What's the dirt on Justin Trudeau?

[Fedayn]

Again we keep looking at things from the past with today's sense and sensibilities.

So, racist stereotyping and blacking up was ok in 2001?

 

[8ball]

So, racist stereotyping and blacking up was ok in 2001?

It was fine til 2007. Unless you did a stupid accent. That went out in 1998.

 

[Fedayn]

It was fine til 2007. Unless you did a stupid accent. That went out in 1998.

I must have missed that, silly me.

 

[killer b]

So, racist stereotyping and blacking up was ok in 2001?

It wasn't really, but it was a widespread comedy trope around then - league of gentlemen, little britain, etc. I think mainstream acceptance of this kind of stuff has changed significantly in the last two decades.

 

[Fedayn]

It wasn't really, but it was a widespread comedy trope around then - league of gentlemen, little britain, etc. I think mainstream acceptance of this kind of stuff has changed significantly in the last two decades.

Aye, I know, I was being sarcy. But even 'that far back' it was still racist shite, as you know, whichever 'envelope pushing comic was saying it.

For the record Walliams and Lucas are loathsome cunts.

 

[8ball]

It wasn't really, but it was a widespread comedy trope around then - league of gentlemen, little britain, etc. I think mainstream acceptance of this kind of stuff has changed significantly in the last two decades.

That's a better way of saying what I was kind of hinting at; things have moved in a smudgy, irregular manner over time. Not everyone, not in sudden obvious steps, not a "clean line between one and t'other", but as a general aggregate.

Eg. many were a bit uncomfortable with some bits of League Of Gentlemen but we weren't quite at the point of majority acceptance of that pov.

 

[D'wards]

So, racist stereotyping and blacking up was ok in 2001?

Maybe, hard to tell really.

 

[Proper Tidy]

Three times makes it seem like a hobby tbh

BBC News - Justin Trudeau: Third instance of Canada PM in racist attire
Trudeau faces third revelation of racist conduct

 

[andysays]

Three times makes it seem like a hobby tbh

BBC News - Justin Trudeau: Third instance of Canada PM in racist attire
Trudeau faces third revelation of racist conduct

Yeah, he's going to have do a bit better than claiming to be a fan of British comedy tropes from the turn of the millennium to explain this away

 

[agricola]

Yeah, he's going to have do a bit better than claiming to be a fan of British comedy tropes from the turn of the millennium to explain this away

or at least do a news conference where he hugs a brick

 

[Teaboy]

Yeah, he's going to have do a bit better than claiming to be a fan of British comedy tropes from the turn of the millennium to explain this away

Should have gone with the border morris gambit. Some people still buy that.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Well, at least we have an answer to the question in the thread title. And that answer is 'boot polish'.

 

[spring-peeper]

he said sorry, so it is all good.

 

[Idris2002]

Three times makes it seem like a hobby tbh

BBC News - Justin Trudeau: Third instance of Canada PM in racist attire
Trudeau faces third revelation of racist conduct

Or a fetish.

 

[friedaweed]

It wasn't really, but it was a widespread comedy trope around then - league of gentlemen, little britain, etc. I think mainstream acceptance of this kind of stuff has changed significantly in the last two decades.

Yup. No one was raising an eyebrow at Popa Lazarazu in the mainstream press at that point as far as I can recall.


Not that it makes any difference but it does illuminate the mainstreams press turn of opinion and I don't recall any vocal opposition to that sketch in social media or mainstream press at the time. Wasn't Noel Fielding doing something similar on the mighty boosh with old Greg and his mangina as well.

The nations infatuation with Bake Off might be twitching a bit now

 

[a_chap]

I suppose it is time that I made a confession.

In 1983, the company I worked for had a Christmas party with a fancy dress theme and I went as Mr T (from the TV show "The A Team" for you youngsters)

Spoiler

I thought it was a bit of fun. I even won a prize for best costume.

But I never realised what that single act revealed. Apparently, and quite a surprise to me, I am therefore a massive racist...

 

[spring-peeper]

I dressed up as the hulk once.
I coloured my skin green.

What a truly evil person I am.

 

[ItWillNeverWork]

It was fine til 2007. Unless you did a stupid accent. That went out in 1998.

Apparently he not only did a stupid accent, but sang an entire song with one.

The second image to emerge on Wednesday shows Mr Trudeau performing in a talent show as a student at high school.

He wore blackface and sang Day-O, a Jamaican folk song popularised by American civil rights activist Harry Belafonte.

 

[Santino]

I dressed up as the hulk once.
I coloured my skin green.

What a truly evil person I am.

No

 

[killer b]

I suppose it is time that I made a confession.

In 1983, the company I worked for had a Christmas party with a fancy dress theme and I went as Mr T (from the TV show "The A Team" for you youngsters)

Spoiler

I thought it was a bit of fun. I even won a prize for best costume.

But I never realised what that single act revealed. Apparently, and quite a surprise to me, I am therefore a massive racist...

yep.

 

[elbows]

Well I doubt that Trudeau admitting he can't remember how many times he wore blackface was the direction his team were hoping this would go.

 

[killer b]

I suppose it is time that I made a confession.

In 1983, the company I worked for had a Christmas party with a fancy dress theme and I went as Mr T (from the TV show "The A Team" for you youngsters)

Spoiler

I thought it was a bit of fun. I even won a prize for best costume.

But I never realised what that single act revealed. Apparently, and quite a surprise to me, I am therefore a massive racist...

I mean... blacking up just is racist. It's always been racist. That you weren't able to recognise it then, and feel the need to passive-aggressively justify yourself in a comedy manner now doesn't make it not racist. It's not burning crosses on lawns or scrawling a swastika on a mosque wall in pig blood, but it's still racist.

 

[a_chap]

... and feel the need to passive-aggressively justify yourself in a comedy manner now...

I'm passive aggressive now, am I?

Well, AM I????

 

[Yossarian]

The high school stuff is one thing but in 2001, Trudeau was a 29-year-old teacher at a fancy private school in a city with a massive Asian population so it's bizarre that he didn't know better by then.

I don't think he's going to step down, but it's definitely going to hurt him - especially since everyone knows he would be making an enormous thing out of it if it was the leader of a different party, and if it was an MP from his own party, he'd be putting them under a lot of pressure to resign.

 

[D'wards]

Purely out of interest, what are people's thoughts on this sketch from about 5 years ago?

 

[joustmaster]

I wore blackface at my 6th form party on school grounds. 1997 I think. I was 17. 4 other friends did too. We did a Jackson 5 song.
It took me maybe 8 years to consider it might be seen as racist.

My cousin did blackface when he was 30 in 2009 for his birthday. He was Mr T.
My cousin still thinking was fine.

I've no idea what life is like in Canada. Especially 18 years ago.
Its not overly fair to judge someone's actions from an age ago by today's understandings and sensibilities.

 

[Lord Camomile]

I'm always surprised with these things that they don't think to get out ahead of this and reveal it themselves, in a "mea culpa" type thing.

I guess it's easier to say from my sofa and with hindsight, but given he's built his reputation on being... I'm not going to use that word. But given that's been his approach, surely he knew this was in his closet and could have said "look, I'm not perfect either, I did some bang on stupid racist shit when I was younger, but it's important we admit this and address it. I've grown, changed (yada yada yada) and now want to lead us into a bright new world...".

Yeah, maybe not. Just feel like it may have gone better than this.

 

[D'wards]

Lets do some joined up thinking here. If Justin Trudeau, liberal prime minister, son of Pierre Trudeau and the world leader most viewed as a pinko leftie by the right wing press did blackface in 2001 then surely it wasn't considered racist at the time.

It makes no sense that he'd go around being a racist arsehole with regard to his personal politics and family history

 

[Lord Camomile]

it wasn't considered racist at the time

Point of order: "it wasn't considered racist at the time" is not that same as "it wasn't racist".

 

[redsquirrel]

Jesus. I wonder if Trump or Johnson had done similar whether we'd have the above pathetic excuses (or rather I don't we absolutely would not).