Crispy Gamer Calls Out Resident Evil 5's Racism

[laikenf]

Thank you. If a game (or any other form of entertainment) offends sombody because of it's sensitive content (Africa being the case of RE5) it doesn't mean it's racist. Here in america at least you can say there are three types of white men: the racist, the non-racist (or he who doesn't give a fuck) and the white man who feels he needs to atone for his ancestors sins. The latter are the kind that usually blow these kinds of things out of proportion. I have a feeling that the person who wrote that review belongs to that group.

Several things:

1. Your categories suck.

It's really easy to "not give a fuck" while you keep on being tacitly perpetuating racism. When a person who knows something about racism and cultural myth-making and all that jazz says "Yeah, I'm not concerned about it," I can respect that. All these guys crawling out of the woodwork spouting really basic ideas and being really proud of the fact that they don't give a fuck and being very obviously angry at anyone who does? They're not that guy. They've never thought about it and don't even want to think about it. These folks are not some kind of ideal of non-racist behavior. They're just a bunch of white mostly-teenagers uncomfortable questioning their own (mild) privilege or beliefs.

Very few white Americans actually think in terms of "atoning for their ancestor's sins". The guy writing the article certainly isn't. He's talking about how it makes him feel based on his own experience and his ideas about social justice in the here-and-now. If he's obsessing about the past, it's because of the way it still affects us today.

2. "Out of proportion".

I do think the discourse is out of proportion. I still think there's something to talk about here. And it's pretty spurious to blame it on the one guy writing the article when you've also got a bunch of monkeys hollerin' "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! IT'S JUST A GAME! LEAVE ME TO MY IGNORANT MAN-CHILD WAYS!"

-- Alex

What I meant by not giving a fuck is simply people to whom racism is simply not even in their subconscious, I'm aware of the fact that it's impossible to actually know what a person really thinks or feels, but believe me, a lot of people who have played the game and simply blast by it without even noticing a hint of racism, maybe others would not have noticed either if this wouldn't of have gone so far, why is this? I don't know, maybe it's a good thing or maybe it's one of the bad things about equality.

About very few Americans feeling they should atone to their past sins; I agree, but, there are some issues like racism that a lot of white Americans feel uncomfortable talking about or let's just say "handling" it when it is presented in a compromising or disturbing way. Whatever the individual reasons for this.

Another thing: as mediocre as RE5's story is, it does explain a lot of things, causes and effects, so a lot of the blame goes to people just not paying attention, or not being interested in the narrative.

Oh and "Your categories suck." Totally uncalled for man.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

What a bunch of shit.

Zombies are 'subhuman' no matter what fucking colour they are. lol

Is Resident evil 5 racist? Yes, it's racists against fucking zombies and so am I.

/thread, IMO.

It reminds me of a point made by Dr. Foreman on the show "House"; something about people who don't know the difference between someone being screwed for merely perceived race issues and everyone getting screwed regardless.

If anything, the guy who wrote this RE5 review shot himself in the foot. The fact that he can't see past the perceived race issue of the game and is quick to blame it on the Japanese being xenophobic is just setting up a Straw Man. That developer he spoke with never said anything about there being a race issue involved; instead, the reviewer distorted the developer's position and spun it to sound like the Japanese are ignorant.

When one stops to consider it, the Japanese have little reason for being jerks to Africans since they've historically had prejudice only for the Chinese and Koreans; one might consider that they are blind to the notion of racism against cultures they've had little contact with (being half a world away) and they will accept that the setting they chose will look a certain way and the people there will be a certain way (just with biological mutations and such).

Of course, this is just an assumption - just some food for thought. The reviewer should have left out any topical rants and stuck to the game itself rather than expressing his irrational discomfort and making baseless accusations to pad his own conscience.

Too true.

Plus I just unlocked Sheva's tribal costume and it is totally HOT! Hooray for Capcom's bi gender gratuitous eroticising of it's lead characters!