Everything Under The Sun Is Racism (Never Parody Anyone Who Isn't White)
Ashton Kutcher appeared in an ad for a dating site playing a variety of characters -- "worldwide lovers." These included a Bollywood producer...in "brownface," as I saw it described on various sites, including E!'s. Of course, there were squeals of "racism!"
Of course, merely playing somebody from a different culture with a bit more of a tan than Kutcher actually has is horribly racist act in PC America. And the Karl Lagerfeld sendup in the video, in powder-whiteface, complete with a sort of German-ish accent, is okay...because we're allowed to parody white people?
Here's the video:
He probably thought he had enough Liberal credentials to get away with it, what with his pro-Obama video soon after his election. He probably did but lost it when he cheated on Demi Moore. She was in "Ghost"! You need more political activism, Ashton. Insult the Tea Party or something.
hadsil at May 3, 2012 9:27 AM
Didn't Mike Myers do roughly the same thing with "The Guru"?
SwissArmyD at May 3, 2012 10:04 AM
30 Rock went here last week. Jon Hamm (who plays Don Draper on "Mad Men") guest-starred as a white actor who played a black character on a TV show. Instead of black face, they just smudged his cheeks with something that looked like coal.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/04/jon-hamm-does-black-face-for-live-30-rock.html
This came up a few years ago when Fred Armisen was cast as Barack Obama on SNL. (He's Asian and white.) The few black males in the cast bore no resemblance to the president.
Insufficient Poison at May 3, 2012 11:24 AM
And of course, the point of the Jon Hamm bit was how offensive and racist early TV was.
jerry at May 3, 2012 12:01 PM
Well, there's a historic context for blackface that doesn't exist for whiteface.
But yeah, I don't think its offensive myself.
NicoleK at May 3, 2012 12:05 PM
I don't recall hearing "RACISM!!" when Dave Chappelle did/does his white people parodies.
Jess at May 3, 2012 2:08 PM
Das raciss, fo' sho'!
Jay R at May 3, 2012 2:40 PM
For ducks sake nicole, this issue should be as dead as Hitler. Let's move on
ronc at May 3, 2012 3:57 PM
Hell, I thought he was pretty damn funny! Isn't that what he's getting paid for?
Flynne at May 3, 2012 4:26 PM
You want to know a secret?
For "racism" to work, there must be a basis for stating that the race in question is inferior.
If there isn't, the charge doesn't work.
Want to call someone a name for being Asian? How about "valedictorian"?
Now - who comes to mind when you say the word, "defendant"? Why is that?
Play with words all you want. Every culture has a phrase that means, "He is a stranger and therefore a barbarian" (thanks RAH).
But you have to distinguish between manufactured and real racial differences - yes, you have to discriminate - to see what is really going on.
Radwaste at May 3, 2012 5:08 PM
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