Well, this is pretty fucking bizarre

[Bexley Heath]

I didn’t think people were still doing blackface in music videos these days… :S

[anniescribe]

My thoughts, in order:

<I>Star Trek meets Red Dwarf-ish outpost

Oh shit, it IS Red Dwarf

Why is Todhunter a hologram?

The fuck am I watching?

So this is where Dr. Evil trains his fembots

You know, the world really does need more rappin’ Rimmer

Cat can’t dance

Did Cat kill and eat Lister?

When did Rimmer become Palpatine?

The fuck did I watch all the way through?</I>

[Phil]

I watched it with the sound off.

I feel live I’ve eaten some bad beef.

[Blisschick]

Oh hell, I had to watch this right before going to bed. I. Have. No. Words.

[anniescribe]

I don’t know where this band is from. But I suspect there are more countries than not where blackface isn’t seen as bad, where they don’t have the history the US and UK do with African slavery. If they’re neither British nor American, maybe they don’t think it’s offensive?

I still want to know what the fuck I watched …

[Bexley Heath]

You raise an excellent point. They seem to be from Spain. I know less than bugger-all about Spanish culture and history, so don’t trust anything I say from hereon in, but a little googling indicates that a) Spain did have a fair bit to do with the slave trade and b) there’s one or two instances of blackface in Spanish tradition that are now starting to be challenged as offensive. But, it being a different cultural landscape, yes indeed, that’s very likely.

As for your second question, I’m afraid I can’t help.

[anniescribe]

Here’s an admittedly crazy question: Is it possible that’s the dude’s actual skin and he’s not wearing blackface?

[Bexley Heath]

That much I <i>did</i> make sure to check. These appear to be the dudes in question, if I haven’t entirely misgoogled. (source)

[Bexley Heath]

(Whoops, HTML fail. Can’t get the comment to edit properly. I know no-one cares, but that’s gonna annoy me now!)

[Pecospete666]

I thought it was mildly entertaining! But simple amusement for simple minds! If I wasn’t so lazy I would translate it! Thank you for posting it.

[anniescribe]

I tweeted the video to someone yesterday with only a humorous “I don’t even know, LOL” and I guess the band gets Google alerts for their name, because shortly after, they retweeted me. Since it gave me the opportunity, I asked about the blackface and where they were from, and explained in the US it’s considered offensive (and asked if it was even makeup anyway). The guy said they’re from Andalucia and his producer played Cat because he resembles him. He said the makeup artist “just put his skin a little darker” on the producer because he’s Latin, and said it’s not offensive, “it’s just performing.”

So there you go – I’m not doing a full “20/20” investigative report to verify his cultural claims, but he did address my questions quickly and pleasantly. And on Twitter, where there’s not much room to explain much. For whatever that’s worth. :-D

[Bexley Heath]

Well, that’s something, certainly.

Personally, what offends me most about that video is that pitiful excuse for a salute.

[Ridley]

But who would win in a fight between blackface Duane Dibbley, possibly blackface Cat and blackhand Bond?

[Karnie]

Wow, that’s some pretty hi-def footage from “UFO”….

[Author]

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