Florida Softball's Hannah Rogers Is About to Learn Why Blackface Is A Bad Idea

But, I don’t really see the huge deal. Clay himself retweeted it or w/e it’s called. If he had a problem with it he surely would have took it up with his coach who would’ve took it up with hers. I think we are having a slow sports day because we are taking something minor and attempting to make it major. Everything has to automatically be racist to blacks, now it’s that way with whites. It’s pathetic.

Personally I think it’s ridiculous that a group like this would get so up in arms about something that no one in here was actually offended by. You all see this as potentially offensive to others, and thus the belief that it’s insensitive for a 19 year old to not understand the history of “blackface” in America. Give me a break. Rodgers and friends went as members of the Florida football team. Nothing about that is in any way racially insensitive. Using the rationale displayed in here, people should be offended anytime someone dresses up as anything Catholic for Halloween, because they clearly don’t understand the historical implications of the Spanish Inquisition. The root of racism is intent, and I don’t believe that a single one of you believes that the intent here was to offend. Will there people that find this “racially insensitive?” Obviously, but who cares. At this point it seems like we attack things because they could possibly be perceived a certain way, and ignore how they are actually received.

OMG Hannah Rodgers, you 19 year old athlete at Florida, how could you have been so stupid as to think that dressing up as a member of the Florida football team wouldn’t create a hailstorm of controversy and color you as a racist, pun intended. This is the type of reaction that I find so irritating in this country today…calling someone ignorant for failing to understand the implications of “blackface”, something that no one in here was even alive for. Personally, I think it says something positive, that members of the Florida softball team didn’t think about the “racist implications” of dressing up as guys that are probably friends of theirs. Let’s ignore the fact that a younger generation doesn’t see things the same way as those before us, something that could actually signal a shift in the attitudes regarding race in this country, and instead brow beat her over the head, and reenforce and recirculate the stupid stereotypes that we’re trying to move away from. Ridiculous…

…but Troll did a good job for me. Blackface is offensive (still) today for a reason, and it’s an example where a double standard is appropriate. College students – especially in the South – should be aware of this. Just like a white person saying the n-word, it doesn’t make it ok if they have black friends that are ok with it. The word is still racially charged, as is the use of blackface in pretty much any context.

I just find there to be so much hypocrisy in day to day life that I tire of it. Daniel Tosh can crack joke after joke about any number of races and there is not outcry, but a softball player at Florida dresses up as a friend, and all of sudden she should be more socially conscious, and versed on racially insensitive portrayals from 60 years ago? It makes no sense to me, and I’m sure most of you will vehemently disagree with this, but I don’t actually believe that most of you were offended by it. You see it as perhaps something that was unintentionally distasteful to some, but not offended. That’s just my two cents, and also….I would appreciate it if the condescension ceased. I’m not a bigot for thinking that no harm was meant by this action. I’m not racist for thinking that she intended to and likely offended no one. You can think that I’m glossing over some greater meaning here, but I just think that you’re digging to deeply into it. It’s simply a difference of opinion.

About 4:00 pm EDT, pictures were taken down and an apology tweet was posted. Seems Coach Walton got word of last night’s events.

It boggles the mind that in 2011, a white fratboy in brownface and warpaint riding around on a horse in front of thousands of spectators is still considered one of the finest traditions in college football.

It’s about a long and well-documented history minstrel shows perpetuating terrible stereotypes and racist ideas. You cannot reclaim blackface as merely makeup, because there is too much history behind it for it to ever just be makeup. If you can’t grasp that, I suggest taking a class or reading a book on the matter. It really isn’t complicated.-Troll2Troll

People are not offended because they believe Hanna is a racist, or had racist intentions.

 People, including the ones in this thread are offended because you feel it is unacceptable for any white person to wear a costume of a black person because of the history behind “black face” even if thier intentions are innocent. You feel that even if they are ignorant to the history of “blackface”, it is still unacceptable because they are UF athletes and should know better. Basically your saying, even if it’s Halloween and everyone that is involved is ok with it, dressing up as a friend who happens to be black is not allowed because there is just too much history behind it for it to be just make up…even if it has nothing to do with racism.

It is very hard for me to grasp that the people who know the whole story cannot judge the difference between a halloween costume and a racist joke of wearing black make up. I completely understand why UF does not want things like this being put on the internet. I completely understand that people could VERYeasily be offended by the picture when all they see is the picture, it could easily be interpreted as racism(“blackface”).

From my perspective… The movie White Chicks is offensive to me because of the obvious racism toward white females with blond hair. BUT if a 19 year old African American dressed up as Super Man because he is upsest with him and even paints his face white… No, I obviously would not be offended because I know that it is purely innocent and not racist.

As far as history goes. It is also hard for me to see how people can be offended because although the subject at hand is not racist, it reminds them of a time when it was racist. I am not saying, “Hey, your wrong for being offended.” I just don’t understand. And don’t tell me to read a book, I know the history.

it is still unacceptable because they are UF athletes and should know better.

They should know better because the’re older than 12.

The movie White Chicks is offensive to me because of the obvious racism toward white females with blond hair.

For too long the Hilton sisters have been made caricatures of…

As far as history goes. It is also hard for me to see how people can be offended because although the subject at hand is not racist, it reminds them of a time when it was racist. I am not saying, "Hey, your wrong for being offended." I just don’t understand.

As troll said, the fact is millions of people, particularly black people, are offended, so to do it anyway is either racist or extremely insensitive.

Where is the sarcasm knob? I need to turn it to 11.

And technically, isn’t Halapio ‘Pacific Islander’ (to use job application language)?

Each person in this situation can draw their own conclusions on the events that transpired. And we, as casual observers, can deride their actions and lack of judgement (especially in taking pictures and posting to the web), but we weren’t there. We don’t know what happened, we don’t know anything beyond twitters 140 characters and some pictures.

I understand the reasons for reporting (due to the UF recoil, she will get SOME punishment from her teams coach) and then people would ask questions. But please don’t point the finger.

So this is what I come back to after not logging on for a couple days?!

I’ve read all of your arguments on this and have the following conclusions:

1) I’m still an enormous Gators softball fan and want to see them win the WCWS
2) As, I’ve said all along, Twitter sucks and is poisoning American society
3) I guess no white children can dress up as our president this Halloween

and this whole fiasco is just waay too funny, and right when you thought Georgia had all the rednecks.. these wonderfully timed pics show up during hate week.

love yer show

Can’t we all just get along!!!

Wait … I don’t know if I can say that because I’m not African-American!!

You can say whatever you want … it’s a free country!!!

Excellent!!!

Seriously though, why can’t we just all say “agree to disagree” and move on. It offended some and not others, this whole discussion is borderline boring now. Too much arguing. Let’s get ready for Georgia this weekend!!!