Crispy Gamer Calls Out Resident Evil 5's Racism

[nepheleim]

Honestly, those spear-chucking Africans I saw in the Escapist's own review supplement seemed to be something that would even make Joseph Conrad blush.

So using the same logic would Medieval bow wielding Europeans have been racist if it was set in England?

Well, RE 4 was set in Spain, but they were still bow wielding Europeans. Oh, and they carried wooden shields.

 

[thiosk]

I love white and black zombies equally. With lead. In their brains.

No racism here.

 

[manicfoot]

I've played a ways into the game and I came across a diary written by a village boy. He talks about how, after being infected, the village men started dressing like that and wearing war paint. The parasites caused them to regress mentally but gave them enhanced physical abilities.
This happened in RE4 as well with the ganados. The villagers and the guys in the castle all wore old style clothes and lived in shacks. In the case of the zealots they lived in the castle. They had spiked shields and used medieval weapons.
So I don't know if this is so much racism as it is just an effect of the plagas.

Thank you. After reading three pages of this thread, and hearing countless people go on about how the tribal dress is racist because modern day Africans don't dress like that blah blah blah... you're the first person that considers the reason they dress like that might have something to do with the plot of the game, a la las plagas.

They have mind controlling parasites in their brains, me thinks they would act just a tad differently. Oh, whats this? They started wearing 'traditional' African garb? Couldn't have anything to do with the games plot / the mind controlling parasites, that there is racism!

In the game, when you arrive at that village you come across a man's diary. He explains how a company infected the village with some kind of virus that killed the majority of women and children. After a few days the men started to get agitated very easily and eventually there was utter chaos, constant screaming and murder. He says the virus made the people regress and "devolve" into the ways of their ancestors.
Is that story crap? Sure, but it points out that Capcom aren't saying this is what Africa is like today. They're saying the people in the game are like that because they're infected with a virus.

 

[Jeronus]

The reviewer compared RE5 to "Birth of a Nation". SERIOUSLY! WTF!


This guy is entitled to an opinion but anyone who reads it should take it with A TRUCKLOAD OF SALT!

 

[squid5580]

It is ok to use any ethnic group to tell a story and you can portray them however you wish except the African people who are off limits.

not really... just look at the new season of 24.

Africa itself isn't the issue. Africans aren't the issue either. the problem I have with RE5 is with the metaphorical & allegorical implications of a white man from a rich country going to Africa where the locals are portrayed as being unpredictable & dangerous & in need of intervention from an all-knowing saviour.

sound familiar?

it's a colonial parable dressed up as a zombie shooter.

Wow first I gotta say I don't watch 24

Second my first reaction was dude quit overthinking things it is only a game. I know doesn't help anyone. So after reading your post over a few times I do understand your point. The thing I don't understand is the "frustration?" (I am not sure if that is the right word) directed towards the story. These things happened a long time ago. They are a part of our and thier history and there is nothing we can do about it. It seems any other point is history is fair game to be fictionalized so why not this? I will say that there is a possibility that RE5 can handle it in poor taste (not having beat the game myself I can't honestly say either way) but there has to be a line between bad taste and blatant racism.

Were you making reference to the Iraq war by any chance? Just reading through that made me think of it.

That's what harhol has been trying to say since the begining, RE5 isn't "racist" per se, but it sure ain't free from an indecency issues. The argument has always been how African's are being portrayed, never how RE5 was blatantly racist, just the imagery that it gives off. You can't overthink in imagery and that's why I'd consider it more subliminal than blatant "racism".

I'm not saying RE5 is racist, but I am saying it just an imature way to give off a thrill. This isn't restricted to Re5, swap in RE4, Uncharted, Fat Princess, hell even Mario, GTA series, any game can really be "racist". But it all depends on how prominetely it's displayed. RE4 had you fighting spainiards, but to my knowledge it didn't use that many tropes against spainiards. Uncharted had you fighting pirates, and we all love fighting pirates don't we? Mario is a cute n' cuddly plumber, that's not exactly negative. But they are still "racist" just by a stretch and so is RE5.

Once again, change the setting to Philedelphia, does it change anything to how the Africans (now American ) are displayed?

Once again I need to point out these Africans are not normal to begin with. They are infected so there is bound to be some sort of physical effect on them. Sunken eyes and dry cracked lips is a plausible effect of the parasite. I don't think that would change whether they were American or not. If the story starts before the infection and they still look like that then I can see the controversy. Although I stand firmly behind the bad taste not racism. I don't expect everyone to love the game. I don't expect everyone to play the game and everyone to not be a bit sickened or offended by it. What I do expect is someone who claims to be a journalist to understand the difference between something not sitting well with him, something he sees as bad taste, to know the difference between that and racism. Especially since as you pointed out and I completely agree with any game can be considered racist or sexist (or both) if you try hard enough. Just like any movie or any episode of any TV show.

 

[ChocoFace]

Honestly, those spear-chucking Africans I saw in the Escapist's own review supplement seemed to be something that would even make Joseph Conrad blush.

So using the same logic would Medieval bow wielding Europeans have been racist if it was set in England?

You mean like the Cross-bow wielding medievil styled Europeans in RE4?


(Puts on Jeremy Clarkson hat)
This racist stuff is bullshit. Resident evil 4 played up Spanish and religious zealot stereotypes massively, it was set in Spain. This game's set in Africa so naturally it does the same thing but to African and tribal stereotypes. Just because they're black doesn't mean you have to be nice to them.
(Takes off Jeremy Clarkson hat)

i want that hat.

 

[Skizle]

if they think this one is racist for having tribal Africans or the murder of black people, then wouldn't RE4 be racist for the murder of white people of that Europeans live in small villages with castles near by?

 

[Powerman88]

From dictionary.com:
rac⋅ism
   /ˈreɪsɪzəm/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [rey-siz-uhm] Show IPA
?noun
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

Saying you can not have black zombies, or excluding black zombies, or insisting that black zombies be portrayed any different from white zombies would be racist because it would be a policy based on race.

 

[NoDamnNames]

think this thread had met a conclusion and deducted that Resident Evil 5 =/= Racist.

All in favor...

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Most of this would be valid... if this game was made by americans??

This is made by Capcom an Asian company, so it's not like the Americans are trying to make a point are they??

Last time I checked, Capcom had an American branch.

 

[zombiebeard]

Excuse me while I beat a dead horse even harder.

*ahem*

For the sake of this I'll look at both sides of this ever-growing argument.

Point: It's just a video game about zombies who happen to be black, due to it being in Africa
Counter-point: Not all Africans are black.

Point: The black people are not depicted in a stereotypical fashion as far as the "gangbanger" or "Ignorant slob" type
Counter-point: Some if not more are depicted in a rural dirty peasant form of life.

Point: In Resident evil 4 people had no qualms about killing Spaniards.
Counter-point: Technically Spaniards are European caucasians

Point: They put in a black woman to assist you in your adventures
Counter-point: They put in a black woman after the screams of racism (always was curious about that)

For the record I honestly do not think RE 5 has enough blatant racism to deem it racist. It is apparent if you look at it from the racist standpoint however.

Let me point out a few things before I go

(Book)World War Z: In the beginning of the outbreak the disease was called "African Rabies"
(Zombie Movies)Zombez, Hood of da Dead, Gangs of the dead: Those movies feature predominantly black zombies.

Neither of these forms of fiction have been claimed to be racist.

Forms of fiction I do call racist?
Coal black and de sebben dwarves. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIP4WY8FhUk]

Why such the fury for Re 5?

 

[teh_gunslinger]

The movie 300 is rallying cry for Facism?

Let me explain something to you, the US has gone soft and really all "300" did was show the differance between a true warrior attitude and what we have now. Granted it WAS a bit overblown.

A racially homogenous band of oiled sweaty he-men take on the multi-ethnic hordes (complete with monsters) lead by a glammy, androgynous king.

It should also be noted that the whole reason why this was considered to be a legendary act of heroism is that had they not done this, the roots of democracy would have died.

The roots of democracy, however, weren't in Sparta (as much as some old French guys liked to pretend). And what's 300's take on Athens? Oh, yeah, that's right: "those boy-lovers". Go-go democracy!

Watch the old 300 Spartans. It's not an eye-candy-riddled goretastic slo-mo-fest and it makes all the mistakes that historical epics of its day made, but it's at least something that shows you how to capture most of the story without turning it into one big romp of masturbatory nationalist myth-making.

-- Alex

I'll just lean in with a couple of details. The Spartans were homogeneous. Obsessively so. And xenophobic as hell. It was one of the important things in their society, that they maintained unity and cohesion by segregating themselves from aliens.

And the whole Xerxes thing is pretty false or skewed from our perspective, but in the minds of the Greeks the Persians were effeminate and weak.(1) I300 don't claim to be historical truth, but it's not that far of the mark when it comes to the Hellenic self image.

(1). Herodotus talks about this to some degree, though I'll have to look up the exact references. For a brief introduction to Greek self image and thought about "The Other" I can recommend The Greeks - a portrait of self and others by Paul Cartledge (Oxford 1993;2002) and Greeks and barbarians edited by Thomas Harrison on Edinburgh University Press (2001). Sorry for going completely off topic, but it has been bugging me for a while that people rip on 300 for the wrong reasons. There are plenty of reasons to criticize it, but I don't think racism and fascism are among those. But I'll consider making a full post on that. Would be nice to discuss use of history and historical imagery in modern arts for a bit. *swoops cape around me and rushes off to the Topic Thinking Cave* (Also, if I get the time I'll look up the Herodotus references)

 

[Jumplion]

Why such the fury for Re 5?

Because if we don't argue for/against it, then video games will never evolve outside being an imature hobby (imature as in not "artistic" or something). Granted, there's nothing wrong with imature games (TF2 comes to mind), but if we ever want games to grow as an art form then we have to face these issues head on. It's no use tossing the discussion aside because "It's in Africa! There's supposed to be Black zombies!" and not trying to at least attempt to see the other side of things.

And let's face it, RE5 handles "racism" (I use quotations since it's really more or less in "bad taste" rather than "racist") is a pretty poor fashion. Compared to some other movies with racism as a subject (though for the life of me I can't find out which ones), RE5 is like the Ugly Duckling compared to most movies and books.

We want games to grow, right? Then it's high time we grow up and deal with this issue head one and not toss it aside as a bunch of liberals/conservatives wanking off to drama.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

Nilcypher, I love you, can you have my babies?

I am in no way sucking up to you for a pony badge custom badge.....*cough*

That's fortunate as I have no say in who gets it, note, if you will, that I am sans pony.

Shouldn't it be sine pony?

 

[Alex_P]

I'll just lean in with a couple of details. The Spartans were homogeneous. Obsessively so. And xenophobic as hell. It was one of the important things in their society, that they maintained unity and cohesion by segregating themselves from aliens.

And the whole Xerxes thing is pretty false or skewed from our perspective, but in the minds of the Greeks the Persians were effeminate and weak.(1) I300 don't claim to be historical truth, but it's not that far of the mark when it comes to the Hellenic self image.

If 300 is an accurate representation of Spartan beliefs, what is gained by uncritically recreating this fascist myth on the big screen?

-- Alex

 

[EnglishMuffin]

Never thought there was any racism before I played RE5, just ignorant people. Still see no racism after I have played through the game and guess what? There are still ignorant motherfuckers out there.

 

[Jumplion]

if they think this one is racist for having tribal Africans or the murder of black people, then wouldn't RE4 be racist for the murder of white people of that Europeans live in small villages with castles near by?

Yes, sure, what's so hard to understand about that? We've been though this, just because it wasn't called out doesn't mean it's not "racist", just that it wasn't called out on it. Swap out RE5 with RE4, Uncharted, Fat Princes, etc... it's no different, but that doesn't mean we should toss away the discussion.

From dictionary.com:
rac⋅ism
   /ˈreɪsɪzəm/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [rey-siz-uhm] Show IPA
?noun
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

Saying you can not have black zombies, or excluding black zombies, or insisting that black zombies be portrayed any different from white zombies would be racist because it would be a policy based on race.

For pete's sake, we're not talking about black zombies in Africa! We're talking about how they're portrayed. Read the rest of the thread and you'll see that we've been talking about how they're portrayed in the game, not that it's a white guy shooting black zombies.

think this thread had met a conclusion and deducted that Resident Evil 5 =/= Racist.

All in favor...

I think it's more 50/50. 50% only read the OP and stated "It's Africa, there's african zombies!" while the other 50% have said "It's not "racist" but it is in bad taste." Nah, I'm being pretentious, but really most people have just stated the same thing over and over again without even reading the rest of the thread.

I'll say this as many times as I have to, if Video Games are ever to reach the stature of "art" then we have to take on these issues head first. We can't just ignore them and hope they go away, nor can we just make a petty excuse without addressing the real issue at hand. This argument has always been on how these people are portrayed, never that it's Africa with African zombies.

 

[laikenf]

Do those people even know what racism is?

 

[teh_gunslinger]

I'll just lean in with a couple of details. The Spartans were homogeneous. Obsessively so. And xenophobic as hell. It was one of the important things in their society, that they maintained unity and cohesion by segregating themselves from aliens.

And the whole Xerxes thing is pretty false or skewed from our perspective, but in the minds of the Greeks the Persians were effeminate and weak.(1) I300 don't claim to be historical truth, but it's not that far of the mark when it comes to the Hellenic self image.

If 300 is an accurate representation of Spartan beliefs, what is gained by uncritically recreating this fascist myth on the big screen?

-- Alex

I'm not saying anything is gained by showing it. I'm just saying that the movie/comic is not the way it is because of Miller or anyone else. I tried to make clear that the imagery of Xerses as a weak, androgynous whatever he is, is not fascism (or racism), but rather a small insight into the mind of the Hellenic peoples. We may not like what we see, but that should not stop us from looking. I think it would be a good thing if more people realised how insanely twisted the Greeks were (by our standards). We should be aware that the Greeks hardly are good role models.

And I would hesitate to call Spartan society fascist. That would be something of an anachronism. They may have been huge jerks (I think they were), but that's besides the point. What they did (and I could mention the enslavement of the entire Helot population at this point) was not done because of fascism. The problem is however, that a lot of the Greek history (Spartan included) was taken hostage by the fascists and nazi ideology makers. The same happened with Roman history. I have a hard time looking at Roman imagery without getting a bit disgusted. Not because Rome was fascist, but because their imagery has been taken and raped.
But as I said, I think this would be better in it's own thread and I would love nothing more that to discuss it in more detail.