Columnist Deems Enslaved Racially Insensitive

[scotth266]

White/asian-looking person enslaves white/asian-looking person = game is racist against black people?

This is almost as laughable as that Italian society that protested against Mafia II.

I'll just leave this [http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2009/20090218.jpg] here and be on my merry way.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I'm curious what his reaction would be if Tripp was notably black and Monkey was notably white. Would he comment on the game at all then, or would he perhaps praise the game as some kind of arty comment on the history of slavery?

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Of course he does. Why does EVERYTHING have to have an undertone? Can't someone just look at a game or piece of literature or film and say "wow, this is fun and well constructed!" Blacks weren't the only slaves in the history of the world you know. How come all of the descendants of civilizations conquered by the the Romans aren't getting angry? THAT'S A WHITE SLAVE! MY WHITE ANCESTORS WERE ENSLAVED BY THE ROMANS!

I don't see the Jews calling foul when the Holocaust is portrayed in movies, and that's a direct reference. This columnist is inventing connections to stir up controversy. Just shut up.

 

[timeadept]

Jesus Christ, let him have his opinion! It's not like the hundreds of other people who condemn every game as a child-corrupting murder simulator. He's actually thought about what he's written and isn't condemning the game or calling for it's banning, he's just pointing something out which, to some, could have been thought about a little more before being put on shelves.

You guys are just as bad as the knee-jerk "video games are evil" people by being equal and opposite knee-jerks the second anyone outside the games industry criticizes any game.

You know, i thought it was odd at first that the one of the main characters was called monkey, it sounded diminutive, made him sound like an unintelligent grunt, and i do remember how it used to be funny to call black people "monkeys" way back when. But the monkey isn't exactly black and from what I've seen his name doesn't pertain so much to his brutishness as it does to his incredible agility and climbing skills.

The game doesn't even have any racist undertones, Trip seems to be exactly the same "race" as monkey (quotes because the word race can be very subjective). The story isn't about one race oppressing another because it feels superior and you should help me because i'm more important than you, it's about Trip doing the only thing she could think of in order to survive. She needed help, she wasn't going to make it alone and she had no guarantee that monkey would help her. So she put the slave band on Monkey and now he has to do what she says or face terrible pain, and if she dies he dies. So theres where the story gets interesting Monkey probably hates her for doing this but he has no choice but to co-operate.

I have NOT played the game, though i want to, all i know about it is from a single review i saw of it on the escapist. If this article was written by someone who did more than just look at the title on the box then they are blatantly ignoring everything except what they WANT to see, and making up some things along the way. This writer just has a different "knee-jerk" reaction than "games are murder simulators" and that is to see anything with any POSSIBLE racist implications as racist.

Getting back closer to the point of the initial article there is nothing "culturally irresponsible" about the game, slavery is not an issue unique to the African american community.

 

[The Bum]

You know saying "If his skin were a few shades darker" isn't racsist but it is stupidity steamed from "political correctness" and it's "politicaly correct" to attck video games for things that if you PLAY THE DANM GAME you'd know aren't true.


On a fairly unrealted note because i'm fed up with political correctness, if your a white and were born in say, south africa then moved to america and became a citizen doesn't that make you african american?

 

[The Bum]

The female "enslaves" Monkey with a piece of technology to ensure that he won't harm her and to make him do her bidding.

A wedding ring?

Hi-Ooo!

Ah, the hypnotizing power of a little strip of gold ain't it hilarous?


EDIT:ah crap, double post.....now i feel sturpidz

 

[Kevlar Eater]

I don't see the racial bullshit this Kyle Harvey sees. However, I do think this game is a $60 double standard. I mean, if the roles were reversed, this game would not leave the drawing board. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StrawFeminist]

 

[kuolonen]

huh. I usually associate this level of ignorance with faux news. Go figure.

 

[zombays]

I feel smarter than him...I read journey to the west, and he calls this game racist. HOW?! Has he beaten the game?! (the ending will make you shit porcelain/marble bricks by its HOLY SHIT THIS IS AWESOME plot that still makes sense!)

 

[zombays]

huh. I usually associate this level of ignorance with faux news. Go figure.

Who hasn't?

 

[caboose309]

no racism will never end because every generation has its racists and when they have kids they put their beliefs and ideals into the minds of their children and the racism is passed on to another generation. o and btw are you trying to imply that if u didnt vote 4 obama that you are a racist because just because i am against the obamanation and that doesnt make me a racist or anyone else who agrees with me a racist. it just means i detest his political views or ideals. ps the guy who wrote the original column is an idiot

 

[Dr Gonzo]

Ha ha! What a joke. This guy has no imagination. If you really want to over analyse the "undertones" of this game it's probably more to do with BDSM than anything else. Keep a lookout for a Trip dominatrix outfit DLC coming soon kids!!

 

[badgersprite]

By that logic, shouldn't this game also be anti-Semitic, because Jews were once slaves?

I do wish people in the media would actually play a game (or, in this case, read the book it's based on as well, which it sounds like the author hasn't even heard of, or at the very least they clearly aren't aware that Journey To The West is the inspiration behind the game) before making any assumptions about its content and accusing it of doing something it clearly doesn't do.

 

[FinalHeart95]

Wouldn't a racist be the only one to see "Monkey" and instantly think about black people?

 

[dragonburner]

Life is fulll of little pricks. Monkey is hardly tan, and enslaved is hardly a game based around any kind of historical slavery. End of story

Monkey isn't tan, but he has a point.

Monkey- Typical racial slur
She is essentially controlling him against his will. I only played the demo, but it seems to me like they become friends throughout or something. It does seem to say slavery isn't bad or something to that nature.

I don't know. That's just what I think.

 

[Falconcry]

right a few things wrong with Kyle Harvey's article; firstly, from the way the writer describes the opening scenes, the enslavement of monkey is in no way racially motivated in fact the way it is portrayed monkey is put accross as a prisoner what kind i.e. political or criminal is not made clear so the innocence of the character cannot be determined therefore anything about him can only be guessed at and the other character Trip appears to be part of the crew(at least) of the ship that was carrying monkey so they're unlikely to be best friends, so a prisoner and jailor relationship is far more obvious than say one of racial dischord; second point to say that this kind of game shouldn't be made in this kind of culture is a bit naive, seeing as many movies have had this premise, lets see off the top of my head, "Running Man", "Gamer" "Crank1,2 & 3" the idea of an antagonist having the protagonist over the barrel of a gun with their life in the balance is niether uncommon or unfathomable, what better barganing chip than a life.

this is a badly written artical which has arguments not even backed up by the facts the writer presents.

 

[UtopiaV1]

177 people agree - This Kyle Harvey guy is full of shit.

Monkey is a racial slur, sure, but I don't think it applies when the person called Monkey isn't black.

And mentions of slavery are racially insensitive are they? How the hell are they going to teach history in schools if they can't use the word 'slavery'. As horrible as the practice is, it's a part of human history, and if you start getting caught up in not being able to use certain themes and ideas in art (like computer games), well, you can see where I'm going with this.

The argument to end it all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeixtYS-P3s

 

[ethaninja]

Oh ffs, this just proves the point I was trying to make earlier. When do people get over themselves?

 

[timeadept]

By that logic, shouldn't this game also be anti-Semitic, because Jews were once slaves?

I do wish people in the media would actually play a game (or, in this case, read the book it's based on as well, which it sounds like the author hasn't even heard of, or at the very least they clearly aren't aware that Journey To The West is the inspiration behind the game) before making any assumptions about its content and accusing it of doing something it clearly doesn't do.

i haven't even played the game, i watched one review on it and it's apparent to me what the game is about, this isn't even about playing the game this is just plane laziness at the very least.

 

[copycatalyst]

I haven't played the game, so I don't know the details, but if this game's "premise alone raises enough eyebrows to warrant a serious debate," then I say "Good!" What's wrong with a game being a medium to provoke thought and debate? And it's not like the game is saying "Hey guys, slavery is awesome!"