History Main / RaceLift

Often this is done for the same reasons as AdaptationalDiversity; demographics, values, and the social impact of race can shift over time and between settings, changing what a realistic cast looks like and altering the implications of a character's race. It can also result from a remake trying to appeal (successfully or unsuccessfully) to a different demographic than the original work. And in live-action works or theatrical productions, it can result from AbilityOverAppearance, when the character's race is changed because the ideal actor fits the role in everything but their looks.

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. Often this is done for the same reasons as AdaptationalDiversity; demographics, values, and the social impact of race can shift over time and between settings, changing what a realistic cast looks like and altering the implications of a character's race. It can also result from a remake trying to appeal (successfully or unsuccessfully) to a different demographic than the original work. And in live-action works or theatrical productions, it can result from AbilityOverAppearance, when the character's race is changed because the ideal actor fits the role in everything but their looks.

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. [[DoubleStandard 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.

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 damaging the sense of familiarity needed for that emotional investment.

This has also been known to result from AbilityOverAppearance, when the character's race is changed because the ideal actor fits the role in everything but their looks.

-->-- [[InCharacterCommentaries In-character commentary]] for ''WesternAnimation/MrIncredibleAndPals'', [[ShowWithinAShow a cartoon show within the world]] of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' starring Frozone and Mr. Incredible.

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. [[DoubleStandard 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 more recent and controversial term, of more popular and even sociopolitical usage, ''blackwashing'', is considered instead the practice of changing an established either fictional or really existed/existing non-black character (European/Caucasian, Asian, Latino) to black (few dictionaries, [[https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwashing most of them of non-English language]], found place for the term and its definition).

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. [[DoubleStandard 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: ColorblindCasting, BlackVikings, FiveTokenBand, TwoferTokenMinority, {{Mukokuseki}}, GenderFlip, AffirmativeActionLegacy, AdaptationalNationality, AdaptationSpeciesChange, and AdaptationalDiversity. 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.

If a character in a work changes their race within the storyline, it's RacialTransformation.