This thread has obviously gone long past the point where anyone is going to be persuaded to change their minds, even though there have been valid points made on both sides.

There are facts a-plenty about tradition, history, intention etc, but facts are only useful for basing opinions on. For instance, the Shropshire Bedlams seem to have been a major influence in popularising Border Morris (and John Kirkpatrick says quite clearly that they black-up solely for dramatic effect). Whether a practice going back to the early 70s counts as a "tradition" is purely a matter of opinion about which people are bound to disagree. Whether it goes back further is perhaps a pointless question if some people believe (and it's fair enough that they might) that 35-40 years is long enough to establish a "tradition" or "custom" or whatever.

Similarly, other considerations about what instruments are "traditional" and therefore proper, and whether a debateable association with Nigger Minstrelsy "taints" modern pratice, and whether Nigger Minstrels were deriding black people in the first place, are all just personal opinions which can be talked about endlessly.

The consensus seems to be that Border Morris blacks-up for dramatic effect without any racial intention, but because very few of the general public ever see Border Morris, some of us are concerned that blackface will be judged as a crude racist dig. Of course, some people from ethnic minorities may well assume this, and they probably have good reason from bitter experience for doing so. But for me, the answer is not to drop part of the "tradition" because of this possibilty, but to make the most of the opportunity to widen the debate to the non-folk public in order to explain the tradition in particular and morris in general, with a view to getting people of all creeds and colours dancing.

I heard a story recently (I don't think it's an urban myth but for the life of my I can't remember where I got it from). An Englishman visiting New York went into a cafe and ordered a black coffee. The waitress - a black lady - stared at him aghast, then called for her supervisor, also a black lady. They asked him to repeat his order, and then said in disgust "You are one sicko", or words to that effect. It's a story which I found both laughable and dismaying. It points up how hypersensitivity can become paranoia and lead to a mindless and insensitive knee-jerk. It's the sort of thing which gives PC a bad name. Some people, black or white, are more easily offended than others, and some choose to be offended without looking for a reasonable explanation. It's perhaps pre-emptive counter-aggression, and while while we can understand why it happens, it needs to be neutralised, because it's an extreme reaction and extreme reactions only escalate problems.

One of my songs is "Fathom the Bowl", which includes the line "my wife she's a devil and black as the coal". Should the line be changed? Discuss.