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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
casualweaponry at 03/12/2009 09:58
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
Furyfire at 03/12/2009 10:03
...Well at least its hot and raciest and sexist all at the same time.... :P
Kraid's Avatar
Kraid at 03/12/2009 10:03
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
Chronic Logic at 03/12/2009 10:04
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
PappaDukes at 03/12/2009 10:09
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
Redzie at 03/12/2009 10:09
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
Redzie at 03/12/2009 10:11
COPY PASTA FAIL ME!!!!

here's real link:

HERE
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
AngelsDontBurn at 03/12/2009 10:12
Racist, no. Stereotypical, yes. No one complained about RE4 though, wtf. Not ALL spaniards are farmers and shit. Lol.
Barcode's Avatar
Barcode at 03/12/2009 10:12
It's racist, but SEXY!
exodus1925's Avatar
exodus1925 at 03/12/2009 10:13
Yeah that's a teeny bit racist right there.
Tron's Avatar
Tron at 03/12/2009 10:14
BS3 Owner's Avatar
BS3 Owner at 03/12/2009 10:15
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
Endstiem at 03/12/2009 10:16
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
atastysammich at 03/12/2009 10:16
DOWNLOAD THIS SICK FILTH!
sickNasty's Avatar
sickNasty at 03/12/2009 10:20
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
Magnalon at 03/12/2009 10:24
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
silvain at 03/12/2009 10:27
lol

we're not racist! we're just ignorant!
fadecy's Avatar
fadecy at 03/12/2009 10:29
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
Sexualchocolate at 03/12/2009 10:30
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
Drack48 at 03/12/2009 10:30
ummm..don't know what to make of this..loss for words here..
Count Grishnack's Avatar
Count Grishnack at 03/12/2009 10:31
Street Fighter IV is racist! Dhalsim!!!!!!!!
ThunderHeartXI's Avatar
ThunderHeartXI at 03/12/2009 10:31
I wasn't going to get Resident Evil 5.

I am now.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 03/12/2009 10:33
ZOMG TEH RACISM
Prince Ghidorah's Avatar
Prince Ghidorah at 03/12/2009 10:33
Racism? From the Japanese? My mind is officially blown.
eternalplayer2345's Avatar
eternalplayer2345 at 03/12/2009 10:34
I wish chris could have klan outfit
BS3 Owner's Avatar
BS3 Owner at 03/12/2009 10:35
@ 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
fadecy at 03/12/2009 10:35
@ThunderHeartXI:I was going to get Killzone 2 first, but this costume has changed my mind =3
Demtor's Avatar
Demtor at 03/12/2009 10:39
Oh Japan. You silly little perverts. Shame on you... does she at least perform a tribal dance at some point?
moshakirby's Avatar
moshakirby at 03/12/2009 10:41
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
BlackFreefall at 03/12/2009 10:49
Here we go again. ...
Nicojay2's Avatar
Nicojay2 at 03/12/2009 10:52
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
Tubatic at 03/12/2009 10:54
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
loki d20 at 03/12/2009 10:57
It was my understanding that sexy outfits are never racist.
fadecy's Avatar
fadecy at 03/12/2009 10:59
"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
Tet at 03/12/2009 11:03
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
Cowboy TTop at 03/12/2009 11:03
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
Magnalon at 03/12/2009 11:06
@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
Timstuff at 03/12/2009 11:10
A lot of people don't seem to realize that there's a difference between "racist" and "insensitive."
F Whipple's Avatar
F Whipple at 03/12/2009 11:12
If being sexy is grounds for racism then sign me up
VampireChrist's Avatar
VampireChrist at 03/12/2009 11:13
whatever
thats frakkin hawt
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 03/12/2009 11:19
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
SantanaClaus89 at 03/12/2009 11:26
LOL Chris is giving her the motorboat.
aaronf's Avatar
aaronf at 03/12/2009 11:27
It's racist to bring up racism every other dat on Dtoid.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 03/12/2009 11:29
Even if this isn't particularly racist, this is amazingly stereotypical. Poor choice, Capcom.
Trev's Avatar
Trev at 03/12/2009 11:35
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
SantanaClaus89 at 03/12/2009 11:37
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
Professor Pew at 03/12/2009 11:40
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
HamalSharatan at 03/12/2009 11:41
Why are people being preposterous? It's a bonus costume, bonus! Preposterous article.
moominsean's Avatar
moominsean at 03/12/2009 11:42
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
The White Light at 03/12/2009 11:45
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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