Mafia II Protestors: Only Italians Face "Rampant" Stereotyping

[RowdyRodimus]

Of course your group is the only one stereotyped in a negative light, Don DiMino. And to think that it on this, the day of your daughters wedding.

Seriously, I live in Arkansas. Anytime it is mentioned in anything it is as being nothing but the backwoods full of rednecks making moonshine and impregnating their sisters. Guess what? This even occurs in things that take the time to say racisim is bad, immigration needs to be open, never show a woman who is not better looking or more successfull than the husband, etc. It's ok to make fun of the south and stereotype us but the minute you don't get your cut of the operatio...I mean, you disagree with the way YOU are portrayed, it needs to be stopped this instant.

Oh, and just a piece of advice. If you want to get rid of the stereotypes, how about not gathering a group of people that look like extras in the Sopranos for your picture.

 

[Velociferocks]

"It is painfully apparent that Italian Americans are the ONLY group in America where overt stereotyping is so rampant in today's society,"

lol, just lol. Look at all the other stereotypes in... everything.
Irish - They're all incompetent Drunks.
Chinese - All of them are Kung fu experts.
Mexicans - Everyone is Lazy in Mexico.
French - They're rude and hate the americans.
Russians - They all wear furhats and drink vodka for every meal.
Personally I don't really believe in stereotypes here in the real world. But they're everywhere in ficticous media, and I really don't see a problem with that.

 

[Sabrestar]

Only ones, huh?

Clearly they've never met a pagan.

 

[johnman]

So the Druken Irish men, Chinese people refered to as Chinks doing sterotypically chinese things and the blacks living in the slums and talking in black slang are not sterotypes at all? The italian americans come of the best of all the sterotypes in the game.

Hell theres even a radio announcement slating woman drivers and asks wahts next, a portable washing machine?

 

[Booze Zombie]

I guess if they played the game they would've noticed every race had a gang in this game, you just happened to be Italian.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Do I have to mention San Andreas (African Americans as thugs), GTA IV (Irish people as thugs, Jewish people as diamond dialers) and a ton of other things?

Also, as a Russian, I might add - ushankas, AK-47, horrible accents, vodka. Have you played GTA IV? The Russians in America there are pretty stereotyped.

So... No. You're wrong. WRONG. Stop complaining.

 

[Cakes]

You know, I'd be kind of pissed too if my ethnic group (comprising millions of people) was forever linked in everyone's mind with a number of criminal organizations that together never numbered more than a few thousand. The 'only Italians...' comment was stupid, but I understand their frustration.

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

Hahahahahaha!
No.
Ever heard a mother Russia joke?
And not a hour go's by if I'm on the mic on Xbox live that someone (american usualy) calls me gay because I have a British accent!
And Muslims! And the French! And the...

 

[procyonlotor]

Not one of those people are under 40, I'd like to point out.

I think they just wanted to shake their sticks at something. Some of them were probably even forced to go there by relatives and whatnot.

 

[Vault Citizen]

It's painfully obvious that they haven't even played the damn game.

In the interview I gave them the chance to appear less stupid by pointing out that they weren't only Italian criminals in the game and asked if this changed their opinion of it. A suitable ammount of time passed and I didn't hear anything back from them with answers to my follow up questions so I just went ahead and posted the interview as it was. Perhaps they didn't answer my follow up questions because one of them asked what research they had done into the game.

 

[Delock]

I'll give you a hint: 50% of the population is this. Sure there has been a movement to try to correct it, but still they still face problems, and a lot more than in just a videogame or a show.

The other 50% don't get off so easily either. I mean no-one would show that 50% as sex-obsessed, gadget-obsessed, muscle-bound, emotionally dead character who can't remember anything; in this day and age, would they?

Of course not. And it's not like its a surprise to know that a member of that 50% can cook, doesn't know about sports, doesn't know how to fix a car, or is able to be afraid or sad.

 

[CheckD3]

Actually, sometimes these protests cause more problems than the thing they're protesting. If I ever do play Mafia II, this is what I'll be looking for now, the Italian Americans who are portrayed as the mobsters. The people protesting believe that everyone in the world has no sense of colorblindness and anyone playing would think the worst.

Pointing something out before others do is retarded, it's worse than people finding out about it on their own, and thanks for giving me and the others who play these games the BotD for our acceptance and understanding of race and stereotypes, or however you'd say that...

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Of course not. And it's not like its a surprise to know that a member of that 50% can cook, doesn't know about sports, doesn't know how to fix a car, or is able to be afraid or sad.

Now you're just talking crazy. It'd be like one of the former 50% that wasn't obsessed with shoes, make-up, chocolate and peer review.

 

[Gamegodtre]

The only group that is overly stereotyped? I'm pretty sure other groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Muslims) would like to argue with you on that. Or does this organization really think they're the center of the universe?

what about women?

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I'm sorry UNICO, but black people, hispanics, muslims and jews would like a word.

Let's be honest, if in the past my people were known for being gangsters, then I think it would be fucking awesome. I'm not saying that being a gangster is a good thing, but that's pretty damn cool.

And if they think kids will get their hands on it then that's not an issue that they need to take up with the developers.

 

[Delock]

Of course not. And it's not like its a surprise to know that a member of that 50% can cook, doesn't know about sports, doesn't know how to fix a car, or is able to be afraid or sad.

Now you're just talking crazy. It'd be like one of the former 50% that wasn't obsessed with shoes, make-up, chocolate and peer review.

Could you imagine if both of these populations had to live up to impossible body build standards where the former had to have a waist without most internal organs and the latter having arms the width of watermelons?

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

The only group that is overly stereotyped? I'm pretty sure other groups (African Americans, Hispanics, Muslims) would like to argue with you on that. Or does this organization really think they're the center of the universe?

I'm quite certain that most groups are sterotyped. In the last year I've played games that indicate all people of African descent (because I cannot assert that said person has a particular nationality are interested in Rap and the Gangsta life style. I've learned that the Irish are hard drinking cowards at worst, and hard drinking scumbags at best. I've learned that any person of Asian ancestry is proficient in the martial arts and adheres to a sense of honor with suicidal fervor. I've learned that Russians are always the villain, or at least the obvious villain.

I'm sure I could go on at length about this, but suffice it to say that most ethnic groups have a stereotype associated with them that can be seen in video games. And, with respect to this game, I would point out that the game revolves around the Italian Mafia, a group historically notable for being fairly exclusive to anyone who is not Italian.

 

[ImprovizoR]

What a bunch of morons. I bet they are proud of The Godfather trilogy though, and Goodfellas and stuff like that. People only protest against games these days. I say beat those protestors with sticks.