Offensive Or Not?

[Booldawg]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2509893/York-University-students-black-offensive-Cool-Runnings-fancy-dress.html


'Sairish Tahir and Isabelle Scott, York University's black, minority and ethnic officers, said: 'This is an incredibly insensitive and arrogant decision made by a group of supposed young adults who thought that "blacking up" and appropriating one's race would be a great joke.

'Blacking up is steeped in a history of discrimination, degradation and bigotry.

'Choosing to perpetuate these racial stereotypes to create shock value seems to be an increasing common theme across young people at universities and will certainly not be tolerated as acceptable behaviour, in this day and age.'

Were they 'perpetuating a racial sterotype' or simply dressing up themed to a particular movie. Surely the movie 'Cool Runnings' played on a stereotypical notion that Jamaica shouldn't have successful bobsleigh team.

[sp1814]

AOG

The thing is - the Jamaican characters in Cool Runnings were not, as far as I can remember...jet black golliwogs.

A closer representation of what a black man looks like is the make up that Robert Downey Jnr wore in 'Tropic Thunder' (for which he earned an Oscar nomination).

There's a world of difference between that and 'blacking up' like a minstrel.

It's no where near as bad as Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but it's still pretty childish.

Also, let's not pretend that it's only black people who get offended. I recall quite a few people were upset at Little Britain's Mrs Emery.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4460876.stm

[craft1948]

I remember York University being built................the students are really boring and never do anything really shocking which is a bit of a let down.

[ChillDoubt]

Anyone ever seen this film, where a black actor 'whited up'?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_Man_%28film%29

One of the funniest I've ever seen, difficult to get hold of though.

[sp1814]

Booldawg

You asked:

"Surely the movie 'Cool Runnings' played on a stereotypical notion that Jamaica shouldn't have successful bobsleigh team".

First, it's not a stereotypical notion. It's a perfectly reasonable assumption, in the same way that it's perfectly reasonable to assume that Holland will have very few top rank downhill skiers...because of it's lack of hills.

Jamaica doesn't have much in the way of ice, so for a Jamaican bobsleigh team to enter the Winter Olympics is...surprising.

Also - it's based on a true story.

So, in summary, it's not a stereotypical notion...and it happened.

[choux]

It is not only young adults who think it a great joke though, is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXWjQvUy2AM

[naomi24]

It's a times like this - with all this pathetic 'sensitivity' - that I feel that I'm losing the will to live.

Night all.