UPDATED: Jason Aldean Wore Blackface As Part of His 2015 Halloween Costume
This story has been updated.
Mainstream country artist Jason Aldean becomes the latest to think it is socially acceptable to paint your face black (or in his case, a dark shade of brown) as part of a Halloween costume or comedy skit. In a photo discovered on Instagram right before it was either taken down or made private, Jason Aldean can be seen hanging out with his wife Brittany Kerr and other friends on Halloween, clearly wearing color-altering makeup on his face as part of a costume as either a dread-headed Rastafarian, or possibly a “gang banger” as it has been characterized by some, and may have been characterized by Aldean and his friends.
UPDATE (11/10): Jason Aldean’s publicist Tyne Parrish confirmed to The Guardian that Jason Aldean did indeed wear blackface on Halloween as part of a Lil Wayne costume. Aldean has yet to address the matter publicly.
Wearing a red bandanna, black sunglasses, and a wig of long black dreadlocks, Aldean poses with his head tilted back, while his wife Brittany Kerr can be seen just to his right in a red flannel shirt with her hair in braids, possibly flashing gang signs. Further corroborating that the photo is indeed Aldean and Kerr, Jason Aldean’s sister Kasi Williams Morstad can be seen in the far right of the photo in a cat costume—the same exact one she is seen wearing in other Instagram photos from earlier in the evening. Though it may be tough to make out Aldean in the photo at first, the man in blackface clearly has Aldean’s specific facial features when examined closely.
Instagram post from Aldean’s sister Kasi Williams Morstad:
Wearing blackface goes beyond the sometimes overly-sensitive or nebulous rules of political correctness. The practice traces back specifically to lampooning black stereotypes as part of stage shows in the mid 1800’s, and continued through the Vaudeville era and up to comedy sketches and theatrical productions in the 70’s and even into the early 80’s. But the practice has completely fallen out of favor in the last 30 years because of blackface comedy’s racist connotations.
As author Eric Lott says in his book Blackface and Blackness: The Minstrel Show in American Culture, “Stereotypes embodied in the stock characters of blackface minstrels not only played a significant role in cementing and proliferating racist images, attitudes, and perceptions worldwide, but also in popularizing black culture.”
Country Music also has its history with blackface comedians. Jamup and Honey was a comedy duo who appeared on the Grand Ole Opry beginning in the 1930’s until the show began to move away from comedy and distance itself from the blackface era.
Just this Halloween season, major profile cases of celebrities and other individuals wearing blackface have been making headlines. Four students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout made the news after they used blackface to portray themselves as members of the Jamaican bobsled team. Apache Native American leader Terry Rambler, who is known for being a staunch opponent of the logo and name of the Washington Redskins NFL franchise, had to publicly apologize after he dressed up as Bob Marley for Halloween himself, including wearing blackface and long black dreads, just like Aldean.
NEW San Carlos Apache tribal chair who protested @Redskins wore blackface on Halloween. https://t.co/hcEGXKXLYu pic.twitter.com/t9evQ5uFFC
BrahmResnik (@brahmresnik) November 5, 2015
“I did this thinking I wanted to dress up as one of my favorite musicians, Bob Marley. But in hindsight, it was a poor choice I made,” Terry Rambler said late last week. “I am not a racist and I did not mean to offend anyone but I realize I did. There is no one to blame but me. I take full responsibility for my action.”
In Terry Rambler’s case, he was attempting to portray a specific individual. If Aldean was attempting to instead portray a “gangbanger” stereotype instead of an individual, the blackface could be taken as even more offensive. However, this doesn’t mean Aldean was purposefully trying to be racist.
The photo was originally posted by Nashville Gab. So far there has been no comment from the Aldean camp.
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Editor’s Note: I acknowledge there’s a sort of TMZ “gotcha” element to this story, but this information was made aware to me, and I felt like not reporting on it was tantamount to helping to cover it up. Fair or not, as one of the Top 5, possibly Top 3 names in all of country music at the moment, and whether he wants to be or not, Jason Aldean represents country music. Saving Country Music has expressly criticized negative rural white stereotypes portrayed by CMT and others on a regular basis, and this should be seen as no different. Jason Aldean wearing blackface may not offend you personally, but it will others, and this could reflect negatively on country music as a whole. This is the reason Saving Country Music felt the need to report on this story.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:28 am
HTTR!
November 9, 2015 @ 9:53 am
HTTR Baby!
November 9, 2015 @ 9:34 am
Who freakin cares? Would it matter if a black guy painted his face white and went as white trash? No. Only to highly sensitive sissies looking around every corner for something to be offended by. Anyone offended by this should buy some big boy pants.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:49 am
No, it wouldn’t matter, because white people have never been persecuted for being white. If you don’t understand why this is racist, I suggest you educate yourself further on the topic or you keep your mouth closed.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:02 am
Really? You must be kidding. Do you have any idea what has been going on in South Africa or Zimbabwe for decades now? Apparently you know nothing of the history of Islam’s conquest of Europe or of the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of white Christian slaves captured and sold by the Barbary pirates. Or, more generally, of the position of white Christians in Muslim societies.
Your comments are generally inane and moronic and I usually just ignore them, but, on this topic I can’t hold my tongue. You really need to read some books or shut the fuck up.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:05 am
Hahahaha, you’re naming white South Africans as an oppressed group, and then calling anyone else on this planet “inane and moronic”?
ahahahahahaha
November 9, 2015 @ 10:07 am
Genocide is funny? Or is it the blacks starving to death because they can’t feed themselves that is funny?
November 9, 2015 @ 10:33 am
“The blacks”?
You’re really not doing yourself any favors, haha.
As someone who’s actually interacted with South Africans of both races, referring to white ones as an oppressed group is fucking hilarious, since they still casually refer to their black countrymen as “animals.”
The extent of institutional oppression is the fact that the government has begun to require something resembling proportional hiring of white and black, and that they have begun to use government capital to build up black businesses.
Basically, their complaint is that their government is serving the majority of its citizens, rather than 9%, by taking the necessary and logical steps required to fix hundreds of years of social and economic discrimination at an institutional level.
November 9, 2015 @ 1:29 pm
Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500-1800 is a great book on a subject that is virtually ignored in mainstream history.
Muslims slave traders also enslaved millions of Africans. That too, is forgotten in history.
The Ottoman Empire practiced DevÅŸirme a form of cultural genocide against Balkan Christians.
Every race has suffered throughout history. A discussion on race shouldn’t turn into a “who had it the hardest.”
November 9, 2015 @ 3:48 pm
Absolutely true.
Thus, Arab people living in the former Ottoman Empire should not dress up in “whiteface” and depict negative stereotypes of Balkan people on Halloween.
Just like how white people living in the U.S. shouldn’t dress up in blackface and depict negative stereotypes of black people on Halloween.
Leave race out of your costume.
November 10, 2015 @ 8:53 am
Agreed.
There are plenty of costumes to choose from. Why invite trouble? There is enough trouble circulating in this world, you don’t need to create your own.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:55 am
Yeah, but this ain’t the 1800’s anymore. I’m sorry they were slaves. I can’t help that. This is 2015. Should I just go ahead and finish myself for what my ancestors did? I didn’t enslave anyone. I’m just a poor white guy. Yes, not all whites are rich.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:21 am
Should I just go ahead and finish myself for what my ancestors did?
I realize that’s a rhetorical question, but no. Me, I’m fine with not being able to use the n-word or dress in blackface. It’s a extremely small price (I’d say negligible) to pay.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:32 am
But if black people can use words used to demean them historically and the groups who used those words to demean black people can’t, doesn’t that make black people the REAL racists?!!?!!!
[Insert something irrelevant about black on black crime here, and pretend it’s profound].
[Accuse anyone who disagrees of being “the PC Police!” or “a pantywaist”].
Rinse and Repeat.
November 15, 2015 @ 1:42 pm
A fun little bit of white face history Dooley Wilson of Casablanca fame (the piano “player”) achieved his first fame doing vaudeville in white face playing Irish stereotypes at a time when Irish immigrants were second class citizens and many dropped their Irish names to hide the fact even major Hollywood actors.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:01 am
I cared when CMT portrayed white people from the South as hedonistic drunks who refuse to use bathrooms, urinate all over themselves, walk around with AR-15’s at pool parties, and quote Jesus to condone their slutty attitudes.
This whole, “but black people…” argument was tired back in the 80’s. All racial stereotyping is bad, including when black people stereotype themselves, or black people stereotype white people. It all should be admonished in my opinion.
Here:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/cmt-whores-itself-with-new-party-down-south-show
November 9, 2015 @ 10:26 am
In fairness, that was a rather nice AK and not an AR, but I digress…
November 9, 2015 @ 11:28 am
white privilege much?
August 31, 2022 @ 8:06 pm
Redneck
August 31, 2022 @ 8:13 pm
Are you just going to run up and down the comments section of this 7-year-old article calling everyone “Redneck”?
Respectfully, please contribute something of value, or move on.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:35 am
Apparently no one really “gets” Aldean’s costume choice. He was actually dressed as a turd in gangster gear. Soooo obvious. Well at least to me.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:40 am
Well he likes rap in his country. Maybe this is him just trying to be more black culture oriented. I personally don’t care and think people are too sensitive, but Aldean comes off as a dbag a lot of times anyway, so it does fit his reputation. Saw an awesome hunting video where he was pulling his bowstring back and released it early and scared some deer off. I don’t hate the guy but his attitude coupled with his music doesn’t make it easy to like him
November 9, 2015 @ 9:47 am
He should quit country, go over to rap, release songs like “Dirt Road Anthem,” and get kicked out of that genre too.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:43 am
Looks to me like he’s supposed to be lil wayne.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:48 am
No, he’s Lil Dale!
November 9, 2015 @ 9:46 am
Keep digging that hole, Jason.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:49 am
“Saving Country Music” – stick to it.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:04 am
Can’t think of any topic more important to the charge of “Saving Country Music” than this one this morning. Let this slide (as many country music outlets are doing), and the stain will be on ALL of country music, not just Aldean.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:45 pm
As I said in a post below, this picture could create a whirlwind of bad press which causes endorsers to drop Aldean and radio stations to stop playing him. Thus country would be a little closer to being saved.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:49 am
This is such an agression and display of hate. He should be arrested for a racial assault crime and be imprisoned. I cant believe anyone supprts him and they too should be targeted for exposure. The Black Lives Matter should see him protested at every concert. I believe he also flys the Confederate Hate flag. He must lose every penny of his money for this hurtful display and assault. He is inciting lynchings and KKK attacks and black victims lives are in danger.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:01 am
You’re either a troll or a fucking moron…take your BLM bullshit somewhere else.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:06 am
I think he’s a RD type trying to point out that the real victims of racism are rich white people.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:21 am
Caught the sarcasm after posting a hateful first comment. My bad. I own it and apologize.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:47 am
Hah, no worries brother.
I’ve had to restrain myself from replying to every single comment RD has spewed into this thread with that.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:27 am
Masterful trolling, good sir.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:22 am
Excellent.
In fact, you and I should both be arrested for even discussing the topic.
How dare we try to whitesplain what we have not directly experienced.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:54 am
I’m over this kind of crap. It’s impossible not to offend someone these days. Dressing up as your favorite musician like Bob Marley or anyone else for that matter has nothing to do with the black face minstrel comedy of long ago… and no one alive now was around for all of that. Halloween costumes are meant to be fantasy. If I were to dress as Prince for Halloween, would I just go as an asian and tell everyone that I’m the asian Prince? Would it be racists to darken my skin color a little or does these rules just apply to white people?
November 9, 2015 @ 10:09 am
This is the specific problem with what Jason Aldean did: If you dress up as someone specific, like Terry Rambler did, then you can possibly get away to some extent with saying, “Hey I love Bob, was just trying to pay tribute to him.”
But if you portray yourself as a “gang banger,” and feel like you have to paint your skin black because only black people can be in gangs and perpetrate street crime, then that’s negative stereotyping based specifically on race at its very root.
A lot of folks are going to want to paint this with the broad brush they paint all race issue that come up in their Facebook feeds when each specific instance presents its own set of parameters that must be considered.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:33 am
After flipping this over in my mind all morning, I think I agree with this. Just as a black kid should be able to dress up as Superman or a white kid should be able to dress up as Princess Tiana without being branded racist, a white adult should be able to dress up as a character or celebrity that he or she admires, such as Shaft, Diana Ross, or Bob Marley, without being branded a racist. It’s when someone paints his face black, plops on a dreadlock or afro wig, and walks around saying “Yo, homey” as a stereotypical black male all night that crosses the line.
And when the guy has already established himself as an A-number-one douchebag it doesn’t help his case any.
November 9, 2015 @ 1:44 pm
I dressed up like Hendrix one Halloween and played a gig.
I had black face, afro, bell bottoms, etc
No maliciousness. I couldn’t even imagine someone thinking it was racist or anything.
Even played some Hendrix and did the Star Spangled Banner. HA!
It was in tribute to the man.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:13 am
Honestly, there are a lot of rules for stuff like that do only apply to white people, and should only apply to them.
When you spend 200 years treating an entire group of people as chattel for no reason other than their melanin levels, and then 100 years after that treating them as a subhuman species for no reason other than their melanin levels, you lose the right to do things that could be construed as mocking them for their melanin levels.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:30 am
What comprises this catch all category that you refer to as “you,” as in “you spend 200 years…?”
Is this all white people that have ever lived? Does it include all the Indians that owned slaves? How about all the free blacks that owned black slaves? Or all the blacks that sold other blacks into slavery? Or the blacks that sold whites into slavery? How about the British that sold Irish into slavery? Or perhaps the Muslims that sold white Christians into slavery? Perhaps it includes Indians that sold other Indians into slavery? Does it include the on-going slavery in Africa? Does it include the American Indians enslaving other Indians they had conquered? Does it include the young boy sex slaves that Afghan and Saudi men are so fond of? Please, tell me about this “you” you are defining. You and your disordered mind must be a victim of public schools.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:41 am
I’m referring to “White Americans.” Including those Irish people (my ancestors among them) who fled genocide in the 1840s, and proceeded to be among the most vicious racists in the Northeast.
The Indians that owned slaves got their comeuppance with the Trail of Tears (an actual case of ethnic cleansing, that I’m sure you think is an invention of the “public schools” to distract us from the plight of real victims like white South Africans).
The only people who think that Middle Eastern slavery has, or has ever had, any bearing on American race relations are dumbasses trying to justify their bigotry.
Also, I hate all those “microaggressions” SJW people, but your language is hilariously telling. You say “white people” or “white Christians” and then “the blacks.”
Reading your garbage opinions actively makes everyone in this comment section dumber.
May God have mercy on your soul.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:44 am
You’re such a lightweight pantywaist that its not even worth the argument. Perhaps you should just take your self-loathing to its logical conclusion. Go ahead. Do it…..
November 9, 2015 @ 10:45 am
RD, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
November 9, 2015 @ 1:20 pm
Cool bud, this was a hundred years ago. Be proud of who you are
November 9, 2015 @ 5:02 pm
Luckily, I can be proud of who I am without doing, saying or defending dumbass racist shit.
Also…the Voting Rights Act and Civil Rights Act are only 50 years old.
November 9, 2015 @ 5:02 pm
“Honestly, there are a lot of rules for stuff like that do only apply to white people, and should only apply to them.
When you spend 200 years treating an entire group of people as chattel for no reason other than their melanin levels, and then 100 years after that treating them as a subhuman species for no reason other than their melanin levels, you lose the right to do things that could be construed as mocking them for their melanin levels.”
North Africans enslaved Iberian Europeans. Were you up an arms about the movie “White Chicks” by the Wayne’s Brothers? When Africans spend 500+ years enslaving Iberian Europeans you lose the right to do certain things that could be construed as mocking them for their high concentration of pheomelanin. As someone who is descendant of the Iberian peninsula I found the two males with high concentrations of eumelanin to be entertaining for painting their skin white and wearing blue contact lenses. Believe it or not, I was not offended! I don’t hold all African descendants in contempt for past transgressions.
8% of European descendants and African descendants were slave owners in what is known as “the south” in U.S. [Source:1860 Census]. That is what we call a minority of the population. So why do you hold all present day European and European descendants to some arbitrary set of rules? Sounds like you’re singling out a group of people with high concentrations of pheomelanin. You are aware that slavery is an ancient and universal institution, not a distinctively a European or European innovation?
Jason Aldean is not a slave holder. He is not a member of the Ku Klux Klan. He has never lynched a person. He did not capture Africans and sold them to slavery in the Americas.
Food for thought: It was the Europeans and European descendants that spearheaded the movement to abolish slavery.
November 9, 2015 @ 5:24 pm
…how the fuck is the fact that European descended Americans were the ones to spearhead the movement to abolish slavery “food for thought”?
It’s actually hilarious that anyone could think the fact that the members in a movement who were permitted to have political power taking point in that movement’s political action is notable.
I always love when rich white kids try to cast themselves as the victim when someone says “don’t be shitty to people who were institutionally, and legally, dehumanized for over 300 years.”
Whether it’s talking about how only 8% of white Southerners are descended from slaveholders (despite the fact that segregation was alive and well through the mid-1960s), or spuriously equating the Iberian Wars with Western chattel slavery (incidentally, this was how the Pope justified instituting the system in the 1500s, because enslaved Indians were dying off too quickly).
Why do people take it as a personal attack when someone tells them that it’s shitty to do something, and then asks them not to do it? Is being shitty some intrinsic part of your identity?
November 9, 2015 @ 6:14 pm
This is how the fuck and no it’s actually not a hilarious point…it’s legitimate. Whether you choose to accept it or not is another issue entirely.
Elijah Lovejoy
Arthur Tappen
Lewis Tappen
John Brown
Wendell Phillips
James Oglethorpe
Granville Sharp
Hannah More
William Wilberforce
James Birney
etc..etc..
These guys were kind of a geeze I don’t know a big deal in the abolitionist movement. Major players that got the ball rolling in the United States. Give credit where it’s due C.L.S. Not exactly politicians but writers, pastors, lawyers, men, women who all stood up. Point is, humans are just assholes to each other. They’ve enslaved each other and are all guilty equally whether they’re “black” or “white” or “brown.” Pointing the blame all on one group of present day people and making special rules for them is just absolutely ridiculous. Stop your fixation on the white boogie man.
Well you’re sure as hell just so fixated on rich white kids. Where the hell do you live? Despite routine portrayals of poor people as black and Latino, most poor people in America are actually white! How about that. Luckily for me I’m mixed raced and I don’t see the world like you do where racism is creeping out of every corner on the street….But well I really love it when people believe slavery and racism is a white man made phenomenon and they should all just live the rest of their lives in perpetual guilt and just tippy toe around other ethnic groups when conducting themselves. Apparently no one else is capable of such cruelty.
November 9, 2015 @ 7:06 pm
You don’t understand why it’s funny that you think it’s notable that most of the influential writers and clergymen of the abolition movement belonged to a race that wasn’t prohibited from learning how to read?
This isn’t even about having studied slavery on two continents. This is about common sense.
November 10, 2015 @ 9:10 am
A quick Iberian Wars search on Bing reveals the Iberian Wars were between the Eastern Romans and the Persians.
The wars between Spain and the Ottoman Empire generally are lumped together under the term of Ottoman-Habsburg wars (since there were many of them spread out over centuries) or broken down into specific battles and separated into different theaters (Balkan/Mediterranean).
Besides, the Barbary Pirates raided everywhere and if you lived near the Mediterranean, you had to be vigilant or spend your life rowing an oar or possibly suffering a forced conversion or other awful fates. In addition, many American sailors were enslaved by Barbary Pirates. We even fought a couple wars against them.
Slavery is slavery. If you could ask a Spanish man who was captured and spent his life in hard labor, I would think you would hear a story of horror, not unlike what slaves in America, white (link below for a good book on the subject) and black suffered through. Slavery is slavery and it is all awful, but to discount any form of slavery is wrong.
http://www.amazon.com/They-Were-White-Slaves-Enslavement/dp/092990305
November 9, 2015 @ 6:29 pm
“That only apply to white people”
I’m Latino. Both of my parents were born and raised in Colombia. I follow the same rules (don’t wear blackface, don’t say a certain word) that you say only apply to white people. So do Asians. It has nothing to do with whether my family owned slaves or not. Simply, it is to show respect to people of other backgrounds.
Additionally, you used an example of North African people and applied it to black people in the U.S. That is very faulty reasoning. North Africans are a totally different ethnic group than the black community in the U.S. The black population in the U.S. is largely made of descendants of slaves from West Africa. If you were trying to prove a point about Moroccans wearing “whiteface” than you might have an argument.
To that point, I did find the movie “White Girls” to be in poor taste and, above all, just not funny. I’m not even white, but I found the whole idea to be stupid.
All in all, every ethnic group in the U.S. has faced discrimination. Irish, Italian, Greek and Polish immigrants all faced plenty of discrimination in the U.S. However, it is worth noting that the only ethnic group that was brought here as slaves, against their will, are Africans. But every ethnic group, including whites, faced discrimination.
Personally, I think all of us, no matter the race, should treat each other with respect and kindness. I’m Latino. I respect Latinos, whites, blacks, and everybody equally.
I think impersonating a race for Halloween shows disrespect. I would say the same if Aldean was impersonating an Asian person.
Clearly Aldean knows that what he did was offensive because he took the picture down.
I think we all can agree on one thing. Burnin’ It Down was a terrible song.
Peace be with you.
November 9, 2015 @ 7:09 pm
Yeah, remember the uproar when the Spanish soccer team took an “Asian eyes” photo in Beijing a few years ago?
We’re not talking about banning “The Jazz Singer” here. The debate on this has been over for 50 years.
November 10, 2015 @ 12:31 pm
This guy gets it.
Way to drive the point home without a bunch of name-calling and biggotous accusations.
I like the cut of your jib.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:54 am
He’ll just say “Who gives a shit” and country radio will give him another number 1 song.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:55 am
Two words: Paula Deen
November 9, 2015 @ 9:58 am
All I have to say is…. Dude be getting fat! Back away from the buffet there cheesy rider.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:01 am
Oh, this just figures. What a tone deaf moron.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:04 am
It doesn’t matter if you think it’s racist or not.Anybody wearing black face in this day and age (even if it’s not meant to be “black”) and doesn’t expect to get major blowback from it,is a major idiot.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:05 am
I think people are overly sensitive about this. I wore stereotypical mexican stuff on Halloween. Such a shame that people are bringing [blank] lives matter or the kkk or any other political idealogy into this. Can’t we all just agree that Jason Aldean sucks?
November 9, 2015 @ 10:22 am
Did you paint your face brown, specifically linking it to minstrel shows dating back all the way to pre Civil War times when negative stereotypes were systematically used to portray African Americans as stupid and of low stock?
November 9, 2015 @ 10:47 am
Do you think that Jason Aldean would be smart enough to know about those minstrel shows?
November 9, 2015 @ 10:09 am
Jaysis. What a dumb piece of shit.
With regards to Terry Rambler, though, Native Americans, and Australian Maori, are probably the only people out there who can get away with blackface, because they straight up win any sort of Oppression Olympics.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:11 am
Yet he didn’t. But I won’t be surprised if Aldean does because of the complicit nature of country music media.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:42 am
Australian maori? Get your facts right mate! Hahaha
Australian aborginals, new zealand maori!
That was almost racist mate!
November 9, 2015 @ 10:45 am
Shit, you’re right, haha.
My dumbass friend from Canberra who always complains about how unfair it is that an Aboriginal with slightly worse grades could get the same number interviews that he does would be ashamed!
November 9, 2015 @ 10:17 am
Whatever one’s thoughts on political correctness are, it is simply unacceptable for a public figure to don blackface in 2015. Like it or not, society has drawn the line on this clearly, and Aldean is an idiot for both doing it, and expecting the pictures not to show up.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:22 am
This is just the evolution of the Halloween costume. I don’t see what you old farts are upset about.
😀
November 9, 2015 @ 12:14 pm
😉
November 9, 2015 @ 10:24 am
Jason Aldean is the Adrian Peterson of modern “country” music and by that I mean he’s so obviously unintelligent. It’s entertaining and yet sad at the same time as I ponder how he ever earned an opportunity in the first place. He has talked over the years of how lazy he is–how he got himself an opportunity is beyond me.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:27 am
I am going to answer some people’s concerns about this wit a prediction:
In 2017, the great documentary filmmaker Ken Burns is set to release a wide, sweeping documentary on country music. I am going to predict right here, right now, that approximately 1/4 to 1/3’rd of the entire film will be dedicated to race in country music. It’s going to be Jamup and Honey. It’s going to be David Allan Coe’s XXX albums. It’s going to be DeFord Bailey getting screwed by the Opry and Charley Pride. It’s going to zero in on race and the oppression of black people in the genre as being seminal to the music’s formation.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:51 am
There’s a lot to unpack with regards to Nashville’s rejection of Elvis due to his playing “black” music, something which likely saved the genre.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:38 am
The absolute last thing we should want is more sanitization of the genre. It’s already bad enough. Country music has always expressed ‘country’, ie, rural, often Southern, white attitudes, because it’s a Southern, rural, white, genre. At times, those attitudes are at odds with the rest of the country. And yes, sometimes racism, but more likely a reactionary push back by post reconstruction poor whites against those they think are being favored by ‘outside’ influences, can be found in the music. I hope that Ken Burns covers that bit of it, because it’s true. Trigger, you do love the moralizing. This piece reads like a fifth grader all excited to tell on the rest of the class. OK, Aldean is a dumbass. No news there. But he didn’t throw a baby in a well, or gang rape a sorority, he put some Walmart Halloween makeup on his face and pretended to be a banger, which is exactly what most rappers do these days, if you substitute the fact of the makeup with the metaphorical ‘makeup’ of bogus street cred. So relax. Jason Aldean in blackface will outrage a bunch of people who already hate country music and everything they assume that it stands for. Everyone else will yawn, and move on, and they should.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:48 am
“But he didn”™t throw a baby in a well, or gang rape a sorority.”
Missed the part of the story where I equated what Jason did to gang rape or something similar. I agree it’s not some huge deal. But it’s a deal.
“The absolute last thing we should want is more sanitization of the genre.”
Country music was “sanitized” of blackface somewhere near WWII. Maybe I’m not the one overreacting to this story here.
I do like to moralize though.
November 9, 2015 @ 12:28 pm
I just don’t think it’s even a deal. But it is an interesting conversation. Blackface is insensitive. How much we should care that someone is being insensitive well, I don’t know. I’d rather err on the side of ‘put your big boy pants on’ and get over it. Does the average black guy/gal care that Jason Aldean dressed as a black gang banger for Halloween? My life experience so far would lead me to doubt that they do. If so, maybe they can dress like a white hick with bad facial hair next year in retaliation.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:48 am
The funny thing about those DAC XXX albums, only one song is about so-called racist stuff. Those albums are almost exclusively about sexual stuff. Misogyny humor would best describe those albums. Even Nigger Fucker is really more about misogyny humor than racist humor. I think the fact that they are called XXX albums and not KKK albums might be a clue as to what they are about. Some pretty good steel playing on those albums btw.
Also, if your prediction is correct I would hope Charley Pride will have nothing to do with it. He has refused any movie about him unless they leave the race politics out of it and just focus on the music.
November 9, 2015 @ 12:22 pm
Is that why we’ve yet to see the biopic on him that’s supposed to star The Rock? I think I did that story three or four years ago, and completely forgot about it until now.
November 9, 2015 @ 1:56 pm
That was my understanding. I did a little searching around and came up with this as well. I suppose it’s all about money and rights at the end of the day. http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/ex-times-herald-writer-takes-charley-pride-to-court-over-sale-of-biography-to-movies-7133045
November 9, 2015 @ 10:52 am
“However, this doesn”™t mean Aldean was purposefully trying to be racist.” Okay, but it IS racist. This is good, necessary reporting other than the last paragraph. No need to soften the blow.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:25 am
All I’m saying is I don’t think Jason Aldean did it to purposefully offend anyone. I think this is more based on ignorance. Maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe you don’t think it matters either way. But stupidity and maliciousness are two separate things in my book, and I’m not willing to go there with Aldean’s actions in this instance.
Trust me when I say I’ll catch way more grief for this article from people thinking it’s a non issue than folks thinking I’m trying to let Aldean off the hook. He did something stupid. We all do at times. The public will choose how much to make of it. Sometimes race in America CAN be too sensitive. I said my peace.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:46 am
I don’t disagree with anything you are saying! Jason Aldean thought this was okay. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done it. Still, I think far too often the reason racism is let off the hook is because of the “there was no malicious intent” argument. Aldean may not be “racist,” but that doesn’t mean his action wasn’t. Racism itself is malicious, regardless of intent, because it damages the reputation of the oppressed race. That doesn’t mean Aldean himself meant to do this, but he should be held accountable and educate himself.
November 9, 2015 @ 12:57 pm
Very much agree with this. Having racist intent makes it worse, but not having it is not a complete pass. Take some responsibility as a rich, white, privileged member of society and don’t do dumbass things that carry with them the cultural baggage of years of racism, particularly when you are a public figure. (And I say that as a white, privileged member of society).
Also, if he was not dressing as a specific person, but rather as a gang banger, because of course everyone knows they all have dark skin, then I don’t believe he’s not a racist, as that’s an inherently racist idea. Sorry, but I don’t.
November 9, 2015 @ 5:05 pm
Something, something, PC POLICE! Something, something BLACK ON BLACK CRIME! Something, something LIBERAL MEDIA!!!!!!
I’m actually stunned by the amount of people defending this asshole here.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:08 am
There’s one truth in America–you can’t be an oblivious public figure. Jason Aldean proves that, much like Ben Carson proves it every time he opens his mouth.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:11 am
Watch out, man. If you criticize Ben Carson for saying something demonstrably untrue, you’ll have 30 people jumping down your throat for being one of “the real racists”!
November 9, 2015 @ 11:22 am
Unfortunately, I predict that there will be people who don’t vote for either Carson OR Clinton because they’re racist and/or sexist, and not because of the qualifications or lack thereof of the candidates.
I honestly think that Trump and Clinton have the best shot at the White House because they’re household names. the other candidates are virtual unknowns, and that familiarity factor is huge. We see it on the radio: play a song enough and everybody gets used to it. In politics, the most famous contender will likely have a massive advantage, whether or not they’re qualified.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:28 am
I think Rubio takes the GOP nomination when all is said and done, and that Trump proceeds to Ross Perot him.
Either way, it’s Hillary’s to lose unless they find an actual scandal.
November 9, 2015 @ 1:34 pm
There are plenty of scandals with Hillary. But it won’t make a lick of difference to her voting base.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:00 pm
Okay folks, I know there’s a slightly political quotient to a story like this, but let’s please leave the Presidential politics to ourselves? I’d rather listen to Aldean’s music than see this devolve into a Hillary vs. Rubio debate.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:27 pm
Sorry, Trigger.
Besides, I am Mickey Mouse supporter. Not Rubio.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:25 am
Are we going to string him up now or will the pc police beat him with a club? Gee whiz Trigger. I never thought you would stoop to this pc bullshit. We have enough of that already.
November 9, 2015 @ 12:11 pm
My prediction is that Aldean will not suffer much if knowledge of this event goes viral. I think his bro-fans will rally around him and tell themselves they’re taking a stand against political correctness, as they throw down another shot of Fireball.
November 9, 2015 @ 12:27 pm
For the folks who are saying I’m making too much of this, perhaps think about how your reaction can be too much too. Jason Aldean wore blackface. It’s out there now. I’ve moved on. I’m certainly not advocating for any violence against Aldean. My job is to report. The public can take it however they wish.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:26 am
I by no means consider myself “politically correct” but….this is 2015. This guy is a filthy rich, major label recording “artist” who has toured all over the country. I’m a dumb hick who has never left rural Arkansas and even I understand how enormously offensive any form of black face is. And this is coming from a guy who went to high school with a giant confederate flag hanging in our basketball gym. All of these heated arguments over the origins of American racism don’t excuse or address the simple fact that Aldean was just being an ignorant asshole, plain and simple, and was probably consciously being an asshole at the time or the photo would still be up. I say dress him back up, drop him off in south Memphis, let nature do the rest.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:32 am
THANK YOU for posting this.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:34 am
All we need is Clint and a Jon Hensley reference to make this comments section explode.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:36 am
Hahahaha, I was just thinking that.
November 11, 2015 @ 3:47 pm
Well, we have RD, which is the next best thing.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:54 am
“Political correctness” has become one of the most ubiquitous and intellectually lazy phrases I’ve been hearing over these past six years or so: especially in political discourse.
Look, I lament the lack of substance in numerous arenas, in favor of style, overrehearsing and following scripts word by word. I long to see less of a reliance on that. But more often than not, when I hear the phrase “political correctness”, I think it’s used contextually as a cop-out from personal responsibility. It’s akin to being translated as: “Screw your facts and figures! I’m going to say anything I want, regardless of how off-color it is, because you’re not the boss of me! So THERE!”
And they do so knowing how generally complicit the traditional media is.
As far as how this relates to the Aldean blackface story, look. As a whole, I do think the “cultural appropriation” arguments have become painted way too broadly and hyperbolically as a whole. The fact of the matter is, we’re ALL cultural appropriators. Language is shaped by words and grammatical patterns that are carried by distinctive cultures and, as communities blend and barter their knowledge, language evolves as we selectively adopt aspects of another culture’s language.
That said, blackface is the sort of fad that, in my opinion, you’d have to be devoid of self-awareness to try in this day in age. Regardless of Aldean’s intention, I can’t get my head around why it’s even considered a fashionable thing. Knowing Aldean, he’s obviously not making an sociopolitical point. Beyond that, how exactly is it fun?
As hard as this may sound, when I see public expressions of blackface, I can’t help but conclude they’re deficient of empathy. And I conclude the same regarding Aldean. He lacks self-awareness, but also has a painfully limited world view.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:58 am
“Political correctness” has become one of the most ubiquitous and intellectually lazy phrases I”™ve been hearing over these past six years or so: especially in political discourse.
Abso-fucking-lutely. Cowardly would be another word I would use. For example: “I know this isn’t a politically correct thing to say, but (insert bigoted statement here) .”
November 9, 2015 @ 1:01 pm
Nadia, can you please post this again so that I can like it again? 🙂
November 9, 2015 @ 12:07 pm
Is anyone surprised?
November 9, 2015 @ 12:15 pm
Pretty damn offensive, yet still not quite as offensive as his trashy music.
November 9, 2015 @ 12:37 pm
Jason Aldean attended a high school Windsor Academy that was created, 1970, to take in white children whose parents were against integration.
November 10, 2015 @ 8:46 am
If only your own parents had cared so much about your education….
November 9, 2015 @ 12:59 pm
Thanks for posting this, Trigger, in spite of the predictable blowback you are receiving. I think this is a discussion that absolutely has a place on this site.
November 9, 2015 @ 1:25 pm
Thank you SO much for this enlightening article! I was just sitting here thinking “I wonder what Jason Aldean dressed as for Halloween and if it was potentially offensive to anyone.”
But really, I don’t give a royal flying fuck in a rat’s ass what that plump bastard dressed as for Halloween. This does not inform me about country music. All it does is re-confirm that Jason Aldean is a dumbass. You not reporting it wouldn’t have come off as “trying to cover it up” for the simple fact that you take opportunities to lampoon pop country and even political convictions that are not your own. No one would think you all of a sudden wanted to protect Jason Aldean’s name. You just can’t seem to resist posting something this sensational or commenting back to people who question your decision to cover this or the controversy behind it in a self-righteous manner. It’s getting more and more ridiculous as time goes on and your readership goes up. The fact you had to put a defense in before you published it, and the fact that the picture apparently got taken down, say everything.
I mean I could understand if he came out on stage at a concert on Halloween dressed like that. But a freakin personal party? Ir-fuckin-relevant.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:13 pm
This was not at a personal party. The picture was taken at a public place.
Whose political convictions am I lampooning?
And yes, I comment back. You know this Courtney. It’s because I care what my readers have to say, including you, and especially those who disagree with me. I want to them to know I’m listening. And the people who complain about it are usually the people who have no basis for the argument they’re making. Trash me all you want, but that’s not going to help defend Aldean’s actions.
November 9, 2015 @ 4:05 pm
My point is this won’t for the general public. He was at something for his own private amusement. He didn’t bust out on stage at his own concert or at a function where he had to perform. He ain’t out there trying to make a statement with it and he took the picture down. I don’t like the guy and I ain’t defending him either. He was stupid and should’ve known better.
And I was saying in general you’ve used your articles to make little quips here and there. I don’t comment on them because it’s not relevant to the discussion. But you keep on with these stupid articles that really don’t have much to do with music. Now if this had blown up and we were hearing about it everywhere sure post the damn article then to defend country singers and fans against the racist label. I see no purpose in this story other than to stir up controversy. That’s all. And for being so into keeping the politics out of the equation at all costs you certainly do your fair share to get the pot really swirling. How else was this article supposed to go? What kind of comments did you really think were going to get posted?
I come here to read about hellbound glory putting out another album and to see how Chris Stapleton is making waves in the industry and how the radio is going to respond. I don’t come here for the ridiculous drama of who did what. And don’t try to tell me to just ignore these articles when you keep adding in the controversy to not just whole articles but also with the snippy little one liners you add into articles I actually care to read.
I hate myself for even feeding into this nonsense.
November 9, 2015 @ 4:13 pm
“I come here…to see how Chris Stapleton is making waves in the industry and how the radio is going to respond.”
Well, then, just read the article right below this one.
November 9, 2015 @ 8:02 pm
Courtney,
Your comments regularly contain more drama than my posts. I mean, this is what I do. I’ve been doing this for going on nine years now. It’s called Saving Country Music. The idea that you’re shocked I’d run a story on Jason Aldean wearing blackface is ridiculous. The shocking thing would be if I didn’t run a story about Jason Aldean wearing blackface.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:45 pm
I hardly ever comment, and most of the time I don’t even read the comments unless I do have something to say. And when I do post, chances are it’s because something annoyed me enough.
This has been an ongoing thing here lately, I’ve noticed. That’s the only reason I said anything. Those little side stories that you post about people getting arrested or making a scene is one thing if it somehow involves the person’s career. This article was based on something a dumbass did outside of his job. I get he’s a public figure but this was him off the clock.
Really, my whole point in this is that you’ve been doing that whole political thing that you claim you want to avoid, whether you do it directly in your articles or indirectly by posting something like this and sitting back while people argue over NOTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH ACTUAL MUSIC. This story adds nothing to your website. Just pointless conflict. And in case you didn’t notice, I don’t really care to argue back and forth with anyone on here. I was addressing an issue to you.
You still have yet to tell me how this is useful knowledge to the country music industry. All you’ve accomplished is gently trying to put me off, then telling me that I’m creating drama. Be a journalist, report what you want, but at least be consistent in what you say and do. This does not “save country music.” This is not “off color pop country bashing.” This is sensational news chasing or a “TMZ gotcha” story. Tell me how this makes a notable difference in country music and I’ll shut the hell up.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:57 pm
Courtney,
I have explained my point many times. The problem is, you’re not listening. Jason Aldean is the 2nd biggest concert draw in country music right now. He represents country music, like it or not, on the stage or not. We know this for a FACT specifically concerning Jason Aldean when he got caught cheating on his wife. As someone who loves country music, and runs a site called “Saving Country Music, I have a very personal vested interest into making sure the genre I love is not represented as racist by some idiot in blackface, fair or not. And if you don’t get that, then in all due respect, you’re not ready for Saving Country Music.
“Tell me how this makes a notable difference in country music.”
If country music is represented as racist, especially in the current climate we live it, it will have a HUGE impact. It will have a MASSIVE impact.
November 9, 2015 @ 5:09 pm
Seriously.
I’m a little disturbed by the idea that saying blackface isn’t okay in 2015, and hasn’t been okay for a while, could possibly be considered “lampooning” anyone’s “political convictions.”
November 9, 2015 @ 6:39 pm
Read my comment below.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:40 pm
I don’t usually get into stuff like this, but I think it’s a real sign of what’s wrong in the world when someone equates wearing blackface with any particular political convictions. Unless I misunderstood?
I also don’t see the difference in it being done publicly or privately. KKK members rarely go public; that certainly doesn’t make it okay. (I’m not equating Aldean to the KKK, I just don’t get how being privately racist makes it better.)
November 9, 2015 @ 4:09 pm
My point ain’t necessarily the politics. It’s all controversy. That’s all it is. We can all agree that this was an ignorant move. But how on earth does this relate to music? And like I said above in my other comment, does anyone really expect the political bullshit to stay out of the comments section?
November 9, 2015 @ 7:59 pm
It relates to music because Jason Aldean is a country music artist. I’ll worry about what I post, and where the compass of this site is. I’m glad to be on the record that I’m against this when it blows up and country music takes collateral damage because of it.
And as I said in my comment, I understood there was a political element to this story, but we didn’t need to bring PRESIDENTIAL politics into the mix.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:55 pm
I didn’t bring the presidential stuff into it.
The picture is gone. No ones really batting an eye at it so far as I’ve seen in the news.
This still does nothing really for country music, and if anyone thought you’d be for it then they’d be a misinformed idiot because any old asshole can read this website and see that wouldn’t be something you stand for.
You pick really weird times to worry about what people think of you. Two years ago this type of stuff was hardly even on the website. Even last year you didn’t bring too many controversial topics in. Maybe it’s a slow day in Nashville I don’t know. Either way, I gave my opinion and I’m sticking to it till you can show me where this will affect country music. Then I will quietly eat my words and put my phone down.
November 9, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
You’re just so cool, Courtney.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:44 pm
Can’t tell if that’s sarcastic or not but either way thank you!
November 9, 2015 @ 1:27 pm
Trigger, while I agree with you most of the time on your rants and what not, I cannot agree with you on this one. So what he dressed up as a stereotypical black person. You know who really doesn’t give a shit? Black people. It’s white people who make a big deal about stuff like this, meanwhile you’ll have a few blacks who get their feathers ruffled. But the majority wouldn’t find this racist at all.
Unfortunately, I feel like you’re really just using this to demonize Aldean, which doesn’t need to be done. We already know he’s a shitbag with shitbag music. But let’s be honest, if Isbell or some other indy artist dressed up in black face, I’m almost 100% positive we wouldn’t see an article about it.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:07 pm
It doesn’t matter who it was. It happens to be Jason Aldean, but if it was Jason Isbell, I would report it as news no differently. I reported when Justin Townes Earle lost his mind and tore up a venue in Indianapolis. I reported when Stoney LaRue assaulted his girlfriend. I reported when Randy Travis got arrested naked and drunk, and when John Carter Cash got arrested in Canada. It’s the news, and I don’t make it, I just report on it. I think I’ve proven over the years I’m willing to piss every single person off equally just by doing my job. Some stories you don’t want to report on, but you feel an obligation to do so.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
I reported when Justin Townes Earle lost his mind and tore up a venue in Indianapolis.
And that’s how I found Saving Country Music (and boy, did you get a lot of shit for that story). Stuck around, read a bunch of articles, was drawn in by the intense back and forth conversations in the comment sections and also eventually became a JTE fan. Had previously just thought of him as Steve’s little boy.
November 9, 2015 @ 8:25 pm
That’s fair enough. I regress my latter statement but I’m sticking to my guns on the first part. I respect your journalistic integrity and I do apologize if seemed like I was attacking you reporting news that I guess needs to be reported. Keep doing what you’re doing, Trig.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:13 pm
The difference is an artist like Jason Isbell is intelligent enough as a human being to know that wearing black face as a prominent artist/actor/whatever is a pretty fucking bad idea.
I’m not offended by Aldean wearing this, rather I am offended that he is literally stupid enough to do this. I know the guy is generally a moron, but I have never seen prominent Country artist who has just crap management as this guy. Broken Bow Records basically has one freaking artist on their label anymore…Aldean. He is the ONLY reason they are still in business. You would think they would be smart enough to surround him with handlers who are like “Jason….I know you are stupid as crap….but wearing blackface as a white guy is a bad look.” Of course they should have also told him sucking face with some failed reality star outside an LA nightclub when you are married is equally a bad idea.
November 9, 2015 @ 8:26 pm
Couldn’t agree more. It also doesn’t help that he is one of the mainstream faces of country music, which in turn sort of makes country music seem racist I suppose. While I don’t see it offensive at all, many that are PC would. It’s not racist, but it’s stupid. I can agree with anyone on that.
November 9, 2015 @ 1:27 pm
Who the hell cares. Yet again, everyone is easily offended. Grow up kids
November 9, 2015 @ 2:02 pm
I know this is OT, But…. Jason Aldean’s ex wife got married over the weekend and I would just like to say Congratulations Jessica! You deserve happiness.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:06 pm
Honestly, I could care less since I feel society is too damn uptight about everything anyway. That being said, I am far more offended over the fact that Aldean in his position/stature, thought this was a good idea.
If the man wasnt already generally known as a ex-frat boy/jock/idiot….this just confirms it. The fact that no one around him warned him how much this could blow up in his face it proof that Aldean simply has yes men surrounding him.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:14 pm
I wonder if we can expect this incident to be the topic of a future article by Stereo Williams of The Daily Beast. It seems right up his alley.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:17 pm
Also, and this is a minor point, but while I agree with the “America is way too PC” crowd, I also am pissed that Aldean once again gives ammo to artists in other genres to paint Country fans as racist, unintelligent rednecks. That part of it sucks, especially when you have artists who generally seem intelligent and humble like Isbell, Musgraves and Stapleton making waves across platforms for how damn good they are as songwriters, singers or performers.
Sigh….two steps forward and one step back….
November 9, 2015 @ 2:24 pm
I also am pissed that Aldean once again gives ammo to artists in other genres to paint Country fans as racist, unintelligent rednecks.
Yep. Me, too.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:29 pm
Ding, ding, ding.
Whatever his intent, the forces that hate country music and country living have a new arrow for their quivers.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
Holy fucking lack of awareness, Batman. Aldean not only makes shitty music, he’s a shitty person. Not really new, but still.
Probably uses “I have a black friend” and “I’m not racist, but…” A LOT.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:22 pm
I can pretty much guardamntee whatever statement Aldean and his label put out will reference his work with Ludacris or his collaboration with Lionel Ritchie.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:25 pm
… lots of black friends.
And maybe this:
People who know the real Jason Aldean know I don’t have a racist bone in my body.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:35 pm
Whenever I see pictures of celebrities in blackface at parties, there’s never any black people in the photos. Similar to the Julianne Hough thing a couple years back.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:31 pm
Dumb move on Jason. He should know better, but then again I think back to
some of the comments his buddy Luke Bryan made about certain Country music legends most recently……not surprised by the mentality of Jason Aldean. As they say, “birds of a feather”.
November 9, 2015 @ 2:35 pm
oh I am so offended
what the hell is wrong with people don’t they have any respect this is so offensive
this just makes my blood boil this is so not PC
November 9, 2015 @ 3:04 pm
Bust out the buttered popcorn yo, we’re watching a train wreck tonight.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:07 pm
My name is Kevin. I’m from Dayton Ohio and I don’t give a shit if some dude wears blackface or a headress or dresses like Bruce Jenner for Halloween. Also, has anybody considered that the dude just has a bad spray tan? He doesn’t look any blacker than Tim McGraw to me.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:33 pm
I understand that he may not have meant to be out rightly racist, but clearly Aldean knew it was offensive if he removed the post from Instagram.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:42 pm
My two cents on this:
First off, to people saying this has nothing to do with saving country music. Yes it does. If this photo creates enough backlash, radio stations and endorsers will have to stop backing him. Then he’ll be out of our hair. And country becomes a little bit better.
Second, I’m fairly neutral in this debate thing because neither black nor white. I’m Latino. I find it offensive to dress up in blackface. I’d also find it offensive if somebody painted their skin yellow and pinched back their eyes and pretended to be Asian for Halloween. There’s simply no need to bring a racial aspect into your costume. Halloween is supposed to be fun.
Thirdly, if enough people get upset, this could spell the end of Aldean. I don’t know if it will happen, but we can dream so everybody write angry tweets about this!
November 9, 2015 @ 3:56 pm
Final thought: I wonder how many of those who see this and blow it off as people being too sensitive and politically correct are the same ones who got all up in arms over what Natalie Maines said? Maybe people were too sensitive about that as well? It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose.
I agree there’s way too much chicken little-ing and manufactured controversies going around these days, and it’s hard to take the Outrage of the Day seriously. This one’s kind of a no-brainer though. There’s no defense for blackface. And Jason Aldean makes terrible music.
November 9, 2015 @ 5:12 pm
Yeah, I want to say “Go watch Dear White People,” but anyone defending Aldean on here has probably already protested the movie, solely based on the title.
November 10, 2015 @ 9:17 am
I, like most people who didn’t care for what Maines said, voted with my wallet to boycott her music. She had the right to say that stupid comment and I chose to use my right of free enterprise and not purchase the Dixie Chicks’ music.
As for Jason Aldean, I have never brought any of his music and with an exception of a few songs, I always flip the dial when his music comes on. But folks have the right to boycott his music in response to his stupid decision.
November 10, 2015 @ 9:31 am
The difference was that Natalie Maines made that comment at a very “Pro America” nationalistic time. After the Twin Towers Attacks, there was a massive “Go USA” craze which has since waned. Had she made those comments even a year later the backlash would have been measurably less passionate.
Jason Aldean is just an idiot no matter what’s going on in the world around him.
November 9, 2015 @ 3:58 pm
Anyone with a TV or an internet connection these days knows that this is a terrible idea. Racial tensions have escalated 100% since the Michael Brown shooting and the introduction of Deray to the world. He is a public figure, did he totally miss last year’s debacle after Julianne Hough dressed in blackface for Halloween? I mean, come on Jason. Is your brain totally dead?
November 9, 2015 @ 4:11 pm
It’s funny you posted this because shortly before halloween I heard a radio interview with Tyler Hubbard saying how his favourite halloween costume ever was when he went as Flava Flav. And he laughed and went on about how he “went all out” and even painted his whole face and body. He said it so innocently like he didn’t even realize. I looked at my husband and said “that idiot just admitted to doing black face”. The way he said it made me believe that he in no way meant anything racist by it.. but was just that ridiculously ignorant. Didn’t surprise me..
November 9, 2015 @ 5:06 pm
i think the guy on the right is jason, short and pudgy body with the round face
November 9, 2015 @ 5:16 pm
You’re wrong. Read the story.
November 9, 2015 @ 5:08 pm
http://www.k102.com/onair/patrick-knight-41874/jason-aldean-wears-his-halloween-costume-while-hunting-11787246/
November 9, 2015 @ 5:16 pm
That article and Instagram photo is from last year. Wrong again.
November 9, 2015 @ 6:01 pm
I am just surprised that goofy-looking bastard is a direct sibling of a total fox! Yeowza
November 9, 2015 @ 6:25 pm
This is a touchy subject these days just as originally written in the post but people tend to carry things way too far these days in my opinion. While I do agree that the original depiction of black face was usually used in a derogatory or racist means it is hard for me to figure out why this is just automatically labeled offensive or racist.To begin, I do not know what Aldean’s intent was as far as who he was portraying but I think it is jumping the gun to just automatically be assumed as racist. Halloween costumes are worn to depict something or someone that you are not, so is Frankenstein offended if I dress like him or Michael Myers? Now I know those are fictional characters and may be seen as apples to oranges but if I want to dress like a black man and I am a white man then why can I not without everyone getting their panties all in a wad? I bet that Don Trump and Ben Carson were both very popular costumes this Halloween but are they only OK to wear if your race matches the mask you have on? Finally, don’t forget the Wayans brother in the comedy White Chicks, was that racist?
November 9, 2015 @ 7:46 pm
“I do not know what Aldean”™s intent was as far as who he was portraying but I think it is jumping the gun to just automatically be assumed as racist.”
Actually, I went a step further to say in the article that I don’t think Jason Aldean’s intent was to be racist. I just think he’s completely ignorant to the fact that wearing blackface is a bad idea, especially if you’re a celebrity.
November 9, 2015 @ 8:59 pm
He really had to have known some people would take poorly to it. I mean, he removed the picture from his Instagram. And Hough got in trouble for this last year for her “Orange is the New Black” costume.
Doesn’t that show he knows it’s wrong? Plus, it seems his team is trying to keep this on the down low.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:31 pm
The picture was not on Jason Aldean’s Instagram. It was on someone else’s Instagram who was there that night, and I believe when people started asking questions, it was taken down. Aldean may not even know about it. And even if he did and requested the photo be taken down, it was after the fact of him deciding to wear the costume. I’m assuming he didn’t do it maliciously. But who knows I guess?
November 9, 2015 @ 6:40 pm
Julianne Hough did this and got shat on by the media whereas Jason… A whole lot of nothing (as far as the media is concerned).
November 9, 2015 @ 7:12 pm
Yup. I don’t know how people think this is a debate.
It hasn’t been for decades.
November 9, 2015 @ 7:42 pm
It’s because country music media is complicit, bought, sold out, controlled, and is nothing more than a promotional extension of the industry it is supposed to cover objectively. Saving Country Music has caught way more flack and been hurt more by reporting on the story than Jason Aldean has for wearing blackface. In fact, it has probably dramatically improved his standing in certain segments of the country music public.
November 9, 2015 @ 7:02 pm
So stupid. It’s should be about intent.
November 9, 2015 @ 7:07 pm
What a bunch of politically correct pussies, it’s time for y’all to step away from the computer and start living life, offending people happens in life, blackface happens.. Who freaking cares.
I don’t even like Jason and I got his back on this one.
November 9, 2015 @ 7:38 pm
Blackface happens?
Did you really just say that?
Think about this: If Jason Aldean had any clue that wearing blackface would offend people, I can guarantee you he would have never done it.
November 9, 2015 @ 8:25 pm
I’m wearing blackface in honor of trigger tomorrow.
Yeah, I said it and ment it. Blackface happens.
November 9, 2015 @ 8:46 pm
Being offended is bullshit!
who did he hurt dressing up in black face?
…no one, unless you count peoples whittle bitty feelings.
and if you think about it he was just helping in “saving country music” because black face is very much part of the country tradition……..
November 9, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
That is the lamest cat costume I’ve ever seen.
November 9, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
https://i.redditmedia.com/0zwwiNSXBsvoe5wLpjWWwrOZDngGx1GfpkThTQWJFGA.jpg?w=320&s=3fa2dd7775d098659b52401f727a62d9
November 9, 2015 @ 9:34 pm
Who gives a shit. I get sick of this. It is socially ok for the Waynes brothers to make a movie White Chicks. Black comedians cracker this, cracker, honkey, etc.. Rap songs have n word 90 times in one song. It’s bullshit that if a white dude dresses up black for Halloween its racist.
November 9, 2015 @ 9:53 pm
When I was in Middle School a quarter century ago, people were making that point to me. It was stupid then, and it’s stupid now. And what makes it even more stupid is the people saying it really think they’re making an original argument.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:18 pm
“a quarter decade ago”
You mean quarter century, right? I doubt that you are only 17 years old and founded SCM when you were 9 years old 😉
November 9, 2015 @ 10:24 pm
My point was its a double standard. You never hear a thing the other direction. I never said it was ok. Two dudes make a movie all’s good, another dude dresses up for Halloween he is racist. Seems like there is an imbalance to me.
November 10, 2015 @ 9:43 am
“White Chicks” did stir up controversy though. It’s not like everybody sat back and was like “well, this is cool”. There were numerous articles questioning if it was in “good taste” or not around the time it was released. Eventually the controversy died down once people realized the Wayans Bros are generally terrible at comedy and made a hideous, unfunny movie.
Likewise, plenty of people within the Black/African American community have called out rappers and the like for their subject matter and language. Hell, Charles Barkley of all people has been vocal about that stuff.
An “imbalance” may exist, but I don’t think it’s nearly as large as you seem to think it is.
November 10, 2015 @ 10:10 am
That was one example. So they questioned if it was in good taste. Well lets look at it like this, if two white dudes made Black Chicks would be people questioning if it was in good taste or saying it was the most racist film since Birth of a Nation?
November 10, 2015 @ 12:12 pm
It’s about as interesting and original a statement as those
Retards
Attempting
Poetry
Youtube comments.
November 9, 2015 @ 10:29 pm
If we are going to espouse racial equality in this country then I expect and demand the same treatment.
November 9, 2015 @ 11:12 pm
Well…. OK whoopee doo. Anyway good story Trigger!!
November 10, 2015 @ 3:27 am
I see the need for this article to be posted, and I agree with Trigger’s statements.
It’s okay, Trigger. At least *I* still love you.
November 10, 2015 @ 5:14 am
1. I understand all the outrage but like most people in the United States I’m tired of the “I have a right to be more offended than you do” identity politics bullshit. At some point we need to start listening to each other and solving problems instead of claiming that we speak for each other in an empty, misdirected Sympathy Contest, which is what you are doing. You are posting this on a self-curated country music blog and you don’t speak for one black person in this world. Quit thinking you do. In fact, you are probably the most likely person to say “but I have lots of black friends”, not one of the so-called ignorants you pretend to unmask. Quit the bullshit about how you’re “posting this to clear country music’s noble name” because your only goal is to get lots of clicks to show your advertisers, which may be the primary reason you are on here commenting so much (like you did with JTE) in order to fuel the fire. Hopefully it will end up linked somewhere fantastic and you can show that to your advertisers and cash in. So drop the whole “I’m not TMC” bullshit and admit that racism, claims of racism, outrage over racism, and white guilt self-flagellation make you (and others) lots of money. It’s become its own industry these days. Own it, or at least admit you’re playing a game of publicity stunts. In fact, Aldean’s racism and JTE’s drunkenness and others’ public problems are the best freakin thing to ever happen to you. Admit it.
2. In 2015 if we’re all going to play this game then at least back up your bullshit with a life of effort to create an understanding where there isn’t one and solve some fuckin problems. Go volunteer. Read to kids. Spend time with some vets. And not publicity stunts. I don’t do what I do for a living for some bullshit cred, I just want to matter. But if everyone who feigned outrage at every single fuckin thing (you included) made a single effort beyond the BLM/Occupy/guilt-ridden theatrical bullshit maybe we’d get beyond this crap. What are we all doing besides yelling? Are the teaching moments ever taught? How much ad revenue do you put towards programs and practices that matter? Put your money where your mouth is. I almost respect the tired-ass “communications professor” who tried to shut down media coverage of the Univ of Missouri protest more, at least she’s teaching and in the trenches doing stuff that matters.
November 10, 2015 @ 11:35 am
Fred,
First off, don’t put statements like “posting this to clear country music”™s noble name” in quotes like I said them. You want to piss me off, then put words in my mouth that I never said. THAT’s the reason I have to come down to the comments section and clarify myself so often. As I said in this article, country music has its own history with racism and blackface, and apparently, that history is alive and well after some of the reactions I’ve seen to this story, and the way the rest of country music media has worked to cover up the story. There was a woman on Facebook yesterday that said black people should be thankful for blackface because it created jobs for them.
Now, as for this idea that I’m making lots of money off of this article, or any article, you couldn’t be more ignorant and uninformed. For the record, I work around 75 to 80 hours a week, and average $0.70 cents an hour. Go ahead and average that out to weekly and monthly totals. Running Saving Country Music has resulted in the demonstrative ruin of my life financially and personally. And to have some asshole come onto my site and use a forum I have created for them to attack me for financially benefiting from the articles like this is insulting beyond all. I’ve never asked one red penny from any of my readers. I don’t sell merch. I don’t put up click-thru ads, or drop down ads, or video streaming ads, or anything that specifically gets in the way of the reading experience. Even then, over the last six months, revenue has decreased by 2/3’rds even while traffic has increased. Why? Because nobody sees ads anymore because of ad blockers, which means I have to put up twice the ads to make 1/3’rd of the money of before. Oh, and even that 1/3’rd is going away. Meanwhile expenses keep increasing because of the increased traffic.
The internet is fucked because people feel like everything should be free to them, including my articles, just like they feel like they shouldn’t have to pay for music. That’s why the internet sucks, and that’s why music sucks, because self-entitled assholes like you think journalists should work for free, and any time anyone is making a dollar, there’s clearly corruption going on.
I love country music. That’s the reason I keep this site going despite the fact it makes no money. That’s also why I don’t want to see one of the genre’s top stars misrepresent country to the rest of the world as still being stuck in the 1930’s when blackface was socially acceptable. Posting this article hurt Saving Country Music more than it hurt Jason Aldean. So revel in the fact that you and others that think like you won this battle, and don’t rub it in my face like I’ve somehow financially benefited from anything.
November 10, 2015 @ 6:05 am
Its Halloween the one day a year you can be whatever you want . national Holiday people !! Enough said and self explanatory people if y’all have anything negative to say About this picture you should take a long walk off a short bridge people like y’all that are ruining america
November 10, 2015 @ 9:32 am
I love this comment. I really do, mostly because it appears some Jason Aldean fans do not understand that Halloween is not a recognized National Holiday.
http://www.redcort.com/us-federal-bank-holidays
For your future employment you might wanna brush up on what are National Holidays and what are not.
November 10, 2015 @ 9:35 am
“For your future employment you might wanna brush up on what are National Holidays and what are not.”
That’s a required skill for flipping burgers???
Do they even allow Jason Aldean fans to hold jobs?
November 10, 2015 @ 2:50 pm
Punctuation, capitalization, spelling and proper grammar wouldn’t hurt, either.
November 10, 2015 @ 11:08 am
So much incidental comedy in this comment. So telling of who the folks are who feel the need to defend Aldean.
November 10, 2015 @ 9:20 am
Holy shit the people more or less defending this.
I’m sure at one point we’ve all made an off color remark or joke, even laughed at a few. The difference is some grow up and realize it’s stupid, it’s not funny, and it’s offensive. The rest don’t and wonder why people view them as ignorant. Nothing to do with being PC or using your rights or whatever. It’s about being respectful to others. This isn’t a hard thing to do.
November 10, 2015 @ 9:36 am
Agreed. That being said, I’m not surprised Aldean’s fans are supporting him on this. Dude did about the slimiest thing possible regarding his ex-Wife and his fans supported him. I have found that in the case of Aldean, Bryan, FGL, Gilbert, etc. that those artists seem to have fan bases that will defend them no matter what they do or say.
I suspect a lot of it has to do with the age of their fans in general, the younger your fan base the more willing you seem to defend your favorite bands/artists no matter what in the hell they say or do.
Stapleton Tops Billboard 200; Joey Feek Enters Hospice; Jason Aldean Is a Huge Idiot | Country California
November 10, 2015 @ 11:52 am
[…] Saving Country Music reports: “Jason Aldean Wore Blackface As Part of His 2015 Halloween Costume” […]
November 10, 2015 @ 2:52 pm
Aldean is in brownface in the photo attached to this article. He is mocking a man of hispanic descent.
November 10, 2015 @ 4:48 pm
Well well well.
Taste Of Country, Roughstock and The Boot may be pretending this story doesn’t exist. But within these past four hours, The Guardian, U.S. News & World Report, TMZ and Chicago Tribune are all reporting this story now.
It’s only a matter of time before Aldean responds.
November 10, 2015 @ 4:58 pm
Not your article directly but it had a link to the Nashville gab stuff, the Tennesseean just picked up this story. It was no way in depth as this one or as quick as you posted it. Truthfully I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world but certainly isn’t bright in the least on what he did.
People are still completely butt hurt over the Dixie chicks mess. They were absolutely lambasted for just a snide remark. I think it also had to do with them suing their label in some way we will never hear about, but I digress.
November 10, 2015 @ 5:09 pm
Most of the sources that have since reported on this story, I’ve observed, are titling the headline as “Aldean dresses as Lil Wayne for Halloween” or a slight variation of that……………without referencing the use of blackface.
TMZ is an obvious exception.
November 10, 2015 @ 6:08 pm
Pussy world we live in these days
November 11, 2015 @ 5:48 pm
There’s nothing wrong with that that Jason Aldean wanted to dress like Bob Marley for his Halloween costume.
November 13, 2015 @ 1:01 am
Too bad he didn’t just dress like a dad and take his kids out trick-or-treating instead.
March 7, 2019 @ 11:39 pm
Haters! Get over it! Grow up!