Zamtuk wrote:Does anyone else find it hypocritical of the NAACP to criticize white people for making fun of black people (going with overview, not context here, work with me) yet still praise the works of Chris Rock et al, whose main angle of their comedy is to make fun of white people? I find it to be really fucking stupid that <insert almost every black comedian here> can crack on white people all day long and get laughed at. But when one white person does the same, NAACP, Johnny Cochran, and the crew come screaming. That said, this specific incident was stupid on the judges part for being who he is and doing what he did.
I disagree, while Chris Rock (and others) make fun of white people, they make fun of black people just as often. I think that's part of why it isn't a big deal; his humor is self-deprecating as well as being directed at other people.
Blackface is generally not a good idea, because of the history of racism that it carries with it. For the same reasons that people get offended by a swastika or the confederate flag or even some sports mascots. Sure, none of those things by themselves are inherently evil symbols, but the history behind each of them carries the negative connotations.
With the lopsided numbers of black people in the prison system in America, a judge donning blackface and a prison suit and shackles is either insensitivity, racism, or plain ignorance. None of which are very valuable qualities to look for in a judge.