A cosplayer in a “League of Legends” costume has now been disqualified from the final of EuroCosplay. It seems to involve “blackfacing,” a term used when a white person portrays a black person and darkens their face for that purpose.
What kind of competition is this? At cosplay events, participants dress as characters from TV series, movies, games, or comics. Cosplay is extremely popular, which is why you can find competitions for this kind of art at many large fairs. There are even specific tournaments, like EuroCosplay.
The issue with EuroCosplay: One of the finalists of EuroCosplay 2019 was removed from the tournament because she is accused of using blackfacing for the cosplay of the LoL character “Pyke”.
The competition is expected to start on October 25. Through social media, the organizers reported that one of the finalists was removed after complaints about her costume.
In the statement, the name of the cosplayer is not mentioned. It became clear later that it was about the French woman.
Which cosplayer is involved? Alice Livanart portrayed Pyke. Presumably, she wore a bodysuit all over her body to accurately represent the character from League of Legends and its skin.
The organizers of EuroCosplay were apparently not pleased and confirmed that this cosplay will not appear at the event. They also apologize if anyone felt offended by the outfit.
What does the community say?
This is what makes the character special: Fans defend the cosplay, saying that Pyke is a fictional character. He is a type of dead shark and has a darker skin.
Others write that it is the best cosplay they have ever seen. They cannot understand why there would be disqualification. The officially best cosplay in the world is this one from Monster Hunter World.
In Pyke’s lore, it says “Pyke, a famous harpooner from the slaughter dock in Bilgewater, was supposed to find his death in the belly of a giant jawfish… but he returned.”
There are also supporters of the disqualification: While some people are angry about EuroCosplay’s action, others support it.
They say: “Thank you for listening and taking action. Even better, to prevent such violations in the future, because people need to learn that this is really not okay.”
Others say that blackface is not okay even for cosplayers and that it was rightfully disqualified.
What is blackfacing? “Blackface” refers to a theatrical masquerade that became popular in the 18th century. White performers would paint their faces dark to play black characters. They often portrayed black people as foolish and naive, mocking them with the mask and performance. In this context, blackfacing is seen as racist.
The portrayal of black individuals by white individuals with darkened faces is called blackfacing (roughly face darkening).
Wikipedia
Twitch also banned a streamer who painted her face black.
Do you think the disqualification is fair, or should the cosplay not have been banned?
