Turkish Anchor Reports On Obama In Blackface (VIDEO)

democracy1st

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Wed Apr-08-09 02:46 PM
Original message

Turkish Anchor Reports On Obama In Blackface (VIDEO)

A Turkish news anchor wore dark face paint while he reported on President Obama's trip to the country.

A rough translation: "Welcome, Mr. Obama. You took our hearts with your hospitality. We appreciate your kindness. We will do whatever America asks of us, as friends. Now, we ask the same of you."

It's not clear if the broadcast is a spoof or not. BuzzFeed says that the face darkening is meant to be "a metaphor for the way the Bush administration "darkened" the face of the Turkish public, and how the anchor hopes Obama will turn things around."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4crN7SL5pZE

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ccharles000

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Wed Apr-08-09 02:52 PM
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1. I don't know what to say

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Chulanowa

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Wed Apr-08-09 03:27 PM
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2. Well, unless we get someone who speaks Turkish to tell us what the hell is being said...

It looks weird as hell, but I'm going to leave an opening for it to not have the same connotations as in America.

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Xithras

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Wed Apr-08-09 03:31 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. Yep, you have to remember that connotations are societal. It's a different society

Blackface is considered a racist insult in the U.S. because it was used in theater and early film as a way to poke fun at plantation slaves. The practice has a dark history and we justifiably attack those who would use it today.

None of that happened in Turkey. They had no plantation slaves, no early movies and theater poking fun at them, and no societal decision to condemn those actions. To the Turks, painting your face black is no more insulting than painting your face white, green, or maroon.

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FudaFuda

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Wed Apr-08-09 03:35 PM
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4. Blackface is common on Japanese TV too.

I don't know about other asian countries, but it wouldn't surprise me.

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