Square Enix Responds to "Racist" Deus Ex Character

[Travza]

I think before anyone can really qualify or make statements about whether or not anything listed here is racist we need to restate what racism actually means.

rac·ism

noun/ˈrāˌsizəm/
The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, esp. so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.

http://www.google.com/search?q=define%3A+racism&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a#hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=iX2&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&q=racism&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=aWhgToC7CMi4tweyzrQS&ved=0CCMQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=fe4d51c11f0a28fa&biw=1024&bih=558

Carry on.

 

[deonte9109]

First thing first Im black and Ive played thru Deus Ex. I remember seeing Letitia and talking to her. I was surprised by the accent of her voice but wasnt offended. Now if she said she was a watermelon eating, Soulja Boy listening, cotton picking black then yes I would feel a little. I find it funny that in society (American as far as I know)the only time somebody is considered racist is if they are white and "discriminate or stereotype" another ethnicity. Prime example, ethnic comedians (almost all of them) have or will make a joke about white people or anybody else that in normal conversation would be considered racist. Yet if a white person was to say something like that (exception of Daniel Tosh I think)they would be considered racist.

 

[Rastrelly]

No, I... I just do not uderstand. Black zombies are offensive? WTF, then white or asian zombies are offensive too, no? Stereotypic black janitor is offensive? Everdrunk aggressive stereotypic russians are no less offensive! People, a simple activation of brain indicates: today offensive is a fear to be offensive, nothing more! There are adequate moral basics, and some things should not be tolerated due to harmful effect, but RACIAL problem must be solved NOT by "defending" someone with removing everythibg that may be "offensive" for him! Racial question is solved by raising tolerant generation, which honor each others culture, religion etc.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Sorry, didn't mean to put words in your mouth, I was just being a bit speculative for emphasis.

I hear what you are saying, but do you mean that it's OK to have these accents only if you are making a commentary specifically on racism?

Or are you saying these accents only existed in 1930's Georgia? Because many will testify that residents of Detroit even today speak with such inflections. It's not racist to hear such accents either in real life nor in fiction... PEOPLE ACTUALLY SPEAK THIS WAY!

If a work of fiction is all the similarity there is, I say that is similarity enough.

And again, you're putting words in my mouth. What I am saying is that there is a world of difference between a work of fiction set eighty years in the past in the real world American South and one set twenty years in the future in a fictional American North, and using one to make a point about the other is disingenous.

Also, I defy you to find anyone who actually speaks that way. I've found people who sound a little bit like that, but no actual, real person who talks like Letitia does. Maybe I'm wrong in this, and I just need to look harder, but I don't think that I am.

 

[oktalist]

"Letitia talks about people losing jobs and homes, going on to say that the city feels likes its going to explode. If things were different, if Letitia was at all recognizably human, you could read those chunks of text as either a reference to the infamous 1967 Detroit Riots or the current discomfort created by the global economic downturn. The potential metaphorical depth that DXHR could hold in that moment gets squandered by the character delivering it."

No need to single out those two examples of socioeconomic problems and unrest. It's reflective of a phenomenon that has been ever present throughout the world since the industrial revolution. The intellectual depth can only be squandered by the person interpreting it.

 

[Deimateos]

It's not like they're all going around eating chicken and watermelon.

Interesting note, that stereotype (and many others) actually originated from misinformation.

 

[neoontime]

What year is this again? 2011? For a second I thought it was 2000, with people bitching about racism.
50 bucks says the critic was black.

You are not really helping.
OT: I first saw the video and it did seem kind of strong at first but sounds way better as she goes along. Besides, this isn't the only black character in the game, so this is the only one that really catches that stereotype.

 

[DustyDrB]

Yeah...I'm echoing the sentiment that it isn't racist. There are many people who speak that way. If you think this is racist, then you haven't been out much. Mind you, I've spent a much larger than average time around low-income communities and the homeless. It was pretty much daily during college, when I was volunteering in almost every way I could.

 

[Ubermetalhed]

Same person who criticised Resi 5's zombies... this person should shut up.

Although that voice actor/actress (I can't tell if its male or female at times) is absolutely insane. What person talks like that?!?

 

[itf cho]

If you listen to the clip you'll notice that her accent is much less pronounced in the middle of the dialogue than at the beginning and very end. To me this comes across as someone who is intentionally magnifying their accent to have a little fun with the person they are speaking with.

The same way as I've done, as I'm from Maine, when speaking to someone and I play up a Downeast accent, that is much exaggerated from my normal accent.

 

[Dr Jones]

When is the last time a GERMAN was in a name and NOT a nazi? Hmmmm?

Gunther Hermann in Deus Ex

 

[Treblaine]

given that literally every other black person in the game speaks normally (NPC and Main quest), I fail to see it as racist.

Normally? What's normal?

You mean speaking like a BBC newsreader? What is "normal english"?

 

[Frostbite3789]

The game has much bigger problems than that. Racism in a videogame is par for the course, anyway.

The industry better watch it though, you're little jabs at African Americans is gonna bite you in the ass one day. And the bigots on the game sites can't keep sweeping it under the rug.

Yeah, every character in games should be gray colored individuals of indiscriminate gender, who talk in computer-y robot voices.

I want you, in depth to explain to me how it's racist. She isn't the only black character to appear in the game. Is it suddenly not racist if she's Asian or white? God forbid we have a homeless person speak in uneducated English!

All the prostitutes sound pretty ridiculous, but some of them aren't black, so I guess that makes it not racist.

 

[harvz]

am i racist for knowing someone who speaks like that? seriously, lately all ive been hearing is "this guy is racist because of some reason" and "this character is racist". dear world, loosen up. i dont get offended when people say that i ride a kangaroo to the market to buy myself a knife.

 

[Atary77]

Typical double standard as usual. If it was a Caucasian character that was say, wearing a trucker's cap , a Nascar half t-shirt with his beer gut exposed, missing teeth, chewing tobacco, and spoke in southern twang that even Larry the Cable Guy would have trouble understanding... then no one would have a problem with it. They'd simply laugh at the White stereo type. Because that's just socially acceptable when really it's just as racist to depict a white person like that.

And for the record I'm east indian myself and I could care less if they had someone like Apu from the Simpsons in this game. Cause I'd find it humorous. Bottom line I have no problem with this. And people often forget that racism is a two way street.

 

[Baneat]

Hey.

The Deus Ex vocal racism is funny as hell to me. Breaks my immersion a bit. But makes me laugh.

I, personally, didn't feel that anyone should be offended, then again...I'm a white male.

Besides, remember the accents from DE1?

Yeah...

IN DA FRESH is much worse than WEELLLL SHEEEEIITT

 

[t4nz1t]

I'm a bit surprised by the response.

To me, Leticia's speech and demeanor seemed much more consistent with mental illness as heard through the filter of an admittedly exaggerated accent.

A better explanation is the game writers tried for "Crazy homeless person" and failed because stupid Canadians are crappy ass mooks at video game development.

Also, please keep in mind that African American Studies professors tend to be a bit prickly about perceived race issues. But that's fair reaction, I guess, since America hates black people.

 

[pandorum]

Haters will always find something to hate no matter what just ignore the silly little idiot.