The New York Times was hit with an onslaught of social media outrage after some noticed a double standard in their headlines covering blackface controversies from Democrats.
The story covered revelations about Virginia's Attorney General, who is a Democrat, and his stunning admission that he had once dressed up like a rap artist and darkened his face in the costume.
The New York Times referred to it as "Dark Makeup" in their headline.
NYT headline writers what are you thinking? “Dark Makeup” https://t.co/t9dIcwWych— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@Yashar Ali 🐘) 1549473803.0
But many social media users lined up to point out that in January, the New York Times had published a critique referring to a scene in the revered movie "Mary Poppins" where the title character ended up with dark soot on her face. In order to heighten the controversy, they called that image "blackface" in the headline.
Even some on the left were angered by the headline. Liberal activist Oliver Willis noted the odd description and blamed the lack of "people of color" at the New York Times.
feel like if there were a couple more people of color in the ny times politics editorial chain, maybe "dark makeup"… https://t.co/qDQmnIXHVd— Oliver Willis (@Oliver Willis) 1549493170.0
"That the New York Times won't even use 'blackface' in this headline is offensive, damning and — yet again — underscores that protecting whiteness is an institutional standard," tweeted Saeed Jones of Buzzfeed.
That the New York Times won’t even use “blackface” in this headline is offensive, damning and — yet again — undersc… https://t.co/iffCLcGa0N— Saeed Jones (@Saeed Jones) 1549473538.0
"I would read the hell out of a Times Insider piece on how blackface became 'dark makeup'," said Miriam Elder of Buzzfeed.
I would read the hell out of a Times Insider piece on how blackface became “dark makeup.”— Miriam Elder (@Miriam Elder) 1549474203.0
Eventually the Times changed their headline to use the term "blackface," but did not issue a correction or note the change in their article.
Here's more about the recent blackface scandals:
VA attorney general admits he wore blackface at a college partywww.youtube.com