Althouse: I don’t think anyone is saying “brownface” now.

September 29, 2019

I don’t think anyone is saying “brownface” now.

There’s new video of Justin Trudeau in blackface.

98 comments:

Mike Sylwester said...: We need a US President who will do something about all the White Supremacists running wild in North America.; 9/29/19, 7:58 AM
rhhardin said...: How did blackface become a problem. Paint yourself any color you want and make fun of anybody you want.; 9/29/19, 8:01 AM
gilbar said...: but, but; it's still Okay*, right? I mean, he's Still a Liberal, isn't he?

Okay* It's Okay to use Okay; because, he's a liberal... So it's NOT White Supremacist; 9/29/19, 8:03 AM
David Begley said...: Lots of people knew about this for a long time and they had the pictures and videos. Did they hold them so that Justin could get elected? Or did the Press hold them?; 9/29/19, 8:03 AM
rhhardin said...: There is, everybody knows, nothing funny about black people. Droll but lofty race.

- after Lautreamont; 9/29/19, 8:04 AM
Oso Negro said...: It's unpleasant to be held to one's own standard.; 9/29/19, 8:04 AM
M Jordan said...: All liberal are hypocrites.
Justin Trudeau is a liberal.
Ergo, Justin Trudeau is an idiot.; 9/29/19, 8:05 AM
Darrell said...: Are they also saying BBC now?; 9/29/19, 8:05 AM
Amexpat said...: Two thoughts:

29 is too old to be excused for this.

Why hasn't a political opponent used this against him before? Are Canadians too civilized for that?; 9/29/19, 8:07 AM
Darrell said...: Is the "crotch" enhancement evident in that video?; 9/29/19, 8:11 AM
gilbar said...: So,
Aladdin, when he was 29 years old; and a High School Teacher
Banana Boat, back when he Was in High School
And Mister Big Dick, when he was in College?

What is it they say?
About once was a mistake? Twice was bad planning? and Thrice was You are a Racist FUCK?; 9/29/19, 8:14 AM
Ray - SoCal said...: Canadian elections are October 21...; 9/29/19, 8:20 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: I subscribe to Jordan Peterson's view of JT. Hint: It is not favorable.

THEOLDMAN; 9/29/19, 8:21 AM
robother said...: Well, if this doesn't' persuade Canadians that race is just a social construct, I don't know what will.; 9/29/19, 8:23 AM
Fernandinande said...: "Blackface" is worser then "brownface" because black people are more sacred than brown people.; 9/29/19, 8:31 AM
Kevin said...: Did they hold them so that Justin could get elected? Or did the Press hold them?

The US press sat on the Lewinsky story until Drudge forced their hand.; 9/29/19, 8:37 AM
Levi Starks said...: The victims may just refuse to press charges.; 9/29/19, 8:37 AM
pious agnostic said...: "I would be happy to watch his minstrel show just to thank him for keeping abortion legal."; 9/29/19, 8:38 AM
Lucien said...: Blackface used to be part of and associated with minstrel shows, which involved negative stereotypes of and attitudes toward black people. Then the left started stretching term to smear anyone who darkened their skin in any manner, and now here we are. Soon the term will be meaningless to all but the Woke. They have done this before with terms like “racism” and “sexual assault”.; 9/29/19, 8:43 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: Vanishing from the net fast. The Toronto Sun just pulled the video and replaced it will a still. Someone in Ottawa is working the phones.; 9/29/19, 8:51 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: Vanishing from the net fast. The Toronto Sun just pulled the video and replaced it will a still. Someone in Ottawa is working the phones.; 9/29/19, 8:54 AM
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...: America has had more governors who have worn blackface than black governors.; 9/29/19, 9:00 AM
Gusty Winds said...: Arms, legs, face....JT can really commit to a character.; 9/29/19, 9:03 AM
Mr. Groovington said...: pious agnostic said...
"I would be happy to watch his minstrel show just to thank him for keeping abortion legal."

Yesterday a girl here was happily showing off a video of her 14 weeks ultrasound on her phone. I hadn’t seen video before and had to watch the quite dramatic arm movements several times, as it appear to be settling in a new position. It was extraordinary, and more than a little joyful.; 9/29/19, 9:03 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: So Free Press becoming an oxymoron? Journolist IS multi-national.; 9/29/19, 9:05 AM
rehajm said...: It's not so bad since Canadian racism is only worth about .75x of US racism.; 9/29/19, 9:08 AM
Ken B said...: Sad that this is what will sink Trudeau, rather than his corrupt interference in the prosecution of a major donor or his physical assaults, plural, on members of parliament.

Sad, but I’ll take it.; 9/29/19, 9:10 AM
MBunge said...: I must have lived a sheltered life because I've been white for all of it and ever heard of anybody doing blackface besides Al Jolson.

Mike; 9/29/19, 9:15 AM
Ken B said...: I wonder if some Canadians would be prosecuted for such stuff. There have been some egregiously awful cases here, but I don’t know about stuffed crotches. Trudeau won’t be prosecuted , he is from the Eloi, but everyone who votes for him has to admit voting for a blackface minstrel comic. He might still win (I predict not) but there will be less preening.; 9/29/19, 9:15 AM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: I'm waiting for the Justin and Beto Show to debut on tv.

[Cue Music]
Justin (sings): "I'm a little bit racist!"

Beto (sigs): "I'm a little bit felonious!"

And somewhere out across the vast western plains, the Osmond lawyers mount up!; 9/29/19, 9:15 AM
whitney said...: He put a sock or something in his pants. Hilarious!; 9/29/19, 9:19 AM
rcocean said...: Just confirms my opinion that Trudeau hates being a white Canadian and secretly wishes he was a man of color. Dreams of sexy dark color, and colorful clothes, unlike boring dull white men. Who knew that when he dressed up like a Hindu at an old-fashioned wedding in 2018, he was actually reliving his youth.; 9/29/19, 9:20 AM
Lyle said...: I like calling Trudeau brownface now. It mocks him and the media.

If he doesn't resign, he's the greatest living example of white privilege. Trump should invade Canada to liberate Canada from the white supremacy of Justin Trudeau.; 9/29/19, 9:20 AM
Birkel said...: Maybe the new Prime Minister will pass USMCA.; 9/29/19, 9:20 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: It's so silly, petty, trivial and unimportant. Young people are supposed to do stupid, but harmless stuff when they're young!

And yet - everyone knows that if they found video like that of Trump, Mick Mulvaney, or Rudy Guiliani, the NAACP, the black Congressional Caucus, the NYT, CNN, Al Sharpton and Shaun King would be calling him a White Supremecist and demanding his resignation, while tedious Republicans like Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would join in the fray.; 9/29/19, 9:29 AM
Drago said...: Why is this a problem? Trudeau did not commit a real crime like attending Covington Catholic High so its all good.; 9/29/19, 9:44 AM
Steven said...: Sad that this is what will sink Trudeau, rather than his corrupt interference in the prosecution of a major donor

If Trump did anything equivalent to Trudeau's acts in SNC-Lavalin, he'd already have been impeached and removed from office. But Trudeau's got liberal impunity, just like Biden or a Clinton.

(The difference between liberal impunity and diplomatic immunity is that if you commit felonies as a diplomat, you're only immune from prosecution; you lose your position because the host country expels you. If you've got liberal impunity, though, you also never lose your position for your crimes.); 9/29/19, 9:44 AM
Mark said...: I wonder if some Canadians would be prosecuted for such stuff.

Ken beat me to it. Yes, in today's Canada, this kind of thing would be prosecuted for as a hate speech crime.; 9/29/19, 9:45 AM
libertariansafetyguy said...: Its a little bit funny,
This feeling inside,
You see I’ve forgotten,
If I’m black,
Or I’m white,
Anyway, the thing is,
What I really want to say,
Trump is the racist guy I’ve ever seen.; 9/29/19, 9:45 AM
TJM said...: He must resign immediately - Alinsky rules govern!; 9/29/19, 9:53 AM
daskol said...: I hope he's done some introspection and pondered how differently this would go down if he'd taken a stand in the past not for cancelling people who give unintentional offense but rather in favor of free expression. Now he looks like someone who'll say anything the political moment demands even if it makes him a hypocrite, which of course is exactly what he is. A key qualification for sustained political success is a combination of a taste for corruption and a willingness to say anything, in particular to inveigh against corruption with one's about in the trough.; 9/29/19, 9:57 AM
Iman said...: It’s the smoked meats, Molson and cheese... does it every time...; 9/29/19, 10:01 AM
Amadeus 48 said...: Here's the problem: the Tory candidate is so wet that Trudeau might win.; 9/29/19, 10:05 AM
Craig Howard said...: Trudeau hates being a white Canadian and secretly wishes he was a man of color

Race dysphoria.; 9/29/19, 10:06 AM
Iman said...: One of my sons has a friend who, while in high school, attended a Halloween party done up as Steve Urkel. Some 19 years later, he’s been on the run after some photos appeared on social media...; 9/29/19, 10:08 AM
William said...: This will be reported on for another day or two, but mostly in precincts like this. The megaphones will be silent. No late night parodies, no deep think articles in Atlantic about how this shows the pervasive nature of racism in North America. The media will drink deeply of the waters of Lethe and then piss all over the fire. They get to define what's scandalous, not you assholes.; 9/29/19, 10:17 AM
Mary Beth said...: Darrell said..

Yes.

The video was blocked, but The Post Millennial helpfully mentioned that it had already been shared on social media. A quick Twitter search found it.; 9/29/19, 10:19 AM
Biff said...: Lyle said..."I like calling Trudeau brownface now. It mocks him and the media."

Exactly. It's hard for me to overstate the contempt I feel for the media's use of "brownface" in this instance.; 9/29/19, 10:23 AM
Birkel said...: Cool story, ARM.
Those Democratics are deplorable.; 9/29/19, 10:25 AM
William said...: Re stereotypes: Did you ever see the Nazi caricatures of Jews? Now that's a harmful stereotype. Or how about the Japanese in American WWII movies. That's some evil racist stereotyping. I leave aside the depiction of Nazis in WWII movies. As we now know, the Nazis were the early progenitors of the modern Republican Party, so the depictions are both accurate and fair..... Anyway, my point is that Trudeau's antics were stupid, but not necessarily racist or of malicious intent. He should resign because he's a damn fool but not because he's a racist. Anyone who repeatedly goes to that much trouble to dress up in stupid costumes is not a serious person.; 9/29/19, 10:28 AM
Sebastian said...: "Brownface" was the MSM's attempt at deflection.; 9/29/19, 10:32 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: The Aladdin makeup, at least, wasn’t blackface, no matter how dark it was. Blackface is a specific look and performance with burnt cork, big white lips, often a bow tie and a boater, jazz hands, and maybe a banjo.; 9/29/19, 10:33 AM
Bill Peschel said...: He seems nice.

This is really silly.; 9/29/19, 10:40 AM
bagoh20 said...: Of all the things wrong with this poser, dressing up as another race is the least of it. I think I like him more the way he was back then.

Our culture is donning a heavy blanket of recrimination and fear. It's experimenting with the familiar path of a traditional collectivist revolution where people are destroyed by friend and foe alike as all try to stay in the good graces of the revolutionaries stalking the communities for scapegoats and trophies of their right-think. The left operates this way every time, becuase it's the only way for such a system to get and keep power. Fear is the go-to weapon for the left, and so they naturally create this atmosphere, and it's why they are always selling imminent disaster and hatred of dissenters.

While it is satisfying to see one of them go down via ideological cannibalism, as a right-wing hillbilly, I would much prefer that Trudeau and other victims be free to be human beings like anyone else, even when that leaves them foolish. Trudeau playing with blackface was not trying to demean anybody. It was just an attempt to be funny by a young man back before most natural humor became toxic. I was not offended in any way by the movie "White Girls, which did make fun of white women on top of just being funny just from looking like someone very different than yourself - a time-honored art in virtually every culture before the era of "that's not funny".; 9/29/19, 10:48 AM
JCA1 said...: I want someone to ask him about the logistics of this. He appears to cover his entire body. How long did it take? Trial runs with different products to decide what he liked best? How long to wash off? It’s now popped up several times. Did he carry this stuff around with him just hoping for an opportunity to do it? Was the last time on a rafting trip? Why would he think to do this then? Was he trying to be “Tom” from Huck Finn?; 9/29/19, 10:55 AM
Narayanan said...: All such exposure deserve simple response.
" I've changed. "

Which is always parsingly true.; 9/29/19, 10:57 AM
Narayanan said...: I learned this from Don Surber about a Pole and a Virginian.

General Kościuszko put his all-men-are-equal where his wallet was. The army assigned him a black orderly, Agrippa Hull, whom he treated as an equal and friend. After the war, The general returned to Poland and led forces in many victories against superior Russian forces.

Kościuszko left in his will enough money for the emancipation of his friend Thomas Jefferson's slaves but as executor of the will, Jefferson could not bring himself to free his slaves. Even great men have feet of clay; 9/29/19, 11:10 AM
Patrick said...: The dark night of racism. Forever descending on the US. Always landing on Canada.; 9/29/19, 11:12 AM
Matt Sablan said...: Unfortunately for him, he is now over qualified to be governor of VA.; 9/29/19, 11:13 AM
Matt Sablan said...: "Did they hold them so that Justin could get elected? Or did the Press hold them?"

-- It was a conspiracy of silence probably. Everyone wanted to protect him, and they did as long as they could. But, once the dam breaks, you're getting your clicks/15 minutes since he's a dead man walking anyway. Well, if he weren't as far left as he is. He'll probably survive comfortably after this.; 9/29/19, 11:15 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Obviously, the Canadian media have had the photos and videos for a long time, but Trudeau isn't a conservative, so they were never used. Someone finally was able to go over the the media gatekeepers heads. Also, the corruption allegations had weakened Trudeau enough that the media probably decided that protecting him might not be in their interests any longer- if he was going down, they could rebuy part of the integrity by finally reporting on it.

Like Ken B, though- it is sad that this will blamed if Trudeau and his party lose the election- it really should because of the obvious corruption.; 9/29/19, 11:15 AM
frenchy said...: Is okay when you're a person of color yourself, being half Cuban as Justin is.; 9/29/19, 11:18 AM
mockturtle said...: The Progs should be called the 'Boomerang Party'. Maybe they are, in Australia.; 9/29/19, 11:21 AM
bagoh20 said...: I bet that back in the day, plenty of Blacks laughed at Al Jolson, but they wouldn't be allowed to today. Infantilization of Blacks is the real form of racism that survives today, and that form is the most offensive of all. You have to assume someone is somewhat equal in ability to hate them as the traditional racists did, becuase they then become a threat, but infantilization is the proof of who are really the white supremacists today - the ones who assume Blacks are lesser people.; 9/29/19, 11:31 AM
Iman said...: What is it about progressivism that pushes so many of its adherents toward this sort of behavior?; 9/29/19, 11:43 AM
bagoh20 said...: "Jefferson could not bring himself to free his slaves. Even great men have feet of clay"

The thinking of people like Jefferson back then was that slaves would be at risk if they left the security of the plantation. Freeing them was not a simple decision even if you thought slavery an evil system. Slaves born and raised on a plantation system in a larger community where they were not considered free or equal created a vulnerable population that was at serious risk on their own. You have to consider the real-life situation at the time for a slave owner who wanted to do the best for them. I can see how some would choose to free them, and some would choose not to, and both doing what they truely thought was best for the enslaved people they were responsible for. It's easy for people who did not have that real responsibility to see it as simple, but to know that your action in freeing them could lead to them being badly treated elsewhere or even that they might starve, made it a tougher decision. I'm sure that some slaves chose to stay even when they had a choice.; 9/29/19, 11:51 AM
J. Farmer said...: More interesting question: did he stuff his pants?; 9/29/19, 11:54 AM
madAsHell said...: He's the white Obama. Empty suit with no accomplishments, and propped up by a fawning media.; 9/29/19, 11:56 AM
Nichevo said...: Kościuszko left in his will enough money for the emancipation of his friend Thomas Jefferson's slaves but as executor of the will, Jefferson could not bring himself to free his slaves. Even great men have feet of clay

Wow. I had thought that TJ had used the excuse of not being able to afford to manumit them, but K gave him the dosh and he still didn't do it? Tsk-plus.; 9/29/19, 12:23 PM
n.n said...: How did blackface become a problem.

With [unqualified] progress, diversity in lieu of character judgments, and social justice anywhere is injustice everywhere.; 9/29/19, 12:47 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: George M. Cohan did blackface. It's available on YouTube. I still love him.

THEOLDMAN; 9/29/19, 1:04 PM
Mary Beth said...: J. Farmer said...

More interesting question: did he stuff his pants?

9/29/19, 11:54 AM

If not, I'm very impressed. See the link I posted above to judge for yourself.; 9/29/19, 1:34 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: Justin Castreau!; 9/29/19, 1:37 PM
narciso said...: no he's not, fidel had no stupid sons, at least one is a nuclear physicist, even though he does have a certain rowan farrow type resemblance to young fidel,; 9/29/19, 1:46 PM
LTC Ted said...: Goldface? Copperface? Milkface? Pinkface? Cafeaulaitface? Fifty shades of skin. Fie!; 9/29/19, 1:53 PM
FullMoon said...: I must have lived a sheltered life because I've been white for all of it and ever heard of anybody doing blackface besides Al Jolson.

Yeah, and I thought Jolson was supposed to be some kind of greatest singer of his time. Does not seem to denigrate the race. Guess it was the other guys back in the day?

Also, how many people do blackface more than once? Kinda peculiar. Is it difficult to remove all that makeup?; 9/29/19, 1:54 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: Jefferson was the executor of his own will? The man was truly a phenomenon!; 9/29/19, 2:18 PM
Paul Ciotti said...: There is no photo at the link, least ways none that I can find.; 9/29/19, 2:28 PM
mockturtle said...: Mary Beth observes re Trudeau stuffing his pants: If not, I'm very impressed. See the link I posted above to judge for yourself.

Saw the video on Youtube. Yes, looks promising! ;-); 9/29/19, 2:43 PM
gilbar said...: Char Char Binks doesn't pay much attention, asking...
efferson was the executor of his own will?

Please pay attention, things will make more sense, and You won't seem so silly
Kościuszko left in his will enough money for the emancipation of his friend Thomas Jefferson's slaves; 9/29/19, 3:09 PM
Fernandinande said...: America has had more governors who have worn blackface than black governors.

Even more interesting is that there are exactly the same number of spotted and striped governors as there are black governors.

There is no photo at the link, least ways none that I can find.

Redstate article -> link to video; 9/29/19, 3:10 PM
Dan said...: Greta Thunberg met with Trudeau the other day. It would have been so much better -- and I would have read the copy -- if one or both of them had been in blackface.; 9/29/19, 3:40 PM
Dan said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/29/19, 3:42 PM
cubanbob said...: narciso said...
no he's not, fidel had no stupid sons, at least one is a nuclear physicist, even though he does have a certain rowan farrow type resemblance to young fidel,"

Thank you Narciso. No Cuban is that natively stupid, a French Canadian on the other hand, that wouldn't surprise me.; 9/29/19, 3:50 PM
rcocean said...: Al Jolson was a racist who hated black people. That's why he wore blackface.; 9/29/19, 4:22 PM
bagoh20 said...: I have no proof, but I bet the vast majority of people who ever wore blackface did not hate Blacks and were not racists, including those recently discovered. In fact, I assert that real racists are the least likely to wear blackface. Not that they never have, but it seems to me like something they would avoid. I believe it's almost always done innocently, which is why it is usually done by the young in the prime years of their stupidity.; 9/29/19, 4:53 PM
Mark said...: I bet the vast majority of people who ever wore blackface did not hate Blacks and were not racists

There is good-natured play-acting, and their is condescending mockery.

Don't tell me that the guy next to you at the urinal is pissing on your leg as a joke.

At least the out-and-out caricature of a racist is open about his beliefs that other races are inferior to him.

At best, that "majority of people" can say that they were mindlessly going along with the crowd. But then again, that's how most evil prospers.; 9/29/19, 5:26 PM
Iman said...: Those Canucks are an amusing people, so talented, but they can’t dance a lick.; 9/29/19, 5:36 PM
Birkel said...: Mark: "There is good-natured play-acting, and their is condescending mockery."

Choose!
Choose, damn it!; 9/29/19, 5:54 PM
Richard Dillman said...: He was a theater major and teacher. He likes to dress up in costumes. Nothing wrong with that.; 9/29/19, 6:08 PM
Fernandinande said...: Redstate article -> link to video

Oops. Delete the " at the end of the URL.; 9/29/19, 6:29 PM
Fernandinande said...: I did blackface once, come to think of it, with two other white supremacists, one Jewish and the other half Japanese.

The three of us painted our faces black with charcoal and were sitting on a Flexi-Racer extended with a board, pretending we were in a boat and singing what we thought were spirituals (or something), and I/we ran over my right "FU" finger with one of those hard narrow wheels; the nail fell off and the finger's been weird ever since, turns white when it's cold, etc.

So that incident taught me the value of showing the proper respect for wheels and hand placement, something you don't learn on the internets.; 9/29/19, 7:00 PM
Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...: narciso said...
no he's not, fidel had no stupid sons, at least one is a nuclear physicist, even though he does have a certain rowan farrow type resemblance to young fidel,"

Thank you Narciso. No Cuban is that natively stupid, a French Canadian on the other hand, that wouldn't surprise me.

Is Justin 'Negreau' Trudeau Fidel's Fredo//; 9/29/19, 9:48 PM
Big Mike said...: I finally broke down and watched the video. Disgusting.; 9/29/19, 10:15 PM
narciso said...: I dont think so, but he was almosr a member of the family in the left pantheon.; 9/29/19, 11:26 PM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: Somewhere out there, Neil Diamond is thinking "It's a good thing nobody saw that movie.."; 9/29/19, 11:28 PM
narciso said...: Theres a bigger story with his intel advisor who was nabbed for having unsecured classified info.; 9/29/19, 11:29 PM
PM said...: Watched video. He wishes.; 9/30/19, 2:32 PM