Your Face Sounds Familiar is a popular celebrity singing show format, that currently has versions in different countries around the world, including some in Europe.
Each series of the show features a number of celebrities — some established singers, some from other fields of entertainment — who impersonate pop performers. Some series have starred singers who have also been past or future Eurovision stars.
Some series of Your Face Sounds Familiar feature blackface performances — where a white performer wears dark makeup as part of their impersonation of a black performer. These sorts of performances are problematic at best, racist at worst. While in some countries, the performances are delivered as earnest tributes to the stars, in other countries the sight of a white person dressed as a black person is played for laughs.
In the past, wiwibloggs has covered former Eurovision stars who have competed on Your Face Sounds Familiar. Up until 2017, this included some blackface performances, which we covered as basic entertainment news without criticism. We regret this and recognise the harm that it can cause to normalise such performances. We’re sorry.
We have now taken down these posts as we cannot see any positive reason to keep them online.
Since 2018, we have chosen to not cover blackface performances on Your Face Sounds Familiar. In this period, we have, however, covered former Eurovision stars who have performed on editions of the show that have included blackface performances by other competitors.
But enough is enough. We are uncomfortable skirting around the issue of blackface on Your Face Sounds Familiar. From now on, wiwibloggs will not cover performances from Eurovision stars or Eurovision tributes featured on any future series of Your Face Sounds Familiar and we have no reason to cover the show otherwise.
We also urge all productions of Your Face Sounds Familiar to end blackface performances. If a broadcaster wants to include songs by popular black artists, they can do so without blackface or other racially offensive caricatures. Indeed, they could just invite black performers to compete on the show.
Why are blackface performances problematic?
Blackface has its origins in American minstrel shows of the mid to late 19th century. White performers used black greasepaint makeup to parody African-American people. As Vox explains, “Taking place against the backdrop of a society that systematically mistreated and dehumanized black people, they were mocking portrayals that reinforced the idea that African-Americans were inferior in every way.”
The American academic David Leonard told Vox that contemporary blackface “reinforces the idea that black people are appropriate targets of ridicule and mockery and reminds us of stereotypes about black criminality, and danger.”
The website also notes that “not feeling racist when you’re wearing blackface does nothing to change how it affects those who see it”. They also say that due to the internet, blackface photos and videos can spread a lot further than its intended audience.
Outside of the United States, there is some history of blackface performance in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal.
Featured image created by user5812043 – www.freepik.com.
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I don’t even want to get into the merits of whether or not this is something that you guys should do or whether or not these shows should allow such a practice. My personal take on it, is that at the moment, when the discussion is around people being genuinely concerned about being murdered based on the colour of their skin, that taking that conversation into the area of what people do on an entertainment show, thousands of miles away, dilutes the issue.
When black people are not getting killed by cops, let’s work on the TV shows eh?
Honestly how hard can it be to just not letting these artists imitate black singers? Especially if you are from a Balkan country, or eastern country. There are plenty of local talent to choose from. I don’t think it’s flattering for the artists to know that a white singer somewhere in Europe put on paint to imitate you, even if it is no harm meant. What next, should they put on “yellow face” and let people laugh at that too? There lies the problem with the show, apart from it being a tacky idea that was fun 20 years ago.… Read more »
When someone says that something is offensive, your reply to that shouldn’t be to say that the person shouldn’t be offended, that the person should not take in that something as offensive, that the something’s intent isn’t to be offensive. When someone says that something is offensive, you may not think that the something is offensive, but you can note that the something offended someone. And you may see that the something is continually offending someone, or a group of someones. When a black person says “Blackface, in any context, offends me” and then another black person says “Blackface offends… Read more »
This is an interesting issue. First, I never found this show amusing in the first place. Making cover is one thing, copying an artist in every aspect seems redundant. But, oh well, so many like it so, whatever. ”Blackface” as a concept in another, more sinister thing. It’s not only antiquated, but also has a history of downgrading Black people. It has initially used to shame and ridicule Blacks (who didn’t even have most of basic human rights back then) and / or to take away any possibility of them actually appearing on stage by giving that platform to white… Read more »
Nice to see someone from an Eastern European country talking sense about this for once as opposed to getting defensive. Good on you.
They’ll be banning tanning beds next
Unless you are black, literally everyone in Europe needs to shut up already. No, you AREN’T that different from the US actually when it comes to racism. And YES, saying otherwise is racist.
Im half black and i’d say we are pretty different from america. Especially here in the west Just imo. This duscussion is soooo american. And the people who sre the most outraged in this comment section are american because it is an american problem and not an european.
racism exists off course but you don’t solve it by banning black ‘your face sounds familiar’ performances. It’s better to live in a society that feels free for a black person to imitate a white artist and vice versa. If that is normalized it means we’ve actually come a little closer to being equal and not divided. Because if you turn every fly into and elephant that’s exactly what you get. A divided society
I think there’s a pretty big difference between being worried about being offended and genuinely being worried that a person in authority might end your life because of your skin colour.
I know that (generally) Americans don’t like to receive criticism but yes, your situation (at the moment) is shockingly and worryingly different from Europe’s.
I am sorry guys, but I think you are on the wrong here. A world without racism will be a world in which wearing black make up to imitate another artist is fine. If that is already the case in some countries with no blackface history, making a point out of it and asking the performances to stop does not help us achieving that world without racisim, it makes us further from it. Your point of view is too American/UK based in this case.
Don’t know if this is weird to say or not, but I disagree.
The reason most historical examples of blackface are problematic, is because it was used to portray insulting stereotypes, and diminish and make fun of black people.
A show like *Your Face Sounds Familiar*, where the entire point is, to impersonate famous singers to the best of your ability, is a completely different context. No one on that show paints their skin dark to be racist.
This is the same logic as: *”We should ban all knives, because knives have been used to kill people”*.
Blackface might not be as important as people being killed but its still a part of racism so it should be ended
To those saying that many countries in Europe have no history of racism: CHECK YOUR HISTORY AND TRY TELLING THAT TO SAMIS, JEWS, GYPSIES, BOSNIAK MUSLIMS, BASQUES, ARMENIANS THE LIST GOES ON
Actually the US context and history of white colonialism is shared by many western European countries. And actually is IS called blackface, go look it up in a dictionary.
“Indeed, they could just invite black performers to compete on the show.” As someone from a Balkan country – good luck finding someone who’s black, singer and willing to perform there. There are maybe 2 niche local black singers per Balkan country, and I can not think of a single black performer in the region who is popular
Then don’t pick black singers to impersonate in the first place. God knows there are plenty of white performers in and out of the Balkans to choose from.
I don’t think excluding black music from a show that covers music would be a positive step when it comes to racism. 😉 It’s easy enough to perform the songs without changing the colour of your face.
That is true but then don’t let them imitate black singers to begin with. Problem solved.
Ugh, I’m all in with #BLM but in general I don’t think those performances could be labelled as harmful for the black community. It’s a show where everyone try to be like the singer vocally and physically. The contestants aren’t black painted to mock the artist but just to have some resemblance to them. It’s like when they put a fake nose or bald. Is it disrespectful for bald artists or artist with big noses? I don’t really think so. Of course, in the past blackface performances were set up to mock the black community but that isn’t the case… Read more »
Couldn’t agree more stuff like this are making more division. This hurts no one, it was made an issue, how can this compare to real racism – it can’t, so we should focus on those issues first. And as you said blackface is “native” to USA, so it wasn’t present in most of Europe, so it’s like saying all rules in the world should be obeyed in all countries, because what is considered offensive in one, should be considered offensive in a another as well, but of course it doesn’t work like that – so why it should be in… Read more »
Are you black? If not then it’s really not your place to say what is harmful or not to the black community
I’m not but I do know that some black people think the same (not personally, but media personas) 🙂 Dressing up as someone shouldn’t be offensive no matter in who you transform into, that’s my opinion, IT WAS offensive, when blackface was actually happening, but shouldn’t be anymore – especially in countries in which blackface wasn’t present. That’s my opinion.
It’s not their identity it’s singer’s indentity. And is not like black people were the only one who suffered. Armenians, Slavic people, Kosovars, Roma people, native people, aboriginals, Jews… All people have suffered so what’s your point? And I would’ve find it fine if a black person or germans, who opressed us would make an impression of a Slavic person, in fact I would feel flattered that he is invested in our culture and I don’t know why some people wouldn’t feel the same (if it doesn’t mock the person). I mean times have changed.
I’m not okay with how Hollywood stereotypes people from Eastern Europe. Actually Hollywood has history in stereotyping blacks, native Americans in western movies, Italians as mobsters etc.
true, I’m personally not bothered, because I personally am not sensitive to those matters if they are used as comical element.
Well I’m not telling them to be ok with it, I just hate it because people today are such (don’t want to use the expression but I will hahah) snowflakes. And that is bothering me, no one can say anything, you have to keep your opinion to yourselves and so on… So we won’t make this just a blackface issue, but just an issue of a modern day society – being too sensitive.
How impersonating an artist is a cultural identity appropiation? Also, entertainment is not mockery. Blackface was specifically created to mock physical and cultural features in the black community just because, but what is being done in most shows isn’t that. Blackface is not exactly what is being done there.
Agree on those last two lines though.
It’s a complicated issue and I can kinda understand the point of view of those who disagree with some statements included in this article. Personally, I think the whole show is pretty pointless to begin with, as in my opinion mindless imitation of an artist’s look and vocals has nothing to do with either artistic expression or honouring the singer, but that’s besides the point. In my view, if there are people who perceive impersonating people of different race than your own as personally insulting, derogatory, racist and tasteless (and there are certainly many of them), it shouldn’t be tolerated,… Read more »
If you don’t think these issues are relevant to Europe you are wearing your ignorance on your face. Simple as that. Stop speaking for the people impacted and learn to listen. As a non-white person I am tired of your defensive “this has nothing to do with Europe” attitudes. Stop saying my feelings are irrelevant–they are not. Stop acting like you understand my existence better than I do.
We live on a continent where black MPs get bananas thrown at them, where monkey noises force football matches to be stopped. Stop pretending that only Americans are at fault.
Say it louder for the folks in the back!
In Europe you get free bananas thrown at you, in the USA you get jailed or killed.
In the UK you get killed as well
Preach!!!! SHOUT IT LOUDER FOR THOSE IN THE BACK!!!
Agree that it’s a little difficult to watch and is offensive to some. However why is it OK for black actors to white face. White Chicks for example is shocking.
As a white person it doesn’t offend me personally but this is probably because there isn’t a rich racist history of discrimination against white people like there is with black people.
White chicks is a shockingly bad film, yes. But it’s not racism as whites have never been systematically oppressed or historically caricatured by black people. Blackface humiliates and triggers black people as it has its origins in even more racist times. If they ask us to stop doing blackface, it’s really not hard for us to respect their wishes and do so.
but there is a difference between american blackface to humilliate a whole race and imitating a singer? There are tribes that also paint their skin dark would you call them racist also?
I’m sorry but how naive of people to think that black people don’t dislike white people. Yes they are in the minority but then again it’s only the minority that discriminate against black people. I find it very two faced and hypocritical for black comedians to have a go at white people with impunity yet the other way around would not be tolerated I’m all for racial equality. It’s everyone’s basic right. So please don’t have double standards. Every single time that Reginald D. Hunter is on a show he always has some digs at the white folks and the… Read more »
Thank u that al least someone is making sense 🙂 Exactly my view as well, couldn’t have said any better, this morals ad norms aren’t European, they were American and came to us… Same thing as jeans, fast food and hollywood movies…
I wasn’t equating them, I was just saying that it’s something that was spread around the globe just like jeans and fast food. It’s truly terrible what is happening to black people no doubt, opression is real racism is real, I’m just saying that I don’t like political correctness and spreading things that are considered offensive in some countries to other countries and saying that they are applying to them as well (not racism, but some aspects of it like cultural approriation and blackface)
sorry didn’t want to be rude, I thought you were attacking me – you don’t sorry… 🙂 but again I’m not equating them on importance just on similarities of them both being (jeans and morals) spread around the world.
I don’t like that stupid show anyway.
THANK YOU. This has been something I’ve felt very uncomfortable about for a really long time and I’m glad it’s finally being called out. Listen, maybe you do a mean cover of “Proud Mary” or “Try a Little Tenderness.” Maybe folks think if they close their eyes, they couldn’t tell you from The Weeknd or Whitney Houston. Doesn’t matter. If you aren’t black, don’t impersonate them. Simple as that. Cover their songs in concert if you’re that desperate to scratch the itch of singing “Respect” live, but don’t be so desperate to emulate people that you turn their race, a… Read more »
i appreciate whoever from Wiwibloggs looks over this comment section for deleting my comment TWICE, because they didn’t like it. Censorship at it finest.
Or they’re pending moderation as something you said may have caught the attention of the comment section’s filter.
I’m saying it from Polish point of view, as someone who watched Polish edition of YFSF. Very first performance in Polish YFSF is Tina Turner performed by some Polish tv host and she got standing ovation afterwards. Noone ever ridiculed anyone for their race. There’s also black Polish actress who performed as white people multiple times. Heck, she even won the whole thing. This is just dumb. I mean this article and this attitude. It’s the very same show where are BLACK CONTESTANTS WHO ARE “TRANSFORMED” INTO WHITE MUSIC STARS and noone Has any problem with it. Purpose is as… Read more »
agree, especially when countries have no history of doing blackface as a racist thing. Scandinavian countries and Eastern Europe have no systematic racism in their history… So yeah I know it’s an issue in USA, because there it was actually a racist thing. Here context matters, I don’t why people say it doesn’t matter – it does! This is one matter on which I don’t agree with liberals along with cultural appropriation, which I don’t agree should be a problem. IN a globalized world it is expected that we are going to mix cultural tradition – like why is wearing… Read more »
You be fool if you think we don’t have sytstematic racism in our society. We do have it and we have always had it. This decade it’s more visible than ever. The fact that some countries had Your Face Sounds Familar and nobody cared shower that we have racism
That’s because no one here except younger people knows about blackface, and if they don’t know about how does it make racist if it HAS NO racist context at all? That’s my question.
“Scandinavian countries and Eastern Europe have no systematic racism in their history… ”
Stopped reading your comment there.
…f*cking WHAT? Erasmus, have you been living under a rock the last few centuries? How the actual goddamn f*ck could anyone not think there’s systemic racism in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe? Picked up a newspaper lately? No country is exempt.
Systematic one? I know there is racism, but I’ve never heard of an institution discriminating on someone because of his colour? That’s what I meant, of course there is racism, you can find all sorts of people. Maybe I put the wrong word there, with systematic I meant that we never had laws against black people like USA had, we never had segregation, I also haven’t heard of a case when someone died because of his race or was fired because of it and so on, maybe I used to many countries, but for Slovenia (where I come from) I… Read more »
really? In Western Europe minorities get discriminated every day. They don’t get the job they want just because they have a foreign name. They don’t get allowed into clubs just because of colour. They get stares from people just because. And they get that because of colour and appearance, nothing else. That is systematic racism and that has been a part of Europe since forever. And that kind of racism is worse because it’s “hidden”. With real racists you at least know it’s racist. Yes, even in Slovenia you can find that, I mean look at your PM trying to… Read more »
“Scandinavian countries and Eastern Europe have no systematic racism in their history”
Tell that to Sami people.
Well again I’m from Slovenia sorry I used to many countries as an example. But here Romas have too many benefits if u ask me, they get A LOT of money… and there is huge problems with some of them, because even the police are afraid of them… Not trying to say there is no RACISM in Slovenia, I was trying to say that there is no racism from my country’s institutions and police – that was my point. And that we had never colonized anyone.
The thing is, the format has always been problematic, especially in countries where a local version airs for which they not only do they have a their own history of racism and colorism, but also histories of discrimination based ethnicity and other physical traits. The selling point is celebrities trying to look like horrific lookalikes of famous singers but it simply draws a fine line in trying to be funny and entertaining, and just being plain offensive to an already systematically oppressed community. And I bet you don’t know there’s even a junior version of the format as well. That… Read more »
Completely agree. Just because some people think it isn’t offensive doesn’t mean it isn’t.
Putting tons of make up on kids is fvcked up on it’s own. That’s one reason why noone even considered making it here
”Toddlers and tiaras” for example, awful f*cked up show, putting tons of make up on kids to look like adults.
I don’t say these f*cked up shows doesn’t exist in the world. I say it’s despitable where I come from. Heck, some people even think that JESC is too much for kids (saying they’re too young).
*Sorry if the sentences I wrote look disjointed. I’m not sure why that’s been happening lately. hehe
Well tbh I don’t like the show as well hahah, and yeah don’t support he Junior version at all (haven’t heard of it tho). I just think we as a society became wayyy to sensitive and politically correct – no one would give a damn about these stuff 10 years ago including black people trust me.
We all have to be sensitive, that’s why we are in this conversation so people like you would be aware why this is something that is not okay.
Are you black? Blackface performances are extremely hurtful to people in the black community. They’re racist, even if their intent wasn’t to hurt anyone. They did, they will.
I am white as snow. Funny thing, I’m also gay but I’ve been called homophobic (oh, irony) by heterosexual people when I said treating gay person better just because s/he’s gay (ergo treating heterosexual people worse, because they’re not gay) is as bad as being homophobic and we should treat everyone equally. You don’t have to be black to talk about racism. I’m sorry if something made you feel bad but when you feel bad about yourself because someone who CLEARLY HAD NO INTENTION to hurt your feelings (heck, even opposite) said/did something, then maybe you’re taking everything way too… Read more »
I didn’t say you can’t speak on racism, but you can NOT decide what is hurtful to other people. If someone calls you names relating to your sexuality, but says “well my cousin is gay and I like him so I’m not homophobic”, does that mean that it wasn’t hurtful to you? Or that that person isn’t actually homophobic? No. So just because YOU are not hurt by these performances, and just because they may not had the intent of hurting people, that does NOT make it not racist and hurtful.
I’d rather say to Afroamericans, doubt many African people know about blackface as well.
Got any proof? I’ll take a wager that you’re dead wrong.
Unfortunately I don’t have any proof, maybe I’m wrong, but you don’t have any proof as well, checked it on the internet and there wasn’t any survey so neither you nor I can tell. 🙂
It would be “blackface” if this show was about white people dressing up as black people. In reality it’s about PEOPLE DRESSING UP AS OTHER PEOPLE. Noone pays attention to gender, race, age, body size, etc. Black people, asian people, white people, every single race does same thing. Noone is treated better or worse. Some people just love ignore everything other than “hurr durr white people with black faces”, because it’s only way it suits their propaganda.
Thank you. It’s true that this is not as well known in Europe as in the U.S. But articles like this help share awareness, which is what we need.
Good article.
But I just want to say that people in Europe mostly never heard for blackface and they don’t know that it’s consider as rasistic so it’s not fair to “cancel” artists who participate in this show.
For example, people were harsh on Damir Kedzo because of it. But he apologized and expain that he didn’t know that blackface is wrong.
The important thing is that they learn. I just have so many questions on why nobody ever thought there was anything wrong with it when they did it in the first place.
Thank you for this. Blackface has too much of a history in Europe (looking at you Netherlands) and it needs to stop being glorified. I and probably most people appreciate this decision.
No idea why you’re getting downvoted, you’re just saying the truth
Thanks haha, unfortunately some people continue to propagate racism even if they don’t mean it by ignoring the harmfulness of things like Zwarte Piet and blackface.
good editorial. Respect.