Every Halloween, there inevitably a handful of people who go out in a costume that’s pretty racially offensive and get raked over the coals for it, because apparently some people didn’t get the memo that blackface and cultural appropriation is kinda sorta not cool. Well, this year Julianne Hough is the first major f**k-up, after she decided to go out for Halloween as ‘Crazy Eyes’ from Orange is the New Black. And she used blackface to do it. Seriously (see the pics). USA Today reports …
Julianne Hough learned that lesson quite publicly this weekend. At a Halloween party on Friday night, the actress dressed up in blackface, adding an orange jumpsuit and a name tag that read “Crazy Eyes,” as a nod to the character on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. By Saturday, Hough was apologizing on Twitter. “I am a huge fan of the show Orange is the New Black, actress Uzo Aduba, and the character she has created. It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people and I truly apologize,” Hough tweeted.
Look, if you want to go out for Halloween is a character from TV, movies, or video games? Sure, go right ahead. But YOU DON’T NEED TO DO BLACKFACE TO MAKE THE COSTUME WORK. She had the right wardrobe, she had her hair, she was with a group of other OITNB characters. Seriously, she could have left it at that. But nope! BLACKFACE. Seriously people. Don’t do it. Just don’t do it.
I am a huge fan of the show Orange is the New black, actress Uzo Aduba, and the character she has created. (cont) http://t.co/z5guo2Ogfi
— Julianne Hough (@juliannehough) October 26, 2013