Beyonce dragged for doing blackface, using Africa as a gimmick.

[Married the Night 3,923]

Yikes. 

[DavidLuis198 784]

1 hour ago, voidfigure said:

Guys I'm genuinely asking because I don't know much about the cultural impact of this blackface thing, that's being brought to the attention of the media on a daily basis now, so sorry if I may come off as ignorant but... people are being accused of blackface and disrespecting black people for almost everything. I mean, a friend of mine once came to a carnival party dressed up as a black woman (in the style of Boney M backsingers) but she's not racist or anything, is that considered a blackface issue too? I read of this problem almost every day, first with Chalamet's new girlfriend, now Beyoncé: I mean, are we sure there's an actual intention of mocking a culture? Enlighten me 

If she painted herself to appear darker, yes...

The problem with blackface is that it was created to make fun of black people, it exaggerates black traits as a way of "humor", that is rooted in racist notions that black people are 'exotic' and thus 'inferior'. Nowadays, people may not have the same intention of making fun of black people, but you can't just erase history and the violence of it, so, even if is done in a 'artistic' (or comedic, as a user in this post said is done in their country - which is even worse and is not okay at all) way, is still has it's roots on racism.

There's also the problematics (and correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not black, so I may be saying something wrong) that white people like to appropriate things and 'looks' of black culture for themselves because is 'cool', while these black groups are still being marginalized/criticized for using the same things of their own culture.

The general rule is: Don't paint yourself to look like another culture/skin color

[Illuminati Freak 2,432]

1 hour ago, mezzanine said:

girl you haven't understood anything at all from this post, and you're in a public forum so of course people will give their opinion if they are asked, go try to police somewhere else. native africans are complaining and we're educating ourselves and questioning marketing decisions, it's part of living in a capitalistic society, YOU are telling native africans how they should feel, being black doesn't exempt you from doing things wrong the same way that being gay doesn't exempt me from being racist, misogynistic, etc.

it's a lifetime process. and people here talking about a career decision, a photoshoot or how, ACCORDING TO THE OWN NATIVE AFRICAN PEOPLE, she is contributing to that african fetishization, doesn't mean that they/we are jealous, policing or saying anyone how they should feel or think, it's just having a critic eye and analysing the products that we consume and its political and social consequences.

 

we get it, you wanted to write the typical twitter speech and use woke and audacity in one paragraph, and you've even built a whole movie in your head about this, but still, this is a 100% reach. it's ok if you're a beyoncé stan, but this is deeper than that.

Just sounds like another butthurt response to me. 

[Fish 6,086]

we been knew shes been using all of this as marketing for herself 

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

4 minutes ago, Illuminati Freak said:

Just sounds like another butthurt response to me. 

Hun, the only one butthurt here is your insensitive and entitled and broken radio self. You have made no point.

[Sarah H 2,406]

I don't see why she needed to do this. 

I've never been able to warm to Beyonce though. She's always seemed fake to me. 

[mezzanine 473]

11 minutes ago, Illuminati Freak said:

Just sounds like another butthurt response to me. 

we see, and we hope that the clout was worth it

[Scarlet Witch 250]

I was always irked by her saying that The Gift is “a tribute to Africa”... girl like which part? North Africa like Egypt and Central Africa like Kenya or Congo are VASTLY different locations with vastly different cultures. Also the way she referenced an “ankh” in Black Parade then reference something from the coastal East Africa in Ethiopia annoyed the hell out of me. How can you be lumping a whole bunch of different references? It’s like me being an Asian writing a song about eating sushi, driving a Kia, rocking an Indian bindi and then dancing in traditional Thai Costumes to the traditional Indonesian music. It literally makes no sense.

[KNJ 4,170]

3 hours ago, DavidLuis198 said:

If she painted herself to appear darker, yes...

The problem with blackface is that it was created to make fun of black people, it exaggerates black traits as a way of "humor", that is rooted in racist notions that black people are 'exotic' and thus 'inferior'. Nowadays, people may not have the same intention of making fun of black people, but you can't just erase history and the violence of it, so, even if is done in a 'artistic' (or comedic, as a user in this post said is done in their country - which is even worse and is not okay at all) way, is still has it's roots on racism.

There's also the problematics (and correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not black, so I may be saying something wrong) that white people like to appropriate things and 'looks' of black culture for themselves because is 'cool', while these black groups are still being marginalized/criticized for using the same things of their own culture.

The general rule is: Don't paint yourself to look like another culture/skin color

I am Black-American. You are not wrong. Thank you for knowing better/doing better/sharing.

@voidfigure  This comes up every Halloween/costume party etc...

Here's a good supplement to the general rule: when it comes to "dress-up",  if you feel like no one would recognize who you are without blackface-ing then your doing it wrong.  

I'm sure your friend was well intentioned (and--I'm assuming she was doing Maizie Williams--imitating the natural hairstyle of a Black woman is whole other problem too) but if someone your mimicking is so devoid of recognizable characteristics that changing the color of your skin has to be an option...choose someone else (or wear a sign ).

Think about it, would I have to wear whiteface to be a great Santa Claus, Lady Gaga or even Tr#mp?

More enlightening:

https://black-face.com

https://black-face.com/blackface-world.htm

[gypsy101 5,423]

7 hours ago, Chris Thomason said:

Just because she is a black woman it does not mean she is immune from criticism

black people cannot do blackface. period.

[ArtpopAct2 2,672]

This is so surreal to read, she seemed untouchable on twitter and treated like a goddess

[Joaco95 1,631]

Lmao from 2011 

[Joaco95 1,631]

3 hours ago, Fish said:

we been knew shes been using all of this as marketing for herself 

Mm we can say the same about gaga and the gays

[Fish 6,086]

1 minute ago, Joaco95 said:

Mm we can say the same about gaga and the gays

yes we can 

[Joaco95 1,631]

8 hours ago, mezzanine said:

I think that no one needs to be really smart to see how Beyoncé has jumped on this wagon right after the BLM movement became mainstream, just like LGBT (more like gay) pride and the companies using our flag. When I see formation, etc., I totally understand what these folks say: it's onedimensional, there's no deepness, just visuals and 3 phrases that are viral tweets and sound cool and woke.

 

Mmm yes and no.

She started to see interest in africa culture after she fired her dad back and started to choose for herself back in 2011 with the release of 4(the year of this photoshoot). 

Yeah, she was kinda ignorant with some thing (i mean, we have this whole photoshoot with blackface) but she started to embrace more and more and when the whole BLM movement in its peak she decided to join with Formation. And that bad? Not really, if she would said anything about people would still be dragging her 'cause "oh, she light skin she doesnt care about blacks, she just like the light privilege", I mean, she still gets **** because her skin color. But anyway, since the first time I saw this photoshoot back in the day I knew she was so wrong for doing it, idk why no one on her team said something about it, also the light were so bright on these photos that she looks so white. 4 was supossed to mix Fela and african/tribal sounds (ie run the world, end of time) but then she decides to go R&B againts the whole edm trend it was on that year.

But aaanyway. Yes it was wrong, and she knew it cause she doesnt show the blackface part on her sartorial dity video (where she compilates all her photoshoots during the 4 era) and even surprises me 'cause one of her creative director at the time (Jenke Ahmed) was born in africa and was in charge of that cover photoshoot so idk