President Donald Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the G-7 summit, Friday, June 8, 2018, in Charlevoix, Canada. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin has gone and done it. The famously liberal and weak kneed leader from the North has been caught in a scandal involving his wearing of “brownface” back in 2001. Yes, this happened in this century. TIME magazine uncovered the picture in a yearbook.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, wore brownface makeup to a party at the private school where he was teaching in the spring of 2001. TIME has obtained a photograph of the incident.
The photograph has not been previously reported. The picture was taken at an “Arabian Nights”-themed gala. It shows Trudeau, then the 29-year-old son of the late former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, wearing a turban and robes with his face, neck and hands completely darkened. The photograph appears in the 2000-2001 yearbook of West Point Grey Academy, a private day school where Trudeau was a teacher.
Tell me you didn’t read that and the theme song from Aladdin didn’t pop into your head?
TIME assures me this is really serious. Here’s a picture of the incident.
Exclusive: Justin Trudeau wore brownface at 2001 ‘Arabian Nights’ party while he taught at a private school, Canada's Liberal Party admits https://t.co/j3UobfYNIF
— TIME (@TIME) September 18, 2019
Look, I’ve got to give the guy props. If he dressed like that and still managed the accompaniment of the female sex, dude must have game, right? Although, I’m not sure what’s up with him trying to choke her out as the photo is taken. Must be a Canadian thing.
Here was Trudeau’s hilarious comment.
Reporter: "Do you want to tell Canadians about any other instances where you are concerned that you were racist?"
Trudeau: "I've always — and you'll know this — been more enthusiastic about costumes than is sometimes appropriate." pic.twitter.com/zFrW363cBE
— ishmael (@iD4RO) September 19, 2019
He’s citing another picture that also caused an uproar several years back in which his family dressed up in traditional Indian garb.
Is it just me or is this choreographed cuteness all just a bit much now? Also FYI we Indians don’t dress like this every day sir, not even in Bollywood. pic.twitter.com/xqAqfPnRoZ
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 21, 2018
This guy has the cultural awareness of Jerry Nadler at a Chinese buffet.
But seriously, let’s talk about this. Can anyone tell me what the heck “brownface” is? Has anyone ever even heard that term before Trudeau’s latest fashion faux paux? I’ve been under the impression that the entire reason blackface is offensive is because of its history of being used in the mockery of African-Americans, especially during times of oppression. In the context of minstrel shows, slavery, and the later Jim Crow era, it certainly makes sense that blackface would be seen as something to avoid and I’ve got no problem being sensitive to that.
Here’s the thing though, Arabs aren’t oppressed, at least not outside of their own Arab leadership. In fact, the history of the Middle Eastern civilization is one of aggression, invasion, and conquering others into submission. At what point did we decide dressing up like Aladdin is actually mocking an oppressed class, because I’m pretty sure it’s not. This is the same appropriation we see from certain Democrats like Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib, who label themselves “women of color” in order to pretend their backgrounds are in anyway comparable to the African-American struggle in American.
As my colleague Kira Davis wrote earlier this year, the struggle of being black in America is unique and should be respected as such. It’s not something to be hi-jacked by everyone with pigmentation levels above your average Italian. This entire ordeal is just dumb. There’s nothing inherently racist or wrong about dressing up like Aladdin for a costume party and it is not the same thing as dressing up like a African-American, who’s history includes systematic oppression and mockery.
Trudeau should laugh this off. But he’s gonna bow before the woke mob because that’s all the left knows how to do these days.
Enjoying the read? Please visit my archive and check out some of my latest articles.
I’ve got a new twitter! Please help by following @bonchieredstate.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member