| foont said: Ok. Let's put it this way: Would it be appropriate to have a game set in a fictional American city (similar to New York, but NOT New York) in which one of your missions in the game is to knock down two tall, identical buildings (or towers, if you will) with a couple of airplanes? Oh, and you play as characters from the middle east. But it's TOTALLY just a coincidence that it looks like 9/11 because the enemies in the buildings are aliens or locusts or goombas or something... Or would some people be understandably offended by that? I think a lot of people would be, and I think they would be justified in feeling that way. |
I had already addressed this though. I've already explicitly said it's one thing to be offended by it but its another to call it racist. I'll repost it:
| Sqrl said:
I don't think people shouldn't get offended (zomg double negative), I think when they see something that offends them they should examine the issue. If they honestly believe the motivations behind the acts are race and/or sex then they should absolutely be offended (and if they're right it is racism). But if they find that the motivations seem to be something different they should introspect on their own baises in their initial reaction. It's self-correction...it's ok to form an early opinion and then refine the opinion with new information as it comes. It's not ok to form an early opinion and refuse to examine new information and stick to your first impression. Maybe you find that the motivations were innocent but you're still offended....that's legitimate too, but you don't call them racist or sexist and you should recognize that your position is highly subjective. |
Italic stuff added.
The point is that there is a difference between labeling something or someone racist, sexist, or any other *ist and being offended by it. I can give you examples both ways:
- I would say RE5 is an example of something that could be offensive to some but is not racist because it does not promote the superiority of one race over any other race.
- I personally think guys should make it a point to hold the door for their date, this is technically sexist, but I don't know any rational people who are offended by it. Chivalry in general is sexist
- Comedians often make racist jokes, and people have to decide if it is offensive or just in humor.
- If you flip someone the bird they are offended by it in most cases...if that person happens to be a minority is it automatically racist? What if you're both members of the same minority?
- etc...
If someone finds RE5 offensive that's their right, but an offensive issue with multiple races involved is not automatically racist.
I think it is potentially dangerous for someone to label someone or something racist based on what they infer about a situation. To infer that this "outsider" is promoting the superiority of his race by helping is hardly enough to label it with such a damaging word.
The insidiousness of racism is its vagueness, but you have to be responsible despite that. If you think something is racist the first reaction should be to confront it not label it. If it is legitimately racism then it will reveal itself, otherwise you may do more harm than good by crying wolf one too many times or by simply branding an innocent person.
Ok, that's enough for now from me. I think I've said about as much as I can without repeating myself (even more), so I'll leave it here.
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