Not again!! A couple of days ago, I was browsing
through dlisted, one of my favorite celebrity gossip websites
where I came across an image of Julianne Hough donning blackface for Halloween
this year. Her and all of her friends dressed as characters from the new
Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Julianne dressed as
the character Crazy Eyes, who is played by an African American woman Uzo Aduba.
I cannot believe her friends let her go out in blackface! It is really hard to
believe they saw nothing wrong with this and allowed her to go out in public.
It seems like our society is still unaware of the deeply embedded emotions and
history associated with blackface and African Americans. I understand that she
was dressing up for Halloween and maybe this shouldn’t be taken too seriously
but there is nothing right in this situation at all. Blackface is offensive
simple as that.
She apologized for her actions in tweet
that said: “I am a huge fan of the show Orange
is the New black, actress Uzo Aduba, and the character she has created. It
certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in
any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people and I truly apologize.”
I appreciate that she took
responsibility for her actions but cannot get over her ignorance. How do you
guys feel about her costume choice? Do you find it offensive? Or do you find it
acceptable because she dressed as a fictional TV character?
Here is the link for the
article if you’re
interested: http://dlisted.com/2013/10/26/what-in-the-hell-kind-of-gd-crazy-eyes-costume-is-this/
Look at the comments! Some
interesting points were made.
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ReplyDeleteI must admit, I am not offended by Julianne Hough's costume, Janel. She is simply dressing up as one of her favorite characters from "Orange is the New Black". Btw I happen to be a huge fan of this series myself with "Crazy Eyes" being one of my absolute favorite characters then Red, ok I digress. Back to my point, I think we may get a little too sensitive because of the history of many of our oppressed ancestors. It is understandable. I look at it this way, she was dressing as an fictitious character that happens to be black and Julianne is white.
ReplyDeleteSo the question becomes are some characters of limits to us because of our ethnic backgrounds? Would dressing up as Crazy Eyes be acceptable for me being that I am an African American woman?
Also, I think we must realize the intent, or as in philosophy the Illocutionary force behind an action. Meaning we must look at the person's true intention behind the action within the context they deliver it. Julianne's was to simply dress up as a character from a netflix show for Halloween. Now, if she had dressed up in blackface, in a prison costume then her intent would have been totally offensive and racist.
Again, is dressing up as another race off limits? Are we restricted to dress up as characters, people, or representations of our own race? I have seen many black women dress up as Barbie (a toy doll). Although I have yet to see any of them put on a white face, I have seen some people lighten their skin with powder, wear blonde wigs, and blue contacts. Is that offensive? Some would argue Barbie is fictitious, yet isn't Crazy Eyes as well?
I did read some of the comments and as you said they are interesting and make points from both sides. Yet I think we should keep in mind the big theme is where is this ethnic/ racial line in respect to costumes?
There has been other mix race/ ethnic representations with costumes such as Ellen DeGeneres dressed as Nicki Menage and Kelly Rips dressed as Kim Kardashian. What do you think about these representations? We need to take each case and look at it beyond a surface view, because if we don't we will always be stuck in racism and stagnant as a society.
Thanks for this post it is a much needed conversation and I would like to post a few more pictures to piggyback off this great discussion you started.
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ReplyDeleteJanel, thank you for sharing this article.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can see where the author is coming from, I agree with Q that we must look at the person's true intention behind the action within the context they deliver it before we put any meaning to it.
I do not think believe that Hough's intention was to offend a particular race. The author was too extreme in accusing her of wanting to trend "by delivering some good old-fashioned fuckery."
In Hough's case, it looks more like she spray tanned herself to play the role of the fictitious character rather than attempt to do blackface. I can compare this to Tyra Banks painting her face to portray white super models, or painting your face blue to look like a smurf because you are trying to get the most out of your costume.
Not to mention that Hough’s spray tan could in fact be used more appropriately to mock whites who are obsessed with tanning—because it literally looks more like a tanorexia case than a blackface attempt.
Yes, Hough could have gone without the spray tan (just like any of us could go without the face paint or wigs on Halloween), but I do not see her intention as demeaning a character but rather playing the part of a fictitious character.
Now, if she dressed like a real blackface character –with the actual black paint and the exaggerated lips— then I can see how that would be offensive because of the historical oppression and racism that comes along with it.
Overall, it lies in the context of the situation.
You summed it up quite nicely Marlene, overall it lies in the context of the situation. In saying that I am not excusing that people can still send out the wrong message despite their good or lighthearted intentions. I just think it is constructive of us especially as communication students to look beyond the surface.
DeleteBy the way I laughed so hard at "tanorexia" I bet you can get that term to trend on twitter. If it is not already a term you should definitely coin it!! LOL
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Delete***Sorry, I discovered a typo in my previous response and I am very OCD about typos, therefore I just copied and pasted my response and corrected the typo.
DeleteThank you Q! You have made very excellent contributions to this post as well (in response to all the comments--good job!). From all the posts, I believe this is the one that has ignited the most conversation and for excellent reasons.
Quite frankly I am trying to see if perhaps I'm being biased in any shape or form because I do not fit either of the races (although I am light complected). While some may find it offensive for the opposite races to do whiteface or blackface, I think to myself, "What would a "Mexicanface" look like, and would I be offended?'"
After some consideration, I'd like to think that I would too answer my question in the same way, that it depends of the context of the situation.
Like you mentioned, we should look beyond the surface, and in this particular case--I do not find Hough's intentions as ill-minded, but I agree with you that some people can send out the wrong message despite their good intentions.
I also believe that some people are not aware how to some African-Americans Hough's face paint could be seen as offensive because they are ignorant to the historical oppression and racism that blackface symbolizes.
I have to admit that had it not been for this class, I would not have the same level of knowledge that I have on blackface. Before this class I had briefly heard of the term, but it was never touched upon as it was in this class.
Therefore I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people who are painting their faces aren't aware that some people might feel disrespected because they do not know the historical meaning behind it.
P.S. I literally went to check if tanorexia was a coined term on Twitter, and it is! I will definitely be hashtagging the term sometime soon!
In my mind when I first saw Hough's face, I instantly thought of a bad case of tanorexia. One of the worst incidents that I've seen is the lady who was accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter to tanning booths. #tanorexia. LOL
Just in case you want to check out the story:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/tanning-mom-jersey-woman-suffer-tanorexia/story?id=16267543
Both of you make a good point. If we think about the intent of her costume and consider the place she’s coming from, maybe she wasn’t coming from a mean place and did not want to offend people. She did dress as a fictional character but I think she could have gone without darkening her skin. Some of the comments mentioned that she spray tanned her body so it is not as offensive as the black paint characters use in minstrel shows and I agree with that. If she painted her face with black paint, the image of her would have been more offensive.
ReplyDeleteQ, I believe dressing up as another race should be off limits. There has been too many times where celebrities have crossed the line when dressing up as another race. When whites don blackface, for me it will always come across as offensive, but when I think of Tyra Banks donning whiteface it doesn’t seem so bad. The image of her in whiteface doesn’t offend me in any kind of way, I’m not sure why, but it is easier for me to digest the image of her portraying another race, and not so much for whites who don blackface.
I can see your point Janel, you feel that crossing racial/ ethnic lines should not happen under any context. Although I disagree I do understand your point, especially when it comes to black face, it is just such a hurtful period and it is just disrespectful to keep recreating such a painful past of African American history.
DeleteI do agree with you if someone is to dress up as a different race example a white person dressing up as an black character they should avoid darkening the skin. That is disrespectful and you make an excellent point. A person certainly can dress up as an character/ another race without manipulating the skin and the costume can be just as good and avoid being disrespectful or insensitive to the other race.
However, I find it interesting that white face does not bother you. In no way or form am I condemning you, I appreciate your open honesty which helps in our conversation. Yet, thinking this way only keeps the racial lines separate and elevates one race over the other.
What I mean by this is thinking that it is not ok to wear black face further perpetuates black people are inferior, yet wearing white face is ok or acceptable because they have more of a "normal" presence in today's society. Just another perspective to offer.
Again Janel this is a great post!!!!!
Do I think Julianne Hough should have portrayed blackface for Halloween? No I do not. Some people do wear blackface on Halloween, I do not think that is the right thing to do but they will not get the same attention as someone in the public eye would. People took offense to Julianne's costume, I know I did and something like this could hurt her career. There are people who do blackface in movies and plays. It is part of their job and I understand it but I do not think it is right. Julianne was doing it for her entertainment and for Halloween. When Halloween could be looked as a day of imitation or to make fun of people. She should have though twice before she went as Crazy Eyes for Halloween.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Liz that Julianne Hough should have thought twice about her costume. I don't think it was necessary for her to dress in blackface, she could have just as easily dressed as "Crazy Eyes" without painting her face. However, I didn't find Hough's costume offensive. I saw an article about someone who posted a picture to Twitter of a friend dressed as George Zimmerman and himself as Treyvon Martin. Now that was offensive, distasteful, and disrespectful. That young man died, and now you're dressing up as him in blackface? What is wrong with you? But Hough's costume was harmless, and if anything gave her the publicity she so desperately craves.
ReplyDelete