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What Is 'Blackface' And Why There Is Never A Good Time To Use It
Image: Free Malaysia Today
By now, you would most probably have heard or seen Watsons Malaysia's unfortunate Hari Raya video.
Titled Legenda Cun Raya, the 15-minute ad starred a bevy of popular local celebrities such as supermodel Amber Chia and actress Uqasha Senrose.However, the video made headlines for the wrong reasons - mainly because it featured a 'blackfaced' woman who they portrayed as unattractive.
Of course, that didn't go down too well with Netizens as they bombarded Watsons Malaysia's Facebook page with very angry messages.
Watsons has since pulled the video down and issued an apology, but like everything on the Internet, the damage has been done.
What is 'blackface'?
In the United States around 1830, non-black performers would put black paint on their faces and perform ridiculous stereotypes about African-Americans in Minstrel shows, a form of live show which consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music. Think of it like a 19th century Saturday Night Live.
The performers would usually use burnt cork, greasepaint or shoe polish to darken their skin. They would often exaggerate their lips and wear wigs and ragged clothes to complete the transformation.
In Minstrel shows, African-Americans were portrayed as "lazy, dim-witted and buffoonish".
At the height of its popularity, Minstrel shows managed to make its way to other countries, especially in Britian where Minstrel shows were reportedly so popular, they lasted longer than in the United States.
The Black And White Minstrel Show, for example, was broadcasted on Britain's BBC channel for twenty years, starting from 1958! By 1964, the show reportedly pulled in more than 21 million viewers.
Not only that, several screen legends such as Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby also performed in blackface in several big movies throughout the 1930s.
In fact, in the early years of film, African-American roles were usually played by white actors in blackface.
One of the most popular films of that time - and arguably one of the most important films ever - The Jazz Singer featured white actor Al Johnson in blackface. Premiering in 1927, The Jazz Singer was the first ever film to feature a synchronised recorded music score and lip-synchronous singing and speech.
As blackface entertainment grew, more and more African-Americans started appearing in Minstrel shows and films. The African-American actors in all-black Minstrel shows were dubbed "the real thing" and "authentic".
But then it all changed
Despite its popularity at that time, more and more people were beginning to shun blackface Minstrel shows.
By the mid-20th century, the people started branding the African-American stereotypes portrayed in Minstrel shows as racist, effectively ending the prominence of using blackface in entertainment.
Tens of years of being exposed to blackface entertainment has led the people into shaping wrong perceptions about the African-American community, as these portrayals were mostly centered around insulting and degrading them.
By the 1950s, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the United States started paying attention to such performances and they even mounted a huge campaign to end blackface performances once and for all.
In 1954, African-Americans banded together to seek an end to end racial segregation and discrimination against them. The African-American Civil Rights Movement lasted close to 15 years, but in the end, blackface performances as well as other blatant branding practices were considered taboo in the United States.
Why blackface is wrong
Two words: it's degrading.
Like we mentioned above, blackface performances back in the day were centered around insulting and making fun of the African-American community, so pulling a stunt like that would throw the minorities back into the spotlight that they've been trying to escape for hundreds of years.
No matter if it's satire or to "highlight the importance of inner beauty", it's still wrong.
Respect sikit lah, bro!
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