The Left’s New Blackface, ‘Womanface’
Bob BowdeyThe Washington Stand
June 17, 2023
The Left’s newest “war on women” has a sinister past. Today, cloaked in LGBT activism, virtue signaling, and the old standby “tolerance,” the woke have turned the cancelation of women into an artform — an artform that is unfortunately centuries old and an embarrassment to any reasonable person.
Sarcasm is defined as “the caustic use of words, often in a humorous way, to mock someone or something.” This dubious form of humor has been amusing people for centuries, even used by Shakespeare in Julius Caesar during Mark Antony’s speech at Caesar’s funeral. Late-night comedians have made sarcasm their stock-in-trade. Bill Maher has become rich by being the self-appointed smartest guy in the room and making fun of everyone he considers inferior to the urban leftist intellectual he fancies himself to be.
At the beginning of the 19th century, sarcasm as an artform was raised to new heights. An American theatrical form called minstrelsy rose to prominence. The minstrel show was based on the comic reenactment of racial stereotypes, where entertainers would dress in “blackface,” make-up intended to caricature African Americans with black skin and highly exaggerated white lips.
Blackface lives on today at frat parties where men like former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam still find it amusing. Fortunately, according to most experts, minstrel shows had effectively disappeared by the middle of the 20th century, but a careful examination will show the minstrel show survives. The only change is instead of a caricature of African Americans, the 21st century minstrel show uses women as the target.
An easy name change from “minstrel show” to “drag show,” and all the old stuff still works. The over-the-top make-up is still the mainstay of the show, an unattractive, clown-like façade that no woman would ever wear. Clothing and shoes just add to the circus ensemble, where wild colors and sexually revealing outfits are the order of the day. Huge extravagant wigs top everything off.
Most biological women would never intentionally go out in public dressed like a clown, so I assume this is part of the sarcasm, making fun of normal women. Look no further than HGTV’s Trixie, star of “Trixie’s Motel,” to see the outlandish makeup, six-inch platform heels, and exaggerated strutting that the modern parody of women.
As in the old minstrel show, the movements of the performers are highly exaggerated. No stereotype is out of bounds — weak, vapid, overly-girly bimbos, who know nothing about sports are the norm.
Trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who pranced around his backyard in a Nike sports bra was described as a “middle finger” to actual women by moderates like Megyn Kelly.
What’s the point of it all? Well, as in the minstrel days, the Left wants to reinforce stereotypes, making fun of women in general and of “normal” women in particular. They love attacking women with values and make fun of religion and families.
So why is “womanface” celebrated while we abhor “blackface” and all it represents? Mary Cheney, the lesbian-identifying Republican daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney wrote on her Facebook page, “Why is it socially acceptable — as a form of entertainment — for men to put on dresses, make up and high heels and act out every offensive stereotype of women (bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty, etc.), but it is not socially acceptable — as a form of entertainment- for a white person to put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African Americans? Why does society treat these activities differently?
The Left, it appears, will put up with anything that denigrates old-fashioned values, including an all-out war on women. I can only wonder if in 50 years we’ll look back on these shows the same way we look back on minstrel shows and wonder: what were we thinking?
Published by permission of The Washington Stand
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The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
