Japanese Blackface Obama: Yes We Can Be Incredibly Inappropriate (VIDEO)

Gabe over at Videogum found this amazing video of a Japanese blackface version of Obama. The video, posted on inauguration day, shows "Barack" and "Michelle" making a grand entrance and then performing a magic show. (Perhaps this is a racial metaphor for the magic of America electing a black president?) "Barack Obama" uses all of his familiar catch-phrases, but this time it's "yes we can pull an orange out of an empty bag." Japanese TV is weird.

WATCH:

Comments

[skantea]

I'm Black and I'm not the least bit offended. Africans a part of their history in the slightest. And their humor (For me not knowing the symbols of their cultural language) has always been curiously immature.

[zaumbi]

Its just a magician with a stage gimmick, I think the racism is lacking.

[hackerblaster]

I was in Japan for 3 years back in the early 80s. They are racists against all foreigners. But this being in 'black face' is stupid to talk about. They don't have 'black japanese' there to play the part. duh

[adamsmith3]

Yes, because we don't constantly make fun of Asian people on American television. People will find a reason to be offended by anything. It's a hobby for some people to get offended and find things "insensiti­ve."

[Mikecoatl]

Yes, it is stupid and insensitive. But it is important to remember that Japan does not have the social and historical context that makes wearing blackface so repugnant here in the US.

[shimown]

Dear Mikecoatl,

That's not really true, but, in this case, it is arguable that this would qualify as so-called blackface. This seems to just be a man made darker to appear African, not caricatured to be offensive.

See http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,149882,00.html for some accessible background on contemporary (ca. 2001) Japanese attitudes toward race.

Cheers.

[deruo]

I lived in Japan for a decade during the 90's- early 00's. In my experience, the Japanese treat MOST foreigners the same regardless of skin color. Doesn't matter if you're black or white. You're all outsiders. Granted, the Iranians in Tokyo and some Chinese bore a bigger brunt of discrimination because they were seen (and in some cases it was true) as being heavily involved in crime - such as fake telephone cards in the case of the Iranians in my old neighborhood.

I was constantly being stopped while riding my bicycle, because it was thought that only foreigners steal bicycles. This wasn't the only broad generalization. If you are black and a singer, you are expected to sing Jazz really well.

All this being said, Japanese TV is weird on so many levels, and childish. Gay characters are almost always portrayed as something to laugh at or feel sorry for.

[yappnmutt]

the japanese aren't burdened with all the micro politics of race and ethnic issues so this is an example of making fun of themselves, which they do in every corner of their media. i bet everyone watching this was roflmao at the idea a japanese act made up to look like obama and michele.

[shimown]

Dear yappnmutt,

Agreed, I thought the act was funny, and I was not offended, and would not have even thought of being offended had this discussion not arose (I am still wondering why HuffPost keeps this thread up this long).

But you are simply wrong about Japan's experience with the politics of race and ethic issues, and if you you don't believe me, live there as any kind of foreigner for a while, it will become apparent. Never allow yourself to be naive about any culture's ability to discriminate based on race.

Cheers.

[barackobama4prez]

LMAO...so it's okay to be racist or get rich off the president in America but the japanese are wrong for doing the same thing? it's hypocrisy at its finest.

[reno1190]

JAPANESE DONT DISCRIMINATE P-E-A-R-L H-A-R-B-O-R ANYONE

[MurrayAbraham]

HuffPo had no outrage when SNL showed up with their blackface Obama. So what's the beef?

It's more a satire of the "we found Christ" attitude many Obama supporters have, rather than anything else.

[Bitsko]

Before pointing fingers, remember that Saturday Night Live did it first. We have Japan totally beat in the racism sweepstakes. BTW, we enslaved Africans, and they didn't.

Get off the high horse.

[LolaP]

it's not racist! it's just silly. japanese tv is nuts, have you seen their crazy gameshows!

[LolaP]

besides, If I was impersonating marilyn monroe I'd wear a blonde wig, if i was impersonating rosanne barr i'd wear a fatsuit, if I was impersonating beyonce I'd have to wear dark make-up (and a buttsuit) - what's the big deal? people do it all the time - how bout robert downey jr in that movie playing a black dude, or shawn and marlon wayans playing white chicks? chill out.

[Bitsko]

Agreed. But Robert Downey didn't play a black man, he played an Australian actor who surgically altered himself to be able to play a black man. That was the funny thing about the role.

[HerbTee]

One question I wish to ask many of you: who the heck are we to castigate the Japanese for much of the same ra ci$ m and behaviors that still exist right here in our own country? Who are we to throw mud at the Japanese when we have certain people and their petty politics putting African Americans down in subtle and not so subtle ways almost daily? The major problem with Americans is we always think we have the upper hand on morality above everyone else. We're always po ntif icat ing or bu ll y ing other nations and cultures on how to behave when we're often no better than they are in many instances.

[shimown]

You have to admit, that was a pretty slick trick.

[NKR]

This IS NOT "blackface". Go look up at that term on Wikipedia for a description. This is just makeup, and not much different than, say, Fred Armisen on SNL doing Obama. Frankly, I don't see what the big deal is...becau­se its not demeaning Obama in any way. If its so inappropriate, why does HuffPo post clips of SNL doing it every week.