[QUOTE="KobukSohn"]

[QUOTE="Snipes_2"] You do know Africans were the ones that sold each other and took them from their homes right? They sold each other to the Portuguese. Snipes_2

Just because one group did it on a smaller scale doesn't excuse another for doing it on a much larger, somehow even more oppressive scale. You're now making excuses in favor of slavery.

It doesn't even have to be the Portuguese. It doesn't even have to be slavery itself. Think of Belgian colonists in the Congo.

For me, what makes racism racism is a genuine hatred for other races. Capcom did not make this game because they hate African Blacks and wants to kill them. Its just the setting, the white character is the main character from the first game. There is nothing racist about it.

You can be an insensitive prick towards someone's history, but thats not true racism.

Zerocrossings

In all honesty, people who see a white man killing black people are the ones who are racist. I just see a dude killing zombies. Why is the lead a white male? Because he is a character from RE 1 a white male killing other white people. Do you want to write a 1000 word essay about this imageary? Because he killed white zombie people who often had no hair and looked frail. I can argue this imagery is shocking as it reminds us of the holocaust. But why was this white male lead from RE1 in RE5? Because the game features Jill Valentine a white heroine in RE1 who is a villain in RE5. Now Chris and Jill have a background so there's a sub-story plot going on here as well as tension when you have to face the possibility, your once friend is trying to kill you... do you kill her? Furthermore Wesker is in RE5 and Chris the lead white male from RE1 being in RE5 means he's not fighting some random evil villain, but a long term foe to add to the story. Let's explore this further. Wesker...sounds german... and he's white...and he's a villain.... Racism? And he's responsible for unleashing zombies and other foul creatures into Africa. You could argue the game is portraying white folk as evil then. You could come to that conclusion if you were really really into over-analyzing things to try and find hidden messages which don't exist. Catcher in the rye? Onto African zombies. In the heart of Africa...if there was a zombie apocolypse. Would you honestly expect to see Norwegian zombies running around in football shirts? Or would you think if the game is set in Africa, in a remote rural village, you will see Africans from a rural setting? I would think you'd encounter the latter. Moving on. The female heroine in the game Sheva Alomar is black and is portrayed as an intelligent and skilled individual an EQUAL to Chris the white male. Despite being of a different race, even a different SEX. She is equally up to the task. But no one will write a 1000 word report on how this shows both cultural equality as well gender equality.... or maybe the game devs were implanting hidden messages about women being just as good in combat as men? Or maybe they just wanted a female companion for some more sales, increased sexual tension and make the largely male audience playing as chris think "oh crap i gotta save her!" should sheva ever get into trouble. and likewise in reverse for when sheva rescues chris. Que African male hero, the guy from BSAA who's name escapes me. He works in a multi-cultural task force and everyone dies except him. Now can we over-analyze this and suggest the game devs wanted to show the superiority of Africans in comparison to Caucasians as he survived but his white colleagues did not? Or maybe in Africa... you're going to have a guy...who's... African...working in an organizations African branch? And it's of course highly likely that not 100% of everyone in the area was turned into a zombie or monster. Que second male white villain. Again, the same thing for wesker. White people are evil now then? Moving on. There's no fat people whom are heroes in this game.... why not? I also don't see any businessmen getting around as zombies in this game... oh I get it... this is a right wing ultra nationalist anti socialist game. See, they are saying only lower class persons can be zombies. Good hard working upper class folk can never be zombies. You can pick up any game, book, listen to songs, look at art and if you think long and hard and over-analyze it enough you can find any meaning you want out of it. You can interpret it however you want. Is this a game set in Africa with zombies? Yes. No one complains about Crysis killing Koreans or aliens? Hmm aliens...foreigners... illegal aliens perhaps? Oh gee, maybe crysis is now this right wing immigration bashing game? I mean, its a white male lead killing koreans and aliens right? and the aliens are a metaphor for illegal aliens? you could read it that way.... couldnt you? Now I'm not trying to insult anyone here or offend anyone. But honestly, it's just a freaking game guys. If they WANTED to be racist you can be 100% sure it would be really, really obvious. It'd be about as subtle as avatar with its one dimensional characters. It's just a game, there was no intent to make a racial comment. If you see a white man killing black men, that's your hang up. All I saw was a hero and heroine killing monsters.Jaguar_Shade

There are some of the better responses in this thread. I can agree with the first post, but not really agree with the second. Still, there's not much I can say to the second that hasn't already been said. I appreciate good, well thought-out answers, and these two definitely were.

[QUOTE="KobukSohn"]

Did you even read what I had to say in the first post, or did you just gloss over it with a blind devotion to your preconceptions about the topic?

Guybrush_3

Yeah I read it and I'm still not buying it. You are showing obvious preferential treatment of one group over another.

Please tell me how by specifically addressing the points I made.

[QUOTE="KobukSohn"]

[QUOTE="PeaceChild90"]

Women were oppressed by men for thousands of years. Does that mean we shouldn't have female zombies that can be killed?

Seriously, this is a stupid argument. It's just a video game.

Snipes_2

Women weren't rounded up and killed by the bushel by male colonists invading their homelands.

Just because one group did it on a smaller scale doesn't excuse another for doing it on a much larger, somehow even more oppressive scale. You're now making excuses in favor of slavery.

Well, the way I see it is Chris is the main character for a reason. He is a popular character who goes back to the first game. Maybe I should move this to the GGD board.Travo_basic

I see what you mean, but it doesn't make it any better than having a popular Middle Eastern character drive a commercial airplane into a NYC skyscraper on a suicide mission just because he was a popular character. There's still that imagery there.

Then again, if you don't see a problem with that sort of thing, then I can see that you're at least being consistent.

Women were oppressed by men for thousands of years. Does that mean we shouldn't have female zombies that can be killed?

Seriously, this is a stupid argument. It's just a video game.

PeaceChild90

Women weren't rounded up and killed by the bushel by male colonists invading their homelands.

[QUOTE="KobukSohn"]

[QUOTE="Travo_basic"]I thought the other protagonist was a black female.Guybrush_3

That's a good point, but I already mentioned that somewhat in my first post. You still control a White male for most of the game gunning down mostly Black Africans. Like I said, the inclusion of the Black supporting character and the White African zombies softens the blow somewhat, but the impact is still there. At least that's how I feel, I'm not forcing you to feel how I feel.

Additionally, I recall a level in which you're fighting through grass mud huts shooting Black men in loin cloths and grass skirts who throw spears at you. Take that as you will.

This doesn't make the European stereotypes in the fourth game any less ridiculous, but then again, just because people didn't complain about a similar problem the first time around doesn't mean a certain problem doesn't exist at all.

People didn't complain about it, because it is ridiculous. Also, Chris Redfeild was a returning character from a previous game, it makes sense. The fact is if you are complaining about this game and are not and were not complaining about 4 you are showing a double standard, period.

Did you even read what I had to say in the first post, or did you just gloss over it with a blind devotion to your preconceptions about the topic?

[QUOTE="KobukSohn"]

I love how neither of the above discuss what I have to say, and instead go on about whatever they want without considering the first person's response.

Zerocrossings

Well you did post a wall of text.

I do agree we should be sensitive to history. But damn its a video game set in Africa. What do people expect to kill there?

So I'd be correct in assuming that Gamespot is filled with ADD-riddled children jacked up on sugar who can't take a few minutes to read my post? People on the friggin' Mordor website have more courtesy than that.

I thought the other protagonist was a black female.Travo_basic

That's a good point, but I already mentioned that somewhat in my first post. You still control a White male for most of the game gunning down mostly Black Africans. Like I said, the inclusion of the Black supporting character and the White African zombies softens the blow somewhat, but the impact is still there. At least that's how I feel, I'm not forcing you to feel how I feel.

Additionally, I recall a level in which you're fighting through grass mud huts shooting Black men in loin cloths and grass skirts who throw spears at you. Take that as you will.

This doesn't make the European stereotypes in the fourth game any less ridiculous, but then again, just because people didn't complain about a similar problem the first time around doesn't mean a certain problem doesn't exist at all.