Is Square racist?

[Ursinedriver]

I still don't see how people can say Barret's racist. He looks like Mister T, and no matter how you slice it, Mister T is a black man, so unless Mister T's existence is in and of itself racist, then calling a character who looks like him racist is ridiculous.

On the case of Jim, and I'm probably alone in this, but I don't see the exaggeration of physical traits as racist, like at all. Black people have darker skin and bigger lips than Asians (not pictured bigger noses) to deny this is to deny genetics, and quite frankly if this picture is racist, so is any caricature, including the type you get in a park.

Also, it's been a while since I read Tom Sawyer, but I don't remember Jim playing a large part at all. Are you sure this isn't Huck Finn?

Every time Square depicts a black person, it's always in a very stereotypical manner. Sometimes are worse than others, I suppose.

Stereotyping isn't exactly racism.

Watermelons and chicken? Yea, not racism at all.

As a black man, I have to ask, does the fact I eat watermelon and chicken make me racist?

 

[Fetzenfisch]

I don't see racism in this at all, is everyone forgetting what a caricature is?

"A caricature can refer to a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness" - wikipedia

Listen man I'm black and for the most part as a race we do tend to have bigger lips than most soo in drawing a caricature of a black person that's something that would stand out to the artist.

Plus every other comment about the Japanese getting most if not all their first perception of black people from foreign media is probably right and I'm pretty sure HentMas is on point from a development stand point

so no square is not racist but i appreciate your concern

p.s. i haven't played 13 yet but Barrett is easily one of the best characters from VII and his "stereotypical" nature at times only made him more human

Charicatures are kind to no-one - my partner pointed out to me that the Asterix and Obelix comics also show black people with huge red lips etc, but at the same time the (white) French (Gaulish) characters all had huge noses...

I agree that it is odd, even unpleasant to modern sensibilities to see such a charicature, and because I am caucasian myself I find it a little hard to comment - I don't condone racism, but I guess whether or not it is racist really depends on whether or not you think that the people behind the game were racist, and deliberately portrayed black people in this antiquated way as an insult. If this was the case, then you have a genuine example of racism. If not, then... I guess it's just a caricature.

At the end of the day, no, I don't think you can call Square racist based on one thing in one game tewnty-odd years ago. Whether or not those particular developers were personally and deliberately racist? Who knows...

Yeah satire and carricatures are very likely to be understood racist, when the depicted is not white. Strangely no one ever claimed it the other way around. If finally you could stop to look at colours here, we all can have a laugh together.

(anyone remember the southpark episode about the city-flag?)

Spoiler

The children should point out why the flag is bad and said it is because 4 people are hanging another man and killing is bad.
Thats the spirit i wanna see. Everyone crying out wolves here, is at least as prejudice as the one (s)he is pointing at at many times.

Spoiler: for the sake of completion

the new south park flag

 

[valleyshrew]

I hate when people think it's racist to caricature an appearance. Black people look different from white people or asian people. Drawing them highlighting the difference is not racist because the one thing you can fairly judge a person by their race on is their appearance. It doesn't matter if 1/10th of the time that caricature looks ugly. Is mad magazines ugly mascot a racist portrayal of a ginger kid? No it's a funny caricature. If barret is a stereotype then so is Yuffie.

 

[RA92]

As a black man, I have to ask, does the fact I eat watermelon and chicken make me racist?

Yes Sir, and you shall be held responsible for being racist against yourself!

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

Uh, people, chill.

I really don´t think we want to go down that road.

If you go through "western" games and judge the racism of the devs by how often or how blatantly they use stereotypical attributes or depictions associated with race in their games, it shall not end well for us.
I think I have yet to play a modern fps without a BALP (black, angry, loud person).

 

[Kaanyr Vhok]

I hate when people think it's racist to caricature an appearance. Black people look different from white people or asian people. Drawing them highlighting the difference is not racist because the one thing you can fairly judge a person by their race on is their appearance. It doesn't matter if 1/10th of the time that caricature looks ugly. Is mad magazines ugly mascot a racist portrayal of a ginger kid? No it's a funny caricature. If barret is a stereotype then so is Yuffie.

Its a tool used by racist to dehumanize. Makes it easier to fan the hate. Of course its not absolute ie not always racisit. Most of the time its not.


When it is, it is.

Easier to kill millions of those rat creatures than real people.