WotC WotC's Chris Perkins On D&D's Inclusivity Processes Going Forward

Over on D&D Beyond, WotC's Chris Perkins has written a blog entry about how the company's processes have been changed to improve the way the D&D studio deals with harmful content and inclusivity. This follows recent issues with racist content in Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, and involves working with external cultural consultants.

The studio’s new process mandates that every word, illustration, and map must be reviewed by multiple outside cultural consultants prior to publication.

Leveling Up Our Creative Process: Learnings From Spelljammer

In this blog post, I'll talk about how we in the D&D Studio are changing our review process following the problematic content that appeared in Spell...

www.dndbeyond.com

 

[AnotherGuy]

I fail to see how Sturgeon's law justifies offensive material.

You mistook my comment like I was justifying it. I just stated how things are.
You want to get upset about a pulp RPG product produced by a nothing-burger independent that may or may not make money off it (and it certainly won't be their last given their history), have at it.

 

[Umbran]

No, it was not implied, but that implication was certainly read into it by those looking to score easy buckets against strawmen arguments.

Mod note:
Please be more open to the possibility of readings other than your own being valid, and not due to faults in personal motivation. Because doing so is making it about the speaker, not the subject matter, which generally leads to argument.

That's a pretty arrogant reply, so are the days on internet.

Did you expect this to somehow make things better? You just bought into this being an ego-contest between you two, rather than a discussion of ideas.

Maybe, but let's put this in perspecitve: You are defending another poster's strawman argument that is being used to make smug pot shots at another poster, and moreover you are now making it personal against me by calling my post arrogant and brushing me off with a condescending passing remark that "so are the days on the internet."

And, similarly, this is hardly going to de-escalate or resolve the issue.

Folks, being forceful at people on the internet is not generally constructive. Work harder to avoid such a stance, please.

Overall, it is looking like both of you are on a fast road out of this discussion. Find a way out of your loggerheads, or take a break.

 

[Micah Sweet]

To be fair, I'm the first to have made a comment in similar vein to the poster you believe is making a strawman.
As for making it personal - I commented on your post which by the rules one is allowed to do. And indeed my first comment I explained how I saw it. There is nothing much for me to explain, my case has been laid out, but rather it is you who needs to explain how you interpreted their comment. See below


The original poster made a comment 1 or 2 posts after this post
"This reminds me a lot of what D&D has done with it's Medieval European influences in settings like the Forgotten Realms"
and then he went on to elaborate about the mashup of European cultures within the FR setting.

Why mention Ed's being originally from Europe? So a black man in Brazil is ok to write about all of African culture? or an Asian born in the States gets a free pass on anything Asian?

EDIT: Almost as if the book in question would be fine if one of the writers had a conversation with a Polynesian friend.

Well, we know that's not true. 1e's Oriental Adventures had Asian consultants, and it's been solidly bashed.

 

[MGibster]

On a deeper level, we run into the problem with re-defining terms. The problem with using euphemisms, or better terms for terms that have become fraught with baggage is this- if the underlying concept is unfavorable, then the term itself will eventually acquire the baggage. This happens over and over again.

This is known as the euphemism treadmill. Moron and idiot are good examples of how the euphemeism treadmill works. I read an article from 1927 where the author defends the intelligence of a man by proclaiming him to be a moron not an idiot. i.e. Someone who was a bit slow mentally but could function independently and hold down a job. But for my entire life, moron has only been used as a pejorative. Another example of the treadmill is the use of the phrase enslaved persons instead of slaves. It means the same thing, but these days, in many circles, slaves is dehumanizing while enslaved persons is more respectful.

Language changes with time and I don't have any real objections to the treadmill. I do find it amusing though.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Language changes with time and I don't have any real objections to the treadmill. I do find it amusing though.

the thing that gets me is when people get upset at things written before the treadmill moved... There is an episode of a TV show people like to call out for useing the R word... but in the time frame that WAS the way to say it. I had someone tell me Cher was racists for making a song with teh G word in it in 1971.

Even I who wants a BIG push to modernize anything made today will not call out something form 50 years ago.

 

[Micah Sweet]

the thing that gets me is when people get upset at things written before the treadmill moved... There is an episode of a TV show people like to call out for useing the R word... but in the time frame that WAS the way to say it. I had someone tell me Cher was racists for making a song with teh G word in it in 1971.

Even I who wants a BIG push to modernize anything made today will not call out something form 50 years ago.

There is a disturbing tendency among some people to try and force the past to look like the present.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

This is known as the euphemism treadmill. Moron and idiot are good examples of how the euphemeism treadmill works. I read an article from 1927 where the author defends the intelligence of a man by proclaiming him to be a moron not an idiot. i.e. Someone who was a bit slow mentally but could function independently and hold down a job. But for my entire life, moron has only been used as a pejorative. Another example of the treadmill is the use of the phrase enslaved persons instead of slaves. It means the same thing, but these days, in many circles, slaves is dehumanizing while enslaved persons is more respectful.

Language changes with time and I don't have any real objections to the treadmill. I do find it amusing though.

Another example that happened more recently is ...

Well, there's a term in music which people know. Ritardano. That's when you decrease (slow) the tempo.

Or, for that matter, you might have bought a fire retardant (or heard about it during various attempts to fight wild fires), to slow the spread of flames.

The underlying term was so unobjectionable that it was used to replace the prior terms you just mentioned in the '60s to refer to people with intellectual disabilities. The word itself was used as both slang on network TV (I can recall 2011 on SNL ... "wicked R-word") and a plot point (Mr. F was season 3 of Arrested Development in 2008).

But now it is considered a slur by most, such that it has been replaced. Again, this is language and it happens. But the real work needs to be done to address the underlying issues (what is signified) not just the words used (the signifier), or the new signifier will end up as pejorative as well.*


*I am reminded of hearing a highschooler recently use a term in a way that did not mean the past tense of speed and that I was not familiar with.

 

[Alzrius]

But now it is considered a slur by most, such that it has been replaced. Again, this is language and it happens. But the real work needs to be done to address the underlying issues (what is signified) not just the words used (the signifier), or the new signifier will end up as pejorative as well.*

Clearly we all need to take a lesson in tolerance from There's Something About Mary.

 

[Vaalingrade]

The existence of the euphemism treadmill is a monument to how hard people are working to put others down. "I can't use this term in public anymore? Well I'll just turn something ELSE into a slur!"

I guess it's more honest than 'free speeching' one's way to the N-word.

 

[darjr]

Well, we know that's not true. 1e's Oriental Adventures had Asian consultants, and it's been solidly bashed.

It didn’t have consultants so much as Japanese folks who were asked to read it. I think.

Nothing like a consultant of today.