Square Enix Responds to "Racist" Deus Ex Character

[SyphonX]

Why do people like this exist.

Oh, you're offended by something that doesn't matter in the slightest? Oh, well, how about you shove a pineapple up your ass, because no one cares.

You're supposed to take 'offense' to something that matters. For instance, I take 'offense' when a government-payed law enforcement officer assaults a prisoner. I take 'offense' when politicians pass laws that benefit themselves at the great disappointment to the thousands of people that are affected as a result.

What I don't take offense to, are things like this. This person isn't really offended, not at all. What they're doing is latching on to the diluted mindset that makes them 'think' they should express themselves as being offended, because gee whiz 'someone must' or 'there will be no justice in this world'. Some people call it liberalism, but anyone with a modicum of sense knows it's something more than that. Call it manipulated emotions, or a concentrated effort at destroying the fifth estate from within. Whatever it is, I'll just call it bullshit.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

So a black woman with a Southern accent who is not in the best position financially is racist? I mean it's not like there might be black women from the South who are poor right? Nope, can't be, it's just impossible.

Sure, it's a fine line to walk. When does it become racist? When she's singing gospel music for now reason? When she's chowing down on KFC and watermelon? I don't know the whole context of the character, but I don't feel that having a character who makes sense (there are plenty of people of African decent in the US South, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them are poor) is racist. Sure it's rather stereotypical, but I don't see that as offensive. Even if I am a white male, I still think people are over-reaching.

 

[Blood Countess]

seems to me someone is just wanting to be offended so they have a story to write. I would bet some people do sound or talk like this in real life so should we exclude them cause it might offend? they wouldn't in a movie or book I bet, why should a game be judged differently then that movie or book? Sorry it's not offensive cause I see it happening in real life, grow up and deal with it

 

[Baresark]

***** *****, whine whine. Why does anyone pay an credence to that moron. The company should do the best thing they can do and not answer any of these people. You give credence to what they say by defending it. You should never end up on the defensive in a situation like this.

Edit: Also, this was not a broad portrayal of black folks, it was a defined character with actual speaking lines and interaction. If the black street walking NPC's were all like this, maybe. But not a single character.

 

[DementedSheep]

*sigh* having one character that fits a stereotype is not racist. There are actually people like that. When every character or most that belong to an ethnic group/religion/gender/whatever are being portrayed a certain way then there may be a problem but one character on its own is not. If you?re going to get in a rage every time a character is stereotypical you?ll be raging all the time.
Also many stereotypes exist for a reason.

 

[ACman]

I'm not sure that it's racist as opposed to utterly, immersion breakingly ridiculous. I've got no problem with the accent just with the amount of inflection placed on it. She's like the black version of the "Yes Guy" from The Simpsons.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Bah!

They didn't include a single painfully fake Aussie accent... You know, the one where the the director has said to the voice actor "Okay, do half-arsed cockney... right... now do it with extra nasal. Perfect."

Are you sure about that?
No one left Deus Ex unscathed.

Fuck, I was only thinking about DEHR and totally forgot that.

Now my ears are bleeding.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

So a black woman with a Southern accent who is not in the best position financially is racist?

With what she charges for information I'd hardly say she was in poor financial shape. Perhaps she's eccentric and likes rifling through bins.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

If every black person in Deus Ex was like her then, yes that is racist.

If you type in 'kkk 14/88' during the end credits after they've finished all the black NPC perform a musical number.

I'm almost certainly lying about that, though.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

You never hear about people getting up in arms about stereotyped white people. Why is that?

You need to troll more right wing forums if you think no one does.

 

[Yoshisummons]

That's not a Black racial stereotype, that originated from the impoverished white people speaking this way and African American's adopted it. Somehow the thing got attached to blacks, oh well. I want bad guy's to not use a British accent, it is racist and stereotypes very pale folk!

 

[agiganticpanda]

I'd say if that was the only black character in the game then it's not very smart on the developer's part. I'm white although I know there are plenty of negative stereotypes that people can drawn on but that doesn't mean people are speaking about me specifically.

Although the character is pretty easy and low brow to write, it's hard to write a gritty drama if you're trying to have all these characters be "civil" and PC.

 

[Helscreama]

I might also add, she's a trash lady, would it sell the character better if she spoke like an ivy-league graduate?

This was my first thought while reading the article.

I didn't see her and automaticly think "She's speaking like that because she's black"

I thought "She is homeless"

Why must people see racism everywhere?!?!

 

[kouriichi]

I am African american. I dont find this racist.

In fact, i LIVE in Detroit Michigan. I have for most of my life. I will tell you right now, i know half a dozen people who talk like that. Im related to several of them.

But it is great for a laugh.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

So a black woman with a Southern accent who is not in the best position financially is racist?

With what she charges for information I'd hardly say she was in poor financial shape. Perhaps she's eccentric and likes rifling through bins.

I just figured that she was rifling through a bin and asking for money that she needed to scrounge for finances/food. It could just be she's an eccentric though.

 

[Unhappy Crow]

I found the way she greeted him laugh-my-ass-off funny. Truth be told, I didn't find this scene offensive. It was just funny.

 

[dtthelegend]

1. Im from Florida and people talk like this here. I actually find her performance
to be better than some of the other voice actors they hired. She sells me on the idea
that she is there in the future talking to him rather than in a recording studio talking
about where to find a group of prostitute kidnappers.

2. Ive been to Detroit present day and this is how people are! There are
people huddled around trashcan fires. they talk like this.They sleep on the
streets and hate the cops. This game comes off as genuine.

3. It would be more offensive to me if the streets were filled with all "proper white folk"
because you would be ignoring the population of people who are like this and, by not giving
representation to those people, it would be like saying that those people are not
important enough to be represented. which would come off as bad.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Another case of "People need to just chill the fuck out."

 

[Masterdebator]

Pretty much have to be a completely ignorant tool to think this is racist.

 

[Moosejaw]

The best solution to this problem and to anyone who gets 'offended' at something that doesn't hurt anyone is to ignore them! Unfortunately that is not going on here and it should be happening far more often. Give these sorts of cries attention and they'll find a racist under every rock.