November 25, 201411 yr Dutch club in Stockholm drops black-faced Santa's helpersPhoto: Tenorio81, Creative Commons STOCKHOLM: -- A Dutch club in Stockholm that was planning a festive party featuring Santa alongside a servant with a black painted face has shelved the idea following numerous complaints of racism.Sweden’s Afro-Swedish National Association wrote to the Dutch embassy in Stockholm earlier this month to protest against a party planned on its premises on November 30th, at which the character was set to appear.Black Pete – or Zwarte Piet as he is known in Dutch – was due to arrive at the embassy following a public boat ride from Djurgården to Slussen in Stockholm.The character is usually played by someone wearing black face paint and a wig and regularly appears alongside Saint Nicholas at seasonal Sinterklass celebrations in the Netherlands and Belgium. Read more: The Local Sweden Source: http://scandasia.com/dutch-club-in-stockholm-drops-black-faced-santas-helpers/ -- ScandAsia 2014-11-25
November 25, 201411 yr Popular Post Now they have even banned Black Pete. Political correctness is like a disease.
November 25, 201411 yr PC gone crazy..... We will eventually reach a point in time where we will all have to hide our black people in case someone thinks it is racist to have any living in your country. I think it is an honour to be Santa's right hand man regardless of colour.
November 25, 201411 yr Popular Post You got one group screaming about why can't elves be black? And another group screaming black elves are racist. Just can't win. And this is why we will never have world peace lol.
November 25, 201411 yr PC gone crazy..... We will eventually reach a point in time where we will all have to hide our black people in case someone thinks it is racist to have any living in your country. I think it is an honour to be Santa's right hand man regardless of colour. Except, it wasn't a black man. "...a servant with a black painted face..."
November 25, 201411 yr PC gone crazy..... We will eventually reach a point in time where we will all have to hide our black people in case someone thinks it is racist to have any living in your country. I think it is an honour to be Santa's right hand man regardless of colour. Except, it wasn't a black man. "...a servant with a black painted face..." Sort of like Laurence Olivier's portrayal with a black painted face of Shakespeare's Othello. Othello and Black Pete, you see, are both Moors.
November 25, 201411 yr ... An unpaid servant who's black.... Daddy, i didn't know Santa was a slave owner?? Just kidding... It's actually a bit funny, as a business associate was in Thailand from HKG a couple weeks ago and we were talking about how over the top PC the US had become... And my colleague joked about Black Pete and how if in the US, people would be going crazy ... Seems it is not just US that is PC ...
November 25, 201411 yr It's the Darkie/Darlie story; has ever anywhere on this planet a white arse sued anybody else for calling him/her a white arse? Next is the intervention of Katoeys about Father Christmas who actually was a transgender ?
November 25, 201411 yr Right now there is a lot of fuss (even violent demonstrations) in Holland about Black Pete, the helper/servant of Santa Claus. Black Dutch people, mainly originating from former Dutch colonies, feel discriminated. When I was a child, I was always told Pete was black because he had to creep through chimneys to deliver presents to children, deposit them into their shoes when they were sleeping.
November 25, 201411 yr PC gone crazy..... We will eventually reach a point in time where we will all have to hide our black people in case someone thinks it is racist to have any living in your country. I think it is an honour to be Santa's right hand man regardless of colour. Except, it wasn't a black man. "...a servant with a black painted face..." I totally missed the painted face part. Reading comprehension owns me. Makes me think of this movie lol
November 25, 201411 yr See post #11. These are the kinds of people who come out of the woodwork because of ignorant exibitions like this. On the other hand, it's great that they are exposed...
November 25, 201411 yr For me, Dutchman, and ... playing 11 years for Black Peter ( Zwarte Piet ) , the entire story around this the last 2 years is beyond any comprehension. An in fact fairy tale person, who works as servant / companion of Sinterklaas ( Saint Nicolas), in which children of 2-7 believe in, is harmed only because a 2-3 % let themselves be influenced by a few in several brown tints coloured immigrants into the Netherlands see it as a remembrance of the slavery period, ended a 175 years ago. So, next step: the old "bishop" ( Saint Nicolas) , who rides on a white horse "from roof to roof " has to be replaced: must be spread over more transport means, religions, and of course male / female: so next year: a Buddhist non riding on a camel and the year after a rabbi using a squad Compare it with: the Labour Department forbids the elves to work so hard at the workshops of Santa ( The American interpretation of Sinterklaas), so no boxing day at 26 Dec, as.. all toys cannot be ready in time. Also the Animal Welfare Organisations mix in this issue: the reindeers are not allowed to fly through the cold sky, but only walk on the surface. Also a reason, why all parcels cannot be delivered in time. For Thailand especially: the Environment Front forbids the throwing of water to each other ( Songkran) and leaving little boats in the water at Loi Kratong. How you think the Thai will react ?
November 25, 201411 yr I am a Dutchman and I grew-up with Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet - and I have nothing but great memories from these once-a-year traditions. I most certainly did not become a "discriminator" or a "hater" of any kind. To me; a person is a nice person, until he/she does something to erase my respect, but NEVER based on Race, Color, Religion (although Islam is pushing my envelope somewhat . . .). Interesting article, about the Dutch in Sweden: now we know where a lot of spineless Dutchies have gone . . . . . . . . ("a lot"; I did NOT say "all" !).
November 25, 201411 yr I wonder what the majority of African descent Dutch people think about this tradition. If they're mostly offended, then I think it's a problem. If not, it isn't. Personally, I stopped caring about what the Dutch did since that time in a "cafe" in Amsterdam ... I think this issue is similar to the Washington Redskins naming controversy. It seems most Native Americans are offended by that and I think that means EVENTUALLY the name is going to be changed.
November 25, 201411 yr I think this issue is similar to the Washington Redskins naming controversy. Good example. They are equally silly.
November 25, 201411 yr You could tell when they danced. No rythmn... That stereotypical statement is proof of you head being used all to often as a pinata!
November 25, 201411 yr sinterklaas & zwarte piet are as real as any god, allah ... old joke : a black man with a job, that is really rare to see in any western country ... they prefer social services, unemployment, etc...
November 25, 201411 yr The hypocrisy of PC. White person putting on ANY black make up in ANY context = Racist Black person putting on white make up (Eddie murphy impersonating a white guy in 'Coming to America' or the Wayans bros impersonating hiso white girls in 'White Chicks') = Not racist at all.
November 25, 201411 yr PC gone crazy..... We will eventually reach a point in time where we will all have to hide our black people in case someone thinks it is racist to have any living in your country. I think it is an honour to be Santa's right hand man regardless of colour. Santa is a cracker and no self respecting brother would step and fetch it for that honky Black folk got kwanzaa anyway, don't need no uppity fat white man in a red suit ordering around elves and raindeer; sheeeeeeeaaaaat
November 25, 201411 yr PC gone crazy..... We will eventually reach a point in time where we will all have to hide our black people in case someone thinks it is racist to have any living in your country. I think it is an honour to be Santa's right hand man regardless of colour. Except, it wasn't a black man. "...a servant with a black painted face..." Sort of like Laurence Olivier's portrayal with a black painted face of Shakespeare's Othello. Othello and Black Pete, you see, are both Moors. Strange that the Moors are now thought of as black when they were North African Arabs/Berbers. Most Moroccans would not be too happy if you called them black.
November 25, 201411 yr Funny thing is, black isn't a colour at all! Next time, perhaps they should use someone black ... and paint their face white.
November 25, 201411 yr The west keeps on coming up with stuff to make life less enjoyable. Black Pete is black 'cause he frequents the chimneys to deliver his boss' gifts, not because he is his African slave!
November 25, 201411 yr You might think it logical that "Black Pete" was black because he was in the chimneys all the time and not a racial reference at all. English chimney sweeps (little boys) were generally portrayed as black faced due to the dirt and soot that was part of their everyday life.
November 25, 201411 yr How long more before the PC brigade gone claim Saint Nicholas is actually a pedo ?
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