http://www.startribune.com/local/eas...3aPc:_Yyc:aUUs

Sounds blown out of proportion. I doubt they had the Blackface Skits of the Vaudeville Era in mind when they did the parody. Most young people dont remember them. Bad taste and wrong thing to do, prolly. But racist? Come on. If they were in Taco Bell Dog costumes or dressed as a fat balding white BarberShop Quartet would they be in this trouble? I see these things as moving us backwards not forwards in Racial Sensitivity/Respect.

Thing that kills me is everyone now a days is offened by something. We are turning into a nation
of sissies.

I normally do not chime in on these kinds of discussions but for this one I will make an exception. First, I am a black man and the question as to whether or not it is offensive certainly depends on who is answering the question above all. Your race, past experiences, age, biases or prejudices, etc. all come into play so whether or not I am offended is less important than whether or not it was appropriate. Personally, I am very tired of people doing things and then pretending that they had no idea that it might be offensive. Look at it this way, if you were an extremely overweight person of whatever race you would notice discrimination, fat jokes, and probably a certain amount of sensitivity and I doubt that anyone who had not walked in that persons shoes would be in a position to judge how they should react to a given situation. Now, given the constant barrage of black this and black that wouldn't you think that people would become sensitized. After all, why are we not allowed to just be people? I do take pride in the positive aspects of being black but how do I truly separate my blackness from my whitenes and native american culture? I don't try to but if you see me on the street you see a black man. If you see a Caucasion you generally see a man. At least that is the way that most people see the world. We are who we are by chance but we strive to be who we are by choice and I am very proud of myself and my heritage but not everyone shares my view. Their views are based on what they have been taught and what they think is acceptable or normal. The subject of race can be very complicated and very sensitive and I personally would rather save the discussion for those who may be truly interested in trying to solve some of societies problems.
I also would like to say that I find Little Wayne offensive but I am not so dimwitted as to think that he represents anyone except himself. He is a product being marketed to kids and it is a very lucrative market. So, yes, I would find it offensive of many levels. Would you? Should you? probably not but then there is the element of respect for others. I think that the school acted responsibly. It is an institution of higher learning and one thing that it can do is help people to unlearn a lot of what they learn in their small close knit communities. It can and should teach them how to function productively in a mixed socitey. This became a distraction. It was billed as entertainment but for who?

From the sounds of it, they were simply trying to complete the costume. In my opinion, a perfect world would view color of skin as just another physical trait. Some people are tall, some are short, some are white, some are black. No matter the physical traits, a person is who they are based on their personality. People have made generalizations about certain physical traits such as blondes being dumb, fat people being lazy, etc. I know plenty of blondes who are freakishly smart, and have fat friends who could work anyone else into the ground.

Different people view actions in different ways. If you go to a different country, you could probably walk around waving both middle fingers at everyone you see and they would not care, or some may even take it in a positive manner. I always try not to do anything that would offend someone else out of courtesy. Sometimes you do something without realizing that someone may be offended by it though. The only reason I agree that this should not have taken place is because it was at a school where students are forced to be there. We have the right to take offense to things like this, and also the right to leave and not participate in something that we do not agree with. Unfortunately the people in that situation were most likely not given the option to not participate which is not fair. That skit should have been saved for a different event where people had the choice of whether they wanted to watch it or not. I also feel it important to mention that with the rights we have come responsibilities such as respecting others beliefs, which can be done while still having your own.

It sounds like the appropriate apologies were given though, and I see no malicious intent.

Excellent post stated very civilly from a your perspective Crece. And by what I said, I was talking across the board about parodies. Yes we have gottem alot more senstitive towards people who in are some way unique or different. While it is true society has decided it'* best not to make fum of people We still have a nature to parody the outlandish. And even if that isnt in good taste, or politically correct for that days thinking. None of us were there to view it but I wouldn't think they did something like that to mimic the "Black Face" tragic thinking of the American majority of that era. I think it'* just poor judment of some kids making fun of what many view as an outlandish entertainment ensemble (across racial backgrounds) and not to defame racially.

Hey Tom,
I agree with your response. How people feel about such things will depend on the person so there will be no consensus as to who should or should not be offended. Some will be and they have every right to be. Some will not and they have that right. There are things that would not offend me that would offend others. Lets remember though that we are talking about young, immature college students but not children. I think they knew what they were doing or at least they should have known that some would be offended. It does them an injustice for us as adults to condone their behavior under the guise that they didn't mean to do it. If people insist on pushing that button they should at least be willing to accept responsibility for their actions. If I go on my job and insult a co worker I should not be allowed to then say that I did not know that I was doing so. The co worker has every right to expect to go to their job and not be misstreated. Unfortunately there are people who love to push the envelope but they always retreat to the safety of their parents, friends, community, etc. when they are called upon to answer for their actions. It was all good when they were planning their act. Does anyone really think that showing up in blackface is going to go over well with the very people who are being characterized as such? It never has so why would anyone think that it will the next time. And there will be a next time, and a next time, and a next time, so you see it gets a little old. And the discussion is always the same. I didn't know any better, it was just a joke, It'* time we got over it. I would love to but I am not the one who has always and continues to perpetuate the stereotype. I am just a guy going along trying to live my life and everyday someone is trying to make the point that there is something inherently wrong with being black. So maybe I am a little sensitive but who could blame me. It is not of my doing. Will it ever stop? I doubt it. And that is why I usually do not bother to respond. After all, unless I walk in your shoes I am not in a position to say how you should feel. Since the question is should I be offended my answer is yes I would be. And the bigger question is not why am I offended but why wouldn't I be.

What a joke, why is it a black actor can do something, but if anyone else does it, it'* raciest and they must apologize. By doing so you admit guilt when there is none.

Hey Venom,
Just read your post and I understand your point and that is the point. We all have our baggage. Some of it is the very thing that makes a joke funny and for some the very thing that makes it not so funny. Its tough enough for anyone to take a joke that is directed at them even when it is in good taste. But on the other hand we all love a good joke. It isn't the joke so much as who you tell it to. There is light at the end of the tunnel though. I see our kids interacting in ways that we as kids were not even allowed to and hopefully they won't carry the scars and baggae that we do. We all want the same things as individuals but as a society we aren't quite there yet. This isn't even so much about black and white to me. I think it is more about the group mentality versus the individual. This was a reslut of the group mentality. Acting alone, I doubt that they would have done that. All of us have friends usually of all races but our society keeps us divided usually along political lines. But I won't even touch that can of worms. It is good to be able to have a mature talk about these things though so to "OneSweetRide", thanks for throwing it out there. It was and is a good question.

That'* just like saying that if your White and you listen to Rap or R&B you can be called a racist cause it drops the N bomb alot in their music geez when will it end