So Mayor Mel Kuhn of Ark City, Kansas just south of here, joined in on a drag queen contest (?) and performed in blackface as Smellishis Poon with his backup singers the Red Hot Poontangs and won. People are miffed, especially the local NAACP folks.
He at first said, "I don't give a damn what people think. It's a bunch of bullshit. All this PC is bullshit."
Also that it wasn't really so much blackface, "It wasn't black, black. It was all really just tan."
He mentioned too that he had no idea what that poon thing meant, and was "mortified" when he found out after the NAACP called him out on it! Justified himself furthermore that he couldn't even pull off a black accent if he tried. I guess tan is all he's got.
Whatever. He did offer up an official apology later at the annoyed colored people's website saying he didn't really mean to offend. It was for charity anyway ... poontanging for the foster kids.
Personally, I think it's funny. Mostly that he was so stupid as to not being familiar with that word in the first place. Duh? Secondly that, well, mostly just an offensive word anyway I would guess to women of any color. I don't know, really, but that's what I would assume.
But hey, remember a few years ago that funny movie, White Chicks? The most undeniably black Wayan brothers, Shawn and Marlon (of the black, black variety), dolled up in whiteface drag acting out those stereotypical blondie, dimwitted bimbos Britanny and Tiffany? That was for a good cause as well - to circumvent a kidnapping! A fake movie cause, maybe, but still an admirable one.
So anyway, all I'm saying is that however offensive the blackface uproar, and I agree it was in poor taste actually, but I don't recall any furor when the black dudes were playing up the airhead blonde honky girl typecast, and they even did manage to nail fairly well the paleface accent even. Seems kind of like a double standard to me.
I did like that movie, I also enjoy a good drag show from time to time. Stereotyping of any sort bugs me, though, and two-facedness (pun definitely intended) is a major gripe of mine.
Black Bros, White Chicks
He at first said, "I don't give a damn what people think. It's a bunch of bullshit. All this PC is bullshit."
Also that it wasn't really so much blackface, "It wasn't black, black. It was all really just tan."
He mentioned too that he had no idea what that poon thing meant, and was "mortified" when he found out after the NAACP called him out on it! Justified himself furthermore that he couldn't even pull off a black accent if he tried. I guess tan is all he's got.
Whatever. He did offer up an official apology later at the annoyed colored people's website saying he didn't really mean to offend. It was for charity anyway ... poontanging for the foster kids.
Personally, I think it's funny. Mostly that he was so stupid as to not being familiar with that word in the first place. Duh? Secondly that, well, mostly just an offensive word anyway I would guess to women of any color. I don't know, really, but that's what I would assume.
But hey, remember a few years ago that funny movie, White Chicks? The most undeniably black Wayan brothers, Shawn and Marlon (of the black, black variety), dolled up in whiteface drag acting out those stereotypical blondie, dimwitted bimbos Britanny and Tiffany? That was for a good cause as well - to circumvent a kidnapping! A fake movie cause, maybe, but still an admirable one.
So anyway, all I'm saying is that however offensive the blackface uproar, and I agree it was in poor taste actually, but I don't recall any furor when the black dudes were playing up the airhead blonde honky girl typecast, and they even did manage to nail fairly well the paleface accent even. Seems kind of like a double standard to me.
I did like that movie, I also enjoy a good drag show from time to time. Stereotyping of any sort bugs me, though, and two-facedness (pun definitely intended) is a major gripe of mine.
The story here is that the name of his character translates to Smelly Pussy and the name of the group stands for Red Hot Pussy.
ReplyDeleteThe combination of urban slang and black face is offensive.
Please don't take offensive to mean that I for censorship. I'm not.
ReplyDeleteI agree the offensiveness of it, I do. Both to the blacks and the women, no disagreements. One way streets aggravate me, though, that's my only point.
ReplyDeleteI don't see a two-way street.
ReplyDeleteTo call something "two-faced" all the sides should be equal.
On the black side
Slavery
Minstrel show
Racism
On the white side
They rule the world
It's not the blackface that is the problem. It's what the blackface represents.
With the exception of White Chicks, whiteface doesn't have a history rooted in prejudice. Though I'll add that White Chicks is "prejudice lite." Evidenced by the fact that there was minimal outrage.
Some may agrue that prejudice is prejudice and shouldn't be weighed in terms of degrees. Though I don't agree with that assessment, I will concede that I understand the thought process behind such thinking.
When used, whiteface shines a light on white privilege. That's hardly comparable to blackface where the characters are bafoons.
Now, I realize you know this and I didn't have to connect the dots for you. But I did so because I love to hear myself type. :-)
LOL, "love to hear myself type" LOL I agree with Spicface (spic?) Fan, had to look up "poon" thanks Doug for the new word. That mayor is a jerk and a half. A comedy movie that sucked VS a town's political leader---uh-hem. Who would pull "poon" out of their hat? Plezzz. I read a lot, I watch PBS, I have had, er, women, and *I* had to google (you've done me again, Doug) poon, so that mayor is watchin' too much porn on city time. If I were non-white I would be on him like white on rice.
ReplyDelete"Now, I realize you know this and I didn't have to connect the dots for you. But I did so because I love to hear myself type."
ReplyDeleteType away, my friend, I always appreciate your perSpictive. (Hey, Diane gave me the idea, yell at her instead!) Really, I am one of those that sides with the prejudice is prejudice with no excuses. Altho like you say you concede to understanding the thought process behind that thinking, but bring up the slavery and minstrel shows and blatant overall racism, I understand that, too. I get it. Then the part, though, about when whiteface comes into play as hardly comparable to blackface where the characters are bafoons, well, the movie was just an example, black people make fun of white people all the time as bafoons. I think it's funny, really, because it's absurd how we do rule the world. But still, I have to go back to the really none of it should be acceptable, or maybe it all should be, I don't know. Either way, fair is fair.
I think the mayor is a jackass and lucky for us, he's displayed himself as such without help. He thinks everyone knows what 'poon' means, therefore displaying where he leaves his dirty tissues. Thanks for that visual mayor. I just threw up a little in my mouth.
ReplyDeleteThese comments remind me of an Oprah show where she brought in a highly diverse group of high school kids. She asked them to list the most powerful race. All with the exception of one listed 'White' as the race with the most power.
The group which didn't list 'white' said that the races referred to as 'minority' had the most power saying you can watch that power displayed when one of them cries 'racial discrimination.' The Caucasian race disregards circumstances and, at times, logic in order to rectify the situation in accordance to the non-Caucasian party.
I thought it was interesting, whether agreed upon or not.
Howdy, Serena! Great points made, too. I think I remember that show with Oprah (although I wouldn't have recalled it being on hers necessarily) with the kids talking about whites being most powerful. These kinds of issues seem to be the sort that either one is steadfastly on one side, or adamant about the other, or those like myself who could argue either side really. But yeah, like you said, it's always interesting wherever one stands. Thanks for sharing, too! (Also, just so you know, I want to read your book.)
ReplyDelete