Editing Blackface (section)

=== Finland ===
In Finland, a version of the [[Star singers|Star boys]]' singing procession originating in the city of [[Oulu]], a musical play known as Tiernapojat, has become established as a cherished Christmas tradition nationwide. The Tiernapojat show is a staple of Christmas festivities in schools, kindergartens, and elsewhere, and it is broadcast every Christmas on radio and television. The Finnish version contains non-biblical elements such as [[Herod the Great|King Herod]] vanquishing the "king of the [[Moors]]", whose face in the play has traditionally been painted black. The character's color of skin is also a theme in the procession's lyrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fulbrighterinfinland.blogspot.com/2006_12_19_archive.html|title=fulbrighterinfinland: 19 December 2006}}</ref>

The last installation of the ''[[Pekka and Pätkä]]'' comedy film series, ''[[Pekka ja Pätkä neekereinä]]'' (Pekka and Pätkä as Negroes), was made in 1960. In the film a computer tells the title characters that a "negro" would be a suitable profession for them. They blacken their faces and pretend to be American or African entertainers performing in a night club, talking self-invented [[gibberish]] that is supposed to be English. The computer meant "negro" as a now archaic term for a journalist, which originates from journalists' hands becoming tinted black with ink when handling prints.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://elonet.finna.fi/Record/kavi.elonet_elokuva_117452|title=Pekka ja Pätkä neekereinä|first=Aarne|last=Tarkas|date=December 31, 1960|website=elonet.finna.fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054169/|title=Pekka ja Pätkä neekereinä|date=March 11, 1960|via=IMDb}}</ref> When Finland's national public broadcasting company [[Yle]] aired this film 2016, some people on the social media disapproved of it and insisted that the film should have been censored, or at least the name changed. A representative from Yle said that an old movie should be evaluated in the context of its own time, and that the idea of the movie is to laugh at people being prejudiced. When the film series was aired in 2019, this particular film of the series was left unaired.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.is.fi/viihde/art-2000001260957.html|title=Pekka ja Pätkä neekereinä -elokuva nostatti valtavan someraivon – Yle vastaa rasismikohuun|date=September 14, 2016|website=Ilta-Sanomat}}</ref><ref name="elokuvauutiset.fi">{{cite web|url=https://www.elokuvauutiset.fi/site/uutiset2/8853-yle-jaettaeae-nyt-pekka-ja-paetkae-neekereinae-elokuvan-esittaemaettae|title=Yle jättää nyt Pekka ja Pätkä neekereinä -elokuvan esittämättä|first=Niko|last=Jutila|website=www.elokuvauutiset.fi|date=April 18, 2019 }}</ref>

Before the 1990s the word "neekeri" (negro) was generally considered a neutral, inoffensive word.<ref>Rastas 2007: Rastas, Anna: "Neutraalisti rasistinen? Erään sanan politiikkaa", Rasismi lasten ja nuorten arjessa: Transnationaalit juuret ja monikulttuuristuva Suomi. Tampere: Tampere University Press, 2007. {{ISBN|978-951-44-6946-6}}</ref>