A man in traditional clothes jumps during the Oktoberfest parade in Munich September 20, 2009. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
Blog Guy, you’ve been writing about Oktoberfest in Germany, and I have a question.
I saw a photo of this guy in the Oktoberfest parade. The caption said he was in “traditional clothes,” and I wondered what that meant.
Ah. I believe “traditional clothes” is our euphemism for “stupid racist blackface minstrel show makeup.”
You mean they still DO that over in Germany?
Apparently so. Maybe it’s just in parades.
Has nobody told them how tasteless that is?
Probably not. I’m sure they’ll be very embarrassed to read this exchange in my blog, though, and it will never happen again.
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8 comments so far
Second guy from the left…. Is he getting ready for a wrestle or something??
- Posted by ShraThe dude on the far right, looks reaaaaaaaaaaaaally funnny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know, if I were in costume like the guy on the right, I think that I’d wear a cup or something. Cause you shouldn’t let your participles dangle.
- Posted by AllThatJazzAnd as the Village People wind down their European tour in Muncich singing “YMCA” no one was quite sure which letter the man in the jester shoes was attempting to make….
- Posted by BillIsn’t the guy with the red hat one of those Spanish matadors? Maybe now that bull fighting season is over in Spain, he traveled to Germany for Oktoberfest.
- Posted by CAMRob: an Oktoberfest blog entry and no mention (or photo) of mugs? Tsk, tsk, you are losing it. Unless … no, it couldn’t … oh, my crown jewels! It is! The guy doing the splits — it’s … Charles!
- Posted by JimmyYou’re a genius Rob! We love you!
I’m guessing that the man in the picture is portraying Swarte Pete (Black Pete), He travels with Sinter Klaus (Santa Claus) and gives presents to children. The whole “Black/White” thing is very different in Europe. You’d have to find a Black German to comment on whether this is offensive or not. I just lived there a while.
- Posted by dekessRelax, Jimmy, there are mugs back in today’s blog post…
- Posted by Robert BaslerMaybe he’s from the Black Forest part of Germany.
- Posted by some dumb guy with old jokes