A renowned Japanese comedian has come under fire for wearing blackface during a New Year's Eve program that was aired in the country.
Masatoshi Hamada of the popular duo, Downtown, has been getting blasted on social media since he appeared on the Gaki No Tsukai Ya Arahende special with his face painted dark. One of the skits being performed during the broadcast involved Hamada appearing from behind a gold curtain dressed and looking the part of Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop. As he glanced around in a Detroit Lions jacket that was reminiscent of the one Murphy wore in the 1984 flick, actors dressed as sheriffs began laughing in amusement.
Vice tandem Desus and Mero covered the segment during a recent episode of their show, and they brought up a bit about the history of blackface in Japan. Blackface first showed up in the Land of the Rising Sun in the latter half of the 1800's and has continued to resurge up until recent years. At one point during the show, Mero introduced a controversial photo from recent memory that showed Japanese pop band Momoiro Clover Z wearing suits and blackface. The "Tempura-tations," he jokingly referred to them as.
Source: YouTube
