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CYBERPUNK 2077 Twitter Account Promotes Cis Cosplayer that is Fetishizing the Trans Experience
- Thread starter Deleted member 64002
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Out of all the informative comments in this thread, this is the one I'm most glad I read. I've been saying it wrong this whole time.
It certainly seems that way. They don't present their world as something to hate. They show it as something "cool."
I thought this kind of stuff was fine if you weren't casually adding in blackface? That's in line with the second part of your post. I don't see the issue with a CIS person cosplaying a transgender character so as long as they're not slapping in fake genitalia as part of the costume. Unless I'm missing something that is.
This isn't even a blip on the radar for the majority of the community at large.
1) cdpr is aware of the manticore controversy, but it's entirely possible that they think they've addressed it satisfyingly: https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/1...77-trans-advertisement-cd-projekt-red-e3-2019. also, them being aware of the controversy doesn't mean they think it's transphobic. it only means that they are aware that it may have seemed transphobic. they may also think their explanation was enough to dispel that notion.
2) this has nothing to do with the concept of trans blackface which is earnestly an entirely new concept to me that has only come to light with the cosplayer. the manticore character was assumed to be trans.
your "gotchya bitch" shtick ain't cute.
I just can't understand why you would do the same mistakes over and over again. And it's so unnecessary. The game has a high chance to be fantastic, the people are hyped as hell and it will probably sell like crazy etc.
And then you do this crap. And it probably won't even be the last time, just going by the patterns.
You wouldn't even need much effort to stop fucking up that way all the time. Fire the social media person, get consultation, just stop doing that stuff over and over again etc.
Still hyped for the game, but would be nice playing it without having that bad aftertaste of their shit. But feels a little bit too late for that.
I really hope they will do better in the future and being transparent about it, but oh well.
And then you do this crap. And it probably won't even be the last time, just going by the patterns.
You wouldn't even need much effort to stop fucking up that way all the time. Fire the social media person, get consultation, just stop doing that stuff over and over again etc.
Still hyped for the game, but would be nice playing it without having that bad aftertaste of their shit. But feels a little bit too late for that.
I really hope they will do better in the future and being transparent about it, but oh well.
As a cosplayer, yes, it's generally agreed that you can cosplay anyone you'd like. However, it's also generally agreed upon that you don't paint your skin/tape your eyes/get a tan to look like a character of another race because it's inappropriate and quite frankly racist to treat race like a costume. Personally, I think this falls along similar lines. Cis people can cosplay transgender characters but they should not be cosplaying trans characters in ways that are fetishizing or dehumanizing being trans. Even then I do question giving cis people cosplaying trans characters such a large platform even if it's done tastefully. While it's obviously not the same reach as a movie, I think it does play into ideas that being trans is like wearing a costume that people take off, like what is detailed in the Disclosure documentary.
Yeah, gamers are eating it up. And no one in the media will call them out either because they're too busy sucking up to CDPR or because they're too afraid of backlash from the rabid fanboys.
One of those replies is basically "that's my fetish!", which says everything really.
OP
OP
Normally I prefer civility but you really shouldn't do this here.
We just had Jason schrier open up the can of worms about how they treat their employees there's still hope someone will pick up the story.
I wasn't aware of the use of the term manticore in the context of transphobia, so I googled "manticore transphobia" and all the top results were Cyberpunk/CDPR related.
Incredible.
Incredible.
Yeah pretty sad tbh
Someone had to have crunched some numbers and determined this is fine
So CDPR's digital marketing department clearly learned nothing from the first (in-game) chromanticore/"mix it up" advertising incident, this is just a repeat of that. They could've easily swerved past highlighting this particular cosplay but here we are.
Adding male light up genitalia to yourself to portray a trans person among no known positive trans representation in the project is a mess
How does this work when the character is already fetishized like Poison from Street Fighter or probably characters from Cyberpunk?
I don't really have much to add just that I can't believe they are still doing this crap, like seriously, it's not that hard to be a decent human being, but this company is intent on telling the world they're transphobic, it's disgusting
edit - and the amount of mental gymnastics people will use to justify playing it is deeply disheartening
edit - and the amount of mental gymnastics people will use to justify playing it is deeply disheartening
That would still be extremely exploitative. There's no way to salvage or reclaim that artwork. It wouldn't be meaningfully improved by finding a trans model willing to degrade herself to promote CDPR's repugnant product.
No matter who poses for the picture, they'd still be portraying the same fetishized image utilizing dehumanizing imagery. Personally, I'm glad they're at least not exploiting a trans person.
They don't give a fuck.
Transphobia starts to come out from across the company, nobody cares. Fire a social media person, it keeps going, it's in their games.
"I'm not gonna boycott and punish the hard working developers!"
You mean the ones who are already paid and are being put through crunch..?
It's like... ya'll don't care about trans people or their feelings, you don't really care what the devs go through. I'd rather you just be honest and not give a fuck and say you just want to play your stupid fucking video game rather than fighting for something that actually matters.
OP
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Oh I know fuck cdpr I'm sick of their antics. This is just gross. We don't need this magic glowy penis shit and I'm tired of it. They lost any good will period.
User Banned (2 Weeks): Inflammatory Commentary
I understand your frustrations OP and this is not an argument against you, but I honestly dream of a world where black people can play white characters and white people can play black characters and everyone and everything in between can be played by everyone and everything in between, and no one cares because it doesn't matter anymore.
For further context about the in-game ad referenced, a response from the artist making it, Kasia Redesiuk. Like -COOLIO- said, she and CDPR and have heard the criticism, but they don't seem to agree with it. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/...-the-artist-behind-that-cyberpunk-2077-poster
Edit: Also Polygon asked about the ad back then. https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/1...77-trans-advertisement-cd-projekt-red-e3-2019
Edit: Also Polygon asked about the ad back then. https://www.polygon.com/e3/2019/6/1...77-trans-advertisement-cd-projekt-red-e3-2019
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I mean there's no set rules, just community norms, but in my opinion that if one really likes the design of the character from Cyberpunk, they should adapt the costume to remove the fetishistic elements. Or consider not doing the costume, especially considering this character design is just in an in-universe ad? So there's no real excuse of "liking the character". I'm not familiar with Poison I can't comment. But I just personally think this is an area where cis cosplayers should be respectful and consider others.
Is that not because Manticore is not some transphobic term and it only relates to this Cyberpunk issue because of what the ad is called?
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No absolutely not when it sexualized or parodies people like this cosplay. That's not a good take. You can hope all you want but it's wrong to do for a reason and no amount of wishful thinking will change that.
I don't know that "manticore" is regularly used as a transphobic term. But the context of using it alongside a trans character (a manticore being a mythical creature made up of parts of different creatures), it's pretty clear what they meant with the naming.
Indeed it does.
Just trying to learn more so bear with me but how does something like drag fit in with this stuff? Like clearly drag is a man fetishizing women through costume. This feels like the same thing to me but with the focus on the penis. I'm not trying to be offensive in anyway just ignorant to this topic.
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Please review the following before posting:
Yes, the cosplay is transphobic. No, it is not the responsibility of our trans users to explain that to you. Google the fetishization of trans people and educate yourself.
No, we should not be sitting around hoping for a world where anybody can cosplay anybody or whatever. There are actual injustices to address. Focus on those.
Failure to respect these guidelines will result in a harsh ban going forward (or retroactively in the case of the second).
I don't think it takes mental gymnastics to justify playing a game, basically all modern products honestly. Just an understanding that regardless of what you buy some % of your money is going to some vile disgusting humans and their is honestly not much you can do about it other than accept that it's going to happen, if one can't bear that thought the only other thing I can think of is go off the grid and attempt to live off the land. Hell seems my countries tax dollars are currently being used for the current sitting presidents re-election campaign.
Cyberpunk has the most relentless anti-marketing campaign I've ever seen. Launch announcement made it an obvious buy - of course a huge cyperpunk game from the maker of the Witcher will be amazing. Everything since has been the worst. It takes a lot to break through the noise in 2020 and announce, "wait, don't forget me, I'm also fucking terrible."
I don't think the "But I don't understand how a company with a storied history of related controversy promoting a cis person doing a fetish cosplay of a trans character where the focus is on her having a giant blue dong can possibly be problematic" takes in this thread are as slick as they think they are.
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This is sorely needed as those posts are going to just keep coming...
How is this so difficult for them? From day 1 I knew this "edgy" twitter account was going to be more trouble than it's worth. Sheesh. If you're going to try to approach this line, maybe hire some trans people to run the twitter account or give the go-ahead before posting.
This isn't a woman doing "man-drag" through, this is a woman doing a trans person. A man dressing as a fetishized woman, or a woman dressing as a fetishized man is a very different conversation carrying with it very different life experiences and cultural weight.
This game was a must-buy for me back in 2018 after descriptions of that private showing came out. ever since, it's just been cruel instances of transphobia and shitty work culture coming to light to the point I don't want anything to do with it.
I think the distinction here is that buying this game is feasibly avoidable, whereas you have to pay taxes. I get the frustration of never being able to completely avoid supporting terrible practices/people, but it doable here.
In general this game hasn't peaked my interest. The devs marketed transphobia is the nail in the coffin for me.
This is really disappointing to see. CDPR need to make some serious changes internally, especially in their marketing department.
Giving me a headache that people are referring to the cosplayer as cosplaying a "trans cosplayer" while musing about whether it's ok or not for the cosplay to happen.
There is no trans character. This is not an NPC from the game or something. What she's dressing up as is a transphobic in-game/in-universe ad. And CDPR was already criticized for it even existing in-game! This is literally cosplaying as transphobia, and a specific instance that company already knew was a mistake and yet promoted again.
There is no trans character. This is not an NPC from the game or something. What she's dressing up as is a transphobic in-game/in-universe ad. And CDPR was already criticized for it even existing in-game! This is literally cosplaying as transphobia, and a specific instance that company already knew was a mistake and yet promoted again.
I don't know about that. We, as humans, can afford to be selective about the stimulation we receive, whether from media, physical sensations or chemicals. If shit like blatant transphobia isn't enough make you wary enough to hold back on the purchase of a product, then maybe the convictions you hold, when it comes to caring about those who have been affected, aren't really all that strong, or present.
OP
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I suggest not buying the game and instead taking in something else next gen has to offer. I'm sure it'll be an overall better experience. And less morally repugnant.
It's quite easy. That's why it's readily apparent that CDPR doesn't give a fuck about trans people.
It's drawing a link between trans people who undergo gender confirmation surgery, and monsters of Persian myth that had body parts of various different animals, so as if to say trans people are monsters combining traits of different beings into one person.
When the main identifying trait of your trans character is "but they have a luminescent dick!", I really think you took a wrong turn somewhere. I was pretty excited for this game when it was announced but good lord they've whittled that down to nothing.
I think some of the replies in this thread are more disheartening though. I'm not terribly surprised at a company being (at best) apathetic towards trans issues, but for some reason I keep expecting Era to at least get it. At least it's mostly the minority opinion in here, I guess.
I think some of the replies in this thread are more disheartening though. I'm not terribly surprised at a company being (at best) apathetic towards trans issues, but for some reason I keep expecting Era to at least get it. At least it's mostly the minority opinion in here, I guess.