More False Racist Claims.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2573507/Womens-England-football-team-star-fire-blacking-Whoopi-Goldberg-Sister-Act-squad-party-shes-member-campaign-REMOVE-racism-sport.html

Oh dear, oh dear, more silliness, have people no sense of humour?

I notice that the Roman Catholic Church hasn't taken any offence over this lady dressing up as a nun?

[jno]

well, I don't know, andy. It's yonks since I saw the film but this is how I remember Whoopi dressed

http://www.kavusclub.it/Amministra/public/Foto/3943/whoopi.jpg

which is not the outfit this young woman has.

It rather seems as if she isn't "impersonating Whoopi Goldberg" exactly - she's really just dressing as a generic black woman in a generic nun's outfit. I'd like to let her off this one because I tend to believe the best of people (except politicians) and don't think she was intending to be racist at all. But in her position she would have done better to make it a proper impersonation or, as you say, dropped the whole idea.

[andy-hughes]

jno - i think the finer points of the costume may have got buried under the notion that being associated with Kick It Out, and dressing as a black woman for fancy dress do not really sit well togehter!

[naomi24]

//Regardless of whether of not the act of dressing up as Whoopi Goldberg is a bit of fun, or blatant racism, the stupidity lies with the young woman in question.//

The stupidity lies with the ridiculously politically correct society we have become. It creates divide. I’m surprised Glenn Close isn’t suing that reveller dressed up as Cruella De Vil – and maybe Battersea Dogs Home has a case too!

[andy-hughes]

naomi - I take your point, but we have to ask ourselves at what point do we call ourselves ridiculoulsy over-PC, and ,aybe stop wondering about how our behaviour affects other people.

I am entirely in favour of stopping any behaviour on the basis that it 'might offend' someone, which has been taken to ludicrous degrees, but I think it's generally accepted that in modern times, blacking up is not really acceptable, and as I pointed out - not by someone who is directly assocaited with trying to outlaw cultural stereotyping.

[naomi24]

Andy, unless you perceive all black American women to be extremely talented nuns, I don’t see how dressing up Whoopi Goldberg’s character in a film can be considered cultural stereotyping, but that aside this pussy-footing around what is perceived to be the delicate sensibilities of black people everywhere is patronising in the extreme. However well intentioned, it’s an insult. No one minds the pale-skinned using a bit of slap to portray, say, a Spanish Flamenco dancer, but the darker the slap gets the more twitchy the politically correct become. Skin comes in many hues - that’s life – and there’s nothing wrong with it. I can’t help thinking that had Michael Jackson’s skin remained black until the end of his life, his many impersonators would have been very much frowned upon now - but as it is his skin became white so that’s alright then! What nonsense!