Anonymous
I was kind of waiting for the comments to start, since I know cosplaying Korra for naturally white skinned or make-uped skinned cosplayers is controversial. So I better address this now.
First off, Korra’s skin color is actually my natural skin color. I avoid the sun a lot sinceI hate my tan skin and this is the first tan costume I’ve done that needed it. All the characters I cosplay are pale, and even now I still have to pale it further to get their exact tone. The foundation I use for Korra is actually a really old bottle of my own back when my skin was that dark. I will continue to use makeup, because while I can tan I do not wish to. I have other costumes that require ‘pale-face’ that weekend.
Secondly, I have seen pale cosplayers dress up as Korra with no make up and are accused of white washing a character. It seems to me that the situation is a lose-lose for those who want to be Korra or cosplay her accurately. It’s sad to see when cosplayers want nothing more to emulate a character they admire and then get accused of defiling it in some way. So what should we do? Deny that she as a character has beautiful tan skin? Or be accused of offending her and others by representing that?
Despite I myself being a minority (of latino decent) and knowing some of those emotions and issues that come with skin… I am not a full one, and I will not pretend to know or understand the issues that come with having dark skin and ethnicity. I do, however, know what it’s like to be frustrated when people of privileged skin and pale color can tan all they like and change back to their white tone, while people with tanner skin can never bleach their skin. That goes with appearance and society.
Now I will simply state my belief that in costuming and cosplay I do not believe that tanning or paling one’s face is a direct assault on culture or ethnicity. I see it more as an accurate trait. Korra has dark skin. I will not deny that. I have paler skin than hers, no denying that either. If I want to be accurate to her characteristics I will do so with makeup. I want to be as true to who she is as a person much as possible. And she is a person with darker skin than me, its apart of who she is.
I hope that you, anon, and anyone else concerned know that I mean absolutely no offense in tanning myself. I know I cannot avoid offending everyone, but it is not my intention and I will stick to what I believe in. And I believe in costuming I think one should cosplay whoever, whenever or whatever they want, however they want.
I will not be answering any more questions/messages about this issue.
