K-Pop stars the Bubble Sisters are seen in a photo on jezebel.com. (©Bubble Sisters / http://bit.ly/z78ysz )

Korean pop stars are strangely into blackface

3/2/2012

Billy Crystal's Sammy Davis Jr.-in-blackface bit during the Oscars was heavily criticized as something that's just not done anymore. But in Korea? It's par for the course. Some of Korea's biggest K-Pop (Korean pop) stars have long used blackface and also openly perpetuate negative stereotypes of blacks. The blog Oh No They Didn't! documented numerous instances of blackface and racist portrayals. As another writer on Jezebel pointed out, K-Pop's increasing popularity in the U.S. is putting more scrutiny on its acts, and these incidents, which actually have been going on for some time, make it appear that the blackface gags are "something of an epidemic within K-Pop."

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