[netizenbuzz] Uijeongbu High students under controversy for blackface parody

[bye-bye]

 

 

Article: Uijeongbu High School crosses the line with parody pictures... 'blackface' controversy

Source: Asia Economy via Naver

The high school is famous for students expressing parody creations for their graduation photos every year. This year's class is being criticized for their parody of a Ghana funeral where men hold up a coffin and dance in mourning. The group nicknamed themselves 'Coffin TS', a play on BTS.

1. [+1,539, -59] Why are there so many triggered people in our society;;

2. [+836, -28] Then what about all those face whitening creams and advertisements? It's okay for women to make their faces whiter? Isn't Kabuki make up racism against white people too? I don't think painting your face black is as important as to whether there was an actual intention to be racist within the action itself. They're parodying a custom that actually exists in Africa... People need to back off a bit...

3. [+541, -17] I don't think this can be compared to Hong Hyun Hee's blackface. Hong Hyun Hee blatantly did blackface to be funny while these boys were parodying a meme that even the funeral company in Ghana expressed gratitude for in all the interest they were getting from around the world. I think the Ghanaian would find this parody fun if they saw it instead of taking offense to it. It's unfair to corner them as racist just for the blackface without looking at the context. Uijeongbu High School has always been famous for their graduation photos and it makes me worried that such a longstanding tradition is going to disappear because of something like this.

4. [+515, -17] ㅋㅋ Seems like the only one triggered is the journalist ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ how do you function in real life? ㅋ

5. [+256, -9] The media needs to make it straight and either ban blackface or something. This is just a copy of something that already exists. People are just quick to hate because of the blackface without looking at any of the context.

6. [+51, -2] I think the intention is what should be important here. Were these kids trying to ridicule and put down a certain race? I don't think so. I think they were just copying an internet meme. So if they copied The Little Mermaid and wore a bra to dress up like a mermaid, would that be considered misogynist? If they dressed up as the KFC grandpa, would they be anti-elderly? We all know that these kids had no ill intentions. Instead of calling it blackface, call it a parody of the coffin dance meme. There are too many hypocrites who act like they're so woke these days.

7. [+35, -1] Let's not create a controversy out of nothing. They're not putting black people down, they're just parodying something that already exists. Anyone who's seen the coffin dance would know that they copied it exactly. However, everyone should be taking precautions to make sure their actions don't cause any controversies considering how open our societies have become.

8. [+33, -2] So blackface is racist now? Why are there so many fools? How can anyone look at this and call it racist? Then are people who tan racist too? Let's draw a line somewhere. Why are there so many people trying to victimize themselves?

9. [+26, -1] Last year, one of the students parodied Freddie Mercury... then is that whiteface racism? The point of the parody is to get as close to the original as possible ㅋㅋㅋㅋ can't believe all these triggered people. And shame on the journalists for turning this into a controversy in the media.

10. [+21, -0] Then what about when the kids parody white people ㅠㅠ with blonde wigs and blue lenses, is that racism too? Isn't this just a bunch of kids enjoying an aspect of culture?

Source

[rananicolee]

I said this in the NB comments:

There's a Japanese comedian that parodied Beyonce but she didn't do blackface. You can portray black people without painting your skin brown.

 

 There's no excuse for ANYONE to do blackface. 

Also Freddie Mercury was not white at all. 

[love]

9 minutes ago, bye-bye said:

So blackface is racist now?

girl......now?  it’s BEEN...y’know what, let me save my energy.  

[yoodle]

whiteface racism... it's not even worth reading nb comments, I know I'll just get angry

[A Hamster Named Loneliness]

Quote

8. [+33, -2] So blackface is racist now? Why are there so many fools? How can anyone look at this and call it racist? Then are people who tan racist too? Let's draw a line somewhere. Why are there so many people trying to victimize themselves?

 

BLACKFACE HAS ALWAYS BEEN RACIST YOU DINGDONG. 

Note that most of the commenters are males in their 30s and 40s. 

Edited August 5, 2020 by A Hamster Named Loneliness

[shooter]

why are they comparing doing blackface to the use of face whitening products? if anything, it just shows that the beauty standard over there is to be whiter. it's favored and seen as better. they're just reaffirming that colorism is rampant in their country and they will only paint their faces darker for a costume or to appropriate. there's literally been multiple reports of kids getting bullied at school in SK for being tanner.

regardless of these students' intentions, this isn't an appropriate thing to do, specially if you consider the history of blackface as well. outright denying that blackface is an issue is just ignorant to me but i'm not really surprised. hopefully the future generation will be more well educated on these topics.

[westrocket]

these people need a history lesson. they're trying to evaluate blackface through non-contextual morality when in fact the offensiveness comes from cultural and historical aspects. even I learned of it only in my late teens. it would be nice if future education would at least graze on the history of minorities and the ways they've been belittled and mocked.

I just watched disclosure a couple days ago and it's so sad seeing that history of blackface on film and then turning around and still seeing it nowadays. perhaps one day it will no longer be a relevant topic but for now blackface is not appropriate. not when there is no peace made with its history and when the unwillingness of non-black people to acknowledge it still lives

[Aphrodisiac]

Reading these comments.....

[sakurahanabira]

Quote

8. [+33, -2] So blackface is racist now? Why are there so many fools? How can anyone look at this and call it racist? Then are people who tan racist too? Let's draw a line somewhere. Why are there so many people trying to victimize themselves?

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN RACIST, YOU IDIOT. Painting your skin to make yourself look like another race is not okay, period. 

Also, what "African custom"? Stop making BS up to excuse your racism. 

[starsocks]

Oh my god the point literally just went over their heads

[Archer2006]

Fuck them tbh. All the comments defending them would be up in arms if a foreigner did slanted eyes or painted their skin yellow. Acting like this isn’t an issue and is acceptable is utter bullshit. People really need to stop defending shit like this and giving assholes passes when they do racist shit like this. 

Edited August 6, 2020 by Archer2006

[felidae]

"Whiteface" in kabuki isn't even form of imitating white people what the.

And face whitening comparison?? Knetz....you have to look inside your brain if you have any left from your stupidity. Your society worship light skin and it has nothing to do with white people. 

People should learn and understand why others are angry with those kids actions instead of spitting fire. Harmless intention doesn't mean it's okay to do.

 

They're mad when Asian/korean imitation is people slant their eyes but mad over people who are angry (and have the right to) about the same thing. I'm honestly confused and flabbergasted. And we haven't talked about the history of it.

Edited August 6, 2020 by felidae

[Oli London]

Lol, the comments don't surprise me.