So Jack, it's ok for a chimney sweep to DELIBERATELY black up, as it's what everyone expects! but despite the fact that border dancers and molly dancers in East Anglia have been doing so for the last two centuries, that's not!

The comparison with Aboriginal dancers is obvious, they paint their faces in a colour different to their natural colour, and as they live in the same world as us, and do it deliberately, so by your definition, it must be a racist act.

Tell me precisely how a morris man, dressing up in a tatter jacket, putting heavy boots and bell pads on, wearing a hat decorated with flowers and feathers, and painiting their face is in ANY WAY demeaning to someone of a different ethnic origin or skin colour? As I said, the face paint is just part of the kit! Perhaps putting feathers in their hat is also indicative of them having issues with pheasants!

As Guest just said, 'Morris men blacking up it is not racist apart from those that want to make it' and for some unknown reason, you obviously do!