Will.i.am Slammed for Blackface VMA Performance
Back in black?
When Black Eyed Peas bandleader Will.i.am joined Nicki Minaj during the VMA pre-show Sunday, outraged fans slammed the 35-year-old rapper for appearing in blackface.
"Will.i.am. wearing blackface!? What a racist!" fakeart123 tweeted.
Adds TSCMoncton, "Anyone notice that Will.i.am painted himself in blackface? I sure hope there's some kind of meaning behind a stunt like that."
Blackface -- which first gained popularity during the 19th century -- typically promotes racist stereotypes toward African Americans.
In addition to his face paint, Will.i.am wore head-to-toe black (including a shiny hair piece in the shape of a side-mohawk).
"Will.i.am just sent us back 1,000 yrs... Really sir, #Blackface in front the grey ppl!" IAm_Danie wrote of his appearance.
Snipes FrankieVtotheD, "And what the hell is going on with Will.i.am? Did he take a dip in the Gulf before the show? I didn't know blackface was back in style."
Tell Us: Do you find Will.i.am's blackface offensive?
Tell Us What You Think
15USWeekly is so irresponsible for using such strong language. It's obviously not blackface.
I heard all the aliens are pi$$ed off about the Blue Man Group, too!!!
Does that make a Caucasian mime racist?
That's not "blackface"! He was obviously dressing up like a space creature or something..like BEP does in all of their recent videos!
why is it that people try to have a costume, they get defesive!
Stupid...Stupid....Stupid! That's not blackface. No white lips and googly eyes. What is wrong with ppl? Not racist!!!!! Please learn to recognise tru racism, especially in urself. Handle ur own biznez, think before u speak, don't look dumb.
Dic anyone notice that he really is black? People will make an issue out of anything. I think he should have came in white face.
Who the hell cares people need to grow up. I don't think there is nothing wrong with his outfit. He is black fo cris sake.
people need to get a grip.
Oh c'mon! A BLACK man wearing blackface racist?! I saw the pre-show and I thought he was being creative like he always been. People who's offended by this need to take the Sensitive Stick out of their asses!
That's not blackface! If it was his lips would be painted a lighter color. Come on people get a grip.
People tend to forget that "black face" is not just about the black paint but also about the exaggerated big ashy lips and the costume. This is hardly racist. Will.i.am's performance in no way resembled minstrelsy. People need to pick up a flipping History Book. This is non-issue, US. This shouldn't even have been reported on.
It is obvious that that racial conflicts of this country have not been correctly explained to our children and to some of us adults. Mr. Will.I.Am is NOT in blackface. He is in a costume. I space looking creature that is black. Not African-American Black, just black, the color black. As far as blackface goes, it has more to it than simply covering your face in black paint. The face is painted black with big, exagerated painted on white lips. Usually the blackface performer wore regular clothes, or what was regular back then, and danced around real goofy like or spoke in an unintelligent dialect. So before you people judge so quickly, first pick up a history book. Preferrably a Black History and learn something. Because if it doesn't make sense, it probably isn't true. And Will.I.Am being racist doesn't make sense.
No offense here. He is already Black so putting a black face on doesn't offend me...I'm sure he was just trying to push a point..even though I have no idea what it was
People are stupid. He did what he did, and just cause it stood out there people have to bash on it. He looked good, good gosh people, it's 2010 things are changing.