Is it taboo to cosplay as a character clearly from another race than yourself?

[otakon17]

I have an internet friend who is an avid cosplayer. She stated that she would like to cosplay as Tiana from The Princess And The Frog. However, she's said she can't because she's white. Why is this an issue? I've seen all races and sexes cosplay as whatever character they want. She says that it's disrespectful to black people to cosplay as a character that is black when she is white.

I don't get it, she's not going out in blackface, she's not defaming the character or parodying it. She's cosplaying as a character she likes and respects, how is this so taboo? Has anyone else here heard of this before in the realm of cosplay?

 

[Queen Michael]

I say the girl can cosplay as anyone she damn well pleases. Cosplaying a black character when she's white seems to be one of those things that some people consider disrespectful without being able to give a clear reason as to why, exactly, it is. It's the old "It involves race, so it's gotta be politically incorrect" thing.

 

[sanquin]

As long as she doesn't go with blackface, I don't see the problem at all. Anyone saying otherwise has to keep their political correctness and over-sensitivity to themselves.

 

[Lionsfan]

Don't cosplay myself, but I don't see what the issue is.

If we were all forced to cosplay as our respective races, then black nerds would have what? Like 20 characters to use?

As long as she's not making fun of Tiana, I don't think there's any problem

 

[Sniper Team 4]

It Screen Team's music video "Cosplay is a Good Time" there is a black guy cosplaying as Altair. Or maybe it's another one of the main assassins, I'm not sure. But I do know that none of the main assassins in those games are black. And I did not care in the slightest that he was black. Anyone who puts that much effort into a costume just for fun can go ahead and cosplay as whomever they want. I was under the impression that cosplay was about the costume you were role playing in, not the color of your skin.

 

[sanquin]

Does Gungaro girl equal black face?
I sure hope not i love those ^^

Not as blackface. More as stupid-ass white girl stuff. ^^;; I find it quite ugly, but to each their own.

 

[Zeterai]

It Screen Team's music video "Cosplay is a Good Time" there is a black guy cosplaying as Altair. Or maybe it's another one of the main assassins, I'm not sure. But I do know that none of the main assassins in those games are black. And I did not care in the slightest that he was black. Anyone who puts that much effort into a costume just for fun can go ahead and cosplay as whomever they want. I was under the impression that cosplay was about the costume you were role playing in, not the color of your skin.

There was one with a black, female protagonist. But I think it was a mobile game, or a website one.. something like that.

People do it all the time. Consider that virtually any anime/manga cosplay is interracial, as it were, if the person in question isn't Asian. Or more specifically Japanese. As for the Princess and the Frog, well.. that fable has been around long, LONG before Disney got their hands on it. Cinderella as well.

 

[Erttheking]

As long as you don't look like you just walked out of a minstrel show I don't see what the problem is.

 

[Raggedstar]

I know there was a huge internet hub-bub regarding two white cosplayers who darkened their skin with make-up in order to cosplay Connor and Aveline (from AC3 and AC3: Liberation). Skin was darkened for authenticity. It was apparently "racist" according to some Tumblr activists and so much shit was thrown that they were forced to remove the pictures from their DA account.

Spoiler: The apparently racist cosplay

Though I'm not sure if that's as much "taboo" as it is "people being stupid on the internet".

 

[Hero of Lime]

I remember there was a huge controversy a few years back where white cosplayers were darkening their skin for characters of one show, it may have been for Avatar: Last Airbender or the Korra series I'm not sure. There was a huge stink made about it, even though the cosplayers were just using makeup to slightly darken their skin, they made a point not to make the makeup look like black face, yet it lots of people grabbed the Tumblr pitchforks in self righteous fury.

Funny thing is, most anime characters are supposed to be Japanese, yet since they usually have more European features(hair color, eye color, etc.) seeing a white person cosplaying as one is rarely odd. If you like a character enough, you should not worry that you are not the right race, or even gender in some cases, this especially applies to someone who is black who wants to dress up as someone with lighter skin. Some people need to cool their jets sometimes.

 

[Hazy]

It was apparently "racist" according to some Tumblr activists and so much shit was thrown that they were forced to remove the pictures from their DA account.

I don't know what's more absurd: that people find this racist, or that people actually care about what those lobotomites individuals on Tumblr have to say.

 

[captnb2thep]

I am black and this is the first I'm hearing of the assassins creed thing and to me THAT is perfectly fine from what I see. It was well done and very tastefully done. No matter what it is, it needs to be tastefully done, because unfortunately "black face" is still a very offensive and serious issue to many people. But as long as they don't sloppily smear paint, dirt or anything on their face and paint/leave space for cartoonishly huge pink lips it should be fine.

Characters like Mr. Popo and the Pokémon Jinx caused controversy for related reasons, but we are talking about cosplay so I feel like leniency should be a little bit more reasonable. But I will say the darker the character's skin, the higher the risk for rubbing someone the wrong way.

 

[Best of the 3]

I know plenty of my white friends cosplay as the Demo man from TF2. Honestly people can cosplay who they want. To me it's about getting the costume and behaviour correctly.

 

[templar1138a]

If grotesquely obese white people can cosplay as shapely/svelt asian characters, then she can cosplay as a black Disney princess, including skin-darkening. Tumblr be damned.

 

[xmbts]

We're all part of the human race maaaan~

But seriously it's not like it's an inappropriate racist caricature if anyone gets legitimately upset about it than that's more on them I think.

 

[Lonewolfm16]

Does Gungaro girl equal black face?
I sure hope not i love those ^^

Not as blackface. More as stupid-ass white girl stuff. ^^;; I find it quite ugly, but to each their own.

Ermmm...white? Its a Japanese thing. Some white girls have done it, but mostly when visiting Japan.

 

[EternallyBored]

I remember there was a huge controversy a few years back where white cosplayers were darkening their skin for characters of one show, it may have been for Avatar: Last Airbender or the Korra series I'm not sure. There was a huge stink made about it, even though the cosplayers were just using makeup to slightly darken their skin, they made a point not to make the makeup look like black face, yet it lots of people grabbed the Tumblr pitchforks in self righteous fury.

Funny thing is, most anime characters are supposed to be Japanese, yet since they usually have more European features(hair color, eye color, etc.) seeing a white person cosplaying as one is rarely odd. If you like a character enough, you should not worry that you are not the right race, or even gender in some cases, this especially applies to someone who is black who wants to dress up as someone with lighter skin. Some people need to cool their jets sometimes.

Was it cosplayers too? I remember the Avatar fandom had a few people flip out a few years ago because some artist was posting pictures she drew of Korra on her Tumblr and some of them got it in their heads that the picture had Korra's skin as too light. The Avatar fandom in general seems to have a few people that will lose their shit at even the hint of whitewashing Korra, I think there was some controversy with Katara too back in the day.


As for the OP I would say that anybody should be able to cosplay whoever or whatever they want, if sailor Bubba can get away with squeezing his ass into a sailor moon costume, then your friend should be able to dress up however she wants.

The only contention being, especially if your in the U.S. or Canada,for the love of God just don't do blackface if you can't take the inevitable criticism that will come from it. Seriously minstrel shows are an ugly part of our history and people will get offended, your friend says she won't do it, but anyone that thinks it's a good idea better be prepared to get some harsh criticism for it.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

It was apparently "racist" according to some Tumblr activists

Hold the phone..."Tumblr activists"? That is a....thing?

 

[Snowbell]

My boyfriend is Indian and his skin colour reflects that, but he frequently uses pale snaz to cosplay 'white' characters. No one has ever complained about that because it's done tastefully, he's even 'blacked up' to go as a humanised Lord Monochromicorn (a black horse from Adventure Time) and we didn't have any complaints.

So long as it's done tastefully and well I really don't see the problem with using products to darken/lighten your skin for an accurate cosplay, nor do I see a problem with people portraying a favourite character in their own race.

TL;DR: Do it!