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Anyone know the story behind all the blackface I see around town?


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Posted

I see various paintings, dolls and statues of blackface all around town. Anyone know why someone would intentionally display the pieces? Maybe they are a good luck thing? Was Thailand ever known for having African slaves? 

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Posted

This forum never seems to amaze me! Businesses displaying pieces might mean Blacks are not allowed at the establishment. That would make sense. Maybe it's a big thing in China? I'm sure someone will actually know. Keep em coming. Thanks! 

Posted
Just now, johng said:

You're talking about Bangkok right ?

Oh dear....done it again.....glance at the title on the side bar, but not which forum it is from.........my bad as the kids say.

Posted
1 hour ago, JDJD said:

Was Thailand ever known for having African slaves? 

They don't have African faces? Maybe they are from Tamil Nadu?

  • Haha 2
Posted

My guess would be representations of Sakai (or Rambutan people in the local slang).   

 

And actually, if those are who they are meant to be, they are descended from slaves (and not that slaves have to be negroid, but they are a negroid origin people) if I recall.  

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Posted

My theory is that the fashion made it way to Thailand from America a long time ago when it was popular and acceptable there. Thais without having the baggage of what it originally meant found the images cute and trendy. I daresay somewhat similar to how many Thais still think Hitler is funny and cute. Of course we all know Thailand is not a PC culture when it comes to western sensitivities but they do have their own PC standards about their own stuff.

 

As I'm not black I'm not going to say it's not a big deal.

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Posted

My understanding of this, and I've asked around a bit, is that this is a reflection and an exaggeration of how

Thai people mostly see the northern hill tribes.   They are often of a darker complexion so the Thai people have gone

over top to portray them as black.

  • Confused 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Thomas J said:

Now the real question is this "racist" or celebrating Black Lives Matter? 

Ah, the temptation to answer that is very strong…but not going to bite today. I have stuff to do

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Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, bluebluewater said:

My understanding of this, and I've asked around a bit, is that this is a reflection and an exaggeration of how

Thai people mostly see the northern hill tribes.   They are often of a darker complexion so the Thai people have gone

over top to portray them as black.

I'm not buying that. Look at the exaggerated lips. That's straight out of American minstrel show stuff.

 

From Spike Lee's Bamboozled. 

 

 

Edited by Jingthing
  • Like 1
Posted
31 minutes ago, Heng said:

My guess would be representations of Sakai (or Rambutan people in the local slang).   

 

And actually, if those are who they are meant to be, they are descended from slaves (and not that slaves have to be negroid, but they are a negroid origin people) if I recall.  

I've always thought they were meant to be Sakai/Ngoh (also Maniq?) people from the South.

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Thais dont seem to be concerned or aware of American 1970's USA television  programmers . And they dont seem concerned about whether Black lives matter or dont matter .

Weird comment. The minstrel thing was the thing decades before the 1970s and surely there were American movies shown here back then.

Of course the Thais localized the general concept with Thai dress as was shown.

Posted

The OP claims to have seen them "all around town" but posts only a couple of pictures with no hint as to their location or even their provenance.

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Another thing that supports my theory of dated American influence as opposed to hill tribes.

 

Darkie toothpaste later changed to Darlie

 

Brand started in the 1930s.

A time of great popularity of American minstrel blackface stuff.

 

https://bettermarketing.pub/the-racist-bestselling-brand-of-toothpaste-youve-never-heard-of-c507dd4f5c5d

 

Black Man Cleaning products 

Edited by Jingthing
Posted
3 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Nope - they are just figures with black faces, just as the golliwog on Robinson's jam was just a cuddly black toy, and Father Xmas is just a fat white guy.  Just because it's a black face or doll doesn't make it racist!

It kind of does when there are exaggerations of lips and eyes.

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