222: Too Gay for the U.S.A.

[Narcogen]

The Escapist is better than this. Please stop polluting the meaning of the word "censorship". If you must, use the phrase "self-censorship" when an artist, developer, publisher or distributor modifies or attempts to modify content or to deny publication. There is no government prior restraint here, and therefore no censorship. Casual use of the word censorship is what makes it difficult to have meaningful discussions of industry self-regulation-- because it, too, gets labeled "censorship" and then viewed as something negative that must be eliminated, paving the way for the necessity for government intervention.

 

[Narcogen]

My point was that it was US censorship that did that change. Yes, it was Capcom's idea. Capcom USA, not Capcom Japan.

If Capcom USA makes the change to Capcom Japan's game... how is it censorship? Who is the censor? From where does Capcom USA get its authority to make changes if not from Capcom Japan itself?

At best this is self-censorship. At worst, it's a misuse of the term that makes it very difficult to have meaningful discussions about real censorship.

When Australia's ratings board denies a rating to Left 4 Dead 2 until they modify the game, that is arguably censorship. This is not.

 

[robinkom]

A Lewis Black skit comes to mind in which he describes a dialog by a homophobic in a bar.

"'Ya know if a fag walked in here I'd KICK HIS ASS!' And gay people are smart enough to not walk up and say 'Hey, how ya doing?'"

I'll always be disappointed in Americans for their backwards conservativeness on this matter... and I'm American myself. It's not like homosexuals just burst onto the scene yesterday, it's just that there are too many homophobes and members of fundamentalist religious sects (NOT all of them) that take it upon themselves to make their views abundantly clear to EVERYONE EVERYWHERE whether we asked for their opinions or not. An unfortunate side-effect to freedom of speech: Morons and assholes get to speak too instead of being held under water until the bubbles stop.

 

[cartzo]

if a recent film about charles darwin has just been banned from america then it hardly suprises me that its possible to be have to much contraversial sexual stuff in media in america.

 

[robinkom]

My point was that it was US censorship that did that change. Yes, it was Capcom's idea. Capcom USA, not Capcom Japan.

If Capcom USA makes the change to Capcom Japan's game... how is it censorship? Who is the censor? From where does Capcom USA get its authority to make changes if not from Capcom Japan itself?

At best this is self-censorship. At worst, it's a misuse of the term that makes it very difficult to have meaningful discussions about real censorship.

When Australia's ratings board denies a rating to Left 4 Dead 2 until they modify the game, that is arguably censorship. This is not.

It's, more or less, tailoring and trimming content to comply with ESRB ratings and acceptance by the American public in general as being "decent." It is a form of censorship in these methods if one chooses to feel that it was unjustly censored to their personal preferences.

Personally, I wish they'd change nothing at all when they port these games because the American public needs to join the rest of us in the 21st century and grow up. Shielding homosexual content in any media from children only adds to the generating of homophobic adults along with everything else that looks down on it.

 

[KelsieKatt]

Simply accepting birdo as female, the 'censored US version' is infact more progressive than the article, which by its language, artificialises birdos gender, and asserts that it's 'really' male. That it's being applied to such a trivial, minor character is of no consequence, because it speaks of a larger prejudice only highlighted in this case, that should be confronted.

Thank you. At least someone noticed this. While I agree with the overall article's point, it's extremely offensive the way the writer continually brushes off Birdo as another example of homosexuality and sexual orientation. Repeatedly stating that Birdo's genetic sex needs to be acknowledged, as if they're hiding some part of herself. Sadly the writer manages to *completely* miss the point and blend together two ENTIRELY different issues into one. Sexual orientation and Gender Identity have nothing whatsoever to do with one another and to label them as such in simply outright insulting.

As stated before, the so-called "censored" edition of Mario in which it simply states Birdo as being a girl, is DRASTICALLY less offensive than anything this article has put forth.

I actually knew this for a long time about Birdo. I wrote an essay for school about it. But this just leads to the second part of my original Thesis. Since we know that Birdo is a guy now, what does that make him and Yoshi? I have heard in the past people say that Yoshi is a guy but it?s a dragon/dinosaur that lays eggs. Only the females of both species can lay eggs and they cannot asexually reproduce. Now the problem with Yoshi?s and Birdo's gender issues(Don?t say Godzilla because that was radioactive mutation and don?t say Jurassic park because that was gene splicing with a toad that can reproduce asexually. I thought that through) that makes either Yoshi and Birdo gay lovers or a standard relationship of man and woman. So Birdo being a cross-dressing guy is only the first part. In Mario games before I have seen the two hand in hand cheek to cheek with hearts above their heads so we know they love each other. So this is a lesbian relationship, a gay relationship, or a male and female with the male being a cross dresser. Either way I still think Birdo and Yoshi are sexy

Crossdressers and transsexuals are two entirely different things. Birdo, while genetically male, would most definitely be the female of the relationship and has no desire to be acknowledged otherwise.

-----------------------------------

This article and thread both speak volumes about the severe lack of genuine support for transsexuality, and the ignorance/prejudice among it's so-called "supporters."

 

[Pawzilla]

Just to note, the article was nice and all, but I think there was quite a bit of skewing of ideology within the first page.

You noted how people on What They Play were polled about what worried them more in games, and you make it seem like they only had to pick from severed heads and guys kissing, where in fact there were four choices.

The results of the initial What They Play? online poll, conducted April 4-10, 2008, found that the 1,266 participants were most offended by the following in a video game:
a man and woman having sex (37%);
two men kissing (27%);
a graphically severed head (25%);
and multiple use of the F-word (9%).

There's only a 2% difference in the people polled.

Yes, you're statement is correct, but I think this just shows that the US is more inclined to shy away from any kind of intimate activity (Kissing, sex, etc.) compared to violence.

Then again, their second poll kind of goes against that, but, oh well.

Either which way, interesting article I have to say.

 

[Chrissyluky]

BIRDO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

OT: They changed his entire character to fit their homophobia?

in the manual that game with the game they goofed and forgot to list birdo as female it said birdo is male.

 

[UkibyTheMaid]

I loooooooooooooooove how America is Ok with gore/decapitation/mutilation/whatever but two guys/girls kissing is a no-no.

But, really. This annoys me so very much! VIVIAN! I WANT YOU TO BE THE MAN YOU ARE!

 

[Valate_v1legacy]

Never noticed, most game chars are fairly androgynous.

 

[thedo12]

I find it very offensive that you insentuate that corss dressing or being a transfestite automaticly makes you gay.

 

[GreyWolf257]

I never realized Birdo was a dude. Heck, I never realized his name was Birdo!

 

[bushwhacker2k]

I recall hearing about Birdo being a guy. Yeah, being homophobic seems to be a popular fad that just won't die in the USA... I wonder why?

cos they don't get out enough...

Cause the homophobes are homosexual themselves and hide it via overcompensation.

That reminds me of an episode of Family Guy.

 

[tetron]

Actually bridget's crossdressing wasn't so much a personal choice since he was raised to be a girl since it was considered an ill omen for twins to be born of different genders or something like that. I still remember my jawdrop and subsequent "Bridget's a WHAT ?!" when I found out. But yeah an interesting article although I'm surprised there are people who don't know about this yet. Also crossdresser =/= gay although it is still frowned upon to the same degree I'd say.

 

[Yureina]

Does anyone remember how Fallout 3 was commended for its inclusion of homosexual NPCs in the wasteland, yet of the three gay men, one was a prissy fashion-queen & the other a moustached, hard-voiced rough character with a weaker, dominated lover, & that the two lesbians had hideous rotting skin?

Who was the "prissy fasion queen"? I can't come up with them right now.

 

[Yureina]

Does anyone remember how Fallout 3 was commended for its inclusion of homosexual NPCs in the wasteland, yet of the three gay men, one was a prissy fashion-queen & the other a moustached, hard-voiced rough character with a weaker, dominated lover, & that the two lesbians had hideous rotting skin?

Who was the "prissy fasion queen"? I can't come up with them right now.

God-damn, I haven't played that game in so long I can't recall his name...
He lives & works at Tenpenny Tower, sells clothes & armour. Asian bloke, he might be called Antony, I think...

Oh, that guy. He struck me less as gay and more of just being a snob. You know, like how everyone else in that tower acts? I need to murder that place more often.

 

[Nicholas Swenson]

Since the comments section is very forum-style, I apologize if I was not supposed to "epic bump" this. But I had to comment on one thing: Tingle. As a correction, I must point out that in the same game that Tingle shows his homosexual undertones, the origins of Tingle are rooted in his love for women - part of the reason he became who he is is so he could go to Rupee Heaven, a place with relaxation, free food, and women. While he is clearly an effeminate character, effeminacy shouldn't be used as the sole reason for a character being gay.

In fact, his second game follows Tingle as he tries to get a girlfriend.