CAN'T WHITEWASH WHITEFACE

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  Posted by Michael Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:37pm PDT

  a group of us brought this up today, and interestingly enough, the white portion of the group was more offended than the black portion (we cut accross all sections when we get together). whites seemed more worried that it would re-ignite resentments, and blacks felt there was nothing derrogatory in the portrayal delineating their race to a stereo-type of ignorant buffoons. I have to say I believe it is art in the truest sense in that it challenges the viewer. One looks at it in a single moment and says "this shocks and offends me" yet when forced to objectively ask "why" there is no rational answer other than it reminds me of what someone else did but in a very negative way. It's dark make-up applied over light skin, but there it's similiarity to minstrel acts comes to an end. It's not applied in a way to exaggerate racial features to be an ugly interpretation... it is simply re-colored skin on a model... it shacks and offends and challenges, but it does so based on human irrationality, and not for what it actually presents.

  It's not wrong to acknowledge our differences... we all know they are there... it's not even wrong to appreciate our differences with humor... it's the hate or love that tones the true meaning.... and in these pics, I do not see any hate...

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  Posted by Orpheline Fri Oct 16, 2009 3:40am PDT

  Well, if you do not see anything wrong with such "caricatures" then it means you certainly ignore history and what westerners have done onto the black race and other minorities.

  First of all the fashion industry is a very discriminatory industry, as you can see models are caucasians and those that aren't, like Naomi campbell, Tyra Banks, Iman and few more fought extremely hard to be part of it.

  Second of all, their message seems to be pretty clear considering that they rather paint their caucasian models in black than to hire a dark skinned woman!!

  Third since the early days of slavery westerners have always make fun of blacks so what make us think this is different, because it's done nicely or with "class"???

  Fourth and last, some black people may not necessarily react to this event for many different reasons, this though does not make the event ok!! Perhaps some of them cannot take it anymore!! Others may fail to understand or refuse to understand because they are tired of fighting for causes they've already fought for in the past. Others may simply chose to live their life and ignore everything that could remind them of "those days"...

  It is unfortunate that some of us base our opinion on emotions or on what we think it is in our mind, without consulting and deeply comprehending history thus what really happened and hurt an oppressed race.

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  Posted by joannb Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:05am PDT

  Blackface in anything is out of order and not acceptable. Why are not using Black models?

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