Black Women Love Cosplay...
And so can you!
If you’re white and you don’t see this as a problem, you’ve probably never uploaded a photo of yourself in cosplay, skin tanned or darkened with make-up, and shared it on an international platform. If you did, chances are you received comments calling you out for “blackfacing” or “racefacing”. European cosplayers are often baffled, and even feel insulted, when confronted with the idea that their cosplay is – or could be perceived as – racist. And what do people do when they are accused of racism – especially in this loaded cultural climate? Instead of listening and finding the courage to apologize, they often retreat into their bubble. Or worse: they lash out with full force, deaf to serious arguments and advice. That’s when things turn vile and nasty – for themselves, for the cosplay community, and for any person of color (PoC) who happens to witness the shitstorm. Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character.[1] Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, and a broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject. Favorite sources include anime, cartoons, comic books, manga, television series, rock music performances, video games and in some cases, original characters. The term is composed of the two aforementioned counterparts costume and role play.
📖 Read The Article Here