by drummerdeeds

A Dallas Cowboys cheerleader does blackface

Halloween is my favorite holiday of all the holidays-turned-consumerism fest in America, as it allows me to get into a ridiculous character and eat free candy. However, it’s also the worst holiday ever, because many Americans feel that it’s a day off of being decent, tactful human beings.

Walk around any college campus and you’ll see every stereotype: men ridiculing drag queens and it be socially acceptable, people squinting their eyes to appear Asian and crowd after crowd of crass costumes.

Nothing makes me madder, though, than when people do blackface aka painting their faces a dark brown color to resemble African-Americans. Enter Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Whitney Isleib, who committed the cultural crime by donning blackface for her costume of soon-to-be incarcerated Lil Wayne.

The pictures of the cheerleader were tagged on Facebook, leaked first to Deadspin and then all over the internet.

Isleib covered her face, arms, hands and chest with brown paint and is seen posing next to a blackface T-Pain and insulting “Mariachi” Mexican mockeries. Apparently the dress code was disgustingly offensive, because it looks like everyone was playing their part in insulting and offending every group of people in America.

Some have argued, “Isn’t Halloween just a silly holiday? It’s funny when people put on blackface because it’s necessary to portray African-American celebrities.” Wrong. People need to go back to U.S. History class and understand the historical significance of wearing blackface. In the 19th century, white actors painted their faces black, falsely enlarged their lips and performed in minstrel shows to represent archetypes of racism against black people, and slaves in particular.

A student at Northwestern University sparked controversy for his blackface this year

Without lecturing on the history of slavery and racism, I’ll get off of my soapbox and say that Whitney Isleib isn’t the only one who commits these offenses. There are so many other ordinary Americans doing it, too, but her role as a pseudo celebrity puts her in the spotlight and sets an example. Blackface isn’t cool, kids. Just don’t do it.

drummerdeeds's blog

Submitted by

drummerdeeds

on November 6, 2009 - 1:00pm.

TAGS ::

White Chicks nuff said.

Submitted by

Luna (354 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 1:56pm.

White Chicks nuff said.

-I speak in random thoughts

This is a catch 22. Yeah

Submitted by

lscole2425 (30 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:12pm.

This is a catch 22. Yeah the movie White Chicks, we can laugh at that but something like this is an issue. To me it is all stupid and the more you talk about the more power you give to it.

^So what this is payback?^

Submitted by

Charmayne (1 post)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:13pm.

Besides, compared to minstrels shows, White Chicks is nothing

Living, Loving and Learning until the Final Curtain Drops

For Charmayne

Submitted by

SaffronLove (469 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:41pm.

I agree.

As much as this country has learned from its past mistakes, this is the epitome of the insensitivity to those mistakes.

I also agree that "White Chicks" is nothing compared to this; I don't recall a time in this nation's history where white women at large were buffooned as stupid and lazy.

------------------------------------------------------------

The most beautiful smile is the one that struggles through tears--Graffiti on a bridge outside NYC

ever hear a blonde joke?

Submitted by

emileezer (116 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:06pm.

ever hear a blonde joke?

ouch!

Submitted by

SaffronLove (469 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:22pm.

I think I just got served!

Point taken; however, I still say that as insulting as blonde jokes can be, they don't translate into the same maltreatment for blondes as minstrel shows did for African-Americans.

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The most beautiful smile is the one that struggles through tears--Graffiti on a bridge outside NYC

very true..... just giving

Submitted by

emileezer (116 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:26pm.

very true..... just giving you a hard time.

Some peoples children...

Submitted by

regularjo (76 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:24pm.

Some peoples children...

Why is this even on here?

Submitted by

Claire (64 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:25pm.

This has nothing to do with LGBT issues or entertainment. It just stirs up unneeded controversy and serves to divide the community even further.

Dumbass people will always be dumbass people. Talking about them being dumbasses only gives them more reason to act out.

We found it in the realm of

Submitted by

Trish Bendix (10693 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:40pm.

We found it in the realm of entertainment news because she's someone in the public eye. One of our bloggers had thoughts on it that she wanted to share, so we found it relevant for our blog. We have, in the past, dealt with several other critical looks at topics like this, so it's not out of place.

Ironically

Submitted by

emma. (45 posts)

on November 7, 2009 - 3:40pm.

you were right, this did spark a controversy on this blog. haha women love to argue... inna sense ppl no pun intended :)

So What?

Submitted by

MusicBum (26 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:27pm.

She dressed up as Lil' Wayne! It's not like she painted her face with shoe polish and gave herself big red lips.

Very much in agreement with

Submitted by

foxy_boo (16 posts)

on November 8, 2009 - 11:07am.

Very much in agreement with this. If a black person dressed up as Lil Wayne, nobody would blink an eye, but just because she needed to darken her skin to do so it's "blackface"? This is nothing like blackface. People paint their skin green to go as the Wicked Witch or blue to go as a Smurf and that's fine, so why not this? I don't see how this is offensive at all.

______________________________________

Just so you know, my first thought when I see you is not "I want to fuck that girl".

Personally, I don't find it

Submitted by

dreamlife_613 (33 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:28pm.

Personally, I don't find it insulting or offensive for a chic to paint her skin brown when she's dressed up as a black guy for Halloween. That is the approximate color of his skin... And no one would get it if she just wore his dread locks and hat. As Luna pointed out, I don't hear white people complaining about White Chicks... I think sometimes people are just too sensitive.

The Point Behind This Un-Related LB Media News...

Submitted by

Lunakiss (2079 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:33pm.

is what exactly?

As far As this cheerleader's behavior goes, I am above this and I honestly don't find it offensive. Call me out if you will. I'm so over stuff like this. What she is doing is nothing new. She completely made herself a fool- publicly.

twitter me @ www.twitter.com/brownskinfaery

As much...

Submitted by

BillieSioux (9 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:33pm.

As I am offended by blackface, I really don't think it's a big enough deal socially as some may make it out to be. At the end of the day, they are wearing a costume-- I would never know the cheerleader was Lil'Wayne if she kept her skin natural yet; I imagine she could have been more sensitive about what she portrays.

Sure, it's wrong to wear blackface-- but if people don't know better than to do that, well it's a shame but their ignorance is the burden they have to carry.

Not an Issue.

Submitted by

Malia Kuuleialoha (77 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:37pm.

Wow, please for your own sake, please lighten up. The historical significance of black face and a college student or a NFL cheerleader painting their face for a halloween costume are so far off from eachother that it isn't even funny. When you call attention to things like this you take away attention from ACTUAL racism. Instead of drugging up a contrived article on Halloween costumes as a discussion forum for race, you could have actually found a real article about racism to give a commentary on. If you actually were a historian and understood historical significance of black face you would understand that the only reason that it was ever offensive for a white person to paint their face black was because of the intended racism behind it. It was a statement. A Halloween costume is not a statement. It's a costume, it's supposed to look nothing like you. It's supposed to be whimsical and poke fun. You have no reason to judge these people unless you know for a fact that their motives were racist. You can't tip toe around everything in life. We are a melting pot society. The fact that an artist like T-Pain has become popular enough to become a Halloween costume shows how much our society has changed for the better since the civil rights movement. Costumes of Jon Gosselin, T-Pain, Freddy Kruger, and German Beer Wench's all stand side by side. One more thought. If a black woman dresses up as the St. Pauli girl is it inherently racist? No. Because it's a Halloween Costume. Halloween is supposed to be fun. Stop trying to suck the fun out of a great american tradition.

I know I said 'nuff said'

Submitted by

Luna (354 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:43pm.

I know I said 'nuff said' earlier, but wow you put everything so succinctly.

-I speak in random thoughts

Completely agree

Submitted by

sandra (33 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 4:23pm.

I think your post sums up my thoughts 100%.

I agree with everything you

Submitted by

foxy_boo (16 posts)

on November 8, 2009 - 11:11am.

I agree with everything you said except that it's an Irish tradition that was absorbed by Americans ;P

______________________________________

Just so you know, my first thought when I see you is not "I want to fuck that girl".

Firstly, can I say,

Submitted by

Davyn (10 posts)

on November 8, 2009 - 6:23pm.

I love how 98% of people who are saying it's "not an issue" and who aren't offended(and even in some cases impressed), aren't people of color. Just an observation.

Secondly, no, I refuse to "lighten up" about racism. Racism isn't just in the explicitly racist things the like of Rush Limbaugh say, but also smaller things, such as the mockery of a black person by some dumbass white person in black face. I could honeslty care less about which day of the year its on, or what movies its in, for it makes not a damn difference. I am positively flummoxed as to how people can ignore what is in their face, and further more be impressed by and defensive of blatant racism. Is there any other way one could take such mockery? And to those who say, "It's halloween! Everyone is mocked! It's an American tradition!" You're right, but would you like to know what other things are American traditions? Racism, transphobia, homophobia, does that make those things alright?

Also, you'll have to pardon the generalization, but is it not true the majority of us are terribly offended by Queer stereotyping in the media? Are we not all up in arms about flamboyantly gay male characters and flannel wearing, man hating lesbians? You'll have to explain the difference. Is that not just 'whimsical and poking fun'?

In the '60 white people were still listening to the Temptations WHILE turning the hoses on and setting dogs on black people, so T Pain, popular or no, is irrelevent. I find it sad that that is your prime example of the progression of race relations in America. That being said, may I say again, it is not just explicitly racist things we must fight, but implicity racist things as well. And, it is only socially frowed upon to be outwardly racist and woefully ignorant to believe that it [racism] hasn't just been swept under the rug, so to speak.

This Halloween, while

Submitted by

Ashley (49 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:38pm.

This Halloween, while cavorting around the city with a room mate and her girlfriend, both black, we talked about this. It was actually brought up by the girlfriend, who said last year at a party they saw a white man decked out as a black man. They had no problem with it and in fact were quite impressed with the transformation. We also talked about White Chicks, and Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, in a good light. No harm done.

If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.

wow

Submitted by

heKNOWnow (8 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:49pm.

I can't believe you would post such an ignorant blog!! It's HALLOWEEN lighten up!

The northwestern kid is more

Submitted by

maggieyeahis (1059 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:51pm.

The northwestern kid is more offensive than the cheerleader who looks like she was trying to at least match a skin tone. I'm not surprised with people doing blackface or dressing up as nazis, etc, etc. Now the Ponds Lotion ad in India that is suppose to turn you white now thats more disturbing than this.

"Come On Then Get These Good Done Debbies"

Dressing as "a black person" rather than Lil Wayne

Submitted by

BAS (553 posts)

on November 9, 2009 - 12:03pm.

In my opinion, the former is offensive, the latter, okay.

I dressed up as Ellen, and dyed my hair blonde, because hers is. Was that offensive to blondes? Nope. If I had dyed my hair blonde and run around the entire night acting like an idiot, saying I was dressed as "a blonde" then I would be perpetuating stereotypes and I think it would be somewhat offensive.

Similarly, this girl was dressing as a SPECIFIC black person. I wonder if the real problem is the person she chose to dress as. If I had chosen to dress as Wanda Sykes, and had painted my skin brown and donned a wig to look like her, would people here really be offended? I would have considered it an homage to her. I don't dress as people who I don't like.

Blackface was spreading stereotypes of black people in general, negative stereotypes. I suspect much of the problem is that because of who Lil Wayne is, it is perceived as a negative stereotype of blacks in general.

.

Submitted by

maggieyeahis (1059 posts)

on November 9, 2009 - 2:34pm.

Unless blondes have the same hisotry as blackface I don't think it would be as offensive as someone doing blackface.

In the case of the cheerleader it wasn't the best decision b/c people were going to get offended even if she meant no harm.

I guess it's kinda similar to how you could have a friend of a diff race and the two of you can say all kinds of crazy things to each other b/c you know that yall don't mean it. Now if someone comes along and thinks its cool to jump in, yall could be offended b/c you don't know that persons intent. If this cheerleader has any black friends some of them might not be offended b/c they know her, but to some people that she does not know they are offended.

With racism being kicked up some notches since Barack became the President, then you add her costume there was bound to be some fall out.

"Come On Then Get These Good Done Debbies"

Call me ignorant/immature or

Submitted by

kenga (5 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:49pm.

Call me ignorant/immature or whatever, but I seriously do not see what is so offensive about her costume.

Aside from the fact that this article is in no way related to LGBT, it seems to me to be OTT.

There is a huge difference between blackface in history, with the intent to be racist and offensive, and a caucasian person person painting their skin in order to dress up as a black person for Halloween. Halloween is supposed to be fun, and a chance to step outside of yourself for a night; I'm sure that the cheerleader, although perhaps being slightly insensitive, had no intention of offending anyone and I doubt she had any racist intent behind her costume.

I would have no problem whatsoever with a black person painting their skin white for Halloween, just as no one seemed to have a problem with the movie White Chicks. I think this has been taken far too seriously.

So apparently, it's not just

Submitted by

nosleeptonight (46 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:50pm.

So apparently, it's not just my school who've gone and created the 'Blackface' madness. Here, check out the article

http://torontoist.com/2009/10/nightmare_at_nightmare_on_peter_street.php

I have a few friends who are in the Black Students Associaion at UofT and they are going to hold a discussion on this topic, hopefully with the boys in the photo in attendance, to end this trivial dispute. Everyone has a story and their own opinion to the issue at hand, but it is people who are intrinsically prone to judge and assume 'this is definitely racist' that make mere miscommunications escalate to clashes between people.

i have no problem with the

Submitted by

North (109 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:54pm.

i have no problem with the dressing up part - but changing the way one acts just because of the stereotype they are portraying is not cool. if you change how you look, not how you act.

atleast on halloween people are upfront about how they see the different types of people - the rest of the year they bitch behind your back.

...

Submitted by

maggieyeahis (1059 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:01pm.

"atleast on halloween people are upfront about how they see the different types of people - the rest of the year they bitch behind your back."

Very true or they have to be drunk or high to be upfront.

"Come On Then Get These Good Done Debbies"

I think it's funny,

Submitted by

1, 2, 3 :) (63 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:56pm.

I think it's funny, and shows that they have a sense of humor...:)

:) It's actually quite flattering that a white woman would consider being black for a day ahannn :)

slow downnnnnnnnnnn casanova :)

Uh-huh

Submitted by

oscartg (546 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 2:57pm.

And what does this have to do with lesbian and bisexual women in the media? Oh wait it doesn't have anything to do with it at all. How desperate is AfterEllen for news these days anyway.

Oh and lighten up. I'm should have dressed up as Samantha Ronson for Halloween or something, maybe I could have made it onto the AE frontpage.

If you have been to

Submitted by

Trish Bendix (10693 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:00pm.

If you have been to AfterEllen.com before, then you know our blog is not only about lesbian and bisexual women in the media. We use this space for lesbian and bisexual women's thoughts on entertainment, media and pop culture.

Actually

Submitted by

oscartg (546 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:16pm.

Well I've been to the site a million times and I see that it often struggles for news so it resorts to things that are frankly just waffle and not related in any way to lesbian and bisexuals in the media. Just because you happen to be a lesbian doesn't mean your thoughts on a random unrelated subject are fit for publication on AE, that is what personal blogs are for and in fact this is not the mission statement at the top on the page. Can we remember that it says "New, Reviews & Commentary ON lesbian and bisexual women in entertainment and the media" not "News, Review & Commentary BY lesbian and bisexual women". This is a subtle but important different.

The amount of off-topic new is one of the reasons why AE is going down-hil. Quality and not quantity should be the most important thing.

You are correct — that

Submitted by

Trish Bendix (10693 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:21pm.

You are correct — that is the site's overall mission statement. However, the blog is "the pop culture blog that plays for your team."

We aren't struggling for news, but we're happy to take your tips or suggestions if you'd like to send them in.

Thanks for reading!

Sorry

Submitted by

oscartg (546 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:33pm.

The site is struggling for news and willing to give people space to publish unrelated and badly constructed articles. There are personal blogs for moan of the week. This site has far too much unrelated material and it values quantity over quality.

Oh and the Kate Winslet stuff(as much as I like her) is off-topic too. That shouldn't be included. I remember whe AE would have at most one long well-written article a day at most, it was actually better then before it allowed hastily written blogs about random subjects.

That was when the website

Submitted by

Trish Bendix (10693 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:48pm.

That was when the website was simply a site, and we didn't have a blog that has since expanded into including topics that aren't only about lesbian and bisexual women.

Kate Winslet, to us, is definitely relevant and of interest. Considering she makes our Hot 100 every year, most of our readers would agree.

It was better then.

Submitted by

oscartg (546 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:56pm.

Well it is still a website now, except now its a website without any editorial control.

As for this article, plenty of people have expressed that it is of little interest to them. Kate Winslet for all her OT-ness is hot but thats hardly a good reason.

It's of interest to me

Submitted by

maggieyeahis (1059 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 3:59pm.

being a woman of color and a lesbian.

"Come On Then Get These Good Done Debbies"

Can I just butt in here...

Submitted by

Suzzie (159 posts)

on November 7, 2009 - 9:05am.

...if you don't like articles like this that are to you off-topic and not what you come to this website for, then don't read them, you don't have to, and it is often obvious in the first scentence, if not the title on the home page, that the article is not LGBT specific. The website has expended the more people that have come to read it, if you don't like it, fair enough, we need everyone to have different opinons, otherwise ours would be a really sucky society, but you don't have to read things if you don't want to.

I can also comment on what I

Submitted by

oscartg (546 posts)

on November 7, 2009 - 2:03pm.

I can also comment on what I want on this site too, people who don't like that can follow your advice.

Not disputing that

Submitted by

Suzzie (159 posts)

on November 7, 2009 - 3:07pm.

I'm not saying that you can't comment on your opinion, the complete oppisite, as I said, it would suck if everyone thought the same way, I'm just saying that your not being made to read the articles that you don't want to, so maybe repeated comments on a blog isn't the best place to put forward your opinion, lestways not after the first comment. Like you said yourself (I belive) there are message boards where everyone can talk about whatever they want and get feedback ect. I don't want you to take this as a personal attack or any of that sh-t that people sometimes jump to, I'm just saying

all issues

Submitted by

lexbutnotleast (14 posts)

on November 8, 2009 - 2:32am.

are LGBTQ issues because we are people just like everyone else. that's what we are fighting for...equality. i want to know what's going on in the world from the perspective of people who are invested in the LGBTQ community. that's the beauty of the site. maybe another website has what you are looking for? i really can't read too many stories about the grey's lesbian story line or ellen degeneres and portia. that's all really great, but there's more to read about/discuss.

no offense

Submitted by

emma. (45 posts)

on November 7, 2009 - 3:37pm.

but i think it's great what the AE website does for us and the news it brings. Whether or not it is irrelevant to the subject matter of LGBTQ, it's good to inform all women of sexualities. If you don't like the subjects that are being portrayed on this website then cancel your account and go to another LGBTQ website and criticize them yeah? :)

I agree...

Submitted by

demoiselle cyan (258 posts)

on November 7, 2009 - 7:47pm.

I've seen tons of articles that have nothing to with LGBT... that seem that their sole purpose is to stirr up emotions or just... "inform". It's ok.

She is just "dressing up" as a public figure. Is that so different from face masks that are sold (presidents, celebrities so on)? I don't know her intentions, but it is not like she's attacking the african american community by "dressing up" as a random black person. She's just going as a known public figure.

"Where I receptive to such proposition, it would first require a full booty check, and if you were to pass muster, baby I'd give it to you family style"-Peggy Peabody

History of the AE blog

Submitted by

Karman Kregloe (2654 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 4:58pm.

For the few of you who may not remember, we launched this blog in Oct. 2006 specifically to cover straight women in entertainment (because we weren't covering them elsewhere on the site) and gradually broadened it to include gay and bisexual women in entertainment as well.

(See this blog post, this one, and this one, all from 2006 and none of which are gay/bi related.)

The mission of the blog is to cover any entertainment and media related news that we think would be of interest to our readers. Not all blog posts will appeal to all readers. If you aren't interested in a specific post, feel free to skip it.

We welcome comments, debate and discussion, but please refrain from personal attacks on other members, including our bloggers.

Personal Attack from whom?

Submitted by

Malia Kuuleialoha (77 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 5:10pm.

Excuse me for challenging your statement, but your blogger made a personal attack on that cheerleader, and the student for that matter, so don't be surprised when people become irate with all of the doubble standards they see, especially coming from our community who are constantly plauged with doubble standards. Unless she knows that woman personally, then she doesn't know if she was making a racist statement. Her boyfriend could be black for all you know. I found the entire article to be uncalled for, poorly researched, and entirely based on opinion and void of any factual information. This is the kind of thing that we fight against as gay women. People who judge us based on our appearence, without knowing one true thing about us. Accept everyone for who they are, not just those who act and think like you.

Excuse me...

Submitted by

Way2Gay (53 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 5:25pm.

First, intent has nothing to do with it. Any iteration of blackface should be an affront to persons of all shades in America. Moreover, being ignorant of America's history of racism doesn't get anyone off the hook for perpetuating that legacy.

Second, suggesting that having a black boyfriend would exclude her from criticism is the same as saying, "I'm not a racist. I have three Latino friends."

Third, the factual information you're looking for is in the pictures themselves. These "costumes" are in very poor taste. Period.

"Costumes" no Costumes

Submitted by

Malia Kuuleialoha (77 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 5:40pm.

I'm Russian not American, and my country never enslaved any africans so please do leave me out of the white mans burden. The costume is not in poor taste. You are suggesting that being black is in poor taste which is racist on the other hand. Just because one group was treated poorly by a group of people who are mostly dead at this point in history, doesn't mean innocent people cannot have fun on Halloween. Your arguments are reaching football field lengths at best. If she was wearing black face on a normal day then that would racist, but it was Halloween. Context. Context. Context. And photos aren't facts. The only fact you have is that a white girl dressed as T-Pain for Halloween. That doesn't make it racist.

Allow me to try this again...

Submitted by

Way2Gay (53 posts)

on November 6, 2009 - 5:53pm.

You're right: "Context. Context. Context."

What I'm talking about is historical context, and feeding into a legacy of racism.

If you are not aware of the history of blackface in America, then we shouldn't be having this conversation, because you're arguing that ignorance and innocent intent excuse a racist act. We are on opposite sides of this issue, talking about two completely different things.

If you want your being Russian to excuse you from this conversation, then I'd politely suggest you stop posting on this topic.

Also, I'm not sure you understand what the "white man's burden" was. That, or you may not understand how to correctly use the phrase.

Welcome to AfterEllen.com!

by drummerdeeds

A Dallas Cowboys cheerleader does blackface