"De hele wereld gaat dit schandalig vinden"
December 1, 2015 7:04 AM Subscribe
Is this Dutch holiday character racist? African-American filmmaker Roger Ross Williams goes on a journey to understand why the notoriously liberal Dutch feel compelled to dress in blackface during the annual holiday tradition of Sinterklaas.
(Previously on metafilter)
(Previously on metafilter)
This post was deleted for the following reason: We've had many threads about this over the years, not sure what another one is going to add. -- LobsterMitten
Oh boy. It's that time of the year again. Yes, it's racist, but try to tell my family that. "It's tradition!!".
posted by Pendragon at 7:16 AM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Pendragon at 7:16 AM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yes, it is. And societies can be liberal and progressive in some ways but not all ways.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:18 AM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:18 AM on December 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
Previously didn't we have members of the site button out after this discussion?
posted by OmieWise at 7:20 AM on December 1, 2015
posted by OmieWise at 7:20 AM on December 1, 2015
Previously didn't we have members of the site button out after this discussion?
That's no reason to stop discussing it. It's tradition!
posted by Rangi at 7:21 AM on December 1, 2015 [6 favorites]
That's no reason to stop discussing it. It's tradition!
posted by Rangi at 7:21 AM on December 1, 2015 [6 favorites]
I'll just drop in my summary from the last thread to pre-address some of the upcoming arguments.
Blackface isn't strictly an American tradition.
Not everyone in the Netherlands is white.
People of colour in the Netherlands do find this offense.
The Dutch do have slavery in their past, so this isn't just about American hang-ups.
posted by thecjm at 7:22 AM on December 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
Blackface isn't strictly an American tradition.
Not everyone in the Netherlands is white.
People of colour in the Netherlands do find this offense.
The Dutch do have slavery in their past, so this isn't just about American hang-ups.
posted by thecjm at 7:22 AM on December 1, 2015 [4 favorites]
Oh, it's just awful. And yes, fully absolutely racist. (And I don't want to hear ahistorical nonsense about chimneys. That is minstrel show blackface on the character and nothing else.) I heard Spike Lee speak in Amsterdam some years ago, and he was painfully funny on the topic.
Still, there are glimmers of hope. This year the Dutch Nickelodeon is depicting Piet without the terrible makeup. Many stores are doing the same. The spread of the racist imagery on the Internet and the international reaction makes it more and more difficult for Dutch people to brush off the criticism.
posted by frumiousb at 7:22 AM on December 1, 2015
Still, there are glimmers of hope. This year the Dutch Nickelodeon is depicting Piet without the terrible makeup. Many stores are doing the same. The spread of the racist imagery on the Internet and the international reaction makes it more and more difficult for Dutch people to brush off the criticism.
posted by frumiousb at 7:22 AM on December 1, 2015
(linked article in Dutch-- you'll have to use Google translate, but you get the idea...)
posted by frumiousb at 7:23 AM on December 1, 2015
posted by frumiousb at 7:23 AM on December 1, 2015
I continue to be amazed at the amazement expressed by people who insist, "But they're so progressive!"
posted by duffell at 7:24 AM on December 1, 2015
posted by duffell at 7:24 AM on December 1, 2015
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posted by ob at 7:07 AM on December 1, 2015 [4 favorites]