Qantas held a competition where rugby fans could dress up as their favourite player. The player chosen by the winners had Fijian origins. In their quest to look like him the winning guys blacked their faces and wore afro wigs. Of course it was all twittered around the world and a huge backlash followed, resulting in Qantas making a grovelling apology. The player involved, Radike Sumo, had no problem with the guys' light hearted portrayal of him, and had this to say.

''These guys were actually paying me a tribute. It was a bit of fun and I think it's great that they regarded me as their favourite Wallaby,'' he said.

''I didn't have an issue with it at all ... I don't know why anyone's getting worked up, that sort of reaction is just silly.''

Apparently some people think it's shameful to have a dark skin. A similar reaction ensued when Prince Harry dressed as a Nazi.
Does the PC brigade want us to ignore dark skin, because its embarrassing like an ill fitting toupe. Otherwise why shouldn't anyone colour their face to look like a person with darker skin than their own?
It seems to me the outrage at this event is a good deal more unhealthy than the innocent good fun of the two competitors.
Any thoughts on this?

I'm wondering where I would stand if one of my kids asked to dress up as a sporting hero of a different race. Would I have to say to them, you can only dress up as white anglo sporting hero, because some people think it's rude to change the colour of your skin?

Is it wrong for my child to want to spray his hair red for a dress up day to look like Ron Weasley from Harry Potter?

Ahhhhh, the conundrums you have with kids.

but very understandable, I remember being at a fancy dress party some years ago when one of the guests arrived dressed in Gestapo uniform.

He left after we threw him in the pool and then we got on with having a good time un-marred by bad taste.

I see nothing wrong with blacking one's face to dress up if the person one is impersonating as in this case has a black face.

I do however see plenty wrong with Harry wearing a Nazi uniform. Probably because there are still a few of them around and groups representing and admiring them.

I fail to see the comparison between the two incidents as they relate to different subjects. Sort of like pears and sultanas. Both fruits but only one is found in a fruit cake

Actually Harry wasn't wearing a Nazi uniform but the uniform worn by the German army in the desert in WW II.
What was offensive was the Swastika armband (which was not part of the uniform).

I agree there are differences but I suspect the public outrage in both cases was similarly insincere. Wearing fancy dress is like acting and I've seen plenty of actors wearing Nazi uniforms. No one thinks the actors actually are what they dress as do they? Or that they're on a crusade to influence the rest of us.
These humourless furores bear a resemblance to the Mohammed carton fiasco in my opinion.

Actors are playing a role and it's part of their job to wear whatever is required for that role.
Harry, on the other hand, is a Prince of the Realm who lost relatives during WW II. So his wearing the Nazi symbol was, to say the least, insensitive.