I called it a couple of weeks ago, didn't I? Halloween just spells controversy. Sure enough, a public apology is being demanded of five University of Toronto student. This after they won a costume contest wearing black makeup and pretending to be the Jamaican bobsled team. The five University of Toronto students received the award Halloween night at a costume party they attended.
The costumes and award became intensely controversial after the Torontoist blog posted a story and photo of the men. The black community is offended by the overall depiction and selection for the award. However, opponents say the costumes were innocent and that detractors are overreacting.
A debate broke out at last nights town hall meeting organized by the U of T's Black Students' Association. The group says the costumes perpetuate blackface, the theatrical makeup associated with biased portrayals of blacks, and are as offensive as wearing "Nazi regalia."
"Using blackface as a costume, I think it's wrong in any context," said Dawn Samuel, president of the BSA. "It's hard because some people unwittingly do things, but at the same time you need to recognize it for what it is."
Online, the social media circle has been littered with comments within the past week. So far, a Facebook posting has generated more than 300 comments, many of them heated.
The BSA is demanding that student party organizers from St. Michael's College, University College and Victoria University publicly apologize for the award via their student newspapers.
Catherine Brown, president of Victoria University's Student Administrative Council, said that while the three colleges organized the Oct. 29 Halloween party, only representatives from St. Michael's College decided to award a costume prize.
"We regret that this insensitive costume was documented as one of the best costumes of the night," she said.
Deryn, the student who awarded the award stated:
"(I feel) embarrassed and upset over my own ignorance in how potentially offensive something of this nature could be." The costume award consisted of free admission to the group's next party, worth $5.
Where do you stand? Articles surrounding this story have made huge headway in Toronto/GTA-based papers. Is this an issue that deserves this much attention, especially after reviewing the prize that was up for grabs? I don't know where I land on this. I saw enough white guys dressed as Tiger Woods/the Jamaican Bobsled Team here in London and was not offended, but merely amused. That being said, I understand where the head of the BSA stands. I think more focus should be made on why this sort of behavior is tolerated within today's society, and why dressing up as members of another ethnicity is fun/is to be made fun of.
This goes too far. These guys went to a party at Holloween when anything is fair game; for shits & giggles. Why do anti-racial advocates look so hard for something that's not there? This was a party, it was for fun, it was just for fun. How many black people this Halloween used a George W Bush mask? How awful of them!
ReplyDeleteIt's November 11th, rememberence day. 1,000's of Canadian soldiers have died and today was to honour them and their families. Guess what, they were black and white and no one cared of the difference. So how petty on this day is it for someone to rant about a Halloween costume? Get over it people, it's 2009 not 1909.
ReplyDeleteHow can any educated person (these are students making these complaints right?) compare portraying a funny character in a funny movie to wearing "Nazi regalia"? Apples to Oranges? Cows to Horses?
ReplyDeletewhere does this nonsense end? If you look hard enough for something that bothers you, you'll find it by twisting your interpretation. Just focus on school (and some fun once in a while people!).
This is simply a product of today's cyber social networking technology. If there aren't any headlines, make them. This is very sad and although I believe the BSA may be a legitimate organization with real issues to address, this makes them look extremely petty, un-accepting of today's social conditions, and just full of bugs up their butts. They suddenly appear much less legitimate today.
ReplyDeleteHELLO - how often do BLACK PEOPLE wear white paint and pretend to be WHITE?
ReplyDeleteI don't think many people would find THAT funny.
Ummm top of my head ...Whoopi Goldberg played a part in a movie years ago of a white man. It was a Comedy Movie ya know those things that some people laugh at... try one sometime
ReplyDeleteBut for Halloween?
ReplyDeleteThe simple fact is that it offended someone, and you can't tell someone they aren't allowed to be offended.
The University of Western Ontario is not the place you are going to find sympathy for this story anyways. Say some of these things in a large city like Vancouver or Toronto, and you'll see how far you get. It's called diversity and it doesn't play nice with racism.
I completely agree with anonymous number 7. And I wonder how many of you anonymous fit within the category of a marginalized group. I don't think you understand why black-face is offensive, because you probably don't understand its historical context and significance. Simply put, it perpetuated white stereotypes about the black community--black-face signified white dominance. And I'm pretty sure that those four students were going around talking in a Jamaican accent... Maybe the significance of black-face has changed...I mean, Robert Downey Jr. sported black-face in Tropic Thunder. I can't speak for the black community. but if the Black Student's Association was offended, then I believe that it was warranted. It's always strange to see how white males will not find offense because it's been done before by the other side (I'm looking at you anonymous who posted the comment about whoopie goldberg).
ReplyDeleteThis is so silly and blown out if proportion. It wasn't as if the 5 guys did it out of mockery and spite.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you draw the line? Especially on Halloween when people go as Japanese geisha (painting faces white) or even as Micheal Jackson. The latter a really popular costume this year.
*NOTE*
ReplyDeleteThe team's coach is painted white...
It was a fun Halloween costume taken too seriously.
I definitely agree... the coach is a black kid going out for halloween in white face. I can only see the argument that this is offensive if it's based upon how the Jamaicans were portrayed in the MOVIE. I don't believe the BSA would have as serious an issue if it were a black and white friend going and Barack Obama and Joe Biden in Black/White-face respectively.
ReplyDeleteit just seems to be a situation where too much emphasis is being placed upon a tradition of racism that many people are no longer aware of. The simple fact that Robert Downey Jr. went black face in Tropic Thunder shows that while the history of blackface has racial context, each individual occurrence is not necessarily a racial issue.
I think the costume was pretty funny if not especially relevant with upcoming olympic games!