[Sensitive question] Is there cultural appropriation in gaming?

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yeah...

Recently read an article about some scholarly research on the nature of stereotypes. Pretty much, they were found to vary over time and only be "useful" within very narrow parameters. Basically, they're an example of how our brains' desire and ability to categorize can be badly led astray.

 

[Janx]

What? You think that we should view negative stereotypes of black people as an object lesson? Because it's black peoples' fault?

I'm sure that's not what you meant.

yes and no.

Context matters. In the original statement, it was a japanese person portraying a gaijin in bad form.

Why is this the perception the Japanese person has of americans? Do we, the observer bear any resemblance to it? Have we done the "talk louder and slower" thing?

Also consider, is this Japanese person trying to offend, or has this been his experience or exposure to Americans. Is he actually trying to make a point about something by using a caricature?

In that same setting, assuming an RPG (finally, back to gaming), consider if this is meant to be funny or offensive or really how Americans come off to this player. Now is this a situation to riot and make a fight at the table? Or one to chuckle at your own foibles? Or to stop and say, "Do you see me that way?" and start a conversation instead of a war.

It turns out, some negative things are educational. Just as some are meant to offend.

 

[Morrus]

Context matters. In the original statement, it was a japanese person portraying a gaijin in bad form.

Why is this the perception the Japanese person has of americans?

"Gaijin" doesn't mean "American". The term encompasses Nigerians and Australians (including, of course, Aborigines) and Chinese folks and Russians and the Queen and the Pope and Vulcans. Of course there can be no single stereotype of "gai jin". At least not one which makes any sense, and definitely not one to take a lesson from.

 

[Riley37]

In that same setting, assuming an RPG (finally, back to gaming), consider if this is meant to be funny or offensive or really how Americans come off to this player. Now is this a situation to riot and make a fight at the table? Or one to chuckle at your own foibles? Or to stop and say, "Do you see me that way?" and start a conversation instead of a war.

That's fair. I'd like to amend my original answer to "if his character was nothing but a pile of negative stereotypes of the obnoxious gaijin AND he was unwilling, if asked, to have a real conversation about his intention and his point." One possible scenario: this table is in Tokyo, some of the players are native Japanese and some are American expatriates (of whatever race), and everyone at the table has seen those stereotypes in action. Heck, the expats might be even more judgmental of the American tourists who do the "talk louder and slower" thing.

I agree that context matters. There is a distinction between "racism" and "prejudice" popular among us Social Justice types, asserting that there's a difference between whether prejudice is backed by institutional power and leads to widespread actual harm (from "we don't serve your kind" to genocide), or not. I don't think it's that simple, it's no excuse for the "loving fists" mentioned earlier, and I don't expect everyone to follow that usage, but I do see a difference. Of course, if one of the players at the table had a grandparent who inflicted atrocities in the fall of Nanking, and another had a grandparent who suffered atrocities... then it might get touchy. Whether it resulted in education or offense or both would depend on a variety of nuances. If it were a drop-in table, such as Adventurer's League, then that might not be the best venue for the attempt. (There are some specific AL policies which might apply.)

 

[Max_Killjoy]

The conflation of "racism" with "power" has been one of the major failings of American left-leaning political thought.

 

[Janx]

"Gaijin" doesn't mean "American". The term encompasses Nigerians and Australians (including, of course, Aborigines) and Chinese folks and Russians and the Queen and the Pope and Vulcans. Of course there can be no single stereotype of "gai jin". At least not one which makes any sense, and definitely not one to take a lesson from.

then the source example was bad. I assumed american, and in that context, the rest of my point makes its own kind of sense.

Anyway, what I object to is Outragism and making fights out of everything.

Not every situation is worthy of a protest and a march and an excoriation on social media.

Not every slight needs redress.

Because how hard is to say "That was a bit extreme and unfair to those people. Can you adjust your character some?"

It seems that more of that in situations instead of "OMG, you are a total racist! I'm going to tell the world how evil you are!" just doesn't seem like it's going to help.

 

[Morrus]

The conflation of "racism" with "power" has been one of the major failings of American left-leaning political thought.

I clearly asked everybody to avoid real world politics. Please don't post in this thread again.

 

[Janx]

Because how hard is to say "That was a bit extreme and unfair to those people. Can you adjust your character some?"

It seems that more of that in situations instead of "OMG, you are a total racist! I'm going to tell the world how evil you are!" just doesn't seem like it's going to help.

hey, wow, I can quote myself.

I think the answer to "how hard is it to say" is probably very hard. We get stuck in say nothing or blow it up. Two extremes.

People freaked out at Lionel Shriver's speech. Which was ultimately, expressing her concern that writers of fiction would not be able to write anymore. Because having characters other than yourself would violate this appropriation concept.

Which in turn would destroy all the fiction that's ever been created, by virtue of it all being a violation. Which destroys empathy and trying to see things from another person's perspective and sharing that consideration with others.

In a quest to get people to be nice to each other, we're throwing the baby out with the bathwater. We're losing sight of the old saying "I disagree with what you're saying, but I respect your right to say it."

 

[Remathilis]

It is cultural appropriation to play as an elf if you're not an elf.

#otherkinlivesmatter

 

[Max_Killjoy]

I clearly asked everybody to avoid real world politics. Please don't post in this thread again.

PM sent.