Why Hire A Black Model When You Could Just Paint A White One?

[refujiunderground]

There's a modest difference in that performers in blackface were generally mocking the culture, and this model was ostensibly meant to portray beauty...and one would assume, the beauty of the people. (It certainly doesn't look like they were mocking anybody in that photo.) But it's still problematic.

Lex

i'm going to have to disagree with you right here, lex. i think that they're doing the same thing as they're making a mockery of african culture.

 

[xbuzzerx]

^
That's Katherine, queen!

Oops. My bad.

 

[gsdx]

this argument makes no sense. nobody is going to mistake that model for an actual woman of african heritage, especially since her name is published.

Oh, forgive me. I didn't know there were black names.

If I had looked at her picture and nobody had said anything, I would never have know that she wasn't black. Neither would a lot of other people if it hadn't been pointed out to them.

I've never claimed that what they did wasn't wrong. I simply corrected a mistaken poster. Sure, they turned her face black, but it's just a black face. It isn't 'blackface'. There is a huge difference, as I mentioned earlier, and if you can't see the difference, then my time is being wasted as much as yours.

 

[xbuzzerx]

Some recent 'Yellow Face' controversies

Cloud Atlas

White dudes were playing Asian men

http://www.racebending.com/v4/blog/cloud-atlas-conversation-yellowface-prejudice-artistic-license/


The Walking Dead porn parody featuring a White performer to play Glenn

http://www.racebending.com/v4/history/yellowface-adult-film-industrys-asian-american-problem/

Argh. Really?

 

[hylas]

Oh, forgive me. I didn't know there were black names.

you know, i had written an entire paragraph to clarify that thats not what i meant. but then i thought: dont be silly. give people some credit. no one is going to misunderstand that. so i deleted the paragraph before posting. oh well.

the average person may look at that picture and just see some random skinny woman. but amongst those who are interested in fashion, there are those who are very interested in models. they pay attention to which model lands what jobs. the image was published in a high fashion magazine, and was therefore targeted specifically at such people.

so the producers of this image knew exactly that it would be seen and analyzed by people who would realize that the model was caucasian - not because she has a "white name", but because they know the model from her previous work. they also knew that some of those people would write about it on blogs - because thats what happened the last kazillion times this was done.


as for the blackface sematics discussion: as i said

http://jezebel.com/5650170/the-latest-in-tasteful-blackface-fashion-shoots/gallery/1
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zandile-blay/black-face-in-italian-vog_b_320328.html
http://fashionbombdaily.com/2010/09/28/here-we-go-again-constance-jablonski-in-blackface-for-numero/
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...iel-paris-sparks-controversy-article-1.134340

i use the term "blackface" in a way that is common in contemporary discussions about this very phenomena.

 

[gsdx]

*facepalm*

He's not saying that the name was a "white name," he saying it belongs to a white model.

That's my point. How are we supposed to know unless you are familiar with the model?

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Oh, forgive me. I didn't know there were black names.

In parts of the former Dutch colonial mini-empire there are, because the former slaves were not given their master's last name by default.

 

[pat grimshaw]

In parts of the former Dutch colonial mini-empire there are, because the former slaves were not given their master's last name by default.

So where do these new names come from? Are they invented?

'Sha'Neequa', 'La'Squish-a", 'Sho'cantelle', 'Beyoncé'






( I am an Australian)

 

[zoltanspawn]

Haha, I just thought of something. If you guys are offended by this, imagine how we asians feel about the goddamn musicals that use white guys to play the asian parts?

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/11/29/casting-white-actors-in-asian-roles-1957-to-today/

Memoirs of a Geisha is my favorite example of this kind of mess.

It's not so much a case here of foreigners depicting others; it's that they're doing it so cartoonishly.

Everybody talking like this-uh through whore movie soo stupid-uh. "Do you know story of eel in cave?"

The hysterical snow "dance"!

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

So where do these new names come from? Are they invented?

'Sha'Neequa', 'La'Squish-a", 'Sho'cantelle', 'Beyoncé'


( I am an Australian)

In Surinam the freed slaves were given bizarre last names that the civil servants made up, as the slaves were not allowed to get any existing family names, and needed to be registered with last names (as they were now full-fledged citizens) nonetheless.

http://www.vernoeming.nl/vreemde-surinaamse-achternamen-1

Other Dutch black people came from colonies that Britain had held and had English last names where most Dutch citizens wouldn't have had those and still don't.

 

[freefall]

Some recent 'Yellow Face' controversies

Cloud Atlas

White dudes were playing Asian men

You know, I was about to insert this when I see the title of the thread. Funny that yellowface and blackface is attacked constantly but rarely the white Halle Berry...

- - - Updated - - -

Some recent 'Yellow Face' controversies

Cloud Atlas

White dudes were playing Asian men

You know, I was about to insert this when I see the title of the thread. Funny that yellowface and blackface is attacked constantly but rarely the white Halle Berry...

 

[bankside]

i wonder what the reactions would be if it were a straight guy posing in daisy dukes with a big rainbow lollipop, having a checkered shirt that's sleeveless that is wrapped up into a bikini wearing heels, wearing lipstick, with his right hand on his hip, and a trucker hat with the words gay boy for the photo caption.

You mean like this?

Incidentally thatgirl, it would be artistic and edgy (fashion should ensure it is clever enough to explore identity and culture and all that) BUT it would be a respected voice in that conversation ONLY if its models reflected French society, where it is published.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_France#Ethnic_groups

So if France is about three and a half percent african and black in ancestry, I'd like to know if that is reflected on the pages of Numéro, say, in the last year. Also if it is reflected in their editorial board, staff, etc. If so, it adds validity to their editorial. If not, it looks like a stunt.

 

[refujiunderground]

You mean like this?

yeah... like that.

 

[diamondstar]

How sad

10 chars

 

[loveguys72]

So many stunningly gorgeous African women, and they resort to this. Had I been in their place, I'd have found a real African queen, one with skin so dark it almost looks blue. That is beautiful.

 

[bankside]

Anyone else notice the strangeness of "HEY! We want equal participation in the arbitrary beauty standard industry because judging women on their appearance should be inclusive!!!!!"

 

[backagain]

I really dont understand why they did this...

Probably, because she was cheap.

 

[ElmosToe]

ugh, wtf.

 

[The Fly]

You would think some place between concept and publication, someone, Anyone, would have said "This is a bad idea".

 

[kayman23]

Is anyone surprised?

It seems like there's a 'black face' or racism controversy every other day from the fashion world. They do this stuff one purpose because they actually think they're being edgy and artistic. I mean nevermind that WoC are struggling to get booked for shoots and shows, amirite. Let's just paint the white girls in different colors.

Twisted irony, the guy in your gif has as been documented doing blackface and brownface as Halloween get ups...