Racial sensitivity is just being polite. I mean, just don’t judge others based on things they can’t control and you’ll be alright… is that too much to ask? I think not. Sure, you might want to disagree with someone for political views or for dumb decisions they’ve made, or thoughtless behavior, but having preconceived notions about an individual because of their skin tone makes no sense. Knowing this, what’s the difference between “black face” and “white face”?
Recently, a comedian named Durski who is dressing up like Erika Kirk for comedic portrayal, has come under fire for doing “white face”. To understand what “white face” is, let’s talk about “black face”. In a nutshell, “black face” was used to denigrate an ethnic group by portraying stereotypes in a derogatory fashion. It was used to further disenfranchise an already abused people and is wholly racist. The practice of a white performer applying black makeup or shoe polish and enlarging the lips to imitate racial features and then perform horrific portrayals of an entire race of people is a part of American history that should not be forgotten. We need to see where we’ve been and understand why it was not OK….. it’s still not OK for the record.
Now, let’s talk about “white face”. It’s similar in that “white face” is used to make fun of an ethnic group but (and “but” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there) it’s not nearly as harmful or offensive. Why is that? Mostly because there is no such thing as “white culture”. Race is a construct and those that constructed it are not typically meaningfully impacted by the negative aspects of it. There is no historical context in which “white face” was ever used to “…keep whites down…” or whatever. The power dynamic is different. I’m not saying it’s at all acceptable to make fun of a race of people. I said in the beginning, that racial sensitivity is just being polite and I mean that. So, we’ve now established that “white face” is bad… “black face” is worse because of historical president.
Now, let’s look at what Dunski is doing… is it “white face”? No… it’s not. He’s not wearing make up to appear white, he’s wearing white make up to appear to be Erika Kirk. There is a difference there. People have dressed up like specific people to poke fun at the individual for as long as we’ve had entertainment. Now, is it OK that he’s done that? Maybe not. Depends on your opinion of Erika Kirk. I grew up in an era where Tammy Fae was crying out of her mascara on the regular and comedians were using it for fodder every time I turned on the television. The satire was more engrained in the culture than the original.
Here are a couple more examples of “white face”, and “black face” or “brown face” and whether the action was racist or not and why –
Dave Chapel – News anchor character
Yes, this is white face and yes, it’s racist. No, I don’t find it offensive…. distasteful, but not offensive.
Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder –
No, this is not “black face”. He’s wearing black make up, yes, but he’s not portraying a black man, but a white man who is ridiculously wearing black makeup. He’s making fun of white actors playing ethnic roles, not an ethnic group. No, still not offensive to me (like that matters at all).
Judy Garland in black face –
Absolutely yes, racist as hell. This is so offensive it makes me nauseous. Now, just top be clear… in this context “offended” could also read as embarrassed. I am embarrassed that a white person did this… that white people used to do this regularly to entertain other white people. I’m not offended FOR black people. I’m offended all on my own.
Johnny Depp – Lone Ranger –
Yes, it’s “brown face” though not intended to be racist, it is. The stereo type of the “native voice” was at the very least culturally tone deaf and at worse unintentionally racist. Understanding that no harm was intended makes me feel better about it, but I wish they had cast one of the many wonderful native or first nations actors we have in this country.
The Wayans Brothers – White Chicks
No, it’s not “white face”. They were in white make up pretending to be white women, but as part of a sting operation…. Not to culturally mimic for defamation. Also, not offended.
If you really look at what it is that’s offensive to others and explore why it’s offensive, you might not get as offended as you otherwise would at things that offend you. Try not to get offended “for” someone else… that’s performative. Understand the history of a thing and put a definition to it. “black face” is unacceptable. “White face” is also unacceptable but it doesn’t do the same damage. What Dunski is doing is making fun of a specific white person… a person who some like and others think is vile. If you disagree with his humorous portrayal, then be made about it for the right reasons.
“You can make a joke about anything, but you have to look at who the victim is. If the victim is the person who has the least amount of power in the situation, the joke isn’t going to be as funny.”
~Jim Jefferies