Does anyone else find Bioshock Infinite's propaganda posters offensive?

[Hammartroll]

Oh my god guys.. Did any of you see V for Vendetta? They totally misrepresented the UK! Our police have strict guidelines against brutality and yet in the film they totally went around mistreating people and putting black bags over their heads, and they implied that the government is racist! It's an insult, I say, an insult!

No, of course I'm not missing the point. It's totally offensive!

I understand there was a eugenics movement in the United States some time in the 20s, but it's purpose was to breed out the crippled and mentally ill, basically burdens of the state, not promote a particular race; that was just the Nazies. So once again the game is wrongly portraying the US as racist.

Are you fucking kidding me?

{spoiler]

[/spoiler]

It's probably not very clear what that picture represents, but it's basically suggesting that looking like a black person is a sign of hereditary criminality.

Eugenics grew out of 19th century scientific racism and was explicitly anti-misegenation and racist. Try and find me a picture of a black or jewish kid holding his Fitter Families award.

I have to agree there was plenty of racism, infact Woodrow Wilson who was president at the time of this game (or at lest close to it) was an overt racist.

My annoyance with this is they're obviously trying to make connections with Nazi Germany just to push buttons, but they're demonizing America in the process. Racism or not the government still allowed any race into the nation and still do.

Also that pic you posted was more of a remnant from an old idea that facial features or brain structure could determine if your a criminal or not. It's more focused on the face structure rather than the skin color. They had similar theories about caucasian facial structure.

 

[Daveman]

tbh I find it quite accurate because it's right wing nutjobs totally misunderstanding their source material and what it initially stood for, isn't that the point? Hell, isn't that the point of most portrayals of dystopia?

 

[Crazycat690]

America is extremely racist even today, even with a black president, actually all the protests did just show how racist people can be there. If I was black, I would even today be afraid to travel to the US.

Anyway, the US was VERY racist back then even, however do remember that the game do take place in an alternative dimension, you are in a flying city. Also, it's created by americans so I wouldn't think they hate USA lol. I'm not offended, the US have always been full of assholes, all the big allies have, they've just been lucky in finding bigger assholes to fight to make themselves look like heroes. The US failed on that point when they went on napalm bombing children and then showing footage and pictures from it lol.

 

[2fish]

snip

I wouldn't say close the the real thing, we were at war with these people and they happened to be foreign, we also portrayed the Nazies as ugly or demonic but they were white.

As long as the game portrays this as a corrupted version of the American belief system then it's alright, but I'm afraid they might make a modern day connection to imigration and just say that America is and always was evil.
There's enough hatred going on you know? No need to fan the flames with lies.

So I can be cruel as hell if they are white? Japanese were not white and he listed some of those posters... So confused.

Stop worrying about people thinking that America was always evil and what not it is a game a piece of fiction if you want some fun reading about America hating immagrants google Arizona SB 1070.

You count the game as lies? It is fiction just as there is fiction showing that all Russians are still in love with Stalin. I am sure some of our Russian member will tell you they are not like the Russians in video games.

Spoiler: your name says troll am I obligated to accuse you of being one?

 

[DarkRyter]

I believe the opening post has missed out on the point of the poster.

 

[Hammartroll]

Calm down. I dont think this is an attack on america, its just an attempt to create that HURR RACISM HURR WUT IF AMURICA WAS LKE THIS BUY OUR GAME HURR atmosphere that guarantees sales.

You know what else guarantees sales OP? Controversy. If, for some reason, it was in fact their intent to get people revved up you better ignore them instead of giving them more publicity. I couldnt give a flying fuck either way, I thought the first one was overrated, the second one was lacking in the story department with tacked on multiplayer and I suspect this game wont turn out too different.

Your right. I'm being a little bit reactionary and probably should wait for the game to come out, it's just I'm so sick and tired of people hating on America just for the sake for hating on America and then thinking they're so deep and profound for saying something that dosn't actually make sense.

 

[kokoska]

i cant believe this thread even exists, and whats more, can actually feel tangible anger welling up in me due to the direction this thread has veered. and the worst wart is that i have posted in it. i need to go punch a wall.

 

[Sammaul]

I can understand the problems you have with these ''portrayals'', so to speak, but aren't the -Shock games always in a 'what-if' universe?

 

[raankh]

I understand there was a eugenics movement in the United States some time in the 20s, but it's purpose was to breed out the crippled and mentally ill, basically burdens of the state, not promote a particular race; that was just the Nazies. So once again the game is wrongly portraying the US as racist.

You do realise you just tried to justify racial biology? You have missed the entire point of eugencis: racial hygiene. That is the reason for sterilizing, imprisoning or even killing cripples, mentally ill, handicapped, addicts and those of inferior genetics, ie race.

It's absolutely a big part of what the Nazis believed in during WW2, but Sweden and Australia kept up their eugencis activities until the early-mid 70's.

Its definitely racism and it was, and is, much more widespread than historical Germany.

I'm not even going to comment further on the "wrongly portraying the US as racist" when the facts that the US is racist are so blatantly obvious. Arabs? Chinese? Right, American's really love those two "races".

 

[Mark Flanagan]

No, It's propaganda. End of the day the US has a less than spotless record for racism especially during when this is set and even today isn't the shining beacon of the modern world it would like to pretend it is.

 

[Archany]

It's satire, the game is rather heavy-handedly showing that purism and segregation are wrong

 

[DracoSuave]

-other ranting snipped-

I know the US has been involved in some questionable activities both today and through out history, but to miscontrue us as total bad guys and disregard the strides in equality and humanity America has made is just looking at things in black and white and if anything, it's a sign that the creators of this game are victims of anti-American propaganda themselves.

It's an obvious work of satire for fuck sake.

If you can't understand such an obvious thing as that, you are not capable of judging the work... just like someone who cannot understand english is not capable of judging an english copy of Moby Dick.

 

[TheScientificIssole]

No.
And I've been ninja'd way too much to express why.

 

[dibblywibbles]

stop the huns! we must stop this vile propaganda from being made in a twisted fantasy world where there is a giant flying city! that's what I'm supposed to be upset about right? we get it. America is awesome(my neighbour to the south and I have genuinely fond feelings for each other), flying cities are stupid bourgeois racists, and propaganda should never be misleading and should be done in a just and balanced manner. like fox news.

oh and I guess to answer the question... no. there is not one bit of offensiveness in those posters.

and something off topic... ads in the stupid captcha thing on the bottom now? it was already inconvenient when you weren't trying to sell me laundry detergent. i like my gain thank you very much and I refuse to switch!

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Oh my god guys.. Did any of you see V for Vendetta? They totally misrepresented the UK! Our police have strict guidelines against brutality and yet in the film they totally went around mistreating people and putting black bags over their heads, and they implied that the government is racist! It's an insult, I say, an insult!

No, of course I'm not missing the point. It's totally offensive!

I understand there was a eugenics movement in the United States some time in the 20s, but it's purpose was to breed out the crippled and mentally ill, basically burdens of the state, not promote a particular race; that was just the Nazies. So once again the game is wrongly portraying the US as racist.

Are you fucking kidding me?

{spoiler]

[/spoiler]

It's probably not very clear what that picture represents, but it's basically suggesting that looking like a black person is a sign of hereditary criminality.

Eugenics grew out of 19th century scientific racism and was explicitly anti-misegenation and racist. Try and find me a picture of a black or jewish kid holding his Fitter Families award.

I have to agree there was plenty of racism, infact Woodrow Wilson who was president at the time of this game (or at lest close to it) was an overt racist.

My annoyance with this is they're obviously trying to make connections with Nazi Germany just to push buttons, but they're demonizing America in the process. Racism or not the government still allowed any race into the nation and still do.

Also that pic you posted was more of a remnant from an old idea that facial features or brain structure could determine if your a criminal or not. It's more focused on the face structure rather than the skin color. They had similar theories about caucasian facial structure.

I may be wrong, but wasn't Woodrow the one who said Birth of a Nation was really good and really true? If so, yeah...very racist.

 

[steampunk42]

i don't find it insulting. the bioshock games as ive seen it seek to represent a philosophy in each game. the first was objectavism. the second communism, this third one is xenophobism (its a thing) its just the next step, the idea of being afraid of new outsiders for fear they will take what we have worked for....sound familiar? =COU-immigration-GH!!!=...excuse me.

 

[Suicida1 Midget]

Bioshock is about an utopian society falling to pieces. Plus add in the back-in-time idea they tend to have and for the time period/ungrowing views would be correct. Its not offensive, just childish and ignorant that comes from the best thinking all els is a pile of (insert form of crap here)

 

[theultimateend]

Nothing Offends me anymore.

Also I think you've kind of missed the point of Culumbia. It may believe that it's a utopia for American ideals but also note that it is no longer part of America, it's separated itself from the main country. It's people have a screwed idea of what American ideals even are, they may not agree with mainland America.

Also note that many American people of today are racist and have a very right wing view on immigration, no matter what the history of the country may be.

EDIT:

Spoiler: Just some American propaganda

[img/]http://static.wix.com/media/34ec3eda09e012b44d962bccdd721ea6.wix_mp[/img]
[img/]http://andrikyrychok.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/tojo_like_careless_worker.png[/img]
[img/]http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/464750-4/American+Propaganda+_3_[/img]
Culumbia's pretty close to the real thing.

I wouldn't say close the the real thing, we were at war with these people and they happened to be foreign, we also portrayed the Nazies as ugly or demonic but they were white.

As long as the game portrays this as a corrupted version of the American belief system then it's alright, but I'm afraid they might make a modern day connection to imigration and just say that America is and always was evil.
There's enough hatred going on you know? No need to fan the flames with lies.

Racism isn't quite that simple.

It's not Black Vs. White.

Americans hated the Irish at one time too. I'd be willing to go on the stand and say Irish are white folks too.

Race is a little more streamlined than obvious color cues, it can be as simple as one group of people hating another because of differences in nose size.

"No Irish Need Apply."

I'm sure if Middle Easterners were white, but still wore the hats (or had an accent) we'd be hating on them too. Just instead of stabbing an Indian guy out of ignorance a racist would be stabbing an Ohioan out of ignorance.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Wow, your patriotic flute must be catching fire today (giggity), but even if you can't see the cracks in your perfect world do remember that you are talking about a game.

A fictional game with fictional events performed by fictional people... did I mention it's fiction yet? Can you now spot why it's not something to wet your panties about...

 

[Jumpingbean3]

I feel like you're forgetting one very important aspect: BioShock is intended to represent dystopic societies. Look at Rapture. It's an obvious perversion of actual Socialist philosophies.

Are you referring to the rapture in Bioshock 1 or 2 because I'm pretty sure Andrew Ryan was a laissez-faire Obectivist.