History Main / RaceLift

If a character in a work changes their race within the storyline, it's BlackLikeMe (if it's voluntary) or ColorMeBlack (if it's involuntary).

It can also potentially create problems since an important part of fiction is for the audience to get emotionally invested in a character; for that character to suddenly look radically different (especially if it's poorly explained) can risk breaking the sense of familiarity needed for that emotional investment.

* Changing the Minority: A character who was a minority being made into a majority.[[note]][[https://twitter.com/kianamaiart/status/1302069596036321280 This]] short essay by American cartoonist Kiana Mai spells out why this is a bad idea.[[/note]]

* Changing the Minority: A character who was a minority being made into a majority.

-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'', talking about [[ShowWithinAShow a cartoon show]] starring Frozone and Mr. Incredible.

See {{Blackface}}, {{Yellowface}}, and {{Brownface}} when the actor uses makeup to perform as a character of a different race. Whiteface certainly occurs, but is rarely seen as racist.

[[quoteright:295:[[Film/TheLastAirbender https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/racelift2_6.png]]]]

[[caption-width-right:295:[-The first rule of casting club is this: make sure the actors look at least remotely like the characters.-]]]
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[[quoteright:295:[[Film/TheLastAirbender https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/race_lift.jpg]]]]

See {{Blackface}}, {{Yellowface}}, and {{Brownface}} when the actor uses makeup to perform as a character of a different race.

See also: ColorblindCasting, BlackVikings, FiveTokenBand, TwoferTokenMinority, {{Mukokuseki}}, GenderFlip, AffirmativeActionLegacy, AdaptationalNationality, AdaptationSpeciesChange. Often involves an AdaptationDyeJob. See GenderFlip when an adaptation changes a character's gender instead of race. See DivineRaceLift when gods are portrayed as a race different from their traditional representations. See FakeNationality when a character's ethnicity is meant to stay the same, but the person playing him doesn't have the same background.

A Race Lift is what occurs when a character's race or ethnicity is changed in the creation of a derivative work, also known as [[Film/TheLastAirbender Racebending]], and in the case of non-white characters becoming white, whitewashing. Sometimes this is a method to try and keep things politically correct. People can't argue racism if you have a TokenMinority in the cast, but you usually run into [[UnfortunateImplications problems]] when you change a character who is originally a proud minority into a member of the majority group.

[[caption-width-right:295: The first rule of casting club is this: make sure the actors look at least remotely like the characters.]]

[[caption-width-right:300: The first rule of casting club is this: make sure the actors look at least remotely like the characters.]]

See also: ColorblindCasting, BlackVikings, FiveTokenBand, TwoferTokenMinority, {{Mukokuseki}}, GenderFlip, AffirmativeActionLegacy. Often involves an AdaptationDyeJob. See GenderFlip when an adaptation changes a character's gender instead of race. See DivineRaceLift when gods are portrayed as a race different from their traditional representations. See FakeNationality when a character's ethnicity is meant to stay the same, but the person playing him doesn't have the same background.

For when a character's country of origin is changed, see AdaptationalNationality.

A Race Lift is what occurs when a character's race or ethnicity is changed in the creation of a derivative work, also known as Racebending, and in the case of non-white characters becoming white, whitewashing. Sometimes this is a method to try and keep things politically correct. People can't argue racism if you have a TokenMinority in the cast, but you usually run into [[UnfortunateImplications problems]] when you change a character who is originally a proud minority into a member of the majority group.

See also: BlackVikings, FiveTokenBand, TwoferTokenMinority, {{Mukokuseki}}, GenderFlip, AffirmativeActionLegacy. Often involves an AdaptationDyeJob. See GenderFlip when an adaptation changes a character's gender instead of race. See DivineRaceLift when gods are portrayed as a race different from their traditional representations. See FakeNationality when a character's ethnicity is meant to stay the same, but the person playing him doesn't have the same background.

See also: BlackVikings, FiveTokenBand, TwoferTokenMinority, {{Mukokuseki}}, GenderFlip, AffirmativeActionLegacy. Often involves an AdaptationDyeJob. See GenderFlip when an adaptation changes a character's gender instead of race. See DivineRaceLift when gods are portrayed as a race different from their traditional representations.

->'''Frozone:''' Wait a second, what's this? Is that me?... I'm white! They made me a white guy?\\
'''Mr. Incredible:''' You're... You're... Black...ish...\\

'''Mr. Incredible:''' Well... Maybe the print's faded. You're tan. ...-ish?

A Race Lift is what occurs when a character's race or ethnicity is changed in the creation of a derivative work, also known as Racebending, and in the case of minority characters becoming majority, whitewashing. Sometimes this is a method to try and keep things politically correct. People can't argue racism if you have a TokenMinority in the cast, but you usually run into [[UnfortunateImplications problems]] when you change a character who is originally a proud minority into a member of the majority group.

A Race Lift is what occurs when a character's race or ethnicity is changed in the creation of a derivative work, also known as Racebending, and in the case of minority characters becoming majority, whitewashing. Sometimes this is a method to try and keep things politically correct. People can't argue racism if you have a TokenMinority in the cast, but you usually run into problems when you change a character who is originally a proud minority into a member of the majority group.

[[quoteright:295:[[Film/TheLastAirbender http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/RaceLift_7762_5892.png]]]]

Can come off as unfortunate implications, depending on the work. It can ''especially'' be UnfortunateImplications when a character of color is being cast with a white actor in the role, due to MonochromeCasting and the growing backlash against it. See the [[{{Analysis/RaceLift}} Analysis tab]] for more on the subject.

[[/index]]