How is painting yourself black for a skit considered racist?

Question

At my college every year they do skits making fun of all the professors. This includes dressing like the professors, so people always stick pillows under their shirts when they are playing a heavy person, dress like a girl if they’re playing a female. This past year there was major controversy because someone playing a black professor painted themselves black.

I don’t get how that’s racist. In the actual skit, they weren’t making fun of the professor because he was black, the only reason they painted themselves black was to look like the professor, just like they always look like the others.

τhε Sαgιτταrιαη · Answer

You obviously don't have a clue about the history of black face.

Anonymous · Answer

Because of historical context: 1) when this was done in history it was as a GROSS carcicture to mock and humiliate black people (seriously, go watch old some skits, they're insanely offensive), and 2) to prevent black people from getting acting jobs. You guys personally had no intention for what you did to be racist, but you don't and can't live divorced entirely from historical context and society. Older people who remember the racism will read your naive skit as more of the same old prejudice.

[It's not a defense to argue "oh that's not what we mean" because it just highlights your ignorance. You're in COLLEGE not grade school. You should know this by now. If y'all were 6th graders, you'd be excused.]

∅ · Answer

it's not racist. people are just stupid.
everybody just has a chip on their shoulder these days, and get easily offended.
can you imagine if a black kids tried to play Lincoln without white facepaint? wouldn't work too well...

. · Answer

As innocent as it appears, somebody would be advancing their ego in a cheap and easy way.
College is not about advancement.
When you are in public, you are making a scene.
You are not among a few friends.
Professors are never your friends.
They can punish you for anything and they constantly look for errors that you make.
The ideal in college is to be error-free and not to copy somebody else's limp.

Anonymous · Answer

It's really sad that college students think this form of humor is really clever.

megalomaniac · Answer

When we get to the point of racial equality then hopefully things like that won't be considered racist but we have to remember that there is a whole long sordid history to "black face" and that is why it is considered racist.  But you do make a point, if we were actually equal then it wouldn't and shouldn't matter.

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How is painting yourself black for a skit considered racist?

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