Resident Evil 5 Coverage Reignites Racism Debate

[Nikajo]

look, the main problem this time isn't that the zombies are black, its the scene wherein ORDINARY black people were being brutal. Then again, thats just humans no?

my thoughts exactly. if a black guy came across a bunch of white ppl beating up sumbody it wouldnt be any different. i never understand why ppl think that going on and on and ON about racism is gonna make it go away? if everybody just ignored the colour of everybody elses skin racism wud fade out, and maybe we cud all just get on with it rather than perpetuating the mind-set/sterotypes.

Whitehead goes on to describe a moment later in the game where a white blonde woman is violently dragged off by black men, a scene he says is completely irrelevant to the plot, that plays "so blatantly into old cliches of the dangerous 'dark continent'...you'd swear the game was written in the 1920s."

No offence, but if you'd visited Africa, you'd see it was pretty much like this or Farcry 2. Remember that little GENOCIDE thing no one was paying attention to? Yeaaahh... It's not racist just because it involves Africans. Read an international webpaper for a change, believe it or not there's plenty of chaos in the world that doesn't involve Iraq.

So... all of Africa is "pretty much" full of the dreaded dark-skinned Others dragging off young blonde white women?

-- Alex

I dont think hes saying that the violence is directly attributed to skin colour, more that there is alot of violence in Africa due to the state of politics/whos in charge over there. I cant claim to be an expert on this, or even really kno that much about it, but my ex always used to tell me of stuff that was going on all over that continent. As far as im aware the state of things is still pretty bad over there, its just human nature nothing to do with their skin colour. lets face it, how many violent yobs are there in this country? (England)

i havnt seen much of the game so i cnt really comment on whether or not it comes across as racist. i expect it will still get released tho regardless. video game companies want their money and no amount of PC zealots will stop that.

Pipotchi:-

At the risk of being labeled a racist myself, isnt this kind of violence endemic in large areas of current day Africa? Assault of Pro-democracy types in Zimbabwae, ethnic cleansing in Darfur, Somalia is going to hell. I am not saying that all Africa is like this or that all Africans partake in these activities but this level of violence does occur so I dont see how showing something similar is racist?

I wouldnt say it was racist to give sum facts about wots actually happening in Africa. Anybody that calls you a racist for that is a complete moron and shud maybe go and look up wot racism actually means!

 

[Alex_P]

I dont think hes saying that the violence is directly attributed to skin colour, more that there is alot of violence in Africa due to the state of politics/whos in charge over there.

And that's why what he's saying has next to nothing to do with what the reviewer is talking about: the reiteration of old-school tropes from, like, the era of silent movies and segregation.

-- Alex

 

[RebelRising]

So...being black is racist now?

 

[Nikajo]

I dont think hes saying that the violence is directly attributed to skin colour, more that there is alot of violence in Africa due to the state of politics/whos in charge over there.

And that's why what he's saying has next to nothing to do with what the reviewer is talking about: the reiteration of old-school tropes from, like, the era of silent movies and segregation.

-- Alex

i think i see wot ur saying. i guess it comes down to whether or not u feel that the game is promoting the old school-tropes or if its just supposed to be depicting the general state of africa at the moment.

i get the feeling that the game developers shud've been a little bit mor careful with the stuff they chose to put in the cinematics. ppl get very easily offended these days, i'll admit that in some cases tho it is justified. i despise OTT PC crap. really shud go and actually watch the traiers at sum point lol!

 

[Rath709]

Carol Thatcher will love this game.

 

[Pipotchi]

Carol Thatcher will love this game.

Zing for the topical British humour!

 

[Alex_P]

So...being black is racist now?

Any depiction of blacks or Africa that's based on standard tropes and cliches is at least moderately racist. Because the standard tropes and cliches themselves are inherently racist.

So, in order to create a not-moderately-racist narrative about blacks or Africa, you have to work a little bit harder instead of just using the standard cliches.

-- Alex

 

[Grand_Poohbah]

People need to quit crying about this.

 

[The-Big-D]

This arguement needs to just die and be left alone already.

Sure if Chris Redfield was going around in white sheets, screaming out about white supremacy holding a burning cross and curb stomping the black man. I might just consider its racist.

But its set in Africa, you aint going to find a bunch of white guys living over there are you! Everythings so racially argumentative and everyone being so PC about everything.
So it was ok to let Leon Kennedy run amock in Spain and thats not racist to?

How about next time someone makes a game about shooting spanish peasants or killing the white man wel pull the race card out then as well.

Its really pathetic, its a game, there infected and are zombies.
Who gives a shit!

 

[ProfessorLayton]

Ugh people just need to calm down. There are bigger things to worry about than some game with racism in it even if there is no racism.

 

[Finnboghi]

I don't find this issue to be complicated. In every field except car keys- literature, sociology, history- people always find what they are looking for. I could rant all day on this subject, but I find this outlook on race relations quite disturbing, especially in regards to literature, new and classic.

I will say this much, though: All the races of humans have virtually identical DNA. They are indistinct. We're made of the same stuff, and history demonstrates we are all capable of the same savagery or goodness. So why can only whites be portrayed as evil? I'm tired of being the punching bag, to be quite honest.

You, sir, are nothing short of my new hero.

It seems you have to cross most of the internet to find someone who actually sees the double standards in the Western world for what they are.

 

[Gubbinz]

The notion that X is only racist if the people doing X are of a different race/ethnicity/whatever than the people targeted by X, is, it's self, racist.

 

[AgentNein]

The notion that X is only racist if the people doing X are of a different race/ethnicity/whatever than the people targeted by X, is, it's self, racist.

So it's racist to be aware of race, and the different connotations that go along with different races?

 

[EnglishMuffin]

This is sick, how dare there be black people in africa. This is as ridiculous as there being spaniards in spain.

This argument takes away from actual real racist acts happening worldwide. This also makes Eurogamer look like a joke, like peta.

So are they saying its alright for white people to kill only white people and black people to only kill blacks?

If you start seeing everything as racist it really detracts from the true racism out there, like the motherfuckers threatening to kill president obama for being black. See that is racism.

 

[Alex_P]

So are they saying its alright for white people to kill only white people and black people to only kill blacks?

NO THEY'RE NOT SAYING THAT READ THE GODDAMN ARTICLE ALREADY!

 

[Steelfists]

This is one of those cases where white people's opinions really don't matter. If black people are offended by it, then its a problem that needs to be adressed. If they aren't, then its a non-issue.

Speaking generally there, not trying to refer to black people as a massive hive-mind sharing one consciousness.

 

[cainx10a]

This is one of those cases where white people's opinions really don't matter. If black people are offended by it, then its a problem that needs to be adressed. If they aren't, then its a non-issue.

Speaking generally there, not trying to refer to black people as a massive hive-mind sharing one consciousness.

I think the biggest problem here, is not racism, but lack of empathy on the gamers' side.

 

[AgentNein]

The notion that X is only racist if the people doing X are of a different race/ethnicity/whatever than the people targeted by X, is, it's self, racist.

So it's racist to be aware of race, and the different connotations that go along with different races?

Seriously. Let me give you a little thought experiment. I'm making a movie, it's a drama and it stars a black guy, an asian guy and a mexican guy. The black character is lazy and loves watermelon, the asian guy is really good with computers and math but can't drive, and the mexican guy is sleeping all the time. Lets say all this is done in complete seriousness, without any sort of satire going on. Completely not self-aware.

Okay, then lets take those same basic character ideas, take the black guy and make him asian, take the asian guy and make him black, and take the mexican and make him white.

Do you see why one would be considered racist, while the other probably wouldn't? It's very obvious to me. Because one appeals and plays towards longstanding stereotypes, and one doesn't.