Polish Comp Has Contestants in Blackface, Dropping N Bombs (Hoo Boy)

[Mark Jeffries]

The Polish version of the format "Your Face Sounds Familiar" (claimed as originating in Spain in 2011, although it sure as hell sounds like the UK's "Stars in Their Eyes," which goes back further and is owned by the company owning this show, the French format factory Banijay) recently featured a white man impersonating rapper Kendrick Lamar in blackface and cornrows and repeating a "nigga" from the lyrics of Lamar's "Humble" (the video's in the link) AND a white woman impersonating Beyonce in blackface--controversy ensued and Banijay's home office in Paris said they would conduct an investigation:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/12/polish-tv-talent-show-contestants-use-blackface-for-kendrick-lamar-beyonce-performances

HOWEVER, this is not the first time--in 2021 a contestant won with a blackface impersonation of Kanye West and there have been other instances of blackface in the Polish version's history (perhaps before Banijay bought the original format owner Endemol Shine) and the Czech version out-and-out banned blackface in the same year.

[Kevin M.]

25-years-ago when we did Your Big Break in tandem with the company that produces Stars in Their Eyes, I learned that blackface was considered less offensive in Europe than it is here in the US. We had a few non-POC portraying African Americans, but there was deliberately no pigment-altering makeup applied. 

During a production meeting it was discussed, and it was agreed that a white personal could impersonate a black person. But when somebody kiddingly asked if a Christian could portray a Jew, our producer replied “F*ck no!”

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[Adam Bowie]

Maybe once upon a time - not even that long ago - it might have been "accepted". And I say that being from the country that had "The Black and White Minstrel Show" on primetime television until as recently as 1978.

But I'm not sure any country has any excuses today. That said, there are still versions of shows like Stars in Their Eyes that have had blackface contestants frighteningly recently. I would suggest that various countries' ignorance of the issue is dependent on the racial makeup of that country. Poland, from what I can tell, is not the most ethnically diverse country in Europe, and certainly not non-white ethnicities. No excuse though.

The actor David Harewood (Homeland, Supergirl amongst many others) presented a really good BBC documentary on the whole subject a couple of months ago. If you've got a way to watch BBC iPlayer then it's here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001p474/david-harewood-on-blackface

Very much from a British perspective.


Adam

Adam

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[PGage]

So, I get why it has become unacceptable for White people to darken their skin to impersonate Black people (it became impossible to make a somewhat fuzzy distinction between racist and non racist instances of this practice, and there were so many bad faith actors in that space that it was easier to start saying that all instances of skin darkening by white people was racist).

But I think it is unfortunate, for several reasons, not least that it has tended to erase and trivialize what blackface really was and is. Blackface involved not just skin darkening, but doing it in an exaggerated way, often with other exaggerated features, in an explicit attempt to make fun of, demean and dehumanize Black people. It was in the service of maintaining the racist hierarchy and justifying and enforcing racial injustice and violence.

Billy Crystal blackening his face to do his Sammy Davis Jr impression is not “Blackface”, indeed it was the opposite, a clearly affectionate and respectful homage. I’m not sure when the last time he did it, but he wouldn’t do it today, not because it is racist, and not just because he would get “canceled” but because as innocent as it is, it gives cover to actual racists who would do blackface and use Billy as an excuse. Racists are why we can’t have nice things.

That said, I can easily imagine that a Polish guy in darkened face spitting the N word in a Kendrick Lamar song would actually be more of the toxic  blackface variety. 

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