I'm going to do my best to try to clarify, for those with open minds but who "just don't understand what's so bad about it" (the RE5 controversy).
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Imagine a zombie game set in German-occupied Poland. Emaciated white people scramble around, looking for all intents and purposes completely like the propaganda 'monster jew'. They lunge from the dark corners of the seedy, war-torn city as the glorious Aryan hero strides among them, back-lit by god-rays, dispensing death to the tune of a patriotic victory march. Er, but...it's okay, because they're zombies. He's a zombie hunter.
There is an unspoken vocabulary to visual media. You can recognize that one character is about to do something horrible to another based on how he stands in the doorway and cocks his head. You know two characters are about to kiss when you see a side-angle of their faces positioned at the extreme edges of frame.
These are not universally recognized symbols; a Renaissance painter or an Australian aboriginee would not recognize that Morpheus is becoming emotionally empowered and about to stand up dramatically because of how Laurence Fishburn first tilts his head downward.
These images and what they imply are ingrained into your consciousness as a viewer because you've seen them so many times; interpreting them is practically an subconscious action.
Similarly, there are certain iconic depictions of racism--say, snarling gorilla men or large-lipped cooks in polka dot aprons--are part of our cultural consciousness, and cannot be disregarded as such.
As one blogger puts it, "It's perfectly possible to use Africa as the setting for a powerful and troubling horror story, but when you're applying the concept of people being turned into savage monsters onto an actual ethnic group that has long been misrepresented as savage monsters, it's hard to see how elements of race weren't going to be a factor. And all it will take is for one mainstream media outlet to show the heroic Chris Redfield stamping on the face of a black woman, splattering her skull, and the controversy over Manhunt 2 will seem quaint by comparison. "
Now if this were an American-made game, I would have to call foul a great deal louder. I think, however, that for the Japanese the context of these images may not resonate quite as strongly as, say, nuclear devastation in Fallout 3.
This is ignorance of the American (and particularly the black) soul, no doubt, but probably not outright wicked maliciousness (ala Punchout).
That said, in lieu of a retraction--"We recognize this imagery to be intrinsically offensive to many and apologize to the African American Community"--a boycott might send a message; and that message may NEED to be sent.
And conjuring up RE4's impoverished Spanish villages to rebut accusations of racism in impoverished African villages is akin to saying:
"Well THEY didn't complain about being stereotyped, so clearly there is no stereotyping going on. And if there is, they didn't *****, so neither should you. Bear it and be quiet; you'll hurt Capcom's profit margin you evil free-speech hating monster you."
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And on that note:
Really, if you're going to try drawing broad ultimatums about the nature of art and expression as it pertains to being offensive, Resident Evil is not the game to do it over. It might be a different matter to justify these images if, say, they were used to portray an overarching artistic theme, ala Spike Lee's portrayal of white people (utilizing almost caricature-levels of monstrousness to highlight the absurdity of their hatred, given a specific context). But there's not a lot of depth here to tip the cost-benefit scale.
It is an action horror game, where you shoot zombies, with rocket launchers.
The FIFTH in a SERIES of action horror games, where you shoot zombies, with rocket launchers.
If you're going to wage war for moral absolutism, you might pick a better staging point.
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Also of note is that the kind of person that tries to shrug this off by saying "It's just a game!" is usually a stark defender of the videogame as a legitimate art-form.
Ring ring.
(That is the sound of a double-standard calling. On the telephone. ...it's for you.)
--------------------------
Having thoroughly corrected the entire internet, the Tekno grows weary and retires to a small hovel beneath a rotted log. Here, he can sleep undisturbed, safe from hungry predators who would seek his fatty meats to nourish their young
------------------------
Imagine a zombie game set in German-occupied Poland. Emaciated white people scramble around, looking for all intents and purposes completely like the propaganda 'monster jew'. They lunge from the dark corners of the seedy, war-torn city as the glorious Aryan hero strides among them, back-lit by god-rays, dispensing death to the tune of a patriotic victory march. Er, but...it's okay, because they're zombies. He's a zombie hunter.
There is an unspoken vocabulary to visual media. You can recognize that one character is about to do something horrible to another based on how he stands in the doorway and cocks his head. You know two characters are about to kiss when you see a side-angle of their faces positioned at the extreme edges of frame.
These are not universally recognized symbols; a Renaissance painter or an Australian aboriginee would not recognize that Morpheus is becoming emotionally empowered and about to stand up dramatically because of how Laurence Fishburn first tilts his head downward.
These images and what they imply are ingrained into your consciousness as a viewer because you've seen them so many times; interpreting them is practically an subconscious action.
Similarly, there are certain iconic depictions of racism--say, snarling gorilla men or large-lipped cooks in polka dot aprons--are part of our cultural consciousness, and cannot be disregarded as such.
As one blogger puts it, "It's perfectly possible to use Africa as the setting for a powerful and troubling horror story, but when you're applying the concept of people being turned into savage monsters onto an actual ethnic group that has long been misrepresented as savage monsters, it's hard to see how elements of race weren't going to be a factor. And all it will take is for one mainstream media outlet to show the heroic Chris Redfield stamping on the face of a black woman, splattering her skull, and the controversy over Manhunt 2 will seem quaint by comparison. "
Now if this were an American-made game, I would have to call foul a great deal louder. I think, however, that for the Japanese the context of these images may not resonate quite as strongly as, say, nuclear devastation in Fallout 3.
This is ignorance of the American (and particularly the black) soul, no doubt, but probably not outright wicked maliciousness (ala Punchout).
That said, in lieu of a retraction--"We recognize this imagery to be intrinsically offensive to many and apologize to the African American Community"--a boycott might send a message; and that message may NEED to be sent.
And conjuring up RE4's impoverished Spanish villages to rebut accusations of racism in impoverished African villages is akin to saying:
"Well THEY didn't complain about being stereotyped, so clearly there is no stereotyping going on. And if there is, they didn't *****, so neither should you. Bear it and be quiet; you'll hurt Capcom's profit margin you evil free-speech hating monster you."
-----------------------------
And on that note:
Really, if you're going to try drawing broad ultimatums about the nature of art and expression as it pertains to being offensive, Resident Evil is not the game to do it over. It might be a different matter to justify these images if, say, they were used to portray an overarching artistic theme, ala Spike Lee's portrayal of white people (utilizing almost caricature-levels of monstrousness to highlight the absurdity of their hatred, given a specific context). But there's not a lot of depth here to tip the cost-benefit scale.
It is an action horror game, where you shoot zombies, with rocket launchers.
The FIFTH in a SERIES of action horror games, where you shoot zombies, with rocket launchers.
If you're going to wage war for moral absolutism, you might pick a better staging point.
------------------------------
Also of note is that the kind of person that tries to shrug this off by saying "It's just a game!" is usually a stark defender of the videogame as a legitimate art-form.
Ring ring.
(That is the sound of a double-standard calling. On the telephone. ...it's for you.)
--------------------------
Having thoroughly corrected the entire internet, the Tekno grows weary and retires to a small hovel beneath a rotted log. Here, he can sleep undisturbed, safe from hungry predators who would seek his fatty meats to nourish their young
