Is Square racist?
- Thread starter EzraPound
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Yes and no.
The OP cited an example from a 22 year old game, when blackface carictures were just starting to be phased out due to the 80's embrace of multiculturalism. Growing up in the U.S. during the 1990's I was still seeing highly racist cartoons on TV with Superman battling bucktoothed slant eyed "Japs" and Bugs Bunny being chased by dark skinned, big lipped "savages" in jungles.
As for Barrett, he is indeed a stereotypical big angry black man, but that's really a characterization that's in everything and everywhere still today. Should we do more to remove stereotypes and the the practice of segregating ethnic roles to token characters? Absolutely. Should we really be offended by these? Not really, I know many people who fit into this stereotype.
The OP cited an example from a 22 year old game, when blackface carictures were just starting to be phased out due to the 80's embrace of multiculturalism. Growing up in the U.S. during the 1990's I was still seeing highly racist cartoons on TV with Superman battling bucktoothed slant eyed "Japs" and Bugs Bunny being chased by dark skinned, big lipped "savages" in jungles.
As for Barrett, he is indeed a stereotypical big angry black man, but that's really a characterization that's in everything and everywhere still today. Should we do more to remove stereotypes and the the practice of segregating ethnic roles to token characters? Absolutely. Should we really be offended by these? Not really, I know many people who fit into this stereotype.
Racism--believing one race to be superior or inferior to another.
So, no, I can't say they're racist judging by that picture alone. Yes, the picture is culturally and racially insensitive and ignorant, but that's not the same as racism.
So, no, I can't say they're racist judging by that picture alone. Yes, the picture is culturally and racially insensitive and ignorant, but that's not the same as racism.
I find it interesting that alot of people reference Sazh as a rascist character yet hes the only one in the game people seem to consider bearable.
Yes the image from Tom Sawyer is racist, we've spent years denouncing those depictions from the first half of the 20th century in Western media for a while now. Japan doesn't get a pass.
I wonder if people aren't jumping to defend Japan's cultural differences because it's Japan. People, especially here where most of the membership loves Japanese culture will defend Japan when maybe they shouldn't. I kind of think that if this had been from another country, like say Germany, or China people wouldn't be so quick to defend them.
Japan's portrayal of other cultures in media has historically not been great, they're getting better now though. Barret wasn't racist, but he was absolutely a stereotype. Now there's the whole are stereotypes racist thing and I don't want to do that. They absolutely can be, but a lot of the time they're just stupid.
I wonder if people aren't jumping to defend Japan's cultural differences because it's Japan. People, especially here where most of the membership loves Japanese culture will defend Japan when maybe they shouldn't. I kind of think that if this had been from another country, like say Germany, or China people wouldn't be so quick to defend them.
Japan's portrayal of other cultures in media has historically not been great, they're getting better now though. Barret wasn't racist, but he was absolutely a stereotype. Now there's the whole are stereotypes racist thing and I don't want to do that. They absolutely can be, but a lot of the time they're just stupid.
I'd say that Square, and Japanese natives as a whole, are more racially ignorant/ insensitive than maliciously racist. I don't think many of them hate us.
What about Sazh? [http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/User:Hamfruitcake_09/Sazh]Elamdri said:
No I do not think that Square is racist in any shape or form. A company which is not a sentient being cannot be racist. The people in it might be but I never saw a problem with Barret. Sure he had stereotypical characteristics but he also had a rich back story and was a strong character at the time.
Not any more or less than any other company based in a country that didn't birth people that have dark skin.
You seem to be shocked to find out that racism isn't something that American white men invented to ease their conscience when keeping African slaves. It's not.
You seem to be shocked to find out that racism isn't something that American white men invented to ease their conscience when keeping African slaves. It's not.
Ditto.Johnnyallstar said:
I thought TC was going to mention FF 13 that includes a "step n' fetchit" type of character that lets a bird live in his afro.
Makes me very uncomfortable, but I don't know I can call it racism per say.
Racism implies genuine hatred, and i don't get that vibe from Square. They're not racist, merely bone-shattering STUPID.
Yeah there is something to that. Why did they have to make the Crackdown cop white?Monkfish Acc. said:
