EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

You are reading a single comment by @The_Kindness_of_Trees and its replies. Click here to read the full conversation.

•

christianSpaceman in reply to @The_Kindness_of_Trees

But blacking up your face is a specific offensive act, in a way that wearing a pair of black jeans isn't. In that case I'd say the place to stop is the putting of black paint on your face.

I don't really know whether it's right or wrong for Morris dancers to do this because their tradition predates the offensive image, but I found the photo pretty jarring. I'm sure there are other examples.

•

The_Kindness_of_Trees in reply to @christianSpaceman

No, minstrelsy is a specifically offensive act: 'blacking up' in and of itself is not.

The photo jars because we jump to the conclusion that it's a piss-take - it lacks a recognisable context. Once we take on that new context are we not capable of shifting our view and accepting it for what it is?

•

NotThamesWater in reply to @The_Kindness_of_Trees

minstrelsy

That's just being a minstrel. Perhaps you meant being a black & white minstrel.

[Edit] Although it appears it mainly refers to the blacked up kind of minstrel

About

Avatar for The_Kindness_of_Trees @The_Kindness_of_Trees started