“ Footballer apologises after painting himself black “

I don't personally find it is racist but that doesn't matter. If black people are offended by it then we shouldn't do it. A black city fan once pulled up a fellow supporter for calling someone a black c**t. The guy said he wasn't being racist. The City fan (I won't name him but I'm sure many of you know him) said "as a black man let me decide what I find racist or not". Fair play. I'm sure a few people would have a word if someone if front of them started yelling sheep shagging c**t at them.

HOWEVER, I don't think it should have made the press as I am sure he didn't mean anything buy it unless there are still Franco fascists left in Madrid. I tend to agree with what someone else was getting at, reporting petty shit like this doesn't help the fight against racism.

Are there any black people on here that could comment? I'd be interested to hear more than our stories eg Tony Williams about what black people we know think about it.

On another note, I once had to dress up as Brittney Spears on a night out and some pissed tw*t kept giving me the eye. His face when I saw him at the next urinal was f*cking hilarious.

It’s ridiculous isn’t it! I bet you that if he dressed as a bin laden character then you probably wouldn’t hear anything about it, what does my head in is because people are white and black it’s a no go area! But it’s ok to dress up as a stereo typical Chinese person, Arab, etc etc it’s hypocritical I for one don’t see who he’s hurting if anything he’s promoting a predominantly Afro American sport! I wouldn’t have a problem if any of my Asian or Afro mates dressed up as Dai Becks for instance

It definitely isn't viewed as okay to dress up as a Chinese or Asian person.

The late Michael Bates played the part of (Indian) Rangi Ram in 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum' for years on TV and his character was widely loved by audiences of all denominations. It is true to say that the programme (like certain others around that time) would not be made today but I put that down to the 'touchy feely' PC Brigade telling others how they should perceive things rather than the vast majority of people taking actual offence

In my experiences, most people can decide for themselves what is offensive or not and most will tell you a guy dressed in a Harlem Globetrotters costume going to a fancy dress party isn't top of their 'to be offended by' list when there is so much real racism being stirred up in the real world right now

Time to move on, I think. This thread has been exhausted and you're trying a little to hard to back yourself up with little or no success!

Just go and ask some black people what they think. Just because you don't think they should be offended doesn't mean you're right.

Therefore if I want to book a Caribbean holiday to get a sun tan (which for all intense and purposes is 'blacking up') I should first seek permission from black people?

Should Black people ask me before applying talcum powder to their face or hands just in case I'm offended?

The nonsense in your argument is so obvious. You say the black people you live with are offended, the black people I have asked laughed and said they should pull themselves together because they have common sense.

If Griezmann had dressed as a slave or slave master then there would have been a direct racist link. Dressing as a member of the Harlem Globtrotters is a direct link to a basketball team, end of.

Comparing going on a Caribbean holiday to get a tan (there is more than the sun in the Caribbean by the way and so I am surprised you'd pay to travel that far only to get a tan) and someone 'blacking up' is a bit of a silly compassion.

Purposely 'blacking up' has a history steeped in racism, see the links I posted. Getting a tan doesn't.

I 'cant' help that the African people I live with find it slightly offensive and silly. If the people you asked laughed then good for them. My son just shook his head and wondered what he could have been thinking.

'Blacking up', whatever the reason is wrong, even if you're not a racist or doing it for fancy dress. I have linked some very good and balanced articles on why. I am amazed that in 2017 there is even a debate about 'blacking up' being a 'bit of fun'.

Just go and ask some black people what they think. Just because you don't think they should be offended doesn't mean you're right.

Therefore if I want to book a Caribbean holiday to get a sun tan (which for all intense and purposes is 'blacking up') I should first seek permission from black people?

Should Black people ask me before applying talcum powder to their face or hands just in case I'm offended?

The nonsense in your argument is so obvious. You say the black people you live with are offended, the black people I have asked laughed and said they should pull themselves together because they have common sense.

If Griezmann had dressed as a slave or slave master then there would have been a direct racist link. Dressing as a member of the Harlem Globtrotters is a direct link to a basketball team, end of.

Comparing going on a Caribbean holiday to get a tan (there is more than the sun in the Caribbean by the way and so I am surprised you'd pay to travel that far only to get a tan) and someone 'blacking up' is a bit of a silly compassion.

Purposely 'blacking up' has a history steeped in racism, see the links I posted. Getting a tan doesn't.

I 'cant' help that the African people I live with find it slightly offensive and silly. If the people you asked laughed then good for them. My son just shook his head and wondered what he could have been thinking.

'Blacking up', whatever the reason is wrong, even if you're not a racist or doing it for fancy dress. I have linked some very good and balanced articles on why. I am amazed that in 2017 there is even a debate about 'blacking up' being a 'bit of fun'.

Absolutely agree. It's not the intentions but the consequences that matter in this situation. He's a person of high influence and he should know that it is not viewed as acceptable.

Africanbluebird have you got anything to say for yourself about the racist comment you made in your post?

F—————g worlds gone mad.

Sadly the world went mad a while ago. Little girls aren’t allowed to dress as moana now because it’s “problematic”. Pathetic.

I think it is offensive but nothing to lose sleep over. Just silly white men playing games.

Here is an interesting article on 'blacking up' and I think it gets it about right.

http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/m ... blackface/

"silly white men"!?

f*cking hypocrite!

exactly, most racist thing in this post ffs

I lost all respect for his argument after that to be honest.

Can you imagine his reaction if someone had said he was "just a silly black man"... There would be uproar!

What a bellend

Its Racist, it mocks Afrocentric Features, 3+ pages of white guys justifying that, then turning on a fellow poster for saying "silly white men" nice

Its Racist, it mocks Afrocentric Features, 3+ pages of white guys justifying that, then turning on a fellow poster for saying "silly white men" nice

Read it properly Rusty

Africanbluebird have you got anything to say for yourself about the racist comment you made in your post?

Yes I do. As always

It seems that the non-PC brigade as a wee bit sensitive

Africanbluebird have you got anything to say for yourself about the racist comment you made in your post?

Yes I do. As always

It seems that the non-PC brigade as a wee bit sensitive

I don't give a shit what you call me mate. It's the hypocrisy I'm not keen on.

I think we all need to stop putting so much importance on race, that's the first step.

All this over sensitivity is highlighting issues that don't exist and taking it away from the real problems as Sven said.

But in future don't play victim and say something you'd be horrified at had it been the other way around.

Africanbluebird have you got anything to say for yourself about the racist comment you made in your post?

Yes I do. As always

It seems that the non-PC brigade as a wee bit sensitive

I don't give a shit what you call me mate. It's the hypocrisy I'm not keen on.

I think we all need to stop putting so much importance on race, that's the first step.

All this over sensitivity is highlighting issues that don't exist and taking it away from the real problems as Sven said.

But in future don't play victim and say something you'd be horrified at had it been the other way around.

Nubbsy, I'm not horrified and I haven't played the victim. I just reflected that blackface is inappropriate and insensitive given the historic connotations associated with it. And then there is a three page thread where middle class white males (including me) discuss it and the majority try to defend 'blacking-up' as a bit of fun. The irony is ridiculous especially when people defend 'blacking up' and get upset when I say 'silly white man', which given the context of 'blacking up' is acutely accurate. If a black guy had tried 'whiteface' I would equally be happy, in that context to say he was a 'silly black man'.

Anyway, let's get back to football this thread has run it's course.

Just go and ask some black people what they think. Just because you don't think they should be offended doesn't mean you're right.

Therefore if I want to book a Caribbean holiday to get a sun tan (which for all intense and purposes is 'blacking up') I should first seek permission from black people?

Should Black people ask me before applying talcum powder to their face or hands just in case I'm offended?

The nonsense in your argument is so obvious. You say the black people you live with are offended, the black people I have asked laughed and said they should pull themselves together because they have common sense.

If Griezmann had dressed as a slave or slave master then there would have been a direct racist link. Dressing as a member of the Harlem Globtrotters is a direct link to a basketball team, end of.

Comparing going on a Caribbean holiday to get a tan (there is more than the sun in the Caribbean by the way and so I am surprised you'd pay to travel that far only to get a tan) and someone 'blacking up' is a bit of a silly compassion.

Purposely 'blacking up' has a history steeped in racism, see the links I posted. Getting a tan doesn't.

I 'cant' help that the African people I live with find it slightly offensive and silly. If the people you asked laughed then good for them. My son just shook his head and wondered what he could have been thinking.

'Blacking up', whatever the reason is wrong, even if you're not a racist or doing it for fancy dress. I have linked some very good and balanced articles on why. I am amazed that in 2017 there is even a debate about 'blacking up' being a 'bit of fun'.

This is the problem with people like you, when you are given a situation which throws up an anomaly i.e. Going to the Caribbean (or a back garden )to get a sun tan, you call it 'silly' and disrespect it rather than trying to understand that what you are stating is fundamentally racist.

Allowing one racist to decide if something is racist/offensive to the exclusion of others has to be by definition racist.

As for your son finding the photo offensive are we really supposed to be surprised by that? You are so radical in your views that all common sense doesn't apply and the lad wouldn't have had any chance to be objective no matter how much you might claim to the contrary.

In 2017 we should all be able to enjoy our lives without bigots like you looking over our shoulders looking for fault and a chance to cry RACIST!

If Griezmann or myself for that matter wish to dress up as a Harlem Globe Trotter to attend a fancy dress party then I should have the absolute right to do so with the interference of busy bodies like you.

Get over it for FFS.

[

Nubbsy, I'm not horrified and I haven't played the victim. I just reflected that blackface is inappropriate and insensitive given the historic connotations associated with it. And then there is a three page thread where middle class white males (including me) discuss it and the majority try to defend 'blacking-up' as a bit of fun. The irony is ridiculous especially when people defend 'blacking up' and get upset when I say 'silly white man', which given the context of 'blacking up' is acutely accurate. If a black guy had tried 'whiteface' I would equally be happy, in that context to say he was a 'silly black man'.

Anyway, let's get back to football this thread has run it's course.

Christ almighty you have no idea what you are talking about. It is OK to make racist remark about 'silly white men' but it is a PC crime to 'blacken up?'

Equality laws mean that EVERYONE is treated the SAME. It is not OK to single out white males for offensive remarks.

As for historical connotations I could claim that it is offensive for people to dress up as Romans because they slaughtered and enslaved my ancestors the Silures Tribe in the first century AD.

But we don't because it is time to stop looking back and time to start treating everyone of all colours and creeds the same. As I stated earlier Griezmann dressed as a Harlem Globe Trotter not as a slave or slave master so there is no racial inference only one towards a basketball team.

What we need is more Griezmann's an less PC bigots like yourself.

Absolutely agree. It's not the intentions but the consequences that matter in this situation. He's a person of high influence and he should know that it is not viewed as acceptable.

And the consequence was what exactly?

To me it was someone paying respect to his idle a member of the Harlem Globe Trotters by dressing up as one.

If you have drawn a different inference then that is simply being a busy body who is adding nothing to our quality of life.

I find it pathetic that everyone gets offended by everything these days. People need to grow a backbone.

[

Nubbsy, I'm not horrified and I haven't played the victim. I just reflected that blackface is inappropriate and insensitive given the historic connotations associated with it. And then there is a three page thread where middle class white males (including me) discuss it and the majority try to defend 'blacking-up' as a bit of fun. The irony is ridiculous especially when people defend 'blacking up' and get upset when I say 'silly white man', which given the context of 'blacking up' is acutely accurate. If a black guy had tried 'whiteface' I would equally be happy, in that context to say he was a 'silly black man'.

Anyway, let's get back to football this thread has run it's course.

Christ almighty you have no idea what you are talking about. It is OK to make racist remark about 'silly white men' but it is a PC crime to 'blacken up?'

Equality laws mean that EVERYONE is treated the SAME. It is not OK to single out white males for offensive remarks.

As for historical connotations I could claim that it is offensive for people to dress up as Romans because they slaughtered and enslaved my ancestors the Silures Tribe in the first century AD.

But we don't because it is time to stop looking back and time to start treating everyone of all colours and creeds the same. As I stated earlier Griezmann dressed as a Harlem Globe Trotter not as a slave or slave master so there is no racial inference only one towards a basketball team.

What we need is more Griezmann's an less PC bigots like yourself.

And thus reducing a debate into personal attacks. I like you as a football poster Tony but the art of conversation and debate have eluded you.

[

Nubbsy, I'm not horrified and I haven't played the victim. I just reflected that blackface is inappropriate and insensitive given the historic connotations associated with it. And then there is a three page thread where middle class white males (including me) discuss it and the majority try to defend 'blacking-up' as a bit of fun. The irony is ridiculous especially when people defend 'blacking up' and get upset when I say 'silly white man', which given the context of 'blacking up' is acutely accurate. If a black guy had tried 'whiteface' I would equally be happy, in that context to say he was a 'silly black man'.

Anyway, let's get back to football this thread has run it's course.

Christ almighty you have no idea what you are talking about. It is OK to make racist remark about 'silly white men' but it is a PC crime to 'blacken up?'

Equality laws mean that EVERYONE is treated the SAME. It is not OK to single out white males for offensive remarks.

As for historical connotations I could claim that it is offensive for people to dress up as Romans because they slaughtered and enslaved my ancestors the Silures Tribe in the first century AD.

But we don't because it is time to stop looking back and time to start treating everyone of all colours and creeds the same. As I stated earlier Griezmann dressed as a Harlem Globe Trotter not as a slave or slave master so there is no racial inference only one towards a basketball team.

What we need is more Griezmann's an less PC bigots like yourself.

And thus reducing a debate into personal attacks. I like you as a football poster Tony but the art of conversation and debate have eluded you.

Makes you wonder if there is a group of people who spend half their lives trolling through the social media looking for things that they can be offended by.