why do you think it’s minorities who are making the fuss here? The guy at the bar was irritated, but that doesn’t mean he was the one who tattle-told on the Tiger Woods-wannabe.

27

As usual, 'tis a tangly and complicated situation… wouldn’t it be easier if everything were strictly black and white? :wink:

My feeling here is that it all goes to intent. In other words, does your friend admire Tiger Woods for his golf-playing ability (regardless of race), or did he dress to portray a person whom he considers The Puttin’ Darky? If it’s the former, then I support the One-Eyed Black Jew/Othello theory. You gotta go for authenticity.

However, there are some instances where, despite good intentions, people can get downright insulting. For example, have you seen Sir Laurence Olivier’s version of Othello?

Whereas he might have considered his Shuckin’, Jivin’, Pimpin’ and Grinnin’ performance to be authentic (hence he was only honoring his “craft”), I can’t watch it without wanting to slap his minstrel ass because, IMO, his performance is insulting.

28

Here’s what I think.

I think the decision to use brown face-paint is questionable, but potentially defensible based on various factors (intent, execution, and so on).

I think the university has absolutely no business treating this as a punishable transgression.

I think intelligent people will recognize that the decision to use face-paint for a costume is a questionable one, and will investigate further, including, certainly, gently asking the individual about his intent. It is only through this additional investigation that a supportable judgement can be made.

I think unintelligent and/or reactionary people will, based on the limited information available, immediately leap to one or another conclusion: “It is! racist” or “It isn’t! even in bad taste,” etc.

I think the only consequence that should be entertained is that people be allowed to draw their own conclusions about whether this choice of costume reflects on the worldview of the individual, and that these conclusions can be respected or dismissed based on whether they were formed from thought and investigation or from a knee-jerk response.

That is all.

29

No.

30

These people really need a life. Expelling someone over some paint, all this does is promote racism and segregation.

31

cainxinth, I wonder if your school is Rutgers. In 1994, President Francis Lawrence make a single clumsy statement. It precitated a huge battle. Lawrence was very lucky not to get fired. An entire lifetime of work was nearly wiped out by a single poorly-constructed sentence spoken at a meeting. You can read about here and here for two totally opposite POVs.

Anyhow, if the school involved is Rutgers or is even located in New Jersey, I’d expect the university administrators to be walking on eggshells over any incident of alleged racism.

32

That’s not all it does. It also makes it clear that that particular place of higher learning does not accept unpopular views. If you express views which are unpopular you will be removed from the student body.

Marc

33

After reading the OP again, I noticed that this was a GOLF-THEMED bar event.

That makes the whole fuss even more dumb, if you ask me.

34

I find the reaction deserving of criticism rather than the portrayal of a caricature of the esteemed Tiger Woods. I might find someone’s body odour offensive, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to call another person on it let alone to ask him to leave. How presumptuous of this asshole.

By the way, I wouldn’t ask Michael Jackson to leave the room either.

35

A couple of my experiences:
In high school I had a drama class where we had to do a solo bit on a famous character. I did an off-the-cuff portrayal of Jim from Huckleberry Finn. My one markdown from the teacher was that I should have colored myself black.

That had nothing to do with the following.

In college (still several years ago) I went to a Shakespear party at a friend’s house. Being somewhat more stupid or just crazier back then I went as Othello (my date was a Finnish Desimona). Going for some stupid attempt at “realism” I use shoe polish for the complexion adjustment.

No one there seemed offended or said anything (It was a fairly small party). But I certainly look back at it as something I wish I would not have done.

Bit of adivce: if any of you want to try a skin color adjustment, DO NOT USE SHOE POLISH. I was up until 3:00 the next morning trying to get the stuff off and still ended with a yellow tinge for about a week (completeed segue back to the SuaSponte quote above).

36

Update: I found out recently that the university is involved because the Black Student Union has made several demands to the chancellor, including a $25,000 fine for the student, a probationary suspension for his frat, and the formation of an African-American Greek council.

I have changed my opinion of this situation. As many of you have remarked, I now agree that some indication of malicious intent is necessary for his actions to qualify as racist. Granted this like most universities is a very liberal, politically correct institution, and the student should have thought twice about going out in public with black paint on his face, but I think a $25k fine is not remotely commensurate with what he did. As for his frat, they had no involvement whatsoever. And, I question whether a separate Greek council for the African-American students will foster race relations or further segregate the two communities.

37

Hi there! I’m Black and I go to the same school as Elwood and Cainxinth. Go me.

I didn’t witness the event, but I’ve heard [buyer beware] that it was a frat thing. I too would be offended, but the punishment requested hardly fits the crime.

We students recently received an e-mail which I deleted detailing the punishment doled out. I can’t recall any fines, but the fraternity has been suspended. Theis is not as bad as it sounds. In fact it was the dumbest possible thing to do. Suspended frats do not have to comply with university PanHellenic rules. Basicly, SU has given it free reign. Sure, there is the stimga of suspension, but in the end it doesn’t really matter.

BTW, Elwood, I’m still POed about that dumb comic too. How could you not see a ski mask? Sheesh. Now I’m mad again…

38

Hi drayton, as I said above, I come from a mixed-race family, and I don’t think the actions of the student would have offended my sister, who is black. I am interested to know why you found the event offensive? Is it due to the historical connotations of black face, or for other reasons?

There was a very interesting program in the UK a few months ago where a black guy was made up with prosthetics to look white, and a white guy was made up to look black. They then went into communities that they never normally would visit. It was very enlightening, as both of them realised that they held prejudices that they didn’t know they had - the white guy more than the black guy. The black guy in make-up also - very, very courageously - went on a march with the National Front (hard-right racist political party). How do you feel about this ‘experiment’?

39

Hold on a second. While everyone is mentioning “Blackface”, its not like the Guy was doing an Al Jolson and saying “yess’uh, I do love that fried chicken!!” and waggling his hands.

He was dressing up as Tiger Woods. It was not intended to be a mockery of the man, nor of African/American/Thai people.

He does not deserve punishment.

40

This exact same thing happenned here in Melbourne, Australia on a television show called “The Footy Show”. An Aboriginal was supposed to appear as a guest on the show but for one reason or another, failed to turn up. So one of the co-hosts went out the back during the final ad break, painted his face black, and when the show returned from the ad break, he walked back out and said “Sorry I’m late fella’s”.

All week there was a media debate about whether or not what he did was inappropriate, and eventually he apologised to the footballer in question, but you could tell he did it very begrudgingly.