Credit: Team CSL
When a cosplayer dresses up and changes the color of their skin to match a character’s skin color, expect some backlash when it involves an existing ethnicity. That’s what happened when professional Korean cosplayer Pion Kim cosplayed as Sombra, a Mexican character from Blizzard’s popular team-based shooter, Overwatch.
Kim has captured the look of the hacker, including darkening her skin color and cutting her hair, which she donated to charity. However, the skin color change set off the alarm for those who were offended.
Critics said that she has practiced “brownface,” and that led to many more attacking her. What’s funny as that there are many Mexicans who went to her aid. One commenter said, “I’m Mexican with a darker skin tone, nothing offensive going here do it again the many times you want!!”
Another said, “I’m Mexican and this isn’t offensive.”
There are plenty more examples below:
“Mexican guy here, me and my brothers loved your sombra cosplay. Don’t listen these ****ing gringos from social justice warriors, these people only search for something to complain about like the time when they wanted to ban speedy Gonzales from the Looney toons because “was offensive” besides here in mexico everyone love him.”
“As a Mexican/Costa Rican, I say your cosplay was good. The ones who bitched about this the most were gringo SJWs who wanted an excuse to complain about someone doing something they love that everyone else enjoys.”
“She looks amazing, I’m fucking mexican and I say **** those who feel offended!!! It’s a ****ing cosplay dammit, amazing cosplay by the way.”
“You look amazing as Sombra, keep doing an awesome work!!! I’m native mexican and I can’t understand how some people think this is offensive. Please guys, this is art.”
“You are a beutiful Sombra, please ignore them, with all my love a mexican chocolate girl ♡”
“If you love a character do it as you please. As a mexican I don’t think it’s offensive to paint your face for doing cosplay because you’re doing it with respect for a character with a certain nationality, that’s all. If you were mocking my culture with that theeeeen I will be somewhat angry (like with those halloween costumes of ‘mexican people’).”
With Mexicans backing her up, she still felt the need to apologize and said that she won’t be cosplaying as Sombra in the future.
“Some people mentioned me about my SOMBRA COSPLAY is rude and offensive because of skin color make up,” Kim posted on Facebook. “At first, I’m Korean cosplayer and I never heard of that before – BROWN FACE make up is OFFENSIVE thing.”
This isn’t the first time people were upset about a cosplayer changing their skin color. A cosplayer got into trouble for cosplaying as a fictional Dragon Age character from a fictional world. We had our friend, Matthew Lewis, give his thoughts on cosplaying and color change with the controversial Garnet cosplayer from Steven Universe.
What do you guys think? Is Pion Kim wrong for darkening her skin, or do you think people are being offended too easily?
Via HeatStreet
from Nerd Reactor
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