blackface

Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for blackface.

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Editorial note

Hmm, yeah, if people were executed for putting on blackface, it seems a good protest might have people putting on blackface.

Examples16

Definitions4

Parts of speech1

Quick take

(uncountable, countable, typography) Synonym of boldface.

Meaning at a glance

The clearest senses and uses of blackface gathered in one view.

noun

(uncountable, countable, typography) Synonym of boldface.

noun

(countable) A sheep of the Scottish Blackface breed.

noun

Alternative letter-case form of blackface. [(uncountable) The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.]

Definitions

Core meanings and parts of speech for blackface.

noun

(uncountable, countable, typography) Synonym of boldface.

noun

(countable) A sheep of the Scottish Blackface breed.

noun

Alternative letter-case form of blackface. [(uncountable) The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.]

noun

(uncountable) The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.

Example sentences

Hmm, yeah, if people were executed for putting on blackface, it seems a good protest might have people putting on blackface.

Yes, people in Belgium and The Netherlands still dress up in blackface during the Christmas season.

I can't tell whether you mean to reference blackface as just an example of a class issue or to draw an analogy with sex work.

Personally, I don't understand why blackface performances are so abhorred, but I have well taken note that they are.

For example, black people get to decide that white people can't say the N word and that they can't dress in blackface, because it's offensive to them.

Firstly, blackface used white actors painted black, unnecessarily.

I would be an inconsiderate asshole if the picture was actually offensive, ie, if it was goatse, someone in blackface, etc.

Or blackface preventing the civil rights movement.

-- But why would someone dress up in blackface, or say the N word?

If female characters are created that adhere to destructive norms, the creators should expect criticism; I'm not sure why this is a bad thing, when almost everyone would criticize people for making racist caricture characters or doing blackface.

If the latter, I think it fails because blackface was about excluding capable performers from the white economic market for entertainment despite the demand for their output, whereas class-based objections to prostitution rest on the argument that any kind of commercial relations involving sexuality are fundamentally exploitative/oppressive and should be forbidden.

Quote examples

Everyone understands that blackface is detrimental to black people "as a class", and was/is symtomatic of certain things about the "class" of white people out of which blackface performers come.

Legitimately offensive "nerd blackface" would be, for example, the portrayal of Asian-American characters in '80s comedies like Revenge of the Nerds and Sixteen Candles.

Are you referring to the "nerd blackface" of Big Bang Theory?

Characterizations of the show as "nerd blackface" seem misguided, IMO.

Proper noun examples

Blackface is offensive even when the actual portrayal the black characters is balanced, simply because of the discrimination against black actors which prevent them from getting the roles.