The Animal Crossing Afro Puffs / Space buns controversy and questions over who can play as what in games

[Dwarvenhobble]

So for those who luckily don't know there's been a big controversy raging in the Animal Crossing community sparked by a single picture shared on social media.

This was the tweet that is causing all the controversy .



What followed was the girl being told they're not Space buns but Afro Puffs and that she shouldn't have her character in game wearing them because they're meant for people of colour and should probably delete the picture before people come after her.

Others called the other person out over the come after her comment and asked if they were saying they thought the girl should be doxxed over the hair they chose. The person then refused to say that she shouldn't be doxxed over her choice of hairstyle for her in game character.

People then did come after her for it as did release her personal info online which has caused an insane pile on against her for cultural appropriation. Also a number of those defending her too.

Some of the claims have been that people were doing "Digital Blackface" because their in game character avatars had darker skin than they did IRL. Others were apparently being accused of cultural appropriation for having Japanese style furniture in their homes in game.

Context / background:

Ok so it's probably important to add some context here.

There's been a push in the animal crossing community for more skin tones for the player character for a while and Nintendo gave players such options in New Horizons. However Nintendo just added skin colour options not hair styles popular among people whose hair tends to have different properties due to their heritage. Nintendo then added more hairstyle options for people to use but made them available or everyone regardless of skintone.

Back to it

It became such a thing that a Polygon writer wrote a piece about the controversey

https://archive.fo/9QJ0n

Some quotes from it

But what was meant to be an inclusive addition to the life simulator has turned contentious, especially as non-Black fans have started to appropriate and whitewash the hair options.

On social media, reactionaries have taken this opportunity to buckle down on the issue, often posting pictures of white characters wearing the afro puffs as if in defiance. Opinions on that phenomenon differ; some Black players have proclaimed they have no issue whatsoever and don’t care what other fans wear in-game.

“At least call them afro puffs if you must wear them,” says Animal Crossing fan Morgan, who has been enjoying the new update.

“So these people appropriated a hairstyle and renamed it so they could pretend it’s not a black style,” she continued in a Twitter message.

Liana K also did a video about the controversy more on about the targeting etc


So yeh over to you really.

Should certain hair styles only be allowed to be used by people using certain skin tones in game?

Should certain furniture be locked so only if you're from said region you can use it?

Should you have to play as a character like you otherwise it's somehow offensive by appropriating other peoples race / gender in game?

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Isn't this already a thread?

 

[Dalisclock]

Is this about turnip markets or something?

I don't actually know Animal Crossing but apparently turnips are a big thing. And this apparently.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons players are holding Tommy ransom to cancel their debt with Tom Nook

Poor Tommy

www.gamesradar.com

If you're wondering, no I don't care about the OP because it's dumb and you should feel bad for trying to make it a new thread when it already has one(and it's dumb there too).

 

[Dwarvenhobble]

Is this about turnip markets or something?

I don't actually know Animal Crossing but apparently turnips are a big thing. And this apparently.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons players are holding Tommy ransom to cancel their debt with Tom Nook

Poor Tommy

www.gamesradar.com

If you're wondering, no I don't care about the OP because it's dumb and you should feel bad for trying to make it a new thread when it already has one(and it's dumb there too).

Where is the other thread out of curiosity because it's not in the video game subforum seemingly

 

[Dalisclock]

Where is the other thread out of curiosity because it's not in the video game subforum seemingly

Can someone explain what's wrong with this?

Why is this of all things blowing up into some kind of huge controversy?

forums.escapistmagazine.com

Enjoy.

 

[Dwarvenhobble]

Can someone explain what's wrong with this?

Why is this of all things blowing up into some kind of huge controversy?

forums.escapistmagazine.com

Enjoy.

Will do lol

 

[Dreiko]

Apparently they ended up doxxing this girl too? It's pretty ridiculous what people will make a mountain of. You don't own your hair or your appearance. It is baffling that the people who are supporting of people who want to transform their bodies into forms they identify with would be against people transforming their hair into forms they identify with simply because other people have laid claim on them.

Is this the dreaded gatekeeping I hear about?

 

[CriticalGaming]

Isnt the whole point of games is to play as all different kinds of people and characters that arent like you in real life.

I mean, i dunno if you guys know this, but im not really a spartan marine. I just play one in halo.

Or in a more realistic sense, im not basketball player therefore playing as Lebron James in NBA2K is racist apparently.

Has virtue signaling gone far enough?

 

[BrawlMan]

Isnt the whole point of games is to play as all different kinds of people and characters that arent like you in real life.

I mean, i dunno if you guys know this, but im not really a spartan marine. I just play one in halo.

Or in a more realistic sense, im not basketball player therefore playing as Lebron James in NBA2K is racist apparently.

Has virtue signaling gone far enough?

All I can say the best option is just to stay off Twitter. You're always going to have these people that act like they're fighting causes, and act like "heroes" when they're not even putting in much effort into it or something so simple. at the end of the day you got people that are so insecure or pathetic that they have nothing better to do but hate on others for perceived slights that aren't even there. The best you can do is always call out others for their bull crap and defend those that can't defend themselves.

 

[CriticalGaming]

All I can say the best option is just to stay off Twitter. You're always going to have these people that act like they're fighting causes, and act like "heroes" when they're not even putting in much effort into it or something so simple. at the end of the day you got people that are so insecure or pathetic that they have nothing better to do but hate on others for perceived slights that aren't even there. The best you can do is always call out others for their bull crap and defend those that can't defend themselves.

Im not really Aerith either so i should probably change my avatar .

 

[BrawlMan]

Im not really Aerith either so i should probably change my avatar .

You do not need to be Aerith to do that. I am not Adam Hunter, but I won't let that stop me.

 

[CriticalGaming]

You do not need to be Aerith to do that. I am not Adam Hunter, but I won't let that stop me.

Good cuz i like aerith. She makes me smile.

 

[Dreiko]

Isnt the whole point of games is to play as all different kinds of people and characters that arent like you in real life.

I mean, i dunno if you guys know this, but im not really a spartan marine. I just play one in halo.

Or in a more realistic sense, im not basketball player therefore playing as Lebron James in NBA2K is racist apparently.

Has virtue signaling gone far enough?

You are not allowed to play as a spartan anything if you're not greek, and for that matter stop appropriating our democracy. Off to the king you go.

 

[Hawki]

All you Aeriths and Adam Hunters...I'm a platypus and no-one can tell me otherwise!

Anyway, remember when the biggest socio-political controversy over Animal Crossing was about Tom Nook, and whether it was capitalistic propaganda?

Good times...

 

[Drathnoxis]

We need not one, but two threads on this -_-

This is current events isn't it? I feel like this should be in the current events dump.

 

[BrawlMan]

Anyway, remember when the biggest socio-political controversy over Animal Crossing was about Tom Nook, and whether it was capitalistic propaganda?

How was that a thing?!

 

[ObsidianJones]

Is this an outrage of smaller, equal size, or larger than the dust up over Abby?

I mean, there's a lot.

Gamers Are Mad a Woman in a Video Game Has Muscles

Don't worry, almost anyone can have big arms like Abby in 'The Last of Us: Part II.' Here is how she probably would have done it.

www.vice.com

crossfit women - Google Search

Oh, disregard that last one. That's my fap material and in no way shows that women can actually have arms like that.


This feels like a case of selective outrage. And that's fine. But this is literally the second thread made just for the Afro Puffs. Abby's "non-typical body type" arms and the rage along with it doesn't seem to have a single thread.

Sure, it might have been discussed in the TLOU 2 thread, but I don't see a separate thread about Abby's arms. No issue about literally hundreds or more gamers going out of their mind that a woman can have muscles with Crossfit exists, but we have to continue to think about Afro-puffs.

How do we all go on?

 

[Wintermute]

Some people need to be told to shut up more often.

 

[Hawki]

How was that a thing?!

Oh don't get me wrong, it wasn't an actual incident. I've noticed that it's a running gag that Tom Nook is a greedy capitalist/mob boss/whatever, and given that all flora and fauna have value in-game, it represents capitalism's commodification of everything.

It's people taking it too seriously, but having fun, knowing that they're taking it too seriously. I think. I've never played Animal Crossing.

 

[Dreiko]

Is this an outrage of smaller, equal size, or larger than the dust up over Abby?

I mean, there's a lot.

Gamers Are Mad a Woman in a Video Game Has Muscles

Don't worry, almost anyone can have big arms like Abby in 'The Last of Us: Part II.' Here is how she probably would have done it.

www.vice.com

crossfit women - Google Search

Oh, disregard that last one. That's my fap material and in no way shows that women can actually have arms like that.


This feels like a case of selective outrage. And that's fine. But this is literally the second thread made just for the Afro Puffs. Abby's "non-typical body type" arms and the rage along with it doesn't seem to have a single thread.

Sure, it might have been discussed in the TLOU 2 thread, but I don't see a separate thread about Abby's arms. No issue about literally hundreds or more gamers going out of their mind that a woman can have muscles with Crossfit exists, but we have to continue to think about Afro-puffs.

How do we all go on?

I think the difference is they doxxed this girl for not submitting to them and apologizing for this.