Remember That Time When Supergirl Was A Racist?

Her name is Alisa Norris. Sometimes she goes by the name Alisa Kiss. Many times, she goes by the name “Supergirl“.  You see, Alisa is a famous cosplayer, known not only for appearing at conventions and other events as the beloved female Kryptonian Cousin of Superman, but also for serving as a model for famed comic illustrator George Perez when he was drawing Supergirl for DC Comics back in 2012.  She maintains her own modeling/cosplay website and has made a pretty good living serving as a doppelganger for one of the most beloved “Girl Power” heroes in the world of geekdom.  So imagine the surprise of many of Alisa’s fans when it was discovered that “Supergirl” (a character, who, let’s face it, is the embodiment of an illegal alien) was discovered to have been in attendance at the now infamous  August 12th  Charlottesville “Unite The Right Rally”. Yes, “Supergirl” was not only was present during the rally where a young female counter protestor was purposely struck and killed by a self-professed neo-nazi, but she also marched in the rally as well.  (link)

The story is at once both sad and strange.  Strange in that Alisa, who has worked with a variety of colleagues and professionals in the almost universally tolerant world of cosplay and comics would be associated with a rally admittedly organized by white supremacists and neo-nazis.  Sad, in that Alissa doesn’t seem to comprehend the fact that her defense of her participation only serves to further her disconnect with the community she has been a part of for so long.  During an interview with the blog, Bleeding Cool, Alisa confirmed that she was in attendance with her husband, Jonathon Norris (who self-identifies as a “White Nationalist) but that she was only “along for the ride”, not realizing the enormity of her situation. In addressing the viral video of her marching along with her husband to the chant of “Jews Will Not Replace Us”, Alisa said:

“I was already there and 12 hours from home..they were chanting ‘You Will Not
Replace Us’ and I was not chanting at all…that was not a march in that video and I didn’t lie. I said I wasn’t at the torch march the night before…that video was the walk back and not an official march.”  (link)

 

Of course, the video and Alisa’s response begs the question, why not simply remove herself from the crowd of bigoted marchers if she didn’t agree with the message being conveyed?  Clearly, she had to understand that associating with anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant individuals, even if one of them was her husband, would have potentially career-ending consequences.  One might be inclined to give Alisa the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and her views don’t actually align with white nationalist thinking. That could be true, except for where the interview with Bleeding Cool takes a somewhat darker turn.  When asked about the chanting and the use of white nationalist symbols, such as the shield her husband was carrying, Alisa went on a distinctly different kind of rant:

“Blood and Soil and you will not replace us are about white countries having their populations replaced with mass immigration.  It’s wrong what is happening to France, Germany, England, etc. They deserve to exist in their own countries and not be overrun and taken over.” (link)

Yeah, nevermind. “Supergirl” is clearly a racist. Or at minimum a “White Nationalist”  if in fact a real distinction can be drawn. There is little doubt, from that statement alone that even if Alisa had unwittingly found herself part of a movement that she did not intend to partake in on that particular day, her thinking certainly aligns with its ideology.  Now, having to shut down her Website, Instagram and Facebook account due to unrelenting accusations of being a “Nazi,  Alisa’s future in an industry that she called home is in question. (link)

In a world where people are by and large accepted for their quirkiness, creativity, and individuality there is precious little tolerance for hate in any of its varieties.  Perhaps if Alisa had taken a cue from the character she chooses to emulate, she would have realized that even in a world where anyone can be singled out for their differences, standing up for what’s right is the most heroic thing a human being (or alien) can do.

 

Image Credit

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/08/19/talk-supergirl-cosplayer-charlottesville/

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/08/18/supergirl-cosplayer-went-charlottesville-guess-whose-side/

http://www.insgrum.com/user/alisafarrington/175253307/746571034956902621_175253307