Cultural appropriation

[papasmurf]

They ought to team up with one of those African tribes that paint themselves white for ceremonies. That would be really diverse, especially for Cornwall.

In the village where I live there is only one visibly ethnic minority lady. A "hippy" Thai takeaway/restaurant five miles away has Thai lady co-owner and a black lady waitress.
Other than that visible ethnic minorities are as rare rocking horse poo and Unicorns. (Cornwall as a whole according the the last census has only 0.3% visible ethnic minorities resident.)

[HDQQ]

They ought to team up with one of those African tribes that paint themselves white for ceremonies. That would be really diverse, especially for Cornwall.

[papasmurf]

How many of those actually participating in so-called Darkie Day today have any true local connections at all?

I will assume that is a serious question.  If you don't have a history in Padstow going back hundreds of years you won't get near being one of those taking part in either Darkie Day or Obby Oss.

[srb7677]

On another issue, I never really understood the no longer acceptable tradition of white people blacking up and pretending to be black people.

Well you did ask, (Only 280 pages.) In this instance I do blame Diane Abbott

The background:-

http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/4181/1/MPhil_upload.pdf

Chapter 1: Introduction
In 2005 the Crown Prosecution Service was sent police film of a long-established
English folk tradition which had taken place that midwinter, as for countless years
previously, in a remote coastal town. The CPS was required to assess whether, by
the very nature of the event, an offence had been committed - it was found that
there were no grounds for prosecution. Nevertheless, and despite the fact it was
agreed that the name and some other contentious features of the occasion would
be changed, the following year the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion calling for the Government 'to discourage
any repeat of this event'.1
The custom at issue was a parade of local people
touring the pubs of Padstow, Cornwall, singing popular songs and collecting for
charity. The objection was that, as the occasion was called 'Darkie Day', the
participants blackened their faces, and the songs were minstrel songs, the practice
was inherently racist and as such had no place in modern England.

There is barely a true Cornishman left in Padstow. It is all second home owners and wealthy retirees from elsewhere, with streets often busting with emmets (aka tourists). How many of those actually participating in so-called Darkie Day today have any true local connections at all?

Besides which, is the blacking up of faces really necessary to the continuance of the rest of those traditions? Surely not.

[papasmurf]

On another issue, I never really understood the no longer acceptable tradition of white people blacking up and pretending to be black people.

Well you did ask, (Only 280 pages.) In this instance I do blame Diane Abbott

The background:-

http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/4181/1/MPhil_upload.pdf

Chapter 1: Introduction
In 2005 the Crown Prosecution Service was sent police film of a long-established
English folk tradition which had taken place that midwinter, as for countless years
previously, in a remote coastal town. The CPS was required to assess whether, by
the very nature of the event, an offence had been committed - it was found that
there were no grounds for prosecution. Nevertheless, and despite the fact it was
agreed that the name and some other contentious features of the occasion would
be changed, the following year the MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington
tabled a Parliamentary Early Day Motion calling for the Government 'to discourage
any repeat of this event'.1
The custom at issue was a parade of local people
touring the pubs of Padstow, Cornwall, singing popular songs and collecting for
charity. The objection was that, as the occasion was called 'Darkie Day', the
participants blackened their faces, and the songs were minstrel songs, the practice
was inherently racist and as such had no place in modern England.

[srb7677]

I would just like to point out that there can be some cultural icons of dubious acceptability because of dodgy past political and social connotations.

An obvious example is the Confederate flag in America, or that toppled Colston statue here. The Confederate flag in particular can mean different things to different people, but some of those meanings can make it highly offensive to some.

On another issue, I never really understood the no longer acceptable tradition of white people blacking up and pretending to be black people. Why not simply hire bona fide black people for the role?

[papasmurf]

I know like many people you

I doubt that very much. I went to a grammar school and got treated like dirt by far to many of the teachers. (Not the headmaster and the deputy head master though, even after I decked the school bully on my first day at the school.)

[T00ts]

I used to, and got fed up with the Toffs offspring getting away with murder, (sometime literally,) and the Lumpen Proletariats offspring ending up in jail for the most minor of infractions.

Not by me, But by people who have suffered the two tier one law for them and one for us justice system.

Your first post quoted above tells me that you were fed up, the second after my challenge pretends that you were not accusing. I rest my case. I know like many people you like the last word just to increase your post count. I have turned the other cheek a few times but even my faith allows attack when my family  is  concerned. You are a bully and not worthy of any further response.

[papasmurf]

Only by people like you - now that's enough! My family has been insulted quite enough.

Not by me, But by people who have suffered the two tier one law for them and one for us justice system.

[T00ts]

The inference being that in some way my very hardworking decent boy will be the same. Shameful of you sir!

He could be perceived as being the same. If he wears the Toffs uniform.

Only by people like you - now that's enough! My family has been insulted quite enough.

[papasmurf]

The inference being that in some way my very hardworking decent boy will be the same. Shameful of you sir!

He could be perceived as being the same. If he wears the Toffs uniform.

[T00ts]

Mmmm I find that quite offensive in the circumstances and not very gentlemanly of you. I would imagine that your reference is quite an old one and therefore out of date.

The Toffs kids are still getting away with murder, (sometimes literally,) It was just high spirits you honour, thus spake the QC defence.

As for the Lumpen Proletariat offspring, still gong to jail for minor offences.

The inference being that in some way my very hardworking decent boy will be the same. Shameful of you sir!

[papasmurf]

Mmmm I find that quite offensive in the circumstances and not very gentlemanly of you. I would imagine that your reference is quite an old one and therefore out of date.

The Toffs kids are still getting away with murder, (sometimes literally,) It was just high spirits you honour, thus spake the QC defence.

As for the Lumpen Proletariat offspring, still gong to jail for minor offences.

[T00ts]

That's a really disappointing post. I'm really glad that you don't live near Windsor.

I used to, and got fed up with the Toffs offspring getting away with murder, (sometime literally,) and the Lumpen Proletariats offspring ending up in jail for the most minor of infractions.

Mmmm I find that quite offensive in the circumstances and not very gentlemanly of you. I would imagine that your reference is quite an old one and therefore out of date.

[papasmurf]

That's a really disappointing post. I'm really glad that you don't live near Windsor.

I used to, and got fed up with the Toffs offspring getting away with murder, (sometime literally,) and the Lumpen Proletariats offspring ending up in jail for the most minor of infractions.