Last night’s episode of The Challenge: Battle of the Exes included a white contestant prancing around in blackface in some kind of attempt to make fun of her black ex-boyfriend. This is why it’s not okay, Billy Crystal! Emily, slathered in Nutella (why did you have to drag Nutella into this, Emily? What did Nutella ever do to you?), claimed that she was unaware of how racist and loaded her “joke†was. “I grew up really sheltered,†she said on the episode. “I’ve never even heard of blackface.†Still, she consulted with her sidekick Camila mid-Nutella-slather, asking, “Are you sure this isn’t racist?†Camila said she was sure. Camila, Emily, anyone who’s considering race-play for humor, or who’d insist that their version of blackface is simply a joke and not hugely demeaning and profoundly and fundamentally racist, here’s a heads-up: No more blackface. The end!
