What We Lose When We Eliminate Controversial Content

[Umbran]

If people did exercise their brains a bit more ...

Mod Note:
Arguments of the form, "If you actually thought, you'd agree with me," are not acceptable.

If you can't accept that a reasonable person can't still come to have a different opinion than you, it is probably time for you to disengage from the discussion. We expect folks here to extend rather more basic respect to others than you are doing now, so if you intend to continue, we need you to step it up a bit. Thanks.

 

[bloodtide]

I think the worse thing we loose when we eliminate controversial content is that it simply hides it. Once the eliminate and cancel all the content they want to get rid of....what will be left? Nearly all media from before 2010 will be gone. Nearly all the classic movies and books would be gone.

You'd even have to get rid of the list of really good media that opposes the content. After all it can be taken in the wrong way. And what if someone was to only watch the first part of the media with the "bad stuff"? The only way is to get rid of it all.

I guess they might keep the stuff in the history books?

And RPGs? Guess they would just have box like characters that moved through random landscapes?

And after a generation? Well, you would have people growing up knowing noting of the "content".

And it's BAD enough RIGHT NOW. Ask the typical person nearly anything about nearly anything and they might know a bit of vague facts. Even big important things and major things.

It will all just be gone....hidden away like it does not exist.


But it does.....

 

[Umbran]

You are painting "Playing D&D" as "embracing a racist world view that personally is disgusted in my children" and thats not even a remotely accurate concern.

Mod Note
No he is not. And the distances to which you are stretching the statements of others is becoming a problem. If you cannot keep from making these hyperbolic restatements, you should probably step away from the discussion. Thanks.

 

[Justice and Rule]

I think the worse thing we loose when we eliminate controversial content is that it simply hides it. Once the eliminate and cancel all the content they want to get rid of....what will be left? Nearly all media from before 2010 will be gone. Nearly all the classic movies and books would be gone.

You'd even have to get rid of the list of really good media that opposes the content. After all it can be taken in the wrong way. And what if someone was to only watch the first part of the media with the "bad stuff"? The only way is to get rid of it all.

I guess they might keep the stuff in the history books?

And RPGs? Guess they would just have box like characters that moved through random landscapes?

And after a generation? Well, you would have people growing up knowing noting of the "content".

And it's BAD enough RIGHT NOW. Ask the typical person nearly anything about nearly anything and they might know a bit of vague facts. Even big important things and major things.

It will all just be gone....hidden away like it does not exist.


But it does.....

Is anyone actually acting like this is what is being asked for or is going to happen?

 

[Umbran]

There's a strange irony here where something so anti-natural (even in a game setting) as a zombie horde is described as being a force of nature.

So, back when the zombie horde was a stand-in for the Cold War, I'd agree with you.

Today, without what folks thought of as a brain-washed, unthinking power trying to sweep the globe, more and more zombie-stories cast the zombies as a way to return the Earth to a state without humans in it, or as nature run amok due to our meddling.

Like, climate change driven hurricanes are still forces of nature.

 

[Justice and Rule]

So, back when the zombie horde was a stand-in for the Cold War, I'd agree with you.

Today, without what folks thought of as a brain-washed, unthinking power trying to sweep the globe, more and more zombie-stories cast the zombies as a way to return the Earth to a state without humans in it, or as nature run amok due to our meddling.

Like, climate change driven hurricanes are still forces of nature.

I think also the difference is that we have very long-form zombie stories where zombies have basically become part of natural life, compared to older stories where we never got to a point where you could re-form society while the zombies were around.

 

[Scribe]

I thought Zombies were consumers....

 

[bloodtide]

Is anyone actually acting like this is what is being asked for or is going to happen?

Is it not though? Right now WOTC, for example, wants to remove Slavery, Race and anything relating to real world cultures. That is already a LOT.

But the game is full of all sorts of other controversial content, so that all must be targeted too.

 

[Justice and Rule]

Is it not though? Right now WOTC, for example, wants to remove Slavery, Race and anything relating to real world cultures. That is already a LOT.

I mean, it is not, though. Moving away from the word "race" is just changing a word for most people. I don't think Wizards has talked about removing slavery but in this thread I think it's largely been critiquing the poor usage of slavery as nothing more than set-dressing. Slavery is never explored meaingfully but seems everpresent in a lot of the material, if only in passing (3 of the genie types are defined by how they treat slaves and servants). Also I don't know what you are talking about when it comes to relating to real-world cultures: Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel clearly use real-world cultures as inspiration, so that fear seems unfounded.

But the game is full of all sorts of other controversial content, so that all must be targeted too.

That seems like a very slippery slope you're climbing...

 

[Thomas Shey]

Well, this does explain why we are not going to agree here. Including Cosby on a list of inspirational comedians is a non-starter for me. Sorry, serial rapists don't get to go on inspirational lists. Nor do massive bigots who think my children should be killed.

But, I respect your point of view, although I will never agree with it.

Just a note: influential /= inspirational. All kinds of awful people are influential.