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Archive 1

Citations

This is one of those pages that is going to become a mess if we don't start accumulating citations or specificity on those who were not known for blacface performance. It's so easy to lie and put someone in a list. -- Jmabel | Talk 04:09, July 12, 2005 (UTC)

  • For starters, does someone have a citation on Doris Day performing in blackface? -- Jmabel | Talk 04:27, July 12, 2005 (UTC)

heh, no :) Good job with the article, though :) Does Savion Glover count as acting in blackface? from spike lee's bamboozooled. Project2501a 12:03, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

  • Glover: I'd say so, with a note about context. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:13, July 19, 2005 (UTC)
  • Day: I am removing from list, pending citation. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:13, July 19, 2005 (UTC)

Read about Clarence Ashley in liner notes for the re-release of his album with Doc Watson, I believe, though I don't have the reference handy. Otherwise I cited all those I added. NoahB 16:13, 12 July 2005 (UTC)

Might want to add Keenan Wynn in the film Finian's Rainbow. He plays a bigoted lawmaker who learns a valuable lesson. WHPratt (talk) 17:25, 20 March 2014 (UTC)

The Marx Brothers

The Three Stooges

I'm not particularly doubting this, but does someone have a citation or a specific film? -- Jmabel | Talk 06:23, July 19, 2005 (UTC)

Mae West

Does someone have a citation for Mae West performing in blackface? It wouldn't surprise me, but it's actually something I tried to track down a while back (because she certainly incorporated a lot of traditionally black female aspects into her stage persona, and had a lot of black friends), but I couldn't find anything definitive at the time. -- Jmabel | Talk 06:25, August 23, 2005 (UTC)

John Slattery & Jon Hamm

John Slattery performed blackface in an episode of Mad Men. In the context of the episode, he was doing it was a throwback to minstrel shows with self awareness. Some characters liked it, some didn't. It was intended to remind the audience how recent these types of performances were, or how not-far-removed we are from them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voBcDtXIMvA Jon Hamm wore darkened skin in the live episode of 30 Rock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlLtAeesr7M -- ohbusiness (talk) 15:29, 6 January 2019 (UTC)

Bizarre additions to this list

Note the definition of Blackface: "a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person." This is being undiscriminately applied on the list to any actor or opera singer who has played the role of a black character in the appropriate makeup, including those who have portrayed the title role in Shakespeare's tragedy Othello (a Moorish general in in 16th century Venice) and operas based on the play. Similarly, the opera The Emperor Jones based on Eugene O'Neill's stage play The Emperor Jones. Not to mention Sophia Loren on the basis that she played the title role in a film of the opera Aida (an Ethiopian princess in ancient Egypt). I'm removing them. Voceditenore (talk) 12:10, 31 January 2012 (UTC)

I would agree and suggest that the lede mention that "legitimate" theatre and opera should be excluded from this list. -- kosboot (talk) 15:29, 31 January 2012 (UTC)
Hard disagree, this feels like gatekeeping what is and is not blackface. It is not up to us to determine what is and is not a justifiable form of racial appropriation. Blackface is darkening your skin to appear of African descent, full stop. The conversation doesn't change if a wikipedia editor finds one form of theatre more legitimate than another. Darkening your skin is darkening your skin and it exists in the context of the African diaspora. Sophia Loren did not darken her skin in a vacuum. -- ohbusiness (talk) 15:29, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
  • Indeed. It is easy to find a source for the Sophia Loren case, for example, and that piece has the title "Blacks and Blackface at the Opera" which clearly establishes that the concept exists in this context too. Andrew🐉(talk) 21:56, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

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Jimmy Fallon

2604:2D80:C002:8BC0:943:8DF8:1EDF:BBD0 (talk) 03:23, 30 October 2018 (UTC)Jimmy Fallon performed in blackface in 2000 on SNL. I'm not able to find direct videos online, but it is in my DVD collection at home. Has anyone had success finding the source material online?

Upload it to a web archive. Editor8778 (talk) 23:35, 16 November 2020 (UTC)

Julie Andrews in blackface was labeled as satire by Snopes.

Given that I think we should remove it: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/blackface-dick-van-dyke/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tendonstrength (talk • contribs) 16:14, 23 June 2020 (UTC)

Snopes is talking about Southend News Network, which is a spoof site, while the source for our entry is a piece by an academic in the New York Times, which seems to be quite serious. "There's many a true word spoken in jest". Andrew🐉(talk) 10:33, 26 June 2020 (UTC)

Little Britain

Is there a good reason not to include at least Matt Lucas here? The Rambling Man (Stay indoors, stay safe!!!!) 19:59, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

If you've got a reliable source talking about it, then yeah, it belongs on the list. — Toughpigs (talk) 20:27, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 13 July 2020

Add Ant and Dec to the list, their tweeted apology for blackface was widely reported on by sources such as The Radio Times (https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2020-06-10/ant-and-dec-apologise-saturday-night-takeaway-sketches/) 84.92.90.18 (talk) 09:53, 13 July 2020 (UTC) 84.92.90.18 (talk) 09:53, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

 Done P,TO 19104 (talk) (contribs) 21:43, 13 July 2020 (UTC)

John Slattery blackface on Mad Men

Is there a reason why John Slattery is not listed on here for his portrayal of blackface in the Mad Men episode "Old Kentucky Home"? Here's a link to an article confirming his appearance: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/07/02/mad-men-keeping-blackface-episode-heres-why/5362545002/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by FossHogg (talk • contribs) 22:01, 31 July 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 29 December 2020

Entry for Eddie Cantor-I would like to suggest listing his blackface performance in the movie "The Kid From Spain", 1932, Samuel Goldwyn Company. Citation is the movie itself, which is currently viewable on Kanopy, Amazon Prime, YouTube. Scene begins at 1:18:56, runs for about 7 minutes total, including musical number. Although I am a registered user I do not have access to edit this page. Thank you! ElementaryPenguin (talk) 20:20, 29 December 2020 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Preferably secondary sources, rather than the show itself. – robertsky (talk) 05:32, 3 January 2021 (UTC)

Hello-sorry for the delayed response. Source: NT Times July 9, 2015: Wisecracks in Drag and Blackface in ‘Eddie Cantor 4-Film Collection’ Author J. Hoberman Based on the article, I would amend my suggestion to also include the films “Roman Scandals” and “Palmy Days”, which also feature Cantor in blackface. Also-FYI, the Wikipedia article on “The Kid From Spain” mentions Cantor in blackface without a citation. 

ElementaryPenguin (talk) 12:43, 25 February 2021 (UTC)
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