Racially diverse artwork in D&D...does it influence you?

[Snoweel]

IME, having limited interaction with people of differing cultures means you take your views from popular media, and generally popular media is very stereotypical. YMMV, obviously

Obviously my milage does vary - in my experience (and yes I'm aware it is merely my perception of my experience) popular media tells us that people of different cultures are exactly the same as us, only with different clothes and food.

Which, for many impressionable and sheltered white youths, translates to exactly-the-same-as-us-only-more-interesting.

And hence why so many youths from the whitest, most middle-class suburbs have such romanticised views of OTHER CULTURES.

Because they've never actually experienced first-hand the culture clashes common in more working class towns and suburbs.

but I don't think that growing up in a predominantly X environment generally makes people MORE open-minded.

Oh it doesn't.

But here you are equating tolerance with open-mindedness. Surely you'd agree that unquestioning acceptance of an ideology does not make one open-minded, no matter how noble that ideology seems to be on the surface.

 

[Imaro]

I would just like to point out that Magic: the Gathering has very racially diverse art. Teferi is black, people from the entire Mirage setting were black, and even 10th edition art has a decent mix.

edit: Which means I don't think WotC ahs any cultural agenda as such, either PC or purposefully not using racial diversity.

Ravellion, just wanted to comment on your edit real quick... I don't know if that can be inferred from MtG having more diverse artwork. Aren't the cards bought sight unseen? So really I don't think the MtG artwork is considered the same way artwork for D&D is.

 

[eyebeams]

Fun Fact: Ursula K. LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea (and sequels) were deliberately written to reflect the world she grew up in, which was predominantly non-white. So there's at least one classic work of fantasy where the hero was intended to be non-Caucasian.

The Sci-Fi Channel adaptation, of course, cast Ged as white. And hey, we've got the upcoming Prince of Persia movie with the Jake Gyllenhaal in the title role.

By compare, making a deliberate inclusion for more ethnic diversity in art doesn't even come close to "offensive" to me. I far prefer the attitude of "Hey, there are plenty of white heroes, so let's create some more to reflect the rest of the human race" to "Really, we need a white lead so people will consume our product."

These two examples really highlight why diversity is important. The default whiteness of fantasy stereotypes is distorting representations of real fantasy literature. The genre is actually suffering for it.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I really don't think there is any intent involved, really.

There is an old saying- "A man makes his mark at his eye-level." meaning that someone marking a trail will mark it in a way that catches HIS eye.

When game designers choose art for their products, they're probably envisioning the archetypal heroes of their own cultures...and since 90%+ of game designers have a predominantly American/Eurasian cultural & caucasian ethnic background?

I think we can all do that math.

Which is why, though I may be disappointed in the ethnic diversity of game art, it doesn't influence my purchases.

(Well, barring anything offensive, that is.)

But it clearly does influence others, and should probably be on a checklist of editing considerations.

 

[mmadsen]

The default whiteness of fantasy stereotypes is distorting representations of real fantasy literature.

The default whiteness of fantasy is perfectly in keeping with its roots in medieval romance.

Further, most of the racial variety of Tolkien-esque fantasy is pretty clearly taken up by the not-quite-human races of elves, dwarves, orcs, etc.

 

[Ravellion]

Ravellion, just wanted to comment on your edit real quick... I don't know if that can be inferred from MtG having more diverse artwork. Aren't the cards bought sight unseen? So really I don't think the MtG artwork is considered the same way artwork for D&D is.

A possible agenda can be inferred from WotC picking and placing the art. The fact that the distribution channel for cards means a certain percentage of cards is bought sight unseen is IMO not relevant. The secondary market also, is huge, and people often buy boxes of boosters, knowing full well what the art style of that particular set will be.

 

[Imaro]

The default whiteness of fantasy is perfectly in keeping with its roots in medieval romance.

Further, most of the racial variety of Tolkien-esque fantasy is pretty clearly taken up by the not-quite-human races of elves, dwarves, orcs, etc.

Uhm...what? Really, what? I've tried to stay pretty neutral in this thread about people's opinions, but this is absurd. So all of fantasy has it's roots in medieval romance? Yeah ok, whatever. Just to let you know a statement like that does a big disservice to alot of cultures, or shows how narrow your readings based on other cultures may be. In either case, fantasy has roots much deeper than what you claim.

Now Tolkie-esque fantasy, you might have a point...But D&D isn't just based on Tolkien-esque fantasy...how about swords & sorcery, where regardless of how they are portrayed there are representations of cultures besides those that are euro-centric?

 

[Afrodyte]

It does influence my purchasing decisions.

If there's a setting or supplement that treats diversity as the norm I'm more likely to take a closer look at it than one that seems like "Medieval" European Knockoff #47 (or worse Pseudo-Tolkien Setting #635).

I connect better with settings where I can play a character who looks like me without having to justify it.

It doesn't mean I don't like Middle-earth and some settings inspired by medieval Europe (I own most of the History of Middle-earth series, and I'm a huge fantasy movie buff). But the preponderance of White-dominated settings where non-Whites are sectioned off into other places doesn't conjure positive things in my mind.

For me, the only justification for an ethnically homogeneous setting is if it draws directly from (not just inspired by) a particular cultural work. I don't expect Arabs to show up in Beowulf, nor do I look for Chinese people in Sundiata. Journey to the West doesn't have native Americans in it. And there aren't many West Africans in Mahabharata. As you can see, these are the exception, not the rule.

 

[Afrodyte]

[Tangent]
Am I the only person who thinks myths, legends, folktales, and fairy tales are fantasy too?
[/Tangent]

 

[Imaro]

[Tangent]
Am I the only person who thinks myths, legends, folktales, and fairy tales are fantasy too?
[/Tangent]

NOPE...right there with you.