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	persona 2009-02-18 09:27 pm UTC (link)
	This, right here, is the epitome of unfunny business. I was totally unsurprised that RE went there. And I shouldn't be surprised that a people Aren't Getting It. Except it's so blatant I can't see how they wouldn't. Damn it. I have too much faith in humanity. (Sorry, reposted, had a typo.). (Reply to this)

	shadowmonkey 2009-02-19 12:18 am UTC (link)
	It's interesting, in all of this, how the commentators expressing surprise at RE5's possible racism have no problem automatically applying and assuming the Western historical race bias for all companies/countries in the world. The company is Japanese, I guess the only place it would occur to them not to go is making the zombies Chinese. (Reply to this)(Thread)

lady_ganesh
2009-02-19 12:34 am UTC (link)

And yet, I would consider making a game for the Japanese and American markets that featured, say, a situation that looked just like the Rape of Nanking, I would expect it to blow right the fuck up in my face.

Japan was culturally isolated for many years, but now they're right in the middle of the gaming world, and they export tons and tons of units. I don't think 'lol, we're Japanese' gives them a free pass.

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shadowmonkey
2009-02-19 01:11 am UTC (link)

It would blow up in your face massively if you were making it for the Chinese market. ;) But if you were American making it for the American market I'd be surprised if there would be enough people aware of the history to care.

I don't think it gives them a free pass, I'm just surprised at the amount of surprise along the variant of "Oh no, how could they not see the racism of a white guy killing a lot of black people?" when it's not a part of their history, and it honestly may not occurred to them.

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lady_ganesh, 2009-02-19 01:24 am UTC

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tachikoma01, 2009-02-19 08:25 pm UTC

	caito 2009-02-19 12:37 am UTC (link)
	Wait, are you saying that Japan doesn't also have huge racist issues? Because as a white person living in Japan, I can tell you that my experience is vastly different from a black person's living here would be. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	shadowmonkey 2009-02-19 01:13 am UTC (link)
	Nope, I was saying that it was interesting how commentators essentially "Americanize" the world. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

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caito, 2009-02-19 01:14 am UTC

lysana
2009-02-19 12:45 am UTC (link)

Why would Japan be immune from racism of any pattern? (hint: they aren't) And why would it be unidentifiable as racism to Westerners? (hint: it wouldn't be) And how would one culture's approach to race be forgivable when introduced to another if the second culture's attitudes are ignored in favor of what the first sees as "safe" imagery? (hint: it's called cross-cultural sensitivity)

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	lady_ganesh 2009-02-19 01:26 am UTC (link)
	I remember reading something about the depiction of Chinese people in Cowboy Bebop and being stunned that those individuals were supposed to be fully human, much less Chinese.... (Reply to this)(Parent)

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shadowmonkey, 2009-02-19 01:28 am UTC

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arionhunter, 2009-02-19 04:53 am UTC

chikane
2009-02-19 10:48 am UTC (link)

I see a western bias, but it seems to be in your post :S

Japan is not a magical mountain kindom secluded from the rest of the world, you know? The Japanese are not more stupid or clueless than we are, and just like we are able to identify the trouble between, say, Japan and Korea, they are perfectly capable to identify similar trouble over here.

For example, Sega seems perfectly aware of the trouble the Jews had/have in western europe, and happilly draws parallels in their games - Valkyria Chronicles has 'Darksen', who suffer racism with very similar signs, and one thing you do in the game is to liberate a concentration camp where they were worked to death.

There is also a different issue: Some japanese are also perfectly capable to be racist against people who are not continental-asian. This especially goes for Blacks.

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lady_ganesh, 2009-02-19 01:48 pm UTC

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veleda_k, 2009-02-20 02:26 am UTC

shadowmonkey
2009-02-19 09:17 pm UTC (link)

Although, I was merely interested in the original post. I'm grimly fascinated by the replies.

I had expected at least one person to say something along the lines of: "I think when we are talking about something so big and culturally emotional it's easy to forget that other cultures won't always remember your issues. Because, you know, America =/= the rest of the world."
Instead every single one has replied along the lines of: "But the Japanese are racist too!"

I know, but does that make it better?
Seriously people, WTF?

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lady_ganesh, 2009-02-19 09:37 pm UTC

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lady_ganesh, 2009-02-20 01:50 am UTC

sandglass
2009-02-21 12:57 am UTC (link)

Three short notes:

1. I have a lot of trouble believing that the stereotype of black people (or at least native Africans) as mindless savages doesn't exist in Japan, even if racism against black people isn't their racism.
2. I also have a lot of trouble believing that there were no Americans working on or consulting with Capcom when they developed this game, and those people should know better.
3. The issue isn't whether or not Capcom is racist, but if Resident Evil 5 is racist (or better, contains racist imagery). A thing can be racist regardless of the intention or knowledge of the creators.

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shadowmonkey, 2009-02-21 03:26 am UTC

t_boy
2009-02-19 02:30 am UTC (link)

You know what, the only thing I'm not getting is what Holkins and Krahulik are trying to say in that comic.

Are they okay with the game being racist? Are they not okay with it? Are they commenting on the fact that it's less racist for the lady who looks vaguely not-Caucasian killing angry undead glow-eyed black people? Are they trying to provoke the feeling of absurdity by juxtaposing white guy killing black guy, brown girl killing black guy and then robot killing praying mantis?

Even the news post doesn't really help. There are times when I wish my brain was faster, or that people would be less complicated.

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the__ivorytower
2009-02-19 02:37 am UTC (link)

They're saying it's impossible to play the game without getting a deep sense of misgiving about what you're doing, that the game feels racist regardless of how the game makers wanted to portray it.

They're also probably saying the game would feel much LESS racist if it were, say, robots killing mantises than a very racially-charged game of people who are white/look white killing people who are black, regardless of their zombieinfectionplaguething.

Also, the last panel reminded me of Fallout 3, which has giant insects vs. robots in one of the towns.

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	kookaburra 2009-02-19 07:41 am UTC (link)
	I thought it was saying that even though white males may feel less racist by playing the woman, pitting two marginalized demographics (women and POC) against each other is still UR DOIN IT WRONG. But what the_ivorytower says also rings true for me. shrug (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

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sandglass, 2009-02-20 11:56 pm UTC

sandglass
2009-02-21 12:22 am UTC (link)

I think the news post explained it pretty well--but then, I'm used to Tycho's rather odd way of writing, perhaps. Tycho seems to be accusing Capcom of fatally missing the point and trying to disguise the racist imagery of zombie-fied Africans with a few non-white characters. The woman in the second panel doesn't make it less racist; he kind of wishes it did, but even her presence can't get him past the genocide.

And that it's not the same when you've got two non-human "races" at war, because they don't have the context that two humans of different races have. The punchline only makes sense to me if they're talking about morons on the Internet saying that it's not racism because it's a pretendyfun game. Then again, it wouldn't be the first ridiculously esoteric joke.

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	khym_chanur 2009-02-19 02:36 am UTC (link)
	I'm not getting the punch-line. What do a robot and an insect having to do with a zombie-killing game? (Reply to this)(Thread)

	the__ivorytower 2009-02-19 02:42 am UTC (link)
	See my comment above, if that will help. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	risha 2009-02-19 03:27 am UTC (link)
	Also, Penny Arcade often goes for the surrealist twist as the "punchline". It can make a lot of people go headscratch until they get used to the flow. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	risha 2009-02-19 03:30 am UTC (link)
	I think we're all missing the important question here, people. Is it or is it not a zombie praying mantis? (Reply to this)

	ruaki 2009-02-19 04:10 am UTC (link)
	All my unfunny comments and thoughts on yaoi have been said by other people more eloquent than I, so I shall merely ask... In the second panel, is the zombieinfected guy's eyes focused on the chick's boobs or do I just have a boobie fixation? (Reply to this)(Thread)

	khym_chanur 2009-02-19 04:39 am UTC (link)
	checks No, you're right, the zombie is checking out her rack. "Booo- ahem Braaaaaaains" (Reply to this)(Parent)

	hector_rashbaum 2009-02-19 07:26 am UTC (link)
	I can't listen to "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" anymore. I hope you're happy, casually racist dismissive point-missers. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	lady_ganesh 2009-02-19 01:47 pm UTC (link)
	Seriously, this is why we can't have nice things. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	tachikoma01 2009-02-19 08:16 pm UTC (link)
	I had this long comment planned out about how while humans are all one race genetically, it's important to be aware of genetic conditions that trend within specific populations/ethnicities, such as sickle cell anemia. But then I realized "All one race" guy simply didn't get it. (Reply to this)

kylenne
2009-02-20 05:10 am UTC (link)

*sigh*

I've been avoiding all this bullshit because it's making my head hurt. Instead I am squeeing about the chance to play as a hot black chick that shoots zombies. Because I am a black chick that aspires to hotness and zombie shooting. And am already shipping her with Ada just because (who cares if Ada is not in this one? Hot does not have to make sense!)

Seriously, entire stacks of bingo cards have been filled at this point about this game. And I'm just really sick and fucking tired of privileged white boys who have never had to think about racism a day in their charmed lives talking about it and totally missing the g.d. point.

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