by
Lisa Jean Francois
Earlier this week,  Makeup Artist Jennilie Perreault @JCoperro posted the following picture, which in turn sparked a heated debate about Blackface and Cultural Appropriation.
We often hear references made to blackface during time of year, due mostly to the fact that some presume Halloween to be the one time posing as another race or culture is acceptable. Let’s be clear: it is not.
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used by performers to represent a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the “happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation” or the “dandifiedcoon“...Stereotypes embodied in the stock characters of blackface minstrels not only played a significant role in cementing and proliferating racist images, attitudes, and perceptions worldwide, but also in popularizing black culture.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C45g3YP7JOk]
While donning blackface to mock black culture is clearly insulting to the black community, we’re seeing more and more makeup artists, like Jennilie Perreault, use the medium to change their likenesses to persons of color.  Makeup Artist, Jon Bonita, for instance, is infamous on the IG and Facebook due to his uncanny ability to make himself over as black celebrities and media personalities:
On the whole, Bonita has been hailed as an immense talent, while Perreault was forced off of  Instagram after she posted her photo with the caption, “today, I decided to turn myself into an African-American. At least I tried!”
While Bonita is praised, comments on Perrault’s picture were mixed:
Smh they love our looks but discredit our struggle
She wasn’t doing the ‘black face’ for satirical or comedic reasons and the stupid heart emoji she posted in the captions obviously shows her affection towards this appearance so she was hardly meaning to offend.
I think some people may be confused as to what black face actually is. Blackface is not only painting ones face darker to appear black, but also creating a negative caricature (extra big lips painted on the face, gold teeth, stereotypical dress ) type image to go along with that tar painted face. Blackface is offensive and embarrassing. This lady looks regal and beautiful. She portrayed black skin as she sees it; smooth, creamy and flawless. I personally find nothing offensive or harmful about the way she looks. She’s a makeup artist! She is just trying to showcase her talent and abilities. As far as her caption goes, what would have been better? She turned her appearance into that of an african american woman! She didn’t say “turning myself into a thot/homegirl/boss bitch/trap queen or ratchet” so what’s the issue?
…what irks me a little is the caption. Decided to turn into an African-American? I didn’t know African-American was something you could just turn into!
She looks like a clown. It’s easy to love the looks of minorities, but never does a non-minority want to embrace the struggles associated with existing in society as a minority.
27 Responses
I think the problem is that most people in modern society don’t know what blackface actually was. They don’t know what real blackface looks like or how and why it was used in the past. All they know is that blackface is racist and offensive, but their lack of historical education on blackface has left them with an oversimplified view of it, which in turn has led to the incorrect assumption that any use of black makeup by a non-black person is blackface and therefore racist and offensive by default.
The portrayal of a black person by a non-black person does not automatically constitute blackface. There is context to consider, such as the intent of the portrayal and how the portrayal itself is carried out. Using black makeup to enhance the accurate portrayal of a specific individual is very different than using it to inaccurately exaggerate a racial stereotype in order to mock that person’s entire race.
I think the problem is that most people in modern society don’t know what blackface actually was. They don’t know what real blackface looks like or how and why it was used in the past. All they know is that blackface is racist and offensive, but their lack of historical education on blackface has left them with an oversimplified view of it, which in turn has led to the incorrect assumption that any use of black makeup by a non-black person is blackface and therefore racist and offensive by default.
The portrayal of a black person by non-black person does not automatically constitute blackface. There is context to consider, such as the intent of the portrayal and how the portrayal itself is carried out. Using black makeup to enhance the accurate portrayal of a specific individual is very different than using it to inaccurately exaggerate a racial stereotype in order to mock that person’s entire race.
She looks beautiful. I applaud her skill. Too much fuss over nothing.
Art is not black face. Black face is black face very simple distinction, so please stop.
Bonito is transforming into actual people. therefore, even though technically blackface, he is not simply painting his face black and signing it off as something that it is not.
Since Africans have more phenotypical variation than all of the other races *combined*, the question I’d like to ask is what is her definition of what it means to be black. In order to do that, there is automatically a go-to that she is using in her head (you can see by the photo) which is based on a one-dimensional view of what it means to be Black. That’s the issue. That white people still get to put us into whatever neat category or box they see fit, and then act like we should be flattered or that they are doing us a favor. Black people come in all shades, shapes, facial feature, hair type – you name it. The “Eve Gene” means that there is not ONE feature that show up in other races that haven’t first appeared in Africans. So there’s simply no way that a white person can try to “look” Black without limiting that representation to a stereotype or cliche.
White people are obsessed with us, I never see in my life black people make whiteface only them do! This is calling sickness!
I do not want admire these white people and that white makeup artist, when for 500 years we have been taught to hate our ” SELF “.
This is a clear proof, and all these insults that white people don’t like how they look like in the mirror!
The comparison between Bonito and Perrault really made me think. I know that Bonito does it for fun + publicity, but the way Perrault captioned her picture was a bit off. It made it seem like she was fetishizing black skin a bit.
I love it!
While i’m not a big fan of blackface given it’s history I almost hate to say jcperro is really talented at it.
I think the makeup artist did a good job. She made her as a black woman look flawless. High cheekbones, highlighted and contoured beautifully. I’m not offended at all. I wish I can make my skin look that good.
This is stupid. There is nothing wrong with what she is doing. It’s just the internet being the internet. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.
Black women comes in all shades
She said she has decided to change herself into an african american woman really. What shade is an african american woman, this make-up has no clue. Black women around the world come in all shades.
If she started tap dancing and spitting out watermelon seeds then I’d be offended. Her caption missed the mark! Overall, I’m not offended. I think the transformation was great.
oh gee, black skin is beautiful as long as it isn’t on a black person. Must we learn this over and over every halloween?
Enough withalways being offended by everything! Quite frankly she’s a very beautiful black woman. Kudos to her for taking the risk top pursue her curiosity. Brown fits her quite well and I hour she wears it more often. Sheesh I wonder what I would look like as a white woman, or a Peruvian. Would I be able to pull it off as well? Kudos to jet for being able to.
Seriously people, we borrow from Asian culture, Hawaiian culture, African culture, Brazilian culture ….are we taking on their pains and struggles? Everytime we dawn a weave /wig of Brazilian hair or cop a Latina accent /tude, are we not culturally appropriating…borrowing from another culture that which does not belong to us? No one is crying foul over the dancers of Bring It taking from Indian culture and appropriating it. No one is trying to force them to embody and take in the Indian experience…being a dark Indian, bring a woman, the caste…etc.
Remember, of all the fingers we go around pointing, there’s 4x as many pointing back at us.
I never had the black experience. What the hell is that anyway? My parents didn’t raise me to be a culture. They raised me to be a smart individual. Can we please stay celebrating the beauty of our culture instead of crying victim Everytime some one white does something???? If anything, this constant offense we take just spurs on the black female stereotype.
Somethings just aren’t that bad. They certainly aren’t worth the negative energy.
I get what you’re saying and I agree. My parents raised me to be an independent thinker as well vs groomed to be apart of a culture or just mindlessly doing what everyone in our community did. I am the same way now. My parents lived in their own little bubble and they were very private. Without causing any harm to anyone they did whatever they pleased, what was of interest or importance to them and that was it. We didn’t follow the same traditions, beliefs and such as most. But that came with a price. My dad was called crazy, mad scientist etc. My siblings and I were made fun of too. I remember trying to explain this in an essay in middle school and I got some strange looks. Haha.. I told the teacher that I couldn’t really relate to any one culture more than the other and that I didn’t feel like I fit into any one category because my family was extremely diverse, my mom was extremely opened minded almost hippy like and my dad was insanely strict about certain things and there were little bits of different cultures within our community especially since we traveled a lot. I told them I was just happy to be a part of the human race. I had a very unique childhood so I can understand why my perspectives may not be understood by some.
But the point others were trying to make was that, whether or not her intentions were innocent, why does it take a white person painting themselves black to get so much attention when most everyday black women are either ignored, ridiculed or made fun of. Never celebrated or recognized for just being themselves; for being black, beautiful and strong women despite all odds? Look at the amount of attention and praise she has received for her so called beauty as a white person painted black. So I can understand the different views on this subject.
“Quite frankly she’s a very beautiful black woman.” you sound so damn dumb. You’re basically saying a white woman in blackface makes a good beautiful black women. wow.
does she wear butt pads in the pic where she posed wiht the kanye lookalike?
yup..
If publications were more inclusive of faces that were black without paint it would be much less of an insult. It seems like just another excuse to not use black models.
These two examples are totally different from bIackface…I think they both look incredible….Their portrayals seem to be an homage of sorts to Black people…it was done well and respectfully…..oh yeah…..and to get attention too…
It’s blackface but I can’t deny the talent they both have. Unlike people in blackface who botch recreating the tonal shifts that occur in brown skin, she pretty much nails it. Also he looks just like those celebrities which is so wild. And yet…..
Whyyyyyyyyyyyy can’t she do a different makeup look?? Seriously was there NOTHING else in the world she could try that wasn’t blackface (or anything race related). She could’ve done an animal, a makeup look based off a festival or holiday, a character from movie, anything, but she chose blackface…whyyyyyyyyyyy
As for the Bonita dude, there are so many celebs that aren’t black, why can’t he do more of them and stay away from blackface? Like I said, these people are both talented, but they still get the side-eye from me
Wish I got that much attention for my brown skin… It’s not the blackface of old, but is an evolution of that concept. This time it’s garnering attention and praise for beauty that we can’t even known. We can’t be brown and be photographed right. Our kinky hair is showcased in far and between spaces in fora like these and not main stages. LET US HAVE OUR BEAUTY. Let us do it our way.
This is exactly how I feel. I’ve had brown skin my entire life, and I’ve never benefited from it. Why should they?
“Its not the blalckface of old,but it’s an evolution of that concept”…
Thank you for this comment! Finally someone with some sense.
sentiments are shared.