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The Art and the Artist: Discussing Problematic Issues in D&D
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<blockquote data-quote="BookTenTiger" data-source="post: 8524254" data-attributes="member: 6685541"><p>I think this is a very interesting post that pokes at a lot of interesting issues. I'll briefly say that I go through this experience a lot with music: Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, and a lot of other favorite musicians all have huge issues... and yet are still important to me. As you said, it doesn't have an easy answer.</p><p></p><p>D&D is in an interesting spot because it is a game, a toolbox, a tradition, and its own genre.</p><p></p><p>Because it is a toolbox, it is giving players a kind of palette with which to create their own art. If those tools include racist or misogynistic tropes, then those tropes are being used again and again and again by players and DMs. It's like if Picasso was an art supply retailer and all his paints were named "Be Cruel To Women Blue" and "Take Your Mistress To The Beach With Your Family Yellow." I truly believe WotC has a moral responsibility to not provide players with rules or materials that recreate prejudice.</p><p></p><p>On the other hand, D&D is a tradition. People are often able to handwave prejudice when it comes from tradition, in art and culture and their own lives. When my friends and I played d20 Conan, it included a warning that the rules were not balanced and the material was not cleaned of prejudice, because the book was meant to recreate the world of Conan. Whether that's the right move or not, the game was justifying their decision based on the value of tradition.</p><p></p><p>Finally, D&D is a genre. That means it's not the product of a single creator. And we are seeing new artists in this genre create things that don't carry forward a lot of the old biases of the original creators. And in 20 years, we will see new creators make things that don't carry forward the biases of this generation! Lovecraft is a great analogy here. A lot of modern Lovecraftian art uses the xenophobia and paranoia to comment on racism and prejudice, rather than practice it.</p><p></p><p>I honestly think WotC have been good stewards of D&D. I think they've made a lot of efforts (and some mistakes) in attempting to make D&D more inclusive, open it to a broader audience, and respect a diversity of voices. It's exciting!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BookTenTiger, post: 8524254, member: 6685541"] I think this is a very interesting post that pokes at a lot of interesting issues. I'll briefly say that I go through this experience a lot with music: Nina Simone, Cat Stevens, and a lot of other favorite musicians all have huge issues... and yet are still important to me. As you said, it doesn't have an easy answer. D&D is in an interesting spot because it is a game, a toolbox, a tradition, and its own genre. Because it is a toolbox, it is giving players a kind of palette with which to create their own art. If those tools include racist or misogynistic tropes, then those tropes are being used again and again and again by players and DMs. It's like if Picasso was an art supply retailer and all his paints were named "Be Cruel To Women Blue" and "Take Your Mistress To The Beach With Your Family Yellow." I truly believe WotC has a moral responsibility to not provide players with rules or materials that recreate prejudice. On the other hand, D&D is a tradition. People are often able to handwave prejudice when it comes from tradition, in art and culture and their own lives. When my friends and I played d20 Conan, it included a warning that the rules were not balanced and the material was not cleaned of prejudice, because the book was meant to recreate the world of Conan. Whether that's the right move or not, the game was justifying their decision based on the value of tradition. Finally, D&D is a genre. That means it's not the product of a single creator. And we are seeing new artists in this genre create things that don't carry forward a lot of the old biases of the original creators. And in 20 years, we will see new creators make things that don't carry forward the biases of this generation! Lovecraft is a great analogy here. A lot of modern Lovecraftian art uses the xenophobia and paranoia to comment on racism and prejudice, rather than practice it. I honestly think WotC have been good stewards of D&D. I think they've made a lot of efforts (and some mistakes) in attempting to make D&D more inclusive, open it to a broader audience, and respect a diversity of voices. It's exciting! [/QUOTE]
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