In the movie RDJ character is criticized and made fun of for the exact "outrage" going on in this thread. It's meant to educate people on why this is a bad thing. Instead it's constantly misconstrued into being used as an argument to support blackface.
Man does black face for Kanye West costume because this shit will never end
- Thread starter TheSpoiler
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universalmind
Member
Comparing this thread to the Richard Dawkins one is amusing.
Ragingnight
Member
honest question.
Is cosplaying a black anime/manga consider blackface? What if the character is never defined racially but just looks darker skin?
I am on the side that thinks you shouldn't cosplay as anybody's race via blackfacing or using things to give you "chinky" eyes for Asian characters. But in the end of the day, I'm never really offended though I view it as racist.
There are tons of people in the cosplay community that view that it isn't blackfacing and its just "being true to the character".
I want to hear gaf's opinion on the matter.
Is cosplaying a black anime/manga consider blackface? What if the character is never defined racially but just looks darker skin?
I am on the side that thinks you shouldn't cosplay as anybody's race via blackfacing or using things to give you "chinky" eyes for Asian characters. But in the end of the day, I'm never really offended though I view it as racist.
There are tons of people in the cosplay community that view that it isn't blackfacing and its just "being true to the character".
I want to hear gaf's opinion on the matter.
Silver Arrows
Banned
There's a cute post a couple pages back of people of various skin tones cosplaying as characters that are not their skin tone, and not wearing any skin color changing makeup. They still look good, and there's nothing wrong with that.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
Silphonica
Banned
Fair enough, so in the latter part of my post the answer is supposed to be don't dress up as a black guy if you're white, even if there is no racist intent because it will be seen as racist. Not sure if I agree with that.
i hope they have anime eyes and anime proportions and anime everything in order to be "true to the character" better sound and move like them too.
i don't understand why you're hinging what a character is solely on the color of their skin.
PHIL!!
outunderthestars
Banned
My opinion is that you should never use the word " chinky" again.
Ragingnight
Member
well many anime characters have very sharp and slanted eyebrows. I personally don't do that shit but I do see it quite often.
meant to use quotes around it.
I agree. That the whole "true to the character" argument is bullshit. Its only when it works for them then people use it.
Admiral Woofington
Member
I think his comment was on the use of the word. There are better ways to describe it that don't rely on such an offensive word.
You want to dress up as Samuel Jackson? Okay! Put on an eye-patch and outfit and you're Nick Fury, or just dress up as any of his other characters. Paint your face black to "match" him? Avoid it. No one's tell you to avoid black characters, just don't paint yourself unless you trying to be an alien from avatar or something.
Skin color isn't and shouldn't be a defining feature of a character. Going back to Nick Fury, which is more defining, his eye-patch or the fact he's black?
Turns out earlier this month, there was a big Latin cosplayer who attempted to do paint herself black to cosplay one of the characters from Dragon Age. And it created an argument that divided a lot of the cosplayers.
This was what one of the ones I follow had to say in defense of the the girl.
Link
I'm curious about what some of your opinions are on the subject. Because in the cosplay community, going for as close as possible look to being authentic is a goal for many. More are pushing their skills and dabbing into do characters as close as possible regardless of race.
While this is article was very critical of the idea
Which brought up another good point too about how there is no historical background for black people dressing up as white people to degrade them. And also brought in the notion that even though it may not be from said country, ignorance is no excuse.
If you're a white guy and you say "nigger" around a black person with no ill intent do you think that will go well?
Edit: if you even say the variation in a sentence "what's up my nigga?" how do you think that will go?
Ragingnight
Member
yeah I meant to use quotes around it. =( forgot to preview post
LOL holy shit. as if putting quotations around it absolves you of anything. you're still describing asian characteristics as chinky. way to fucking go.
Gentleman Jack
Member
Do it without the blackface. Is that really hard?
SixMachine
Member
You just reminded me of the Snoop Dogg make up someone did a while ago. Snoop himself thought it was cool and retweeted it and I remember reading comments on Reddit. Generally people were positive and thought it was cool, it didn't seem that person in this case was negative, they just wanted to look like Snoop. This person also do make up of random people, like Kim Davis.
http://i.imgur.com/sTyepBT.gifv
But imo, I would say don't do blackface, you never know how the other person feels. Even if Snoop may be cool with it, another may not.
Ragingnight
Member
Its a real term that is used by many people. I am Chinese and I know this. Yeah it was a bad word to use but you knew what the intent was.
I agree that people shouldn't do things to look like other races, regardless of intent. The question was asked because I wanted to know what other people on gaf thought.
Silver Arrows
Banned
I smell another walk through the graveyards again.
Nice to know that some people are obvious racists, so I can disregard any other opinions when they do post again.
Nice to know that some people are obvious racists, so I can disregard any other opinions when they do post again.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
Uh huh...
Silver Arrows
Banned
I would avatar quote, but that's simply cheating at this point.
Please, give me a situation where I would use "chinky" in regular coversation in 2015.
Didn't think so.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, but just be careful in general when using words like that.
That's a fucking masterpiece.
rokkerkory
Member
Not sure why this is a big deal?
Ragingnight
Member
its not used in regular conversation. Its a derogatory word. I just forgot to quote it. holy crap.
Just read it in the context I used it.
what is the uh huh for? Are you doubting that I am Chinese or doubting that I think it is racially charged word? Just read my initial post on my stance of people trying to look like other races.
TheSpoiler
Member
Silphonica
Banned
This is the point I don't understand though.
People want to avoid racism by trying to pretend we're all the same. I find that quite the contrary. We should be celebrating we are different, and embracing it.
Dress up as nick fury but forget the fact he is black because that is racist? Are you kidding me? Trying to hide the fact he is black is more racist than embracing the fact. The way I say it, I am admiring a black character through to the end.
I don't get what people here are trying to say, the way I see it you are preventing further progression.
Did you read the thread at all? <.<
soundscream
Member
We haven't even seen this threads final form!
Turns out earlier this month, there was a big Latin cosplayer who attempted to do paint herself black to cosplay one of the characters from Dragon Age. And it created an argument that divided a lot of the cosplayers.
This was what one of the ones I follow had to say in defense of the the girl.
Link
I'm curious about what some of your opinions are on the subject. Because in the cosplay community, going for as close as possible look to being authentic is a goal for many.
his duke nukem looks like ass even with his jank ass white face so i find the thought of being as authentic as possible to comic or video game characters laughable when it comes to things like that
And the cycle carries on...
Admiral Woofington
Member
I'm not going to defend the use but the word wouldn't be used in regular conversation. It'd be used as a derogatory and offensive term.
Turns out earlier this month, there was a big Latin cosplayer who attempted to do paint herself black to cosplay one of the characters from Dragon Age. And it created an argument that divided a lot of the cosplayers.
This was what one of the ones I follow had to say in defense of the the girl.
Link
I'm curious about what some of your opinions are on the subject. Because in the cosplay community, going for as close as possible look to being authentic is a goal for many.
Can I get the facebook post?
Silver Arrows
Banned
You have to be fucking joking.
As has been said too many times in this thread, blackface has roots in what is essentially racism. If you are white or any race other then black, YOU DON'T DO IT!
Evening Musuko
Black Korea
Again, as it's been said countless times before, there are examples in the first few pages of people dressing up as black fictional characters by non black people who don't use body paint. It can be done.
Also a big part of why RDJ's character was mocked was because the character (Kirk Lazarus) he played is a white actor who put on black face because he was portraying a real life black soldier in a movie about the vietnam war, even though they already cast a black actor in another, albeit minor, role. It's basically a satire of whitewashing in Hollywood taken to an extreme.
And because RDJ keeps getting brought up, GAF, be fucking honest, none of you motherfuckers watched Tropic Thunder, right?
Turns out earlier this month, there was a big Latin cosplayer who attempted to do paint herself black to cosplay one of the characters from Dragon Age. And it created an argument that divided a lot of the cosplayers.
This was what one of the ones I follow had to say in defense of the the girl.
Link
I'm curious about what some of your opinions are on the subject. Because in the cosplay community, going for as close as possible look to being authentic is a goal for many.
I'd say most anime/video game characters have recognizable outfits and hairstyles. Go for a good costume, wig, accessories, contacts, etc. There is no need to go blackface or play up racial features. Their cosplay can still be accurate despite not doing those things.
Also some of the characters in that particular picture are either aliens or already have nonhuman skin color.. so go crazy?
This discussion is tough because in America, with our history and the ongoing social racism targeting black people, most would undoubtedly find offense in this.
On the other hand, in an ideal society something like this would never be seen as anything but goofy / funny, ie. crossdressing or a black person with white makeup.
I can see a lot of innocence/naivety in the appeal of doing this kind of thing. I don't find it productive to deduce anyone that may defend it as "not racist" as racists themselves without taking that into consideration.
Just my 2 cents.
On the other hand, in an ideal society something like this would never be seen as anything but goofy / funny, ie. crossdressing or a black person with white makeup.
I can see a lot of innocence/naivety in the appeal of doing this kind of thing. I don't find it productive to deduce anyone that may defend it as "not racist" as racists themselves without taking that into consideration.
Just my 2 cents.
I'll bite. Imagine for centuries your race is murdered, raped, enslaved, and characterized as buffoonish animal like cavemen. Then these same people doing all these atrocious things to your race create festivals and shows and performances dedicated to painting themselves your skin color and degrading your race even more. Your race makes some progress but many of the same things that have been happening for centuries are still there but are either watered down or more subtle. They're still there, the same things that make you feel inferior because of your skin color, the same things that remind you that your skin color is nothing more than a costume to be made a caricature of. People continue to do this for decades and decades seeing that it's offensive due to history and either decide to blow it off or defend it as if it's their God given right to be overly insensitive to centuries of bullshit, murder, and racial degradation. So yeah, this is a big deal. Enjoy your stay.
Aaronology
Member
"Amusing" isn't the word I'd use, but it's certainly interesting.
Gentleman Jack
Member
I mean, you can completely ignore the history of blackface all you want, but there has been sufficient discussion on why it's not okay to do this, you 'disagreeing' with it is meaningless in the face of the context of centuries of racist caricature aimed at blacks.
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