Sunday, March 09, 2008

New blackface uproar



We read:

"Actor Robert Downey Jr has in the past been applauded for his edgy roles. But his latest may be a step too far - as the actor dons make-up to play a rather convincing looking black man in a new Hollywood film starring comic actor Ben Stiller...

But the backlash has clearly begun as one comment on a showbiz blog Just Jared said: "I'm not black and I find it offensive; are there not any talented enough black actors out in the world that they feel the need to hire a white guy to do a black guy?" "They are infering ["implying"?] that there are no good enough black actors to play a black person.

Source

The blackface complaints used to arise about stage shows but I suppose it is the turn of the movies.