From late November to early December, I felt as though I was in a colonial “Twilight Zone.”
Such hyper-emotionalized tripe! I've known Zwarte Piet for almost 60 years, and no one had a sensational reaction as this person posed! That would actually be true for hundreds of years before me, too. Zwarte Piet is all in good fun. People want to play him!
Of course, that's like the union thug putting his hat on our fellow freeper, Physicist, to let all the thugs know whom to beat upon.
HF
Zwarte Piet is all in good fun. People want to play him!
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Absolutely! On the neighboring island of Bonaire, most of the people are mixed race and colors in one family can range from pink-cheeked platinum blonde to dark brown, with every shade of caramel and cafe-au-lait in between. Zwarte Piet is a Moorish chimney sweep helper to St Nicholas. He carries a bag of cookies and candy and gets to throw these to the kids, who adore him. Some celebrations have multiple Zwarte Piets in order to accommodate all those who want to play him. Many locals participate in costume. They also have a monster costumed event for Carnival. It is just fun!
One year, the UN and the PC Dutch government tried TeleTubby Zwarte Piets. It was a dud. Those costumes are handed down from generations.
In heavily mixed race communities, you just don’t see this sort of self-righteousness. Everyone is part everything, so it isn’t a defining element. The locals think liberal Americans of all races are uptight PITAs.