Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
To me, that really wasn't blackface. Blackface is not just a makeup job that allows you to appear as an African American. It was used mainly in vaudeville and minstrel shows and generally involved a performer painting his/her face black, with exaggerated red or white lips, and sometimes white circles around the eyes. It was used as an insulting caricature of blacks, similar to what you might see on some old product labels and collectibles.
It's still an area to tread carefully, but I don't think there's anything wrong with doing a good makeup job in order to portray a different race. I wasn't under the impression that Pokemon was trying to be insulting to anyone, just dressing as an internet meme he thought was funny. If I wanted to cosplay as Storm, the only way to be accurate would be to wear makeup that made my skin the right shade.
"Especially right after unwisely freaking out about an innocent costume contest." I suspect this may have more to do with it than anything. People are kind of on the edge after the way tempers flared, including Pokemon.
The Swastika is another area where you have to use caution. But some characters do wear them. If you're going as a comic-accurate Red Skull, you might feel your outfit is incomplete without one. You might want to think about your audience before you put one on your costume, but he is EVIL after all.
If there is another option for that character, by all means it is best to go with another version. There are so many other versions of Indy, that the German disguise is not your best option(even though I don't think he wore an actual Swastika, just an SS emblem on his collar).
But what about reenactors? You don't dress up as Hitler for a costume party, but in a WWII reenactment, someone has to portray the Nazis. My husband used to be a Civil War reenactor with his father, and although the Confederate flag is another symbol people are sensitive about, someone had to have it. My father-in-law wasn't a racist, but he portrayed a Confederate officer most of the time.
It's still an area to tread carefully, but I don't think there's anything wrong with doing a good makeup job in order to portray a different race. I wasn't under the impression that Pokemon was trying to be insulting to anyone, just dressing as an internet meme he thought was funny. If I wanted to cosplay as Storm, the only way to be accurate would be to wear makeup that made my skin the right shade.
"Especially right after unwisely freaking out about an innocent costume contest." I suspect this may have more to do with it than anything. People are kind of on the edge after the way tempers flared, including Pokemon.
The Swastika is another area where you have to use caution. But some characters do wear them. If you're going as a comic-accurate Red Skull, you might feel your outfit is incomplete without one. You might want to think about your audience before you put one on your costume, but he is EVIL after all.
If there is another option for that character, by all means it is best to go with another version. There are so many other versions of Indy, that the German disguise is not your best option(even though I don't think he wore an actual Swastika, just an SS emblem on his collar).
But what about reenactors? You don't dress up as Hitler for a costume party, but in a WWII reenactment, someone has to portray the Nazis. My husband used to be a Civil War reenactor with his father, and although the Confederate flag is another symbol people are sensitive about, someone had to have it. My father-in-law wasn't a racist, but he portrayed a Confederate officer most of the time.
