Comic 328 - The New Princess Caraboo
28th Jun 2018, 12:00 AM in Parabellum
The New Princess Caraboo
Average Rating: 5 (3 votes) Rate this comic
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Author Notes:
Microraptor edit delete
Microraptor
- The concerns Aino brings up in panel 1 are of course due to the fact that this story takes place a decade before the begin of the American Civil Rights Movement.

- The "Princess Caraboo" ploy mentioned by Camilla is referring to this.

- Also, I thought it would be funny for Camilla playing the role of an exotic princess (which she strictly speaking actually is) by donning a pseudo-Scottish accent...
(And a North German accent in the German version.)
User comments:
The Doodler edit delete reply
The Doodler
The hilarious thing is that could totally work.
(I remember reading about a light-skinned black American who claimed to be some kind of not-black Latino Cuban aristocrat and avoided a lot of bs that way.)
Microraptor edit delete reply
Microraptor
Oooh, interesting story!
The real life Princess Caraboo (as in, she was a real person, not that her exotic princess persona was real) is of course another example of someone successfully pulling this of.
One difference though was that she was a white person claiming to be, uh... Well, I don't know if she got perceived as white or not, but at the very least she claimed not to be an European.
I guess one factor in this story is probably that back then the average person didn't know that much about far away countries and its inhabitants than today.
trad118 edit delete reply
trad118
For a moment I honestly thought that she was pretending to be Manchurian and was wondering why she was spaking luik a Scotswoman noo
Microraptor edit delete reply
Microraptor
I didn't have Manchuria specifically in mind - but the fact that it fits in with the Japanese actual modus operandi during WWII certainly works in favor of her story sounding believable.
(Listener: "Hmmm, I don't know your country, but I vaguely remember reading about events like the one you describe in the newspaper...")
Chippewa Ghost edit delete reply
Chippewa Ghost
It's evident to me that "people of color" are still not welcome in many corridors of power in the United States... that hasn't really changed.
Microraptor edit delete reply
Microraptor
Yep, that's quite sad. And there isn't even the "excuse" anymore that the Civil Rights Movement hasn't happened yet.
AmeliaP edit delete reply
AmeliaP
Buy war bonds XD
Microraptor edit delete reply
Microraptor
I mean, how else am I supposed to convey that this is New York during WWII? :-)
eekee edit delete reply
eekee
This one time in the 80s I was an overly serious kid with an interest in geography sitting watching a drama with pre-recorded sound. When a big-boned (literally), round-headed black guy began 'speaking' with the purest or Scottish accents, my eyes nearly popped out of my head! ;) Did I mention I'd spent the first 6 years of my life with more blacks than whites? Actual African blacks, at that; from Liberia if I remember right.
Microraptor edit delete reply
Microraptor
People speaking with accents that seemingly don't fit their outside appearance can be startling at first - but in the end, every combination is possible of course. :-)