"That does not let the person who booked them off the hook."
As I said, they should have thought it through.
However it also doesn't let those who "black up" off the hook of thinking through the potential impact and perception of their make up either.
Does your view on this really hang on the historical context?
Am I completely bonkers to worry about how "blacking up" is perceived by the wider community and the potential discomfort it may be bring to some of our neighbours? Irrespective of historical context.