There is context in all things. If someone is playing a character that wears blackface because the character is a racist or a dyed-in-the-wool idiot then the person playing the character isn’t necessarily doing something racist. Actors who play Nazis in movies might wear swastikas on their arms, but they aren’t Nazis. Actors who dress up in giant mascot costumes to dance with the Wiggles aren’t actually Dorothy the Dinosaur.
Even still, that’s controversial. Generally it’s best to avoid using racism to point out racism. That role was controversial at the time, not just in hindsight. I’m sure there are people who feel it was inappropriate and who were offended by it, and if someone felt that was in this thread I’d listen to them rather than jumping to tell them they were wrong.
But if we’re “just asking questions” about when it is okay to use and not to use blackface, here’s a good rule of thumb: don’t.
