Reasons why Japan is weird, installment #1087

For some stupid reason, they still think that performing in blackface is still cool and/or funny! Right now, there's a show on TV where minor celebrities (generally famous for being on shows like this one) are on, mimicking western pop music stars. They're going all-out, with singing, dancing, wardrobe and make-up. The Madonna imitator was passable, I guess, and the Karen Carpenter (who can explain the Japanese obsession with the Carpenters?), but the Freddy Mercury, complete with fake chest hair, was freaky.

And then, they had a Whitney Houston (AND AAAAAAAAIAAAAAAIIIIIEEEE

WILL ALWAYS,
LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUOUUUOUOUUUUUUU)

and a Louis Armstrong, both bewigged and with dark brown makeup. I'll admit that the Louis did a halfway decent job of imitating his vocal stylings, but still, it was really creepy.

Actually, this is a pretty mild example. Japanese variety shows still occasionally do the blackface minstrel show stereotype, and it's always a shock to me when I see it.