Resident Evil called 'racist video game series'
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Sep 24th 2007 at 11:10AM }
The author only covers RE4 and RE5 in declaring the series racist. For RE4 he says its Spaniards have "stereotypical Mexican accents" and that RE5 "could be a training video for a white supremacist race war or another U.S. military adventure in one of the increasing numbers of deserts on the planet." Beyond the Resident Evil series there is a rehash of the Haitian controversy from GTA: Vice City -- although the author is way off in his timeline calling GTA: VC "this year's most popular video game."
There's a lot more "racist" issues brought up, but the article really stands as great piece to highlight how even when you introduce diversity to gaming, it's not just the extreme exclusionists who get upset and don't understand why there are women, gays, non-whites in games, but the extreme inclusionists too. Although in the inclusionist's case they want a rosy picture painted of the non-majority group; however, that's boring for narrative, unrealistic and in the end racism really depends on context. There are more moderate views on race issues in video games and that really shouldn't be forgotten. The AlterNet article is just so weird in its "one step forward, two steps back" presentation, we can't help but share.
[Via GamePolitics]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
SnesR0X @ Sep 24th 2007 11:19AM
To whoever made that article, you're an idiot, you're a dumbass, and indeed are racist yourself if you think Resident Evil is racist. Can't you stop looking at colour, bitch?
pete @ Sep 24th 2007 11:31AM
If we ignore it, it will go away. Let's not overemphasize the importance or relevance of idiotic articles on "Alter-net." I just want me some sweet zombie next-gen murder. Make them green, or blue, or black, or white, or tan -- whatever. Just make them relentless and worthy of blazing death.
upz @ Sep 24th 2007 12:29PM
Nothing like a sensationalistic, badly researched anti-video game article to bring fanboys of every creed together.
See? We CAN be one big happy Joystiq family!
Andrew DeMaio @ Sep 24th 2007 3:02PM
You can right away that this article has no credability as soon as "Kung Fu" is mentioned, a game that is over 20 years old that was made by Asians.
Fernando Rocker (NDF - Water Ring) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:21AM
Im mexican. Resident Evil 4 doesnt have any mexican spanish accent. Its Spain spanish.
nook @ Sep 24th 2007 12:15PM
I am hispanic and this auther has no idea what the fuck he is talking about. Fernando is correct.
Andy @ Sep 24th 2007 12:23PM
Author * sheesh
upz @ Sep 24th 2007 12:25PM
What about the accents of those dustballs on the PSP commercials? Now those were stereotypes! Yet no one got upset except for the PSP owners that actually care about how their handheld is being marketed. Come to think of it, what about that bee from the nasal allergy commercial? I guess subtle racial stereotyping isn't offensive unless you put it in a video game, even if it isn't there in the first place.
Nushio (NDF - Blue) @ Sep 24th 2007 1:38PM
Mexicans, unite!
Bandera de México - Verde!
darklink (NDF - n00b ring) @ Sep 25th 2007 10:23AM
@ upz
That was messed up. A few people noticed though:
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=192
bean @ Sep 24th 2007 11:22AM
isn't it more racist to have only white zombies? I know that I, as an American of Mexican origins, would be deeply offended if I had to kill only white zombies everytime umbrella was up to no good.
beans @ Sep 24th 2007 11:30AM
I think it's about time RE met it's affirmative action quota.
Farseer @ Sep 24th 2007 11:34AM
But hasn't White Zombie been dead since 1998?
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:35AM
They only use White Zombies because Black Zombies try to steal the other zombie's brains and Mexicans Zombies are all too busy stealing jobs from the out-of-work White Zombies.
They also don't use French Zombies because they're big pussies who just stand around and get shot.
Farseer @ Sep 24th 2007 11:36AM
But hasn't White Zombie been dead since 1998?
oz @ Sep 24th 2007 1:05PM
You wouldn't be offended because being of Mexican orgin you're probably not white- much like the Spaniards, Portuguese, Greeks and Turks.
"White" is Northern European descent - for example, the British, Irish, Scandinavia etc.
bean @ Sep 24th 2007 1:11PM
you're not getting it, I would be offended because they didn't let the minority zombies play...
kingrottenboy @ Sep 24th 2007 11:22AM
the truth is RE games are made by japanese people, and as a generality they have thier own way of looking at the world and other cultures. I wouldn't go as far as calling the developers racist but considering the Japanese population is very inclusive it wouldn't surprise me how some people would think that. but that shows how little that person knows about Japanese culture.
the game is being filtered through a japanese perspective of that culture. That in itself is very unique to that culture.
I by no means am a fan of the culture, every time I go I always hear the word gajin, they don't seem to understand that we know what the word means.
beans @ Sep 24th 2007 11:26AM
yeah...I totally know what you mean, like when I go to some other city and people call me a tourist...shit...that's so fucking accurate and annoying, it's like they don't understand that I can look it up and find out what it means.... (*sarcasm)
Farseer @ Sep 24th 2007 11:35AM
sorry, replied to wrong poster... my bad!
Farseer @ Sep 24th 2007 11:36AM
OK, the reply system is officially FUBAR.
Phoenix @ Sep 24th 2007 12:10PM
Gajin is Japanese for artist, or painter. Most commonly used to refer to manga artists.
xyz @ Sep 24th 2007 1:04PM
what the hell are you trying to say here? the only part that made any sense was your last couple of lines.
jopojelly @ Sep 25th 2007 12:23PM
think he meant "gaijin" there
FrankTheCrank @ Sep 24th 2007 11:22AM
I'm still waiting for a Resident Evil game that introduces new Japanese characters who are terrible drivers, squint, wear glasses, say "herro" and are always carrying around a camera around their neck.
I'll buy that one.
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:25AM
lol
pantankerous @ Sep 24th 2007 11:24AM
I swear when I saw that RE5 trailer the first time I KNEW this type of nonsense was gonna happen....white protagonist gunning down a bunch of infected African villagers? Wasn't there someplace else Capcom could have gone with this series?
I mean those Africans in the video look all too much like the imagery we see all the time of poor and suffering displaced people in war-or-famine-torn regions of Africa for real...
Plus the thought of Japanese writers and artists doing these depictions of African characters has a certain bit of cringiness to it, no?
JodyAnthony (VGDF) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:25AM
they are hatians. the game takes place in haiti.
Skippy @ Sep 24th 2007 11:32AM
Sorry dude. Next time, Capcom will make a game about killing white folk (RE1,2,3, code veronica, etc.). You know, just so we don't OFFEND people.
God I wish I could time warp to 50 years in the future. Race won't matter then: it's gonna be those fucking cyborgs who cry foul.
Aden_Nak @ Sep 24th 2007 11:25AM
Come on, now. Not this tripe again. Though at least the comments over on AlterNet tore the author to shreds:
"Its comically absurd shrill like this that gives the progressive movement a bad name and a great example of how if you go far enough left, you start sounding just like the nut jobs to the far right."
"You make an article talking about racism, yet you also say Spanish people speak "Mexican", I don't think its even possible for you to be any more stupid."
"This article is so uninformed I have trouble believing it is a mistake. I'm all for getting people riled up against racism but let's not be dishonest in attempting to do that."
"When will alternet authors write us an article about journalists in lack of inspiration who need to bash video games or TV to pay their bills?"
vidGuy @ Sep 24th 2007 11:24AM
Pong was racist because you hit a white ball at a black table!
Seriously, racist people will find racist scenarios in anything.
T3H WICKERMAN @ Sep 24th 2007 11:24AM
Ha ha gta: vice city most popular game of the year! KUNG-FU what a moron. Guess its a good way to get your sites hits up. So kung fu the tv series is not worth mentioning as being racist but a fucking game from the 80s is? What a topical article 20 YEARS AGO. Does this tool even have a degree in journalism?
JodyAnthony (VGDF) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:24AM
the author of this article can suck my ass.
T3H WICKERMAN @ Sep 24th 2007 11:26AM
Gremlins 2 "Do you know how to work a camera?"..."Work a camera, I AM A CAMERA!" I love when people look for racism instead of healing they only promote it.Why? $
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:31AM
Haha! I watched that move just a few days ago! It's one of my all time favorites!
I wish they'd make Gremlins 3.
...with a trash talking 'hood Gremlin.
xyz @ Sep 24th 2007 1:04PM
Grade A reference!!
Neosuper8 @ Sep 24th 2007 11:28AM
Come on Alexander. Yeah the writer on that blog is way off base, but I think that you missed the point about inclusiveness in gaming. Having an ethnic minority as the fodder for executions and slaughter is not a matter of diversity. The few minorities in games are usually thugs, athletes, or the token big black guy like Cole Train. That is not inclusion by any definition. Stereotypes abound.
When we get a AAA title like Resident Evil with a minority in the leading role and on the box cover then we can say that things are changing.
beans @ Sep 24th 2007 11:32AM
yeah, cause that will be totally real...next RE is going to take place in disney world's "it's a small world after all" ride...
blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:34AM
re5 has one of the stars guys, and he's in africa to go after more zombies. who happen to be black, because the population of africa is mostly black
where's the racism? i don't see it
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:36AM
Last time I checked, blacks were not a minority it Haiti.
Don't call "Racism" in a game about zombies taking place in the land where zombie legends began, which just so happens to be populated by people who are a minority in america.
Its not racism. Its geographical accuracy. If we're getting to the point where media can't pick a location to set their fictional world in because they'll get called racist, then we're way past racism being the new witch hunts.
Yeah, I said it. Calling someone a Racist or a bigot now is just like calling them a witch back in Salem. This has gone on long enough.
Farseer @ Sep 24th 2007 12:02PM
How about a AAA title like GTA:SA?
HineyWipe @ Sep 24th 2007 11:28AM
I would speculate that gamers are NOT racist. Unless hatred toward the infected zombies to kill with "extreme prejudice" is defined as racist.
"It's a freaking game! It's not real! Jeez!" How easy it is to yell racist, and run. What a screwed up writer of a screwed up, twisted article.
Example: Gears of War is a good case of "a not racist game" unless prejudice against the "grubs" is thus so. (I liked Augustus "Cole Train" Cole's character and his commentary).
However, I do find more evidence of racist remarks on Xbox Live, where the "n" word is prevalent (and used by delinquents and minors...playing games not intended for such ages).
Brian @ Sep 24th 2007 11:31AM
The only way people are going to stop this ridiculous playing-of-the-racism-card crap is when we are all blind, deaf, and dumb...
Or zombies.
baby sea tuna @ Sep 24th 2007 11:31AM
Yawn.
Wake me up when people are no longer a bunch of PC crybaby pussies.
Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:37AM
Hope you got a cryogenic chamber if you plan to sleep that long.
DarkTetsuya @ Sep 24th 2007 4:48PM
"Not goin' anywhere for a while? Grab a SNICKERS(TM)."
But seriously, don't hold your breath. You'll suffocate.
Besides you should know the rules by now: if it's white enemies its ok, but any other color = not ok.
ArcticFox @ Sep 24th 2007 11:31AM
so, it didnt bother them in resident evil 1-3 when gamers were killing "white" zombies, but now there are black zombies they are whining?
Get a life.
Gamebreaker @ Sep 24th 2007 11:32AM
The main character's name is Leon, after all, not Steve.
What more do the equal rights groups need?
samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Sep 24th 2007 11:37AM
Are you saying that if his name was Steve, he'd be gay?
T3H WICKERMAN @ Sep 24th 2007 11:32AM
This trailer made many people uncomfortable and why? Do we think racist thoughts and stereotypes viewing it? Do we see hostile alien black faces or are we seeing them portrayed that way? Does the fact that this makes some people squeamish suggest inherit racial fears in ourselves or is it born out of a familiarity of past stereotypes? Regardless this trailer illicts an unusual response that should be used to confront these ideas and offer an insight into how we are thinking. That said I RE is my favorite series, and I hope they keep challenging the player and audience. I dont want comfort in games I want to think and be challenged.