I mean you were basically asking if people cosplays as characters who don't share their race which yes
It isnt hard to simulate a games artstyleI mean, the suit does more than just make her look like a black person, it also imitates the game's art style. I would imagine that she would've also gone for a suit like this if the character had been white, simply to get the cartoony style right. (But I don't know her or her work so if there's proof to the contrary, someone please do correct me.)
With your logic I can genuinely not cosplay as any character with white skin or I'm brownwashing the character with my brown/caramel skin.It doesn't because she's not mocking the PoC culture, she made a cosplay with all respect doing a characterization. I personally believe this could be worse if she just straight up went with a white Pyke and became whitewashing.
Using "Black people aren't a costume" seems like it applies here.
That too.
but what about a fully articulated robot suit that just happens to have black skin?If you're white, don't put on makeup to look like a black person, how hard is that to understand?
Also this thread is a great example of "White people are told they can't do one single solitary thing and it's got them shook"
I mean, the suit does more than just make her look like a black person, it also imitates the game's art style. I would imagine that she would've also gone for a suit like this if the character had been white, simply to get the cartoony style right. (But I don't know her or her work so if there's proof to the contrary, someone please do correct me.)
Or even more accurately
Ok, I get where you are coming from now. That perspective does rightly rule out a larger range of skin altering behaviors. Thanks for explaining!Lets keep it simple. Blackface is bad because it's used to mock. The mocking is a part of it. It's also the fact that after the mocking and the racist shit said, they wipe that shit off and go back to their own skin which no one bats an eye at. While the rest of us non-white folk can't do that. We have to carry on with skin color that will people white people feel a type of way.
White girl from France puts on a literal costume of a dark skinned character from a fantasy video game with maybe all the love and care in the world is still perpetuating the above because after the competition, she's going to take it off again. Skin color is not a commodity and it's not a fucking costume. I don't care how clever someone gets about it. You want to look like the character, just do what the character would do and put on their attire and demeanor and accessories. That character didn't reach into their closet and pull out their skin too.
From my opinion, it's a moot point because anyone wearing a deliberately goofy mask of Obama is 99% doing it specifically to mock and degrade him as a person, so that person would be terrible just from the outset of it.Serious question, would wearing one of those Obama president masks be considered blackface?
Yeah this whole situation is basically a white person wearing one of those just on a much more expensive scaleSerious question, would wearing one of those Obama president masks be considered blackface?
Yeah this whole situation is basically a white person wearing one of those just on a much more expensive scale
This is a very good postLets keep it simple. Blackface is bad because it's used to mock. The mocking is a part of it. It's also the fact that after the mocking and the racist shit said, they wipe that shit off and go back to their own skin which no one bats an eye at. While the rest of us non-white folk can't do that. We have to carry on with skin color that will people white people feel a type of way.
White girl from France puts on a literal costume of a dark skinned character from a fantasy video game with maybe all the love and care in the world is still perpetuating the above because after the competition, she's going to take it off again. Skin color is not a commodity and it's not a fucking costume. I don't care how clever someone gets about it. You want to look like the character, just do what the character would do and put on their attire and demeanor and accessories. That character didn't reach into their closet and pull out their skin too.
Lets keep it simple. Blackface is bad because it's used to mock. The mocking is a part of it. It's also the fact that after the mocking and the racist shit said, they wipe that shit off and go back to their own skin which no one bats an eye at. While the rest of us non-white folk can't do that. We have to carry on with skin color that will people white people feel a type of way.
White girl from France puts on a literal costume of a dark skinned character from a fantasy video game with maybe all the love and care in the world is still perpetuating the above because after the competition, she's going to take it off again. Skin color is not a commodity and it's not a fucking costume. I don't care how clever someone gets about it. You want to look like the character, just do what the character would do and put on their attire and demeanor and accessories. That character didn't reach into their closet and pull out their skin too.
Fair enough. That only works if you've got the right body shape for the character to begin with, though. She doesnt, as she's portraying an athletic male. I'd also argue that the examples you've posted there aren't as successful in recreating the respective art style as her suit is.
The prime intent wasn't to do this for a character because they were black though. It's offensive because the character was black but I don't think the intent when making the costume was for the skin color to get out of some black face loophole, but to be able to replicate musculature that would be impossible for her body type to pull off.Well again, it's not about the musculature obviously... and you know that. Regardless, I can a) easily see why it's disrespectful and b) there's no need to frame this as an exclusively "American" issue. I'm from Germany and can tell it's a bad idea from miles away.
It's blackface. People need to stop thinking it ok to use my skin as a costume.Are people really taking the effort of looking at that costume and deliberately misrepresenting why she did it?
The purpose of cosplay is to portray a character. There are several layers of cosplay from putting on the most recognizable features of a character to accurately portraying a character down to the last detail. This cosplayer did the latter, which takes a lot of dedication and effort.
By the general sentiment around this it looks like you can only portray characters that look like you. Because if you portray someone like the cosplayer in the OP you get accused if blackface. Had she done the character with white skin she would be accused of whitewashing the character. Furthermore since it was for a competition it would have greatly reduced her chances for winning because it would have been labeled as a low quality effort.
I think people need to consider context and most importantly understand the intent of the action that was done here.
It's cosplay of a fictional character.
so how does she meet the criteria for blackface by your bolded definition?Ok after reading some of the responses in here, this attitude of:
1.Trying to dismiss blackface in general as people just being sensitive
2. People trying to tell PoC what is and what isn't blackface
isn't going to to fly at all. Blackface is not just painting your face in a caricature manner. It means to alter your appearance to appear as a PoC in order to mock. Even if said person didn't have I'll intentions, the idea of wearing a brown bodysuit to alter her entire appearance knowing that it is a sensitive issue, is bad enough. Then her tweets pretty much show that she doesn't care and is butthurt she got disqualified showing a lack of empathy and common sense.
Then you get people in this thread trying to tell others what is and isn't blackface and trying to defend her. You all had no problem laughing along with the Wayans Bros. in White Chicks when a couple of black dudes dress up as white women, but come rushing to the rescue to defend an ignorant cosplayer who even with a great cosplay, is still clearly in the wrong? Keep that same energy. 👌🏾
People keep mentioning that it's completely faithful to the character. How many times do we see Japanese people cosplay as ostensibly white characters and not paint their skin? Every time?It is a full body costume of a fictional, barely human character that is completely faithful to the character (which is the goal of cosplay).
What the hell are some of you on about?
A black fictional person is still blackface. She is still doing a costume to be a black person.
I think the response to this is yes it is still a problem. Doesn't matter what day, or what time of day. You're wearing a different skin color.Peoples stance on blackface confuses me. If its for halloween, but still considered a cosplay is it a problem?
Because this is kinda the same thing but with care put into the costume for a contest.
She painted her whole body brown to match the tone of the character. Some people have done the same i'd imagine without malicious intent(obviously there are those that do do it in malicious intent, not excusing that) and it comes off totally different to people.
This just comes off as a "play it safe" situation.
I'm inclined to say no, but according to the responses in this thread an Obama mask would be considered blackface, because you can take it on and off again.Serious question, would wearing one of those Obama president masks be considered blackface?
Honest question: I'm a white man, but what if I wanted to cosplay as Blade? I'm not planning to, but I am genuinely not sure what the appropriate way to go about it would be. Obviously changing my skin colour feels racist, but on the other hand I'd also feel odd just pretending Blade is white.
Are people really taking the effort of looking at that costume and deliberately misrepresenting why she did it?
The purpose of cosplay is to portray a character. There are several layers of cosplay from putting on the most recognizable features of a character to accurately portraying a character down to the last detail. This cosplayer did the latter, which takes a lot of dedication and effort.
By the general sentiment around this it looks like you can only portray characters that look like you. Because if you portray someone like the cosplayer in the OP you get accused if blackface. Had she done the character with white skin she would be accused of whitewashing the character. Furthermore since it was for a competition it would have greatly reduced her chances for winning because it would have been labeled as a low quality effort.
I think people need to consider context and most importantly understand the intent of the action that was done here.
Lets keep it simple. Blackface is bad because it's used to mock. The mocking is a part of it. It's also the fact that after the mocking and the racist shit said, they wipe that shit off and go back to their own skin which no one bats an eye at. While the rest of us non-white folk can't do that. We have to carry on with skin color that will people white people feel a type of way.
White girl from France puts on a literal costume of a dark skinned character from a fantasy video game with maybe all the love and care in the world is still perpetuating the above because after the competition, she's going to take it off again. Skin color is not a commodity and it's not a fucking costume. I don't care how clever someone gets about it. You want to look like the character, just do what the character would do and put on their attire and demeanor and accessories. That character didn't reach into their closet and pull out their skin too.
Just dress as blade, people will still know who you are.Honest question: I'm a white man, but what if I wanted to cosplay as Blade? I'm not planning to, but I am genuinely not sure what the appropriate way to go about it would be. Obviously changing my skin colour feels racist, but on the other hand I'd also feel odd just pretending Blade is white.
It seems safer for people just not to dress as characters with different racial characteristics at all.
Actually I think a lot of high profile Japanese cosplayers try pretty hard to emulate the whiteness of skin for cosplay depending on the character when compared to their original skin tone. Or at least in post with Photoshop. They could be playing with lighting too to make their skin look lighter as well.People keep mentioning that it's completely faithful to the character. How many times do we see Japanese people cosplay as ostensibly white characters and not paint their skin? Every time?
Changing your skin tone to another race (effectively) is not a part of cosplay that is done often. It is definitely not a part of the goal. She could have made this suit with her own skin tone and it would still be a great recreation that anyone would recognize who has played this game. I haven't so Pyke means nothing to me, but I'd still be impressed by the craft involved.
This was a bad idea and she didn't feel bad about offending anyone. Good for the organizer for taking this stand.
Yeah like that's how I thought the consensus was but some in this thread seems to think otherwise by replacing costume w cosplay.I think the response to this is yes it is still a problem. Doesn't matter what day, or what time of day. You're wearing a different skin color.
She is still making a costume to become a black person. She is still changing her skin to become black.I think there is a divorce in thinking here that leads to the conflict. Yes, skin color is not a costume. Pyke however is. Pyke is also black. Now in the case of a costume where the skin is the wearer's actual skin the choice to darken that skin and have the benefits of wearing it while also having the benefits of turning it off is indeed demonstrative of the issue with black face.
But that's not happening here. Here the alternative is to consciously make the entire costume of Pyke, the only thing you see as the wearer is wholly concealed, white. You make Pyke literally white. Is that the more acceptable solution? Whitewashing the character?
So I'm going to ask:
- Would the costume be alright if it was made and worn by a black person?
- Would it be alright if only one of the 2, and does it matter which?
- If the answer to the above questions is no do you make the character white given that the constume itself has no inherent skin color?
- If the answer to that is no is the character off limits to white people as a body suit?
Someone pls think of the blackface defendersI don't see the point in reopening the thread if everyone who doesn't think it's blackface is just gonna be banned. There's no more discussion to be had here.