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

[JDJD]

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? 

[johng]

2 minutes ago, JDJD said:

Was Thailand ever known for having African slaves? 

No   but the Thais  themselves where slaves right upto 1915    recent events may even see a return to feudalism.

[RichardColeman]

5 minutes ago, johng said:

No   but the Thais  themselves where slaves right upto 1915    recent events may even see a return to feudalism.

Now though they just have covid migrant prisoners

[ezzra]

Could they be Al Jolson effigy's singing 'Mammy'?...  

[Thomas J]

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

[JDJD]

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! 

[tifino]

obviously some mumbo jumbo thinking behind it  

[NCC1701A]

 

[KannikaP]

20 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Could they be Al Jolson effigy's singing 'Mammy'?...  

Or a sales push by Robertson's Marmalade.

[Surelynot]

The ones between Sukhumvit soi 3 and soi 13 are offering products not usually available in your local supermarket...

[johng]

7 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

The ones between Sukhumvit soi 3 and soi 13

You're talking about Bangkok right ?

[Surelynot]

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.

[Smithson]

36 minutes ago, JDJD said:

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! 

I think there is an explanation, but I don't know enough about Thai history and culture enough to explain it. Safe to say it has nothing to do with issues of race and slavery that dominate American thinking. There are no shortage of Thais who's skin color would qualify them as 'black' and they've never had African slaves, so are not inclined to the white guilt so common in other countries which have become obsessed with race issues.

Edited July 10, 2021 by Smithson

[clivebaxter]

Southern foke lore I believe, nothing to do with Africans

[VocalNeal]

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?

[Heng]

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.  

[Jingthing]

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.

[bluebluewater]

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.

[Bluespunk]

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

[Jingthing]

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 July 10, 2021 by Jingthing

[Denim]

Sometimes they are displayed next to cement cock statues.

 

So perhaps it's a very deep , subconscious longing for black cocks ??

 

Hmmm....no , the cocks are a Naresuan thing.

 

Then there are the zebras ? What are they all about ?

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

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

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 .

[KhaoNiaw]

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.

[Jingthing]

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.

[simon43]

1 hour ago, Thomas J said:

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

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!

[NanLaew]

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.

[Jingthing]

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 July 10, 2021 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

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.

[Surelynot]

4 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Just because it's a black face or doll doesn't make it racist!

I am going to go right out on a limb here with the crazy notion that whether or not it is perceived as being racist is very much up to the people it is depicting not the people who create them...........?????

[jacko45k]

The rest of the world had to have a PC clear-out.....and this is where they ended up.