Al Roker defends dressing as white movie character for Halloween

"Today" show co-anchor Al Roker has responded to social-media criticism of his dressing as a Caucasian movie character for Halloween.

For a Halloween segment Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show, Roker, 64, joined fellow co-anchors and others in 1980s-inspired outfits. Dressed as actor Christopher Lloyd's lovably mad scientist, Doc Brown from the "Back to the Future" films, Roker had only a costume, wig and props. He did not wear whiteface.

Nevertheless, some online critics complained that Roker — a harsh critic of former colleague Megyn Kelly's defense of blackface last week — was being hypocritical. "Al Roker your [sic] not black face, your [sic] two face," wrote one Instagram commenter. Wrote another, "If white people can't dress up as blacks then blacks can't dress as whites. . . . Megan [sic] did nothing wrong!,” a reference to the cancellation of "Megyn Kelly Today," the show's third hour, following Kelly's controversial comments on race and Halloween costumes. 

"I'm going to say this one last time," Roker tweeted in response, "but the folks who get it, understand and the ones who DON'T, won't. I can be Doc Brown, and I wear the outfit and wig and not change my skin color. If you're white, you can be President Obama if you want. Just don't color your skin!"

In a subsequent tweet replying to a comment that "I've seen people today color their skin green, purple, etc for holloween costume. So this is now wrong?," Roker wrote, "Yes, you are offending all the green and purple people walking around. Seriously?"

Many online defended Roker, pointing out instances of white people dressing as black entertainers without applying blackface, or black people dressing as Superman, Wonder Woman or other white characters without applying whiteface. 

Others, however, defended Roker by saying blackface and whiteface, which Roker did not use, is acceptable. "Dress as whoever you want to, and if you want to go the extra mile and smear some kind of color all over yourself to be more authentic to the costume go for it," posted one Instagramer.  

Blackface by white actors caricaturing African-Americans originated in early 19th-century minstrel shows and was historically used to demean and dehumanize people of color.