In Apex Legends, there is the black hero Lifeline. To resemble her, a Lithuanian cosplayer darkened her face. This is called “Blackface” and is considered racist, especially in the USA. The streamer was then banned from Twitch and does not even know how it happened.
This is what the streamer did: The Lithuanian streamer Karina “Karupups” Martsinkevich has about 4700 followers on Twitch.
She dressed up as Lifeline in a live stream. She is the black combat medic from Apex Legends – she is considered one of the strongest heroes in the shooter.
To become Lifeline, the Lithuanian applied makeup to darken her face.
In social networks, some users were bothered by this. They said they could hardly believe what they were seeing.
This is how Twitch reacted: According to a Russian site, the streamer was banned from Twitch for 30 days.
Twitch stated as a reason that she incited hatred against a person or a group of people.
This is what it’s about: The technique of darkening one’s face is considered “Blackface” in the USA and is frowned upon.
The “black face” was used in the USA by white actors in film and theater to portray black characters, which were depicted in clichéd and racist ways.
Hence, “Blackfacing” is considered a taboo in the USA and is perceived as racist:
- In other cultures, however, this sensitivity is not as present – there were no such debates there.
- In the USA, Blackfacing is a delicate and sensitive topic.
This is how the streamer reacts: The Lithuanian streamer is apparently shocked by the reaction. It was just a picture, nothing more. People asked her how she did it and were interested.
The direct reaction over channels like Discord, saying she should be banned, apparently, she could not comprehend. (via dtf)
The legend Lifeline is popular in Apex Legends and apparently serves as a template more often. As the US site Dexerto reports, the cosplayer Kayybearxo also recreated her.
In her Lifeline, there was no Blackface. Nevertheless, according to Dexerto, some found this portrayal to be “too sexy.”
What makes Lifeline in Apex Legends so popular, we have explained here:
