Poll: Is Letitia Racist?

[Danpascooch]

My personal opinion is that calling Letitia racist is bullshit. It would only be racist if most of the African American population in Deus Ex were homeless or talked like her. If anything the population of African American bums is underestimated in Detroit, with almost every Hobo in the city being white.

Letitia may not be a desirable character archetype, but she is a realistic one given there aren't too many like her (which there isn't, she's the only one). People like Letitia exist in real life, just like there are plenty of poorly speaking Caucasian bums too.

My point is, Deus Ex wasn't biased in how they represented African Americans, FFS the HEAD of the manufacturing plant in the first mission is an African American woman!

Racism is a serious issue, but racism does not mean: "One African American represented as anything less than an ideal citizen" it means pushing all African Americans into a lower tier in society because of their skin color. Which Deus Ex sure as shit did not do

Let's keep some perspective here people, one African American bum is not racist.

 

[Kekkles]

As I've said before the guy that started all this is just a troll, trolling. He did it before with Resident Evil 5 and succeeded then too.

 

[Musashi inc]

Your perspective seems to be from atop the comfortable roost of privilege, but I can't say that for sure. Thank you for fixing the poll, I have cast my vote. Huzzah.

 

[Catchy Slogan]

How dare an NPC have a personality! This is an outrage!

 

[wolf thing]

i dont think so but im white and scottish. i allways thought she was a red neck hens the acsen and use of slang but ive not had too much experience with Americans from the area

 

[Canadamus Prime]

These days every time I hear/read the word 'racist' I just want bash my head into the nearest wall out sear mind numbing frustration at the idiocy in which it is used.

 

[DEAD34345]

From what I've heard, in Deus Ex there is a variety of different ethnicities with a variety of different personalities and accents. You actually couldn't get any further from racism if you tried.

Just because one character fits a stereotype doesn't mean the game is racist. If every character of a certain ethnicity fits the stereotype, then you might have an argument.

 

[let's rock]

THANK YOU!!!!! Seriously, in modern society, almost everything is considered racist like this, even if it isn't. Honestly, it gets annoying when I get called racist for not letting a black person borrow a dollar, because I need it for something and can't, then everybody calls me a racist, this has happened to me at least 5 times, probably more. Honestly, racism is bad, but not everything is racist, this society might be able to get somewhere for once if people stoped calling everything racist. Also I know a black girl who, in real life, acts almost identical to Letitia, is this girl racist? No. So why is Letitia racist?

EDIT: also, who the fuck said yes on this poll?

 

[JohnDoey]

As a black guy whose lived in many places I can say without a doubt Letitia is not in any way racist she just has a shitty VA.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

It's true that she conducts herself in rather colloquial manner, that would not meet the level of decorum of a respectale member of the black community. Then again, she's fucking homeless! Most bums of any race, in any form of media, spend their time soliloquising absolute gibberish, assaulting random passers by with a pipe wrench, shouting at lamposts and trying to control pidgeons with their mind. By comparison she displays quite the sense of etiquette, she appears more in her right state of mind then most homeless people portrayed across all media.

 

[crepesack]

She talks like some black women I know ergo she is an accurate portrayal of a minority of a minority. Nothing racist about it. It's the truth. The fact this guy feels so offended makes me question whether or not he's really actually proud to be a black man and is just ashamed of his people in general.

 

[Kiefer13]

No. I hardly see how one individual with stereotypical mannerisms appearing in a piece of media automatically makes that piece of media racist. If all of the people of that race that appeared in it were similarly stereotypical, then I could see a case being made but as it is, no.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Don't think SOME african americans have/can speak like that? Come on down to South Carolina, learn about a little something called Gullah, a local dialect that people actually preserve saying it's an important historical language.

Be amazed as you realize they sound like white people in black makeup trolling you like it was the 1920's. Uncomfortably ask if this isn't just a bit racist.

Be assured by all the African Americans preserving this 'language' that it is not.

 

[DustyDrB]

No, I've met dozens of people who speak the way she did (I've volunteered with the homeless and in very low-income communities a lot). What's most notable about this to me is that Evan Narcisse's criticisms of the character make it seem like such people are an embarrassment, like he's better than they are. Sure, they might not have good (even decent) education, but most of them are good people.

Don't think SOME african americans have/can speak like that? Come on down to South Carolina, learn about a little something called Gullah, a local dialect that people actually preserve saying it's an important historical language.

Be amazed as you realize they sound like white people in black makeup trolling you like it was the 1920's. Uncomfortably ask if this isn't just a bit racist.

Be assured by all the African Americans preserving this 'language' that it is not.

Ha! I'm from Charleston and I was going to bring this point up as well. Are you from here as well?

Edit: And is this site acting really wonky for anyone else today?