Justin Trudeau

No I don't see the problem with what the did nearly 20 years ago.
All that should matter is what he does now.

Again the really important crisis is pushed to one side.

Hang on, I'm 54. At 34 I DEFINITELY knew blacking up was wrong. Very, very, very wrong. Exceptionally racist.

He was wrong. He's a sensible bloke. He's probably been concerned for years that this would surface.

How many of you are people of colour? It is NOT for white people to say what isn't racist. In fact, I would go so far as to say, that if you are white and claiming something isn't racist, that you are part of the problem.

Morris dancers blackface has drawn a fair amount of criticism but the origins are unclear. This explains a bit more en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Morris

We had lots Morris dancer groups in town a few weeks back wearing all sorts of fantastic costumes and disguises including black faces, red faces and even green faces. I don’t think anyone thought any of them were racist.

No it doesn’t Pantglas2

I agree that Lenny Henry’s reaction was hilarious but that doesn’t lessen what Justin Trudeau did - not just once but numerous times in a supposedly more enlightened era.

He is also horrified now at his appearance on the B&WMS

Yes, LH uses humour to highlight ignorance very well

It certainly was the best reaction.
LH always laughed at himself. He starred in the Black and White Minstrel show many years ago too.

At least Lenny Henry saw the funny side as he introduced himself as Justin Trudeau.

That was the best reaction of all, imo. ! It did what it was supposed to do.

Yes, he mocked JT when he was presenting at an event on the importance of diversity - getting more people from ethnic minority groups, disabled people and women into television

At least Lenny Henry saw the funny side as he introduced himself as Justin Trudeau.

In your opinion, what is trivial about the historical context of blackface and its racist connotations?

Get a life anyone who condemns the man for such a trivial matter.

Not ‘to see a racist link’ - there is a racist link, and that link was well known 20 years ago by people of Justin Trudeau’s age (I’m in the age group, we were pretty well aware of it)

It feels like the PC Police must hold a higher status than the mere members of the Brigade

Who are the PC Police? Are they a higher level than the PC Brigade?

Where can I encounter such groups?

I do kniw that it's possible to see a racist link! It's also possible to consider context and date of action.

It’s a bit more than make up - there is a racist historical context. Lots of links upthread explain it.

Hmmmm. It's all a matter of make up. People acting, pretending to be someone else. Personally, as a woman, I don't feel insulted by drag Queens dressed up and made up as women.

There was a case in the USA earlier this year when a girl wore a chomsum to her prom and Chinese pupils accused her of "cultural appropriation".

Yellowface

The Mikado has certainly generated a lot of debate over the last few years, with its racial stereotyping, yellow face makeup and use of tape to narrow and elongate the eyes. You might be interested in this article www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2016/12/25/arts/music/reviving-the-mikado-in-a-balancing-act-of-taste.amp.html

I was thinking they might ban getting into Japanese costumes for " The Mikado" . The ladies wear Japanese make up and the men sport pigtails .

Can you not understand? The practice of "blacking up" has seriously unpleasant associations for black people - of segregation, discrimination, disrespect, ridicule, denigration, etc, etc. Can you not put yourself in someone else's shoes and see how it feels for them or at least understand and accept that it hurts and offends many people?

I think the phrase "political correctness" is a a misleading one, which evokes a knee-jerk reaction. It is not about politics (or only politics in its widest sense - not party politics). It is about having an awareness of people's feelings and treating everyone with courtesy, respect and decency.

It has been acknowledged that many people who watched the Black and White Minstrel Show (that included me, as a child, and my parents) were sadly ignorant of the offence it caused in portraying and reinforcing in the public psyche a gross caricature of black people. But that was at least 50 years ago, not 20.

As Trudeau himself said, he should have known better. When he came to office I was hoping he would be different but this latest revelation, on top of the previous corruption scandal, has changed my opinion of him.

Magpie - you can deny all you like, but blackface has racist connotations that have been well known for years, and certainly as recently as Obama’s presidency. See the links I posted upthread.

Yes I was setting the B&WMS from today’s perspective maddy - to show that we’ve moved on from those days, as Trudeau would have known. We know that it’s not entertaining because we understand the context now.