Brownface/blackface is an example of how silly our desire to not appear racist has become. It is a grab at power by a group that has been subjugated and treated badly over the past century and it has been used in the past to be demeaning, it takes away the right of others to celebrate dark skin- if they don't have dark skin. It is built on the illusion that only I who have dark skin can know what it is to be like. At the same time many pale faced Australians cling to their aboriginality because of the benefits.(not all) Decisions are now made by a small group of aborigines for the whole aboriginal race despite the fact that in the past most groups were local and clan based with many different ideologies. The aboriginal flag is an example of this. In the town in which I grew up the aboriginals avoided red. It was a color of morning, danger and death and yet it is used on the flag as a color of the desert but then what would I know. I am not aboriginal. I wouldn't understand the many aboriginal legends and stories I heard as a child. They can only be repeated by those who are of aboriginal descent.

As with beauty, offence is in the eye of the beholder.

For some time some colored folk have obsessed over skin color, with stories of routinely practised infanticide, because the skin color was too light?

Even so, some folk who've aboriginal ancestors, yet present as fair (milk white) skinned blue eyed blondes? Like my Aunt Dot! Standing beside her younger sister, Aunt Pat, who had typical fuzzy black hair, brown eyes, and had a light brown skin tone.(permenant) Hard to envisage them as sisters!

DNA testing proves the same mum and dad and a measure of aboriginality?

None claimed aboriginality, given it was seen back then, on both sides of the racial divide, as a badge of shame! Which my paternal Grandmum, covered with liberal dustings of white powder and obligatory white gloves.

That said, some folk can get a little precious about alleged ancestors, which should be resolved with DNA testing if race related benefits are claimed?

Look, you can offend some folk all of the time with any comment, which is filtered through reverse racism, I've found?

And on one occasion in trying to ensure a mate (Private Brown) wasn't fond idle on parade. Tried to draw his attention to his dress, with Brownie ( the name he prefered) your (shirt) colour is up.

Which saw an enraged rather large colored gentleman (Mr karate expert) grabbing me by my shirt front, hurling me behind the barracks and demanding in loud belligerent bellowing, what the deleted expletive did I mean by that?

I responded with a (trained reflex) defensive move which saw him laying on his front an arm up his back and my knee and body weight on his head, while I explained the actual situation!

Not the racist in the ranks remark he was eternally alert for, then explained as carefully as I could, the actual situation and that I knew that there was a racist in the ranks, and could be seen every time it glared back at him from a mirror!

Which for mine is the central tenet of this and other race based, born to be offended, diatribes?
Alan B.

taking away the rights of whites identifying with the Indigenous would leave many ngos and public servants out of work. They luv cashing in on the victim indusry. Its a pity that fantasy now wins out over history. Some parts of aboriginal culture and history really is not very pretty. Thankfully we now have hospitals, schools, electricity, running water and have outlawed incest. The numbers saved from this are almost always overlooked. No one truly wants to go back to an uncivilised lifestyle. Thank God the Brits got here before the French, Chinese or Japanese.

//Thank God the Brits got here before the French//

Dans un sens, ils l'ont fait: les Anglo-Saxons ont été conquis il y a longtemps par les Normands. Fondamentalement, les Anglais sont les Français.

Well at least On Line Opinion has free speech, the conversation editorializes it's comments section like no other website I've been too. It seems that they are not interested in a conversation merely to act as a platform for left wing academics to voice their opinions no matter how silly.

I had this comment removed....

"I’m of English heritage but my skin is very dark olive colour, Am I being racist? Should I stay out of the sun and lighten my skin so that i don’t offed anyone who identifies as non-white? Clearly I’m saying that for effect, the point is as others have said it should be about the intent not the offence taken.

If you adjusting your skin color to emulate someone in a positive sense then I don’t see the issue, but then again some people are determined to be offended."

I followed this comment up with several instance of none-white people "whiting up" for various reasons. I'm not in the least bit offended by them doing so.

From 1958 to 1978 The (UK) Black and White Minstrel Show was telecast on Australian TV. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AThe_Black_and_White_Minstrel_Show

There was no thought of its place in Political-Correctness-Land at the time. Just Showbiz. See a snippet http://youtu.be/3zj6o_DZfSw

and Where Have All The Golliwogs Gone? Long time passing.

Ascendency of the minority. All power to the individual! There is no society! ( and of course no GollyWogs either Plantagenet. One individual on the planet somewhere, is offended by the Golly Wogs)!

Golliwogs maketh the Man

diver Dan

Just ask Legally Brown http://youtu.be/OgeT4R-3yHs

les Anglais sont les Français.?
When le capitaine Jacques Cook donatee this terre to roi Georges III the Anglaises were kings de Frances. Oui , c'est in the Proclamation de the Accessions en Bretagneois. Quelle rouge-faced et offensif.

Ive seen black actors in comedy movies with blond barbie wigs and powdered
white faces. I found it funny even though I am white.

I think the lack of self esteem by some races make them oversensitive to
what is harmless humour.
I understand the history of it.

I saw a few shows of the black and white minstrels and to me it was just
a very good song and dance musical stage show.

The musical ability of the black African races was always admired by the white races.
The gospel singers, the movement they pioneered in music while the white races
were stuffy and too afraid of the sexuality of real physical movement until the likes
of Elvis finally pioneered black movement style in music.

The author writes: "you can’t separate blackface from its colonial history". Maybe it's time that she separated blackface from its colonial history and looked to a non-racist future.