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Okay, Sheva's 'sexy' RE5 alternate costume MIGHT be racist photo

Ever since Resident Evil 5 released its first full trailer and caused controversy amongst the stupid people of the world, I have defended it from accusations of racial prejudice. However, looking at Sheva's "sexy" unlockable costume, I have to admit that it does look a little bit racist.

As you can see from the provided pictures, this new costume comes complete with tooth necklace, neck bangles and tribal tattoos. All she's missing is a bone through her nose and a boiling pot with a freshly captured white man in it. Soup's on, and it tastes of racism!

While I maintain that the game isn't racist, not least because Japanese people simply don't seem aware of themselves when they stereotype other races (naivety is not the same as racism), I don't think I'll try and defend this one. I'll just keep my inappropriate laughter to myself, and hope the "that's racist zomg" crowd don't get their hands on it. 

At least N'Gai isn't writing about games anymore. He'd have had a field day with this one.


LAUNCH GALLERY (6 IMAGES)
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107 comments | showing # 1 to 50

casualweaponry's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 09:58
casualweaponry
RE5 is also blatantly SEXIST!

I scored an early copy, and I swear, every almost every cinema scene starts with a shot of Sheva's ass. I would post examples, but it might spoil the game for some people.

Bravo Capcom; you've even worked an ass shot in a cinema scene in a moving vehicle. Bravo!
Furyfire's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:03
Furyfire
...Well at least its hot and raciest and sexist all at the same time.... :P
Kraid's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:03
Kraid
racist misogynistic PIGS!!! YOU R HALLZ TEH P3DAUPHAILES!

Can't wait for tonigh! Because I'm gonna be playing iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit! Fapidy-faaaaaP!
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:04
Chronic Logic
Why is that guy getting a mouthful of breasts? Also why is it racist? I thought the game takes place in Africa not America. Does NAACP have an office branch in Africa?
PappaDukes's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:09
PappaDukes
Since when did sexy become racist? It can't certainly be because a African American female is wearing a culturally influenced outfit. When Chris Redfield is wearing a kilt, then I'll cry racism.
Redzie's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:09
Redzie
Reminds me of Regina's alternate costume from Dino Crisis:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k_6M2IGTCH4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k_6M2IGTCH4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Redzie's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:11
Redzie
COPY PASTA FAIL ME!!!!

here's real link:

HERE
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:12
AngelsDontBurn
Racist, no. Stereotypical, yes. No one complained about RE4 though, wtf. Not ALL spaniards are farmers and shit. Lol.
Barcode's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:12
Barcode
It's racist, but SEXY!
exodus1925's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:13
exodus1925
Yeah that's a teeny bit racist right there.
Tron's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:14
Tron
BS3 Owner's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:15
BS3 Owner
RE is Racist.
RE is Sexist.
RE is HAWT!

Also, Jim you're going to have a field day with blogs about
the ending & storyline & cutscenes. The internet will blatantly be ablaze.
Endstiem's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:16
Endstiem
Bravo Capcom; you've even worked an ass shot in a cinema scene in a moving vehicle.

You say that like it's a bad thing.
atastysammich's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:16
atastysammich
DOWNLOAD THIS SICK FILTH!
sickNasty's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:20
sickNasty
It is racist. Sheva is clearly a modern woman who doesn't live out in the plains of Africa, so she wouldn't wear tribal gear.

Besides, if you've seen anything from National Geographic, you'll know that tribal people in Africa don't go around wearing bikinis.

This is just a dumb way for Capcom to whore out the main female character.
Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:24
Magnalon
I saw this about a week ago and thought it was pretty funny. The new meme around a lot of sites was "OMG TRIBAL SHEVA".

Does the bone necklace give you super voodoo powers like Ashley's Suit of Armor in RE4? I hope so!
silvain's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:27
silvain
lol

we're not racist! we're just ignorant!
fadecy's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:29
fadecy
I don't find this racist. It's no more racist than putting a British Character in a Bikini and a top hat while having her drink tea. It's just a cultural stereotype. It's like putting a chinese person in a straw hat. It's a cultural stereotype, it's not racist. People should really look up the definition before they go throwing the word around. I don't see how this shows discrimination.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:30
Sexualchocolate
Rasist - a word that has totally lost all reasonable meaning.

Any MENTION or aknowledgement of race is now considered RACIST - this is totally wrong.

Racist should mean to think less of a different race, to discriminate or to treat them differently. NOT JUST AKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE A DIFFERENT RACE. Even using a specific term for a race is simply aknowledging that they are of a certain origin, it's when it is used in a derogatory fashion that it becomes Racist.

I fucking hate this overly politically correct world we live in.

The world has gone to shit.
Drack48's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:30
Drack48
ummm..don't know what to make of this..loss for words here..
Count Grishnack's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:31
Count Grishnack
Street Fighter IV is racist! Dhalsim!!!!!!!!
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:31
ThunderHeartXI
I wasn't going to get Resident Evil 5.

I am now.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:33
Holyetheline
ZOMG TEH RACISM
Prince Ghidorah's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:33
Prince Ghidorah
Racism? From the Japanese? My mind is officially blown.
eternalplayer2345's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:34
eternalplayer2345
I wish chris could have klan outfit
BS3 Owner's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:35
BS3 Owner
@ sexual chocolate

Wait till you play the game...


******SPOIERS BELOW THIS POINT*******

Jill wears racist clothes in one cutscene m,K?K?K?...
fadecy's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:35
fadecy
@ThunderHeartXI:I was going to get Killzone 2 first, but this costume has changed my mind =3
Demtor's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:39
Demtor
Oh Japan. You silly little perverts. Shame on you... does she at least perform a tribal dance at some point?
moshakirby's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:41
moshakirby
Well she IS african.
Also Japanese are exempt from being racist. There's some comedy video where a whole family just says "niggahhh" for like 5 minutes.
BlackFreefall's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:49
BlackFreefall
Here we go again. ...
Nicojay2's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:52
Nicojay2
The "new and improved" meaning of racism will devour us all.

Sexy stereotypical sexism is questionable, but still hot.

Also Chris (of the header pic), I don't know what you're looking for but keep searching. It must be there somewhere.
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:54
Tubatic
Not racist. Sexy outfit doesn't diminish Sheva on the basis of her skin color.

Insensitive to African cultures: probably. I'll bet no single African culture has this, in total, as any reasonable tribal garb. I could see someone being a little peeved about that aspect.

Undermining of Sheva as the "one black friend" to allay racism claims: for sure. At once she's been sexualized and made bufoonish as a partner.

Any different from other wacky alt costumes: not really.

If only because nobody really talks about and has a fluent working perception of African cultures in general, this isn't surprising. Unfortunate on an empathic level, but not surprising.
loki d20's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:57
loki d20
It was my understanding that sexy outfits are never racist.
fadecy's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 10:59
fadecy
"Well she IS african.
Also Japanese are exempt from being racist. There's some comedy video where a whole family just says "niggahhh" for like 5 minutes."

Actually I'm pretty sure that video was Korean.
Tet's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:03
Tet
Oh bwak bwak bwak. How is some ancestral outfit racist, particularly when that's the setting? Is an Italian character having a Roman legionnaire alternate outfit racist for a game set in Italy? Would it be racist for me to unlock an outfit with some dandy's powdered wig?

Of course being a video game the female equivalent of those would be thongs. Nothing says my life is in mortal danger then having some broad's ass hanging out.
Cowboy TTop's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:03
Cowboy TTop
I don't find this racist at all, being a black person. The game is set in Africa, so one of her costumes is afro centric, nothing wrong with that at all. That's right, cuteness of black female characters can be appreciated, in a very male way. Better to be represented than not, mind.

Would you find a Sheva space suit more credible in an African setting? No, didn't think so.

Go Capcom, got my RE5 copy and loving the game.
Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:06
Magnalon
@Blackfreefall
Here we go again...

Jim is the ultimate fire starter: and I love it.

Jim Sterling's Theme Song

@fadecy
I'm pretty sure the Asian "nigah" skit was Japanese (It aired on Japan One television, and it's called Tokyo breakfast). I could be wrong though, and it just says that to throw you off.
Timstuff's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:10
Timstuff
A lot of people don't seem to realize that there's a difference between "racist" and "insensitive."
F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:12
F Whipple
If being sexy is grounds for racism then sign me up
VampireChrist's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:13
VampireChrist
whatever
thats frakkin hawt
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:19
Mxyzptlk
I'm glad there's still people out there who actually understand the meaning of the word racist. Sadly most of the people who are the first to scream "ZOMG RACIST" don't seem to. Also, Tokyo Breakfast was never a Japanese television program. It was a comedy short created by a couple of Americans (who went on to direct that terrible Onion Movie).
SantanaClaus89's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:26
SantanaClaus89
LOL Chris is giving her the motorboat.
aaronf's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:27
aaronf
It's racist to bring up racism every other dat on Dtoid.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:29
Necros
Even if this isn't particularly racist, this is amazingly stereotypical. Poor choice, Capcom.
Trev's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:35
Trev
The sooner everyone stops caring about what race a person is, the sooner we can all agree that Sheva is a babe. That sounds like a better world to me.
SantanaClaus89's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:37
SantanaClaus89
God people get so butt hurt now about every little thing it drives me nuts. I guess almost every costume in LittleBigPlanet is racist too right? Like the costume with the afro and tracksuit.

I guess from now on just to make sure all you douchebags are happy everyone will just wear a t-shirt and jeans no matter what country or time period the game is set in... or is that racist against Americans?

This new definition of "racism" is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. If a black person who lives in Africa is wearing a tribal suit, even if it's not an accurate one, is not racist. It may or may not be tasteful, but not racist.

If Sheva's alternate costume was a shirt that said "I'M A NIGGA" that would be racist.
Professor Pew's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:40
Professor Pew
Well, how else are you going to get that longbow cheevo?

Also, Chris's Safari outfit is totally racist. White hair ffs!
HamalSharatan's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:41
HamalSharatan
Why are people being preposterous? It's a bonus costume, bonus! Preposterous article.
moominsean's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:42
moominsean
how come no one ever talks about how many stereotypes there are in fighting games? leaving out the incredibly basic stereotypes in 'world heroes', even street fighter has very obvious racist undertones.
The White Light's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/12/2009 11:45
The White Light
Wow, this is pretty bad.
Also, racism can absolutely exist due to naivety. Racism is based on ignorance, not hate. Hate certainly comes from that, but it all stems back to ignorance, or in this case, naivety. People who compliment minorities for be so well-spoken and a credit to their race are racist. Sure, it's not the worst kind of racism, but it is underlying mentalities like that that sometimes do the worst damage.
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