Whore of the Orient Title Deemed Racist by City Councilor

[The_Echo]

Spoiler: Oh shit

I'm pretty sure the term "Orient" isn't offensive at all. "Oriental," perhaps... maybe.

You can't call someone an Orient... that'd be like if you called me "America."

 

[Adamantium93]

In further news, "Middle East" has been found to be offensive to people living in South-West Asia and "Down Under" has now been banned from use to describe Australia.

Seriously though, its a word that means "East". Hence why you "Orient" a map ie find out where the hell East is.

 

[Joel Bridge]

Whore of the Orient was less glamorous nickname for Shanghai during this time period.

 

[Anthadlas Babyeater]

I live in Britain and have therefore deemed the term "Brit" to be racist.

It doesn't matter if it is actually racist but I think that I might find it offensive, so on that basis everybody has to stop using the word, even if it is used in a non racist context just incase I decide I am offended again.

 

[salfiert]

I dunno I wouldn't have considered it that bigger deal, but the guy is clearly offended, and if enough Asians do find it offensive the I see no problem with them complaining to get it changed, let the outcry speak for itself, if no one else is making noise it'll die down in no time, but all a bunch of spoiled kids shouting 'lol get over it' on the internet isn't really gonna help.

and really orient was something associated with colonial times, and I don't thing there's anyone who wouldn't agree the west did some baaaad things in asia over that time period. so why can't a word strongly associated with a painful time period be considered offensive?

 

[KOMega]

I'm pretty sure the term "Orient" isn't offensive at all. "Oriental," perhaps... maybe.

You can't call someone an Orient... that'd be like if you called me "America."

idk... I'd definitely take offense at being called American
i keed i keed.

Anyways, I did not know Oriental was a racial slur in the days of old.
I wonder why it never carried over.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I knew that name would cause some kind of controversy when I first heard it. I have also heard that "orient" or "oriental" is not a politically correct term. Considering I thought it was just a term for a region and not so much a racial term, I didn't see why it would be considered racist. That being said, if it is meant to be a period piece, it should not be changed so quickly.

 

[Skeleon]

I knew using the word "Oriental" to describe a Chinaman[footnote]I kid, I kid...[/footnote] was politically incorrect, but in this context? It's not referring to people. Heck, depending on the content of the game (i. e., say it takes place about a hundred or more years ago), I'd consider it completely justified. Just like with works like "The Orient Express", which are, basically, period pieces. It shouldn't matter whether it's a movie, a book, a game, whatever. But then I'm an Occidental, so I may simply not be able to really understand.

 

[Mr F.]

So decided to check Wiki about the word Orient:

Australian English
In Australian English, the term "Asian" generally refers to people of East Asian or Southeast Asian descent, such as those of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, or Filipino descent. Persons of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and most other South Asian descent are referred to by their respective demonym, but without explicit knowledge, those people are indeterminately inferred as "Indian."
The word Oriental, in place of Asian, is seldom used in colloquial conversation in Australia and is understood, but considered anachronistic rather than offensive.

Honestly something has to have offensive intent to be considered offensive to begin with,

Heh, you are such a ******. (I am not actually calling you a ******, I am using the term as an example of how offense can be caused without meaning it. I have heard said term used as greeting however I would never use said term. I feel a bit guilty for even typing it, what with being bisexual and getting that kind of crap a lot. I would like to apologise in advance if I have caused offense, although it would to a degree prove my point.) Wait, I was not intending to offend you. Does that mean the term ****** is no longer offensive?

Can we please drop this stupid idea that offense has to be intended. Saudi men do not "Intend" to be sexist when they treat women like shit, forcing them to cover up is actually a sign of respect! Under the same logic, Saudi is not a sexist nation.

This idea is simply wrong.

It is very easy to be offensive without knowing it. Sometimes you have to educate yourself in order to stop giving offense.

if this game is set in a date where this word was used in normal conversation or a derogatory term for that time period that is required to creative as close as possible replica of that time period, it's no way considered offensive because it's where it belongs; in the past.

Yeah, so we do not have to bring it up. See, Empire Total War was totally and utterly lacking in slavery. That was not a bad thing. It belonged in the time period the game was set in, but it was removed. Cause it would be utterly offensive.

Company of Heroes is remarkably devoid of the slaughter of Jews and has remarkably few Swastikas. I am pretty sure (Its been a few months since I last replayed the campaign) that the entire game goes by without mentioning Hitler. As you are playing as the Germans. See, Empire Total War didn't have constant references to Niggers and slaves, Company of Heroes did not have constant references to Aryan Superiority and the Final Solution. Just because it happened in a time period doesn't mean it needs to happen in a game set in the time period. [/quote]
It's a poor form for a cry of censorship from someone who probably doesn't even know anything past the title, and if he/she does his/her opinion is of poor intent because if this were a movie, he/she wouldn't bat a fucking eyelid.[/quote]

You never know. They quite possibly would.

Now, as a White Brit, I had no idea that the term Orient was... Particularly offensive. I have never used it. However, considering it refers to the era of colonialisation, I could quite easily understand if Chinese people find it offensive. That time was a period of the Opium wars and generally the west beating the shit out of/exploiting China. If people find it offensive, its offensive. It would not be hard to change the name of the game to something that people would find less offensive. Seriously.

It is very easy to state that someone is being thin skinned and blowing shit out of proportion when someone is coming from a position of privilege. Honestly, if the title is offensive to people, just change the title. "Censorship" is when the government stops you from producing something, not when someone takes offensive and threatens to report you to the human rights commission. Honestly, lets wait and see, if the HRC decides that it is offensive and should be changed, it will get changed.

tldr; You can cause offense without deliberately trying to cause offense. If he thinks this is offensive you can be damn sure someone else will think it is offensive. If it is integral to the game to be called "Whore of the Orient" then the publisher will take it to the HRC and battle it out there.

 

[DC1]

"Orient" isn't racist. Keep the name because I doubt this petty filing or complaint will do anything.

 

[Your Fearless Captain]

Come some actual Asian confirm that this is offensive? I've never heard "Oriental" used in real life other then the restaurant near me called "Oriental Restaurant".

 

[Anthadlas Babyeater]

The human rights commission? So not being offended by a game is a human right now?

I think people need to realise the difference between offensive and insulting.

Some people may consider the title offensive, but offense is taken not given. It is the choice of the person looking at the title to take offense. The title wasn't created with the purpose of being offensive.

People seem to think that just because they take offense to something it gives them the right to demand that it be changed to suit them better whilst infringing on the right of the artist who created it to express themselves.

 

[Use_Imagination_here]

Called it.

Whore of the Orient?

Well that title seems certain to get changed before release. Leaving aside the obvious, 'Orient' is a somewhat archaic term, and regarded as mildly offensive by some these days.

If I knew it two years ago then sure as shit so did the developer, and if he didn't... well, he should have and he does now. Let's not mount our hobby horses for another round of the Free Speech Crusade. He knew this was going to cause offense.

Okay what? You are aware of the several dozen or so companies and products with the word orient in the name? Why are these not an issue?

Go on google with the word orient and see what you get. I got TWELVE separate company names, in the first 2 pages. Is this SERIOUSLY an issue? And if yes, how the HELL is it this neglected in every are except this particular game title?

Could someone who's actually FROM asia (or an asian australian) please confirm that it's offensive? Because untill such a time I'm calling complete bullshit.

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

I demand that Occidental College be renamed because the term occidental is racist against us landed whites and it makes me feel uncomfortable.

 

[Wereduck]

I live in Britain and have therefore deemed the term "Brit" to be racist.

It doesn't matter if it is actually racist but I think that I might find it offensive, so on that basis everybody has to stop using the word, even if it is used in a non racist context just incase I decide I am offended again.

Actually, it's even stupider than that.
A beter analogy would be "I find the term 'brit' offensive so nobody can use the name 'Britain'".
I believe people should make an effort to be aware of and avoid using emotionally charged terms - it's really just another part of being polite - but this is simply asinine.

 

[ckam]

Huh.

I know "orient" and "oriental" are old terms, no longer used and probably not considered correct, but I didn't know they were considered racist or offensive or whatnot. I always thought it was just an old word for Asia.

Is this a widely held view, or is this chap just being a prat?

Speaking as an Asian, I haven't heard that word used in a while, but I suppose if someone calls me an "Oriental" for no reason, then I'd probably take it as an insult. In any case, there are other words that I deem are more offensive to my racial background, but whatever.