Polish singer Kuba Szmajkowski gained an episode of a well-liked actuality TV competitors on Saturday after he donned blackface and pretend cornrows and mentioned the N-word in a canopy efficiency imitating rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Szmajkowski appeared on the TV present Twoja Twarz Brzmi Znajomo (Your Face Sounds Acquainted) to carry out a rendition of Lamar’s hit music Humble.
The karaoke-style actuality present is a department of a longstanding worldwide franchise that sees celebrities from that nation impersonate randomly assigned musical icons.
Szmajkowski, who’s white, took to the stage in darkish make-up, pretend corn rows and a beard paying homage to Lamar’s personal look within the Humble music video. In the course of the televised efficiency, Szmajkowski, 21, rapped lyrics that included the N-word, which was not censored within the broadcast.
He went on to win Saturday’s episode — the second in Twoja Twarz Brzmi Znajomo‘s nineteenth season — and was awarded a money prize of 10,000 PLN (C$3,122). He’ll proceed on within the actuality competitors for an opportunity to win the grand prize of 100,000 PLN (C$31,220), which can be donated to a charity of the winner’s selecting.
Instantly, Szmajkowski’s efficiency impressed outrage in Poland and past. Anger was solely intensified when he shared a video exhibiting his transformation into Lamar. The submit remains to be stay on Instagram.
Every contestant posted video of their musical icon transformations to social media.
The feedback on Szmajkowski’s submit, each in English and in Polish, accuse him of being racist and demand he apologize for the Humble efficiency and take away his social media posts.
“That is prime racism. Do you not see how inappropriate that is? To not point out offensive?” wrote one English-speaking Instagram consumer.
“How are you not ashamed, man? Are there actually ‘artists’ in Polish present enterprise so unaware that some issues aren’t executed and sure boundaries aren’t crossed? Doing blackface is just not acceptable,” one other wrote in Polish.
“You must do that efficiency within the states, particularly Compton, California!” chided one commenter.
Szmajkowski is just not the one Your Face Sounds Acquainted contestant to make use of blackface; in the identical episode actor Pola Gonciarz darkened her pores and skin to carry out a canopy of If I Have been a Boy by Beyoncé.
The Polish model of Your Face Sounds Acquainted is produced by Endemol Shine, which is owned by the French mother or father firm Banijay.
Banijay informed The Guardian that the corporate “condemns” Poland’s execution of the competitors present, because it “contradicts our group’s world values.”
“A subsequent inside investigation is underway and the suitable measures can be taken,” Banijay mentioned in a press release.
Previous to Saturday, white contestants on Poland’s Your Face Sounds Acquainted have donned blackface to carry out as Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Drake and a number of other others.
In 2021, after actor Tomasz Ciachorowski carried out Stronger by Kanye West whereas sporting blackface, the TV manufacturing mentioned it was “shocked” by the destructive suggestions.
“The intention of every star acting on the present, in addition to of the entire manufacturing workforce, is to recreate the unique efficiency in probably the most exact method, whereas honouring the unique artist,” the present mentioned.
Your Face Sounds Acquainted originated in Spain in 2011.
In 2021, the Czech iteration of the competitors sequence banned using blackface.
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