Monday, November 04, 2013

Article(s) of the week- ALL CLASSES- Due Friday

1. Read the articles.
http://www.newsweek.com/halloween-racism-went-viral-1523
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/fashion/a-halloween-risk-racism-in-disguise.html

2. Post an educated opinion on the issue.  Use at least one quoted reference from the articles in you response.

3. Extra credit- comment on a classmate's post.

78 comments:

  1. Calling someone racists for what they want to be for Halloween is absurd. How does this inflict racism? One is dressing up for fun, not to make fun of a race, even if the person you are making fun of is black does not concern itself with racism because race has nothing to do with it. For instance the coaches dressed up as characters from a popular movie and now are facing their jobs. Why? What if the two characters were white in the same movie. I don't think they would be losing their jobs then. In blatant view, they are making fun of the player not the game. Whether the costume consists of a white or black person it really doesn't matter, only if you ran around in a bed sheet that had KKK written on it would it be racists.
    Alec Carlson

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  2. I think calling someone racist for dressing up as a black figure for Halloween is ridiculous. First of all, Black people dress up as white people all the time and its really funny, but when a white person dresses up as a black person everyone looses their minds. I think its more racist trying to explain why its bad than dressing up as a black person. It's like saying that if I dressed up as Snoopy for Halloween I'm being racist to dogs everywhere. it just simply makes no sense and shouldn't be such a huge deal. Also considering that Halloween is a holiday for people to have fun and dress up as a favorite character from a book, movie, TV show, or even just a scary figure in our american society.
    Chris Dormer
    Period 8

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    1. Michael Caminear Period 6
      I completely agree with Chris in regards to the fact that people tend to overreact when it comes to racial discrimination. In particular, this appears to show up more with Black people and, unfortunately, some people try to take advantage of the situation by using their race as an excuse to dish out discrimination. In addition, I also agree with the idea that historically, there is no real connection between racism then and racism now. In other words, modern day generations are not responsible for the mistakes that were made by generations in the past.

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  3. I think it's ridiculous how people are saying blackface is bad and racist. It's not like people are dressing up as African Americans and going around portraying something bad. This is for Halloween. for example in the first article, one girl wore more bronzer than usual because she was being beyonce for Halloween. I don't find anything wrong with it, it's part of the costume. As the girl said, "It's not about being black, it's about being Beyonce" People are over-thinking this. Coaches might lose their jobs because they dressed up as Jamaican bobsled team members. As long as it's not being done in an insulting or distasteful manner, there's nothing wrong with it.
    Amy Borkowski period 8

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    1. I completely agree with Amy. Whenever anyone mentions race, somebody gets offended. I'm not saying racism isn't a problem, because it is, but I think people take it too far. Using bronzer isn't the problem, it's why you're doing it. For example, if you say someone is black, it shouldn't be any more offensive than saying they are tall, or that they have blond hair. Nobody would be offended if you wore a wig to resemble a character, so why should bronzer be any different?
      Jessica L. Period 6

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  4. To add on; our history has nothing to do with the present. I's sure there are tons of people (including me) laughing this off because theres actually someone out there willing to ruin someones holiday for something that isnt even true. I say to just let it go, its no big deal to anyone including African Americans and shouldnt be a huge deal to anyone else.

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  5. I think calling someone racist for dressing up as a black figure for Halloween is stupid. I have seen plenty of Black people that have dressed up as a white person all the time and its hilarious, but the second that a white person dresses up as a black person everyone has the right to freak?I think its ridiculous. its a costume and everyone needs to chill out. for Halloween my friend dressed up as a girl so is this racist to all women? no. people just have too much time on their hands to complain and worry about everything. People need to just accept what the costume is and get over it worry about something important. Besides halloween is a time for young kids to dress up in cotumes and not be judged.
    Quinn Ullerup
    Period: 8

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  6. After reading the articles, I can see how some may view dressing up for Halloween with black makeup as offensive. However, I think it depends greatly on how it is done. The article gives the example of the girl who dressed up as Beyonce which did not receive any negative response. This is probably because it was done in a tasteful manner. On the other hand, the guys who dressed up as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin exemplify the problem concerning racism that comes about with changing skin colors for Halloween. They dressed in a fashion that many would see as offensive. I feel that in many cases the makeup is simply a necessary part of the costume, but it goes too far when people start to get offended.

    Casey R. Period 8

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  7. Calling someone racist or offensive for dressing up as a movie character, book character, or even a certain race is not and should not be called racism. Everybody has the right to dress up as anything they would like to. If it is offensive to just some people, then it isn't right to call it offensive. In the Amendments of the constitution it is stated that if something is found offensive to some people then people cannot call it unconstitutional. I think anybody can dress up however they want and nobody can do anything. The person dressed up as a Blackface is not targeting anybody.

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  8. I believe there can be a level of racism in dressing up in blackface during Halloween. However, specifically in the case of Julianne Hough, I don't believe she come off as offensive. Simply dressing up as a black character is not making fun of stereotypes, it's just dressing up as a character. I agree with the article in saying that the issue was overblown. But, I can also see how certain uses of blackface can be seen as disrespectful. Dressing up as Trayvon Martin is one of these cases. I think there is a line between what is respectful and what can be considered racist. W. Kamau Bell, a political comedian says, "There are different levels of racism." (New York Times)

    Eleanor H
    Period 3

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  9. Miranda S. Period 6

    Why all the sudden is this a major controversy? On today’s social media, every race is mocked and it isn’t seen as a major problem, but one person’s costume causes controversy? I simply don’t get it. Most teenagers are used to the constant racist Vines like claiming what blacks do compared to whites or what Asians do compared to our society. Is there any controversy? No cause we think it is funny, so why can’t we take that approach in this situation? I’m pretty sure Ms. Hough was by no mean trying to insult people; I know she was trying to portray her character better. It is like people painting themselves blue to be a smurf, red to be a devil, or get a spray tan to look like Snooki. A small thing like this doesn’t need this much controversy. I don’t even think Ms. Hough was even aware of the situation about Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman costume. Personally regarding that situation, I think it is disgusting someone would actually go out and dress as something so sensitive. We all know that the Trayvon Martin case was a controversial issue, and when the verdict came out it brought a lot of opinions. In this case, I think people were more offended by the costume than the blackface. Blackface was just trying to add on to the costume, I don’t think it was to insult black people or to be black. This isn’t racism and as Ann Morning said, “Traditionally, blackface has been about broad negative stereotypes — it’s not about the individual at all,” she said. In Ms. Hough’s case, “She was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character.” I think in general America needs to take a breath and realize simply that in this situation, it was simply just used as an add on; not to be harmful in any way.

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  10. To debate about certain Halloween costumes being racist or not, it’s necessary to determine the intentions of those dressing up in blackface and how insincere their actions were. In large, I believe, this situation is being taken too seriously and these costumes aren’t being worn to demean or degrade those with darker skin color. However, part of being an adult is knowing that even though your intentions were not to support racism, if you choose to dress up for Halloween and darken your skin color, you’re risking it going viral. Each instance mentioned in the two articles ranks differently in offensiveness, and in some cases maybe it was okay to say that they were racist, or at least completely unnecessary to wear as a Halloween costume. In the Newsweek article This Halloween, Racism Went Viral, a young woman supports Hough because when she dressed up as BeyoncĂ© for Halloween, “"the costume wasn't about being black, it was about being BeyoncĂ©.” I agree. She wasn’t wearing extra self-tanner to imply anything other than that she was dressed as the actress who was African American. To dress up as a vampire everyone is going to paint their faces white, to dress up as Frankenstein kids will paint their faces green, so I find it too much when people overreact because she used self-tanner to better the authenticity of her costume. This doesn’t mean that other people didn’t cross the line. Dressing up as Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman was irresponsible and stupid. But, I don’t get how that matters in an article talking about being racist. No matter what race, what gender, dressing up as someone who was murdered, and someone who murdered him, will be insensitive and skin color shouldn’t be the first thing that people call them out on as being wrong. That is wrong. When the San Diego High School football coaches dressed up as the Jamaican bobsled team, they may have made a poor choice. This is an example of having common sense and realizing that while your intentions may not be to back racism, working in a school setting with kids of all backgrounds isn’t the place to testing those waters. I think it is unfortunate that some of these costumes have created such a fury, but it comes down to common sense and good choices on the part of those dressing up, not whether they are racist or not.
    Cara B period 3

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  11. These articles present two very different cases. I think that Julianne Hough had no intention of offending or mocking anyone in being a character from a television show. However, in the case where the two floridians dressed up as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin their intention was most likely to be funny but instead it came across as disrespectful. In these situations I believe it all depends on who they are dressing up as and the circumstances, not necessarily the idea of racism. The case between Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman was clearly very controversial so I think that dressing up as them for halloween was very disrespectful but not because of the blackface. Julianne Hough, for example, was dressed as a character from a tv show that has no specific controversial or disrespectful issues to my knowledge and therefore she intended no harm. Similarly, The New York Times described it as "a faithful depiction of the character without introducing other stereotypes." In my opinion, it really all depends on the situation and circumstances in which the costume was made and portrayed.

    Jessica M. Period 6

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  12. The claim that someone dressing up as a member of another race is racist is simply not plausible. Say My favorite football player was black, and i wanted to be them for halloween. I am going to be profiled as a racist because I wanted to represent that player? So if I dressed up as a hunter, am I now trying to say that I love hurting animals? If I dress up as a chef can I now be classified as a sexist? As for the Trayvon Martin costume, that was simply uncalled for, and is on a whole new level from dressing up as an african american character. That costume was based on an actual case that affected alot of people. Travyon Martin's family is most likely still in shock from what happened, and it is not right to poke fun at such a serious topic. In my min this is similar to dressing up as two towers and another dressing up as a plane, and saying that you are dressed up as 9/11. This is offensive and wrong, and nobody should ever make fun of such an event. So in short, it is ridiculous to say that someone dressed up as a person of another race is trying to be racist. However dressing up as something such as the trayvon martin case is wrong because it targets a specific case and specific people
    Mike B period 3

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  13. I think that there is a fine line between what should be considered racist and what is simply taken the wrong way by the public. The term "black face" is a negative term and should be used when describing actual racist gestures. But dressing up for Halloween as someone with a different race as you, for the soul purpose of representing that person positively, should not be taken so harshly. I personally feel that by automatically assuming the costume is meant to offend a race, is racist in of itself. A quote from the New York Times article stated, “The guys behind Trayvon are just jerks...They’re regular ol’ racists, whereas Julianne Hough clearly made a mistake. By the time she left the party, she had taken off her makeup.” It just goes to show that representing a TV show is a lot different then poking fun of a murder case. We should realize when to draw the line, and when it is not worth creating a huge dispute.
    Claire Paterson, Period 3

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  14. Leah Braley period 6: I think that in this case it is unfair to call them racist for dressing up as a black character for halloween. She was, as one article said "trying to be as faithful as she could to the character" in reality all she did was darken her skin and did nothing to mock the race. If she had done something overly noticeable that seemed to be pointing out the fact that the character was black then that could be taken as offensive. But really I think there are many other costumes out there that could be called much more offensive than this.

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  15. George Hartlin Period 7

    From what I have read in these two articles I have gathered that this typical behavior is not accepted. This may have been for a costume but painting your face black can be considered racist to some folks who interpret it that way. You can argue that she was trying to play the part but she could have just dressed up without painting her face and still would appear to look like the character regardless to race. She did the right thing by issuing an apology but this still doesn't excuse her from what she did by painting her face black. I bet if she dressed up like the character without painting her face, those who know the show would still be able to tell she was dressed as crazy eyes. Now if she was given permission for a role of a show or movie to paint her face black to look african american I wouldn't see so much problems with that but for a costume party for fun to do that its just plain wrong in a way its like mocking. I may not agree with this politically correct world but I still will follow its simple conduct beliefs on the ground that people are entitled to their opinions and beliefs. In conclusion, I feel that as a people we should learn to be more tolerant of others and their beliefs regardless on how we feel about them because at the end of the day we are just people. In Julianne Hough's own words, "I realize my costume hurt and offened people and I truly apologize."

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  16. I think that the problem with the "blackface" makeup is not always racism. Yes, in some cases the people are being racist, but it isn't wearing the makeup that makes it racist. In the case of Julianne Hough, she wasn't being racist, only trying to have an accurate costume. Her costume wasn't making fun of black people, only being accurate to the show. Anything that has to do with race is a sensitive topic. However, we need to realize that the mention of race isn't being racist. If you describe someone as having brown hair nobody would be offended, but if you mention skin color it's a problem. As the article pointed out, “She was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character.” The mention of color shouldn't be a problem. It only becomes racist if it is truly offensive. Jessica Lohret Period 6

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  17. Stephanie Durso Period:7
    For many this is a sensitive subject. Like anything else we all interpret things in different ways and have many different opinions. Personally I feel that in Julianne Hough's case she did not do it in a mean spirted or rascist way. While the guys that dressed up as Trevon and Zimmerman were just ignorant and clearly wanted attention. If you feel conflicted by racist situation use sensitivity. Be smart and realize that others have feelings . I agree with this quote, "There are different levels of racism, said W. Kamau Bell, a political comedian who hosts “Totally Biased” on FXX. “The guys behind Trayvon are just jerks,” he said. “They’re regular ol’ racists, whereas Julianne Hough clearly made a mistake. By the time she left the party, she had taken off her makeup.” Color should not be a problem as long as everyone involved aren't being offensive towards color.

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    1. Alla Miller period 2:
      I agree with what Steph said, Julianne defiantly wasn't trying to be mean where as Trevon and Zimmerman were being offensive. That was in a way rude, but like Steph said if they do not do it in an offensive way and people are careful of how they depict the character its okay.

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  18. Racial issues is a very sensitive subject to talk about now a days. But when looking at our culture, it looks like our racial problems are all fixed. We have an African American president and thousands of ethnic groups living in America all existing together creating harmony. But it seems like now more than ever there are more racial problems. Or are we just seeing them now because of social media? The quote in The Newsweek article by Baker says, "I guess it's good in the sense that if people worry they will be publicly shamed for something, they won't do it, but that's not the same as understanding why it's wrong," she said, adding that Halloween is a difficult time to teach these lessons, because people get particularly defensive." I don't think people are getting the message of why it's wrong. They just see these pictures, especially our younger generations on twitter, facebook, and google of these people and take away that they shouldn't do it.. or some may take it as if they do something like that, they can get internet famous. There is a line that we, as a society, need to draw but where is that line exactly? I'm not even too sure. My moral instinct tells me that Julian Hough's costume wasn't racist and the Floridians who dressed up as Trayvon martin and his killer is just plan rude and disrespectful. Where is the racism in that? For the musical last year we played Americans who were originally from Mexico, Cuba, or Puerto Rico. And to look the part we each got darker foundation for our stage makeup. Since I am very pale , you could say that I too had on "black face" but to me it was just dark makeup and I would go on stage and represent the culture I was portraying with the utmost respect. But isn't that what Halloween is about? dressing as someone who is not yourself? Yes, people sometimes do not show respect to that background or costume or whatever you want to take from it. But shouldn't we really see the intent behind it before we ridicule and shame them? And shouldn't we draw the line of what is considered racist and what is considered okay? Because personally I'd like to know.
    MaryColleen Whitney period 2

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    1. I agree with Mary on this topic, because Halloween is a time of year where we should be allowed to portray a character. I believe that we should be aware of when to cross the boundary of potentially harming or hindering another race. However, I do not believe that wearing dark makeup is essentially partaking in 'black face' culture. I think that people taking this out of proportions and creating a bigger issue out of it on social media.

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  19. These two cases are very different. In Houghs case, she dressed up to portray a character from a very popular TV show. She had no intention of mocking or making fun of her race. It was done so innocently, just dressing up for Halloween. Her face was bronzed similar to many people dressed up as "guidos/guidettes" trying to portray the Jersey Shore cast. Why wasnt it seen offensive when people mocking the "orange" skin tone? I feel alot less sympathy for the people who dressed as Martin and Zimmerman. They are portraying two people who are involved in a grusome inncident. It offended many people and it isnt right. I feel as they didnt dress as this as innocently as Hough. They brought up a very sad and disturbing event that has happened.

    Cayla F
    Period 7

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  20. Would someone 20 years ago get as much grief for dressing up as a racist? The answer is no. In the world we live in today the smallest things that we do can have a profound impact on those around us. In the article it talks about the case of two Floridians who dressed up as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin. These people went over the edge and to the point where it gets very racist. If you want to dress up as someone you look up to like a celebrity who is a different skin color will you get a lot of grief? "In Ms. Hough's case she was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character. Others argue that Ms. Hough was merely celebrating a character who happens to be black." People in today's world take things very seriously, and now people will be skeptical about their Halloween costume in the future, because they might feel that it will offend someone. It is good that they will think twice before doing something, but will people listen?
    Ryan C.
    Period 2

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  21. Painting your face brown for a halloween costume is not racist. This is for a myriad of reasons. First, you are not saying anything bad about people with that skin color. For instance, when Julianne Hough, "dressed as the character Crazy Eyes (played by the black actress Uzo Aduba) and smeared dark makeup on her face," she was trying her best to portray the character, not to offend her in anyway. Whoever called this racist was the racist one, because she was just representing a person of another race. It does not have to be a bad thing at all. Also, I've seen people with white makeup on for halloween, and no one ever claimed that as racist to white/albino people.
    Jennifer G.
    Period 3

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  22. I wouldn't necessarily say that someone who painted their face brown for Halloween is a racist, but maybe it could just be a form of ignorance because whether the intentions were to hurt or offend at all considering history between whites and blacks it will always hurt someone. There are still people alive who survived very hateful times and segregation wasn't event that long ago. Yes, it is true that we have gotten better and we are more diverse and accept different cultures but there should always be a boundary that shouldn't be crossed and Blackface is one. As Katie J.M Baker quoted Weaver "live every day like its BlackFace history month" this way everyone will know the pain it inflicts. Ms Hough may not have been trying to be racist, as she was portraying an African American character, so it is also about the extent that people go to. I didn't consider what she did to be Blackface she only bronzed her face, it wasn't "black" and it wasn't derogatory. The guys who dressed up as Zimmerman and Trayvon were very offensive and was without a doubt in my eyes racist, especially with that case being so recent and such a large controversy during the summer. They took a young boys life who was perceived to be taken due to the color of his skin by many and turned into a joke a few months after it happened! That is never okay. It was not only disrespectful but hurtful.
    Darael W.
    Period 3

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    1. I completely agree with you Rael. Looking at the history of US and segregation, some people can be extremely offended no matter what the intention of the costume was. Anyways why interfere in such a huge topic of controversy, racism, in a fun Halloween dress up? Keep it simple (Thoreau).
      ~Shilpa R Period 3

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  23. I don't feel that by using dark makeup as part of a Halloween costume makes a person racist. I believe that in most cases people are just attempting to portray a character that they have a connection to or look up to, rather than literally mocking people of an African American ethnicity. One quote used by The New York Times defended Hough by stating, “She was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character.” I am sure that it was never her intent to offend anyone by her costume, instead she was trying to be as creatively similar to the actual character as possible. If people start considering using dark makeup as racist, then there could be a negative aspect to almost every costume available. Individuals need to try to refrain from making assumptions about people and their intent, because in fact, they aren't that person. Although in the case of the two teens in Florida, their judgment was definitely impaired. The issue didn't even have to do with the black-face in that case but the content and what was being suggested behind the outfits. Dressing as Zimmerman and Trayvon was an extremely immature decision made by the boys and tasteless because of the severity of the case, not so much the use of dark makeup.
    Alyssa Case
    Period 3

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  24. Michael Caminear Period 6
    Some people may fail to notice this, but there is something called humor that exists in this world. People dressing up as Black people for Halloween is not the least bit discriminating. It only shows that the person is enthusiastic about what they are trying to do and that they want to entertain their community. Unfortunately, there is a preconceived notion that suggests that anything that has to do with a white person making a reference to a black person can be formed to seem as if it is racist. On the other hand, if a black person does the same thing in regards to a white person, then it is just seen as playful humor or is simply ignored. So, my point is, there is a slight amount of inconsistency with racial discrimination in the United States today.
    However, setting aside humor, I also think that there should be certain limitations that people adhere to. For instance, when the two Floridians went out as Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, that was crossing the line. That was an extremely controversial case and should not be played or messed around with because it is such a sensitive topic.
    In total, nobody should be threatened with the loss of his/her or mistreated simply because they dress up as another ethnicity for the sake of a children's holiday. Nevertheless, people should also always be aware of the certain areas of racial tension that are not worth toying with.

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    1. I agree with Michael here completely, and this is what I tried to mention in my post as well. People should be allowed to dress up as whatever character they want to be on Halloween-be it of a different race or not- but there should be certain limitations, like the Trayvon Martin case (which was just plain fresh).
      Megan Glynn Period 3

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  25. The whole concept of Halloween can be easily taken as racism or a fun dress up day. Yes everyone is free to dress they like unless it’s inappropriate or hurtful to someone. And I think dressing up as a black and wearing dark foundation can be easily taken as racism. As one of the interviewee from the article mentioned about how she used self-tanner to appear like BeyoncĂ©, is acceptable as her intention wasn’t towards racism. However it can still annoy or upset some African Americans. Anyways, how many black people did you see this Halloween dressed up as a white person, wearing a lighter foundation? I don’t think people witnessed this type of costume very often. The opinions vary per person and the location of the situation. Some African Americans will take it easy and have fun while as others might be utterly offended. It completely depends on the audience. If they are fine with the dress up then it’s not a big deal but if it’s not fine then there is a huge problem. In the end, I don’t think one should be dressed up in a way that can lead a controversy to racism.
    ~Shilpa R Period 3

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  26. I do not think that dressing up as a black person for Halloween is not racist. Halloween is about pretending to be someone else for fun. Some people could abuse this and be racist, but in the case of Julianne Hough she was just trying to enjoy Halloween. She just wanted to be a more realistic representation of the character she was pretending to be. As someone who dressed as Beyonce said in one of the articles,"It's not about being black, it's about being Beyonce." I think that people are simply overreacting to what is just a silly costume.
    Julia K period 8

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  27. I think that calling someone racist for dressing up as a character of a different race is ridiculous especially when blackface is the only costume that is criticized. In the articles it is pretty clear that the people who were targeted for dressing up in blackface for the most part did not mean to offend anyone with their costumes. Julianne Hough made sure to issue and apology after receiving criticism for her costume as did many others. One women who was dressed as Beyonce had said, "It's not about being black, it's about being Beyonce." The idea that people dress up in costumes like these for the same reasons they did centuries ago is absurd and while some people do take the concept too far people should be branded as racists for personifying a television character.
    Hannah Beatty pd.6

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  28. I believe that what someone decides to wear for Halloween is not racist, depending on how extreme the costume is. Julianne Hough was not exhibiting racism by her costume, she was simply dedicated to resembling the character of the TV show, which should not be an issue at all. Her intentions were not to make fun of the race of the character. A New York University associate professor of sociology who specializes in race, Ann Morning, stated in the New York Times article "A Halloween Risk: Racism in Disguise" that,"Traditionally, blackface has been about broad negative stereotypes — it’s not about the individual at all. In Ms. Hough’s case, she was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character.” I know racism is a very sensitive topic considering the history of our Nation, but there should not be this much controversy over a couple costumes and "blackface". Although, I completely understand how the partygoers who dressed as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin is very racist and "costumes" like that are insensitive and unnecessary. They abused the use of blackface and Halloween, therefore making it into something racist. Otherwise, there are many different costumes out there that can be considered racist, whether the person is trying to resemble an African American or another race or style, the intentions are to have a good costume for Halloween, not an excuse to be racist.

    Gabby White
    Period 3

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  29. Jordyn B. P2
    Personally, there is a huge difference between dressing up as a character of a different race, and intentionally depicting racism. Simply stated in the first article, "the costume wasn't about being black, it was about being Beyonce.” People are looking into this "problem" way too much. And was there ever a single word about a black person dressing up as a white person? Would that be wrong as well? I find most racist arguments to be completely one sided. Caucasian people are stereotyped quite often, but this issue would never make its own article. Also, people are dressing up as their favorite characters, people they idolize. If idolizing your favorite movie or tv character isn't allowed then I guess I am in trouble for dressing up as Buzz Lightyear! Many of these people were obviously not trying to be racist. But costumes that poke fun at other races, like the white lips, or costumes that depict major problems in our society, such as the travyon costume, push every tiny thing over the edge. The people that take things too far and cause offense make it impossible for people that aren't trying to cause any harm to have fun. People have always dressed up with those masks of our presidents, but now that our president is black will it be a problem?

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  30. Cassie V. P;7
    I do believe that what ever people want to dress up as during Halloween is their choice.To defend the person being victimized; I don't think that they purposely meant to dress up, and be in a way racist. But, at the same time, i think that there is a huge difference between dressing up as a different racial character, and then being racist. In the article, "Black face" it states, "The costume wasn't about being black, it was about being Beyonce." I think that people are taking things to far with saying that they're being racist. But, at the same time, for many people; racism has become a very sensitive subject upon people around the world. For example, someone might take a "black face" mask into more offence then another person. Everyone has opinions, and you cannot change a person's opinion. But what happens when you are that person supposeably being targeted by the way a certain person decides to dress up for Halloween? What is there to do about it? I think that some people take this "Black Face" thing a little too far.

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  31. Labeling a person as racist for darkening their face to better portray their costume is simply incorrect. Sure there is a fine line between what is acceptable and what is not, but in the case of Julianne Hough who only darkened her face to better depict the character from the show, it is not right to label her as racist. On the other hand, the two men who dressed up as the Trayvon Martin case, were obviously doing it in bad taste to make fun of it, and can be considered racist. I believe that media is making a big deal out of this and they know that mixing in racial discrimination to any topic will always bring about heavy controversy. Of course it depends on the scenario, but I believe that a majority of people who are depicting themselves as black for a halloween costume are doing so to better portray this person and not to disrespect them at all.

    Kevin C.
    Period 3

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  32. I don't understand why its considered Black facing when it is Halloween. Halloween is when you dress up as a certain person, and if they are dressed up like a character like Julianne Hough did. She is just going with the part she is acting. I don't know why it is considered black facing. “She was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character,” according to the article "A Halloween Risk: Racism in Disguise." When Julianne walked out of the door I am sure she wasn't planning to offend anyone, she just wanted to look the part she was dressed up as. Now what is wrong with that? By saying it was black facing took it on a different level, because I doubt people were purposely trying to hurt others. As long as it is not really mean like maybe the people who dressed up as a murdered Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman is offencive. They are real people and not characters in a movie or even really famous. They only were famous because of the case they aren't celebrities or anything. It all depends on how the person shows the character they are playing. If they are just being the part of a movie character I don't understand how it is offensive.

    Alla Miller
    Period 2

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  33. Jared C.
    Period 2
    Halloween is a festive time to portray other people and characters. The actual act of darkening someone's skin should not be criticized when they are only trying to better portray a character as Julianne Hough attempted. She tried her best to portray the character and connecting this with a racist, 19th century practice is ignorant and fairly irrelevant. It is the same as yelling at someone dressed as a witch because they are mocking all the innocent people who were killed as witches; this doesn't happen because it doesn't connect whatsoever. However, some displays of "black face" are bigoted and tasteless, "...less sympathy when it came to the two Florida partygoers who dressed up as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin." These kids were obviously playing down a very controversial and very current issue that is insulting to the whole situation. Black face is not inherently bad or good; an opinion must be formed on what it is portraying and the context it is in, it cannot be labeled bad neither good.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I disagree with you on this. You even say yourself that, "...there are [people] who choose to spend Halloween as someone of a different race." These people are trying to have fun and trying their best to portray a character; most people who do this aren't even aware of this racist 19th century practice.

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  35. Oops. Jared C. Period: 2. ^^^

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  36. I do not believe it is appropriate to label someone as racist just by judging them on their Halloween Costume. Halloween is a time people dress up as certain characters they may wish to portray. People like Julianne Hough and the girl that wanted to dress up as Beyonce were only trying to look like the character they chose to dress up as. It is probably very unlikely that people try to use this day to be racist and start problems. However, the two people that dressed up as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin raise more of a controversy. Therefore, examples of Black face can be looked at as racist and insulting or appropriate and reasonable depending on how they are used and what characters are being portrayed. However, people that are only trying to dress as characters they see on TV should not be criticized.

    Harjot B.
    Period 8

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  37. In no way do i consider Julianne Hough to be a racist. Though she did dress up in black face, I don't think that she was intending to offend anyone. Halloween is a time to dress up and be someone you're not. White people dress up as all sorts of different things and if the intention is to fit the character and go all out, why not. If she went out in black face alone then you can only assume that there are racist motives behind it. But to see a white woman in costume which includes black face and call her out is just being oversensitive. For my team dress-up days i have been everything from a sexy lumber jack to Miley Cyrus. I have had no intention of offended any of the people I portray. When you dress up you have to dress the part if you want to have people know who or what you are, or if you are trying to make a fool of yourself and get a few laughs; And when getting those laughs it's because it out of your character, not because it's offensive. I think the media blew this way out of proportion and they own Julianne Hough an apology.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Making yourself appear black to portray a black character shouldn't offend anybody. To be honest, I find it hard to believe anyone was genuinely hurt or distressed because of how someone else dressed on Halloween. Even in the case of the two people who dressed up as Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, though the costumes weren't humorous at all, does that fact that someone dressed up as those two really affect you at all?
    I think our entire population is a bit too sensitive when it comes to skin color, and that just fuels the fire of racism. Using make up to make yourself look like someone specific, whether they are of another skin color or not, is generally not done with the intent of belittling anyone. The origin of blackface in theater is extremely racist, but I don't think Julianne Hough was in any way referencing Minstrel shows. I doubt most people even know what the Minstrel shows were. Racism is a terrible thing, but you don't have to blame racism every time conflict exists between people of two different skin colors.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Reitsuma Panta
    Period 3:
    Before I read this article, I did not know what 'blackface' was, and I was curious as to why this has been an increasing 'problem' during Halloween. As I read the two articles, I was outraged at the fact that painting one's face with darker complexion for Halloween makes that particular individual racist. When I read that Julianne Hugh was being insulted and criticized for being inconsiderate towards black people, I was shocked. She was simply representing a character from a show for Halloween, how does that make her racists or stereotypical in any way? I know a lot of people who dress up as Native Americans in Halloween, I don't see any articles about this being a racial issue. This is outrageous and offensive to victimize citizens for being racist for darkening his/ her complexion for Halloween.
    The articles mentioned that black face was a way to shame and ridicule African Americans in the late 1920's. The article," This Halloween, Racism Went Viral" stated that, "Blackface, originally a form of theatrical makeup used by white vaudeville actors to caricature African Americans in the 19th century, has been problematic ever since it became massively popular as a way for white people to poke fun at disturbing racial stereotypes." I believe that in every situation there is a motive. The reason why blackface was popularized in the 19th century was to degrade African Americans, because they were looked upon as inferior and were enslaved. However, today our culture (for the most part) has changed, and we are more accepting of other races. The motive for darkening the skin for Halloween is just for amusement and humor. There is a huge difference. Racism is discrimination or prejudice based on race. In this case, people who dressed up with darker skin were not targeting a group of people nor degrading the African American race. I believe that if the media is going to 'raise awareness' or publicize the racism that exists in this country, there are far worse case scenarios than dressing up as a character for Halloween. Public humiliation of people who dressed up as "blackface" is not productive nor accurate way to criticize racism in America. As for the Florida boys who dressed up as George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, I believe that it was complete ignorance and a lack of judgement on their part, instead of racism.

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  40. Racism is sensitive topic in our country and there seems to be a debate on where to draw the line. I understand how people might take offense to some of the costumes this year. Although I wouldnt consider Jullianne Hough a racist because she wasnt intetionally trying to offend anyone by her costume, she was just trying to portray a character in a tv show. But this brings up a good question. Where do we draw the line into just trying to be funny and offending others? Its something to think about in todays society. What some might see as hillarous others might see as harmful.
    Rachel C
    period 6

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  41. Aaron Radulski
    Period 6
    Racism is defined as believing or promoting that one's own race to be better than another. In my opinion, this actress was not at all using blackface as a way to portray her race to better than another, but as a way to have an accurate costume for a character that is of a different skin color. This could be seen as a mistake in her judgement regarding the press and public, but not much worse than that. People today tend to misunderstand the meaning of racism and condemn others for merely taking notice of the difference between colors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jake Swanson
      Period 6
      I completely agree with you Aaron. I feel as though that the public has overused the term racist and has misunderstood the definition of racist. Painting your face to look like a TV character is not racist, it's just doing your best to be more like that character in the physical aspect. An example of this can be found in Ms. Hough's case where, “She was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character.”

      Delete
    2. Christian Frich
      period 6
      I agree with you Aaron. Even though there might be a limit in society for what you can dress up as on Halloween, I still think that people overreacted and that we judged them to much on how they acted. At least it doesn't seem like they meant to be racist, and they have apologized after they did it. They only wanted to be funny, and I think we our limits should be stretched a bit.

      Delete
    3. i fully agree with Aaron, racism is tossed around alot without knowing the real definition of racism. People had no intention on being racist, they were just doing it for fun.
      Dalton e
      period 3

      Delete
  42. Utilizing methods to better your costume should not offend anyone. Using bronzer to darken yourself to portray a darker character should be no issue at all, unless the intent was to degrade a person or a certain group of people. Hough’s intention was clearly to portray “Crazy Eyes” in the most accurate way possible, which is what she did; it was not meant to insult another race, nor did it actually in my mind. Although some may argue that Julianne Hough’s costume can be referencing Minstrel shows, it is evident that there is no correlation of intent between the two whatsoever. Even in regards to the two men dressed as Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, in spite of the fact that their costumes were incredibly tasteless, they were not racist. Society pounces on every possible error in judgement people make and tries to call them racist or sexist. Of course there are times that these accusations are certainly true, but for the case present, I believe it is not.
    Today, racism seems to be on the hot seat more than ever in our society; what some deem incredibly racist, others let pass by them, and visa versa. Where is the line drawn? For some, Native American costumes can be racist, but for others they aren’t. How should we judge racism, and to what extent should we do something about it?

    Kathryn C. Period 3

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  43. Jake Swanson
    Period 2
    First of all, I don't see why this issue is so prevalent today, whereas several instances such as blackfacing have occurred prior to these articles. I can recall previous Halloweens where I have seen people blackfacing and it was not an issue. Also, many people have Halloween costume masks of people of different race, such as President Obama which did not have any controversy. Additionally, for the role of Kirk Lazarus, played by actor Robert Downey Jr., Lazarus undergoes a "controversial skin pigmentation procedure" in order to take on the role of African American platoon sergeant Lincoln Osiris, which required Downey to wear dark makeup and a wig, however there was little controversy of Downey's role.

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  44. I believe that this whole debate over blackface should have never occurred. I believe this because the majority of the people dressing up as a blackface, have no intention to offend anyone as the second article state. This debate is a waste of time because people don't just offend people for no reason. This argument started by people saying that painting your face black to resemble your Halloween costume, was offensive. In that case your intention was to accurately portray your character not to offend people and come off as a racist. In my opinion I believe people should stop being sensitive and realize there isn't as much racism still going on as you think.
    Owen K per 8

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  45. To me it seems that these celebs didnt know what they were doing as they were doing it. When it comes to Halloween many people like to get into character as much as they can. To them it seemed as though portraying a different race would help them do this better. Racisim has alsways been and forever will be a touchy subject in our society so it does not surprise me that the debate over a costume is happening today. In my opinion it is very disrespectful to judge someone or ostracize them because of race but a halloween costume is not taking it to far. If you are doing it in a proper manner and for the sake of getting into character I dont find it to be overly racist. In the article a young woman states, "Not to sound terrible, but I felt like there was probably no one at my party that I would have been offending," she said, adding that she felt like "the costume wasn't about being black, it was about being Beyonce.” She explains very well how what she is doing is not racist but it is out of fun and she is not purposefully trying to offend anyone.
    Elena Muniz Period 3

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  46. I do not believe that Julianne Hough meant to offend anyone when she dressed up in dark makeup for halloween. The articles bring up the argument that this is blackface and while I agree that blackface itself has racist implications and is deeply offensive, this case was not one. For one, while Julianne Hough was portraying a character of a different skin color than her own she didn't do it to mock anybody but to more accurately portray the character from the TV show. In addition, she took off the makeup before she even left the party showing her regret and understanding of the situation. While I don't believe it was necessary because she did nothing wrong, she realized that she had offended some people. In my opinion, the only way a halloween costume could be considered racist is if it stereotypes physical characteristics and isn't depicting anyone in particular. As for the controversial costumes like the Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman costumes, I think its too soon to be poking fun at the trial in this manner but to be honest I personally wouldn't care.

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  47. In my opinion, this debate is rather pointless, seeing as the whole point of Halloween is to be portrayed as something you are not. So, the issue of "blackface" being racist is truly absurd,as it is simply an act to get more into character. It is in no way promoting one race over another, which is the definition of racism. Although there are some instances where it may not be appropriate, like the Trayvon Martin situation, it is certainly not racist. I believe that today people are more sensitive to race-related issues than ever before, and that is part of the reason why this blew up the way it did. People will look for racism in just about everything these days, and some of it has to do with social media portraying these imaginary lines separating the races. All in all, "blackface" is not racist in my opinion; it is merely an attempt by some people to better their costumes for Halloween.
    Aidan D per 6

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  48. I feel like there are appropriate and inappropriate situations when dressing up as another race for a Halloween costume, but the line can be crossed according to different people and their views/opinions. Dressing up as a celebrity like Beyoncé or a TV character like Crazy Eyes and adding a little bronzer to better look the part is perfectly okay. That is just a part of the costume and is not supposed to be the main focus, "it's about being Beyoncé". Celebrities really aren't "touchy subjects". But when it comes to just basically making fun of a tragic situation when somebody lost their life, that is not okay at all. That is not only offensive but most likely extremely hurtful to the victim's family, no matter what the exact situation was.
    If you are just trying to look the part, like teachers at school did being Jamaican characters from a movie, I feel that's perfectly okay. There is no hurtfulness to that, and those teachers about to loose their jobs is very unfair. But, if you are blatantly making fun of a race, situation, whatever the case is, I think that's wrong and can very hurtful depending on the person. I'm sure most people darkening their completion for a Halloween costume are only doing it for fun and don't mean any harm.

    -Emma S period 3

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  49. In my opinion, there are certain lines that should not be crossed when it comes to choosing halloween costumes. Costumes like the Trayvon Martin costume are both immature and just purely wrong. It is unacceptable to portray such a sensitive topic in a costume that is intended to get laughs at a party. Another example of an unacceptable costume that crosses this "line" is the group in Boston this past halloween whom dressed in marathon uniforms and covered themselves in fake blood. These costumes are disgusting and "make fun" of subjects that should never be incorporated into comedy. However, I also think that costumes like the one Ms. Hough wore are not racist or inappropriate, but rather portray a certain actor/actress/character/etc. In this case, it is not racist because you are simply creating an accurate portrayal of a person and, unless intended to, are not making fun of a group or individual. In short, I believe it comes down to common sense. If a person merely thinks about what they are doing and considers the consequences, then they should be able to deem it appropriate or not.

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  50. I think there is a limit for how far we can go with dressing up for Halloween. I think we all know what will offend people, and we got to make sure we do not cross the line. Personally I think that making your skin black is not necessarily a offensive way to dress up, but it depends on what you are, and what costume you are being. Being a gorilla with black skin must be accepted, at least I think so. However, when you start dressing up as people the limit can be broken very easily. That's when we got to take care of not being offensive, and many can see your costume as a racist way to dress up. Even though some people dressed up as this on Halloween I still think we must add the fact that I don't think they meant to be racist in the first place. Moreover, most of them have apologized so it is clearly that they did not want to offend anyone.

    Christian Frich period 6

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  51. Skylar Sandler P2
    I think situations like these it is important to consider one’s intentions. In the cases of Julianne Hough and the Florida couple, thought the latter is extremely tasteless, both did not choose their costumes with to create a political statement about race. Their choices had very little to do with race and more about portraying a character; as stated in the article, “"It's not about being black, it's about being Beyonce." If the character Hough wanted to portray happened to be played by a white/Asian/Native American actress, Hough would have dressed accordingly. As stated above, other races sometimes fall “victim” to Halloween costumes, such as Asians and Native Americans; some sports teams in our school even have “indian” dress up it would not be tolerated. However, these two are essentially the same thing, highlighting the double standard of race in our society.

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  52. Racism has always been a huge issue in our country and it is happening everywhere around us but I feel as if people always take the racist point of view in too many issues. Racism is tossed around alot, their are issues that are directly related to racism and then their are issues that are not related to racism but people always assume that it has some effect. After reading these articles, I have different perspectives on these issues. When it comes to Halloween, their are certain limits that are set to ensure that people are not offended. But for the two idiots that dressed up as Martin and Zimmerman, they had every intention on gaining attention to there costumes. But for actress Julianne Hough, she had no intention on being racist and offending anybody, she was just dressing up for fun. But in conclusion, I believe that people dress up for halloween for fun and enjoyment, not the intention on being racist.
    Dalton E
    Period 3

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  53. It seems to be a popular thing nowadays for people, especially black people, to call out whites on supposed 'racist actions or sayings.' If you constantly call out a certain race about being racist even when they're clearly not and you just want to stir up drama, then who becomes the racist? We are all about being 'politically correct' nowadays, but how about turning it down a notch? So what a white person dressed up as a black character for Halloween? HOW is that racist? If it were reversed, would it be racist? And even if she did dress up as a black person to be a black person and not her favourite TV character, why would that be racist? We are all people here, just with different skin pigments. To mimic Julianne Hough, if I wanted to dress up as, say, Michonne from the Walking Dead because I like her character and I attempt to look more like her, how is that racist? I'm merely becoming her, not mocking her in any way.
    But, I believe the Trayvon Martin one was totally uncalled for. It was not racist in any way to dress up as a Hispanic person in real life and a black person in real life, but it was extremely superfluous, uncalled for, and stupid to dress up as a victim and a suspect in a murder case. Even though the case was viewed with racism intent, it was dismissed and therefore, the costumes weren't racist.
    Things like these are blown way out of proportion nowadays. It seems like the word racism is spit out without knowing the true meaning of it. We need to take a step back (some more than others) and think- 'is this truly racist, or do I just want to start drama with a supposed controversy?'
    Megan Glynn Period 3

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  54. Personally, I feel as though the issue cuts deeper than merely painting one's face black for Halloween and being called a racist. I do agree that some people have horrible intentions and paint their faces to be racist. However, I think it takes it a little too far to say that people who use bronzer or self tanner are racist. In the musical we use self tanner and we wear foundation that is often way darker than our natural skin shade. Our intentions however, are not to poke fun at other races. We wear the dark makeup so that we aren't washed out by all of the lights on stage. I think the most important thing to consider when discussing "black face", is people's intentions. There is a huge difference from deliberately painting one's face black and using self tanner or bronzer. Julianne Hough when she dressed as "Crazy Eyes" had no intention of being racist,"She was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character.” People's intentions are what matters the most. If people consider the use of bronzers and self tanners offense to other races on Halloween, then why isn't there such offense taken on a daily basis. People use those products everyday it is a huge portion of the cosmetics available to people in stores. I can completely understand how people deliberately painting their faces for the purpose of being racist is wrong, but I don't believe that the use of tanning products or other cosmetics that make people skin shade darker is racist. What is considered crossing the line into racism? There is no definite answer.

    ~Hailey Nelson Period 3

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  55. Personally, I believe that people have the freedom to wear whatever they please on Halloween, however, there are some exceptions to what is socially acceptable. For example, in the New York Times article, dressing as Trayvon Martin is in bad taste. I believe that when making a Halloween costume, you simply have to use your best judgement. If you are dressing as a celebrity that is African American, it is not "racist". However, anything that stereotypes a race, or dressing as a tender subject is best to be avoided.
    Jared P Period 3

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  56. Jonathan W, period 6

    I believe people are taking this too seriously. They’re looking too deep at a simple thing. Wearing a costume doesn't mean the person is trying to say something about a race; it’s just who they wanted to be for Halloween. As Thoreau might suggest, people shouldn't get too upset about everything. Rather, they should just keep a simple mindset and not take everything so seriously.

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  57. Jonathan W

    I agree; it's not really logical that people would get so offended about this. People just need to take a different perspective, and they'd see that this isn't really an issue.

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  58. When its Halloween, we wear things to have fun and be someone were not; but in a respectable matter. The two guys that dressed up as Martin and Zimmerman that was totally un-called for; an unfair for Martin's family to have to see that go viral. I do think people shout out; "That's racist, you should be a shammed of yourself." I think people say that too much, or think that too much. Halloween is suppose to be fun, an your suppose to joke around lightly. But you should be respectable about it; an to not go over the top.
    Lauren A. Period 8

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  59. Period:7 Conor Duffy-
    "If you donned blackface at a Halloween party this year but no one snapped a photo and shamed you by posting it on social media, does it still count as offensive behavior?"
    -"Of course it does."
    I disagree with the article stating that its offensive behavior to have a black face at a halloween party. its the one day of the year where people dress up and express what they feel and what they want to do. People in our society cant be so sensitive to someone who came to a party with a black face. i believe that people can express what they fell on halloween. People cant judge or make comments on racial facts on the day of becoming something your normally not! eople are taking it too seriously. Some people today are to sensitive and take to much meaning for things taht arent really important wehn its a day to dress to what you feel.

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  60. Calling someone racist for what they dress as is absurd and you'd have to be foolish to do so. Obviously if your directly making of someone with your costume based on their skin color than that's racist, but that's pretty extreme and I've never really seen that before. People dress up for Halloween for fun and to scare people and or make people laugh. If you take offense to someone wearing a costume of another skin color then you're just way to sensitive and you need to lighten up a bit. Every ones costume on Halloween is purely out of fun and friendliness and its not directed to hurt peoples feeling or discriminate anybody.
    Jack Murray period 8

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  61. I think that this was an interesting and difficult topic to address. I immediately understood the simple mistake in the case of Julianne Hough. She was simply trying to depict a character authentically and must have not thought enough about how her costume choice might offend others. However I also believe that it's just Halloween and going so far in a costume as changing the color of your skin isn't necessary especially if how you present yourself offends other people. In the New York TImes it was mentioned that, “The guys behind Trayvon are just jerks...They’re regular ol’ racists, whereas Julianne Hough clearly made a mistake. By the time she left the party, she had taken off her makeup.” I do believe that the Trayvon costumes were completely offensive and distasteful. What those people represented when they dressed up was not only racist but also ridiculously insensitive.The biggest difference in these two costumes is that one was completely innocent and the other was a mockery of a tragedy.
    -Cassidy M. Period 3

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  62. Holly Parker
    Period 2
    In my opinion I think that this situation is blown out of proportion. People dress up for Halloween to portray a character and adding face paint is just apart of the costume. In Julianne Hough’s defense, she used self tanner to darken her skin to enhance her costume, not to be racist. The article, A Halloween Risk: Racism in Disguise, says, “She was trying to be as faithful as she could to the character.” I think when people dress up and add makeup to look more like the character. They aren’t thinking of being racist, they are thinking about what they can do to best look like them. However, I do not agree with the two people from Florida who dressed as Zimmerman and Martin. I think that is inappropriate and disrespectful. The media should be more concerned about people who took it too far like they did rather than pull apart the people who didn’t intentionally dress up or paint their face to hurt or offend anyone.

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  63. After reading this article i do feel that there can be instances where halloween costumes can become racist such as dressing up as trayvon martin. I feel that dressing up in this manor is very disrespectful to the martin family and his community. In the case of julianne hough i feel that she was just dressing the part and didnt mean to cause any harm to anyone or make anyone feel uncomfortable. Dressing up for halloween can be taken in many different ways and everyone has to be carfeul becuase one little thing can effect someone majorly.
    Michaela S period 3

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  64. I think that this situation is really blown out of proportion. I feel like a white person can dress up as a African American and vice versa as long as it isnt mean spirited.When its Halloween we dress up to have fun and to scare people and to make them laugh. I dont think anyone would find it offensive. Wearing a costume doesnt mean that a person is trying to say something about a race. I really do feel like this article is blown out of proportion.
    Karisma Patel
    Period 7

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  65. I would agree with many of the other students that the issue of wearing 'blackface' really depends on what he or she will be doing. If the person will be acting out racist stereotypes, there would be a problem. However this is a character, and the only reason it was even necessary to wear blackface was to enhance the character and the persons indentification as that character. Just like it is not offensive to all blondes when someone wears a blonde wig for halloween, it should not be offensive to wear blackface. Emma P per. 6

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  66. I think that saying that the woman is a racist for dressing up as a black character from a television show is absolutely ridiculous. On Halloween you change your identity and are allowed to be who ever you want for the night. If this woman had dressed up like this character and had not used the black face she wouldn't have looked like the character. This woman is not a racist, she did not make any statements about if she believes one race is superior to another, she was simply getting into the Halloween spirit. Now if someone dressed up as a member of the KKK for Halloween, that would probably be considered racist, but this isn't. In my opinion the woman shouldn't have even apologized, she had no reason to.
    Aodhan Dunn
    Period 6

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