WotC Older D&D Books on DMs Guild Now Have A Disclaimer

If you go to any of the older WotC products on the Dungeon Master's Guild, they now have a new disclaimer very similar to that currently found at the start of Looney Tunes cartoons.

We recognize that some of the legacy content available on this website, does not reflect the values of the Dungeon & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. This content is presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and we strive to make our D&D products as welcoming and inclusive as possible. This part of our work will never end.

The wording is very similar to that found at the start of Looney Tunes cartoons.

Edit: Wizards has put out a statement on Twitter (click through to the full thread)

 

[SkidAce]

...snipped..

• Othering or exoticizing foreign cultures and persons, including fictional ones.

Isn't that the definition of exotic? I hear your point, but it seems like foreign cultures are exotic from the viewpoint of those not in them, and vice versa.

I agree with no othering, or making them seem less "real" would be bad also.

Just a thought, no argument intended,

 

[guachi]

How does everyone feel about McDonald’s putting a label on their coffee saying it’s hot because 1 person?

What parallels can be drawn from that to this discussion?

Nothing. Nothing can be drawn. McDonald's didn't make one person's coffee hot, it was company police to make everyone's coffee hot. If I'm always racist, does it make me not racist if only one person complains?

 

[Mirtek]

and nobody is disadvantaged because they're American.

Depends on the time and place.

This: is unfortunately not just a random joke.

Back during the early 2000s I did hear from a couple of american colleagues that they felt much less welcome when visiting us (not from us, but from the general population when going out) than usual. Several said that if they would avoid stating to be from the US when getting into small talk with natives.

Fortunately the wave of anti-americanism has mostly passed.

 

[MGibster]

The conventions I helped with had to specifically make sure there was room in all aisles of the dealers room or the hallways that met ADA guidelines for any attendees in wheelchairs. And even though there was always a general "no pets" policy, we had to make sure we did not violate the laws about allowing service animals. And there is plenty more beyond that to comply with as a private convention at a private site (hotel) that is open to anyone who buys a pass to enter.

In the interest of clarity I think you and Windjammer are talking about two different things. When it comes to events that are open to the public, as most conventions are, you are absolutely correct that it is illegal as hell to discriminate on the basis or race, disability, national origin, gender, etc., etc. But if someone were to start the Asshat's D&D Club and choose to exclude people based of their race or gender, well, that's perfectly okay in the eyes of the law. Just so long as it was genuinely a private club and membership wasn't open to the general public.

On the flip side, many venues wouldn't rent space to the Asshat's D&D Club because those spaces have their own non-discriminatory policies they follow.

 

[VelvetViolet]

Isn't that the definition of exotic? I hear your point, but it seems like foreign cultures are exotic from the viewpoint of those not in them, and vice versa.

I agree with no othering, or making them seem less "real" would be bad also.

Just a thought, no argument intended,

Exoticizing as a verb is supposed to be synonymous with Othering as a verb.

 

[Cadence]

Isn't that the definition of exotic?

Exoticizing as a verb is supposed to be synonymous with Othering as a verb.

From the OED -

exoticize, v.

transitive. To make exotic; to glamorize; to treat or portray as unusual (often with the implication of romanticization, stereotyping, or condescension).

1982 E. H. Kim Asian Amer. Lit. iv. 91 The exoticized depiction of Chinatown life presented in Wong Fifth Chinese Daughter present only a partial picture of community life.

1995 New Scientist 9 Sept. 41/2 The days in which anthropology consisted of travelling to faraway places exoticising difference and coming back to talk of ‘what the natives do’ are over.

1999 Jrnl. Consumer Res. 26 218 The voyeuristic consumption of the exoticized native other and native cultures was further generalized..through popular cultural representations.

2001 Wire June 10/3 Creating an arena that uses female musicians as the primary organising category..may..contribute to the problem of women musicians being exoticised and marginalised because of their gender.

 

[Umbran]

How does everyone feel about McDonald’s putting a label on their coffee saying it’s hot because 1 person?

When that one person suffered third degree burns requiring skin grafts?

When discovery showed that McDonald's required franchises to serve coffee at 180-190F, and coffee at 180F will produce 3rd degree burns on skin in 12 to 15 seconds, and 190F at three seconds?

When documents obtained for the trail showed that the company had received more than 700 reports of people burned by McDonald's coffee to varying degrees of severity, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000?

When their quality control manager testified that these settlements were not sufficient to make McD's change their practices?

So, basically, when that one person in the lawsuit was proven to merely be a signifier for hundreds before her who had also been injured, with the company doing nothing?

Yes, interesting to consider the parallels....

(cite - Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants - Wikipedia which matches many other sources, basically showing there was nothing at all frivolous about the suit, if you care about the pain of people...)

 

[Eric V]

(cite - Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants - Wikipedia which matches many other sources, basically showing there was nothign at all frivolous about the suit, if you care about the pain of people...)

Well, there's the rub...

 

[Umbran]

Well, there's the rub...

Yeah. I chose the phrase purposefully.

 

[FrogReaver]

When that one person suffered third degree burns requiring skin grafts?

When discovery showed that McDonald's required franchises to serve coffee at 180-190F, and coffee at 180F will produce 3rd degree burns on skin in 12 to 15 seconds, and 190F at three seconds?

When documents obtained for the trail showed that the company had received more than 700 reports of people burned by McDonald's coffee to varying degrees of severity, and had settled claims arising from scalding injuries for more than $500,000?

When their quality control manager testified that these settlements were not sufficient to make McD's change their practices?

So, basically, when that one person in the lawsuit was proven to merely be a signifier for hundreds before her who had also been injured, with the company doing nothing?

Yes, interesting to consider the parallels....

(cite - Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants - Wikipedia which matches many other sources, basically showing there was nothing at all frivolous about the suit, if you care about the pain of people...)

i think you missed my point.