Blackface is up there with the Charleston and calling people “Mack” on the list of things that have been socially unacceptable for at least the past 90 years. And yet it seems that at least once a year, some ignorant celeb goes full-Al Jolson for a Halloween costume. Last year, it was Jason Aldean. Yes, as recently as 2015, Aldean thought it would be okay to paint his face to dress as Lil Wayne. It seems the country singer didn’t learn from the controversy that accompanied Julianne Hough going as Crazy Eyes from Orange is the New Black and he was shocked – shocked ! – that anyone was offended by his get-up. Now, in a recent interview, Aldean is doing that thing where he simultaneously apologizes, justifies his actions, and basically tells you you’re dumb for being angry. It’s a tricky maneuver commonly known ad “the Bieber.” Aldean tells Billboard that he “painted his face so he could go unrecognized in public.” Yes, the 39-year-old apparently believes that’s the only way he could’ve gone incognito on Halloween. We assume that when he walks into a costume shop and sees a wall of masks, he believes they represent the souls of the undead, a la that weird cult Arya was involved with on Game of Thrones . “In this day and age people are so sensitive that no matter what you do, somebody is going to make a big deal out of it,” Aldean tells the mag. “Me doing that had zero malicious intent.” “I get that race is a touchy subject, but not everybody is that way. Media tends to make a big deal out of things,” Aldean goes on, adding: “If that was disrespectful to anyone, I by all means apologize. That was never my intention. It never crossed my mind.” Memo to white people who did something racially ignorant: Shut up about your intent. That’s not the point. View Slideshow: 14 Celebrity N-Word Scandals Hilariously, Aldean goes on to bitch about his music being described as “bro country,” complaining that the term is an ignorant misrepresentation that undermines his “It’s meant to talk down to us,” the singer tells Billboard . “Don’t talk down about things you’ve never experienced.” “I’ve traveled the world, and you go to a place like Los Angeles and people assume you just sit around on a hay bale and live in a trailer. Whenever the South is portrayed in a movie, it’s seldom flattering.” So it upsets you when people who know very little about your experiences appropriate your culture and depict you in an unflattering light? Do go on! Cue the condescending Willy Wonka meme ( RIP, Gene Wilder ) and the sad violin music for the poor, misunderstood Jason Aldean.
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Jason Aldean Defends Blackface Costume: People Are So Sensitive!
