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Posts Tagged “
Stereotypes
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racism
GTA - Where Are All The White Gangs?
The Brooklyn high school teacher who writes the NYC-themed Big Smoke Street Corner blog has some interesting things to say about racism in the Grand Theft Auto series.Having played pretty much the entire series (being, sadly, the resolute gamer I am) and basically noting how much they've pulled from such sources as The Godfather, Scarface and New Jack City, I can not remember a single positive image for Blacks, Mexicans, Cubans, Jamaicans, Colombians, Haitians, Italians, Puerto Ricans, Chinese, Japanese, one Jewish lawyer (!) and soon in the upcoming game, Russians and Serbians; not to mention the constant lampooning of liberals and homosexuals. Mind you, of course, there are never any white gangs.DAMMIT! When is a game going to come along and accurately depict the epidemic of white street gangs! Running around in their leather jackets, with names like Ponyboy and Sodapop. Until S.E. Hinton is brought on as a consultant this racism will continue unabated! More »
politics
Take Two's Zelnick Testifies On Media Stereotypes
Representative Bobby Rush from Illinois thinks stereotypes are a serious problem in today's media. To that effect, he's chairing a special hearing entitled "From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images" before the House Commerce Committee's subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection next Tuesday, bringing together executives from all facets of the entertainment industry, including Strauss Zelnick, the chairman of Take Two Interactive. Zelnick will be joined by representatives from Warner Music, Viacom, Universal Music, Radio One, and quite possibly rapper Master P. Sounds like a party to me! The hearing will explore the way the media portrays people in general, possibly finally clearing up the popular misconception that prostitutes replenish your health.Lawmakers focus on media effects [The Hollywood Reporter via Game Politics]
casual gaming
Women Getting Pigeoned Holed in Gaming World - AGAIN
Charts, graphs, statistics, I love them all. It's how I learn who I am in the gaming world and that person is, apparently, a pathetic little lamb who wants to play Bejeweled on my mobile phone while watching reruns of Allie McBeal in my cold, lonely bed with my four cats. Yeah! Perfectly described. More »
race
It is a very good point he makes. The US video game industry is 80% Caucasian, and let's face it, white people tend to program white characters, mainly because it's what they are familiar with, but I suspect also out of a fear that if they portray a Black character they'll get it wrong, or offend someone. Just look at Barret from FFVII. More »
Racial Stereotyping in Video Games
Writer Richard O. Jones has a lengthy article up at Black Voice News, where he discusses the dangers of racial stereotyping in video games. Citing examples like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, he contends that young Black and Latino children who constantly see themselves portrayed as thieves and killers are more likely to emulate them."If Blacks and Latinos are always portrayed as the villains, or as the victims who get killed often and easily, that is code for powerlessness," said Kansas State University psychologist John Murray, who's studied violence and stereotypes in the media for the past 30 years. "These image persist because too few minorities are in the industry."
It is a very good point he makes. The US video game industry is 80% Caucasian, and let's face it, white people tend to program white characters, mainly because it's what they are familiar with, but I suspect also out of a fear that if they portray a Black character they'll get it wrong, or offend someone. Just look at Barret from FFVII. More »
insurance
Insurance Commercial Presents a Newer, More Noble Stereotype
Highfalutin' intellectual blog Terra Nova wonders if this commercial from Farmer's Insurance Group is the beginning of a new positive stereotype, ushered into the public consciousness by an aging gaming community and the push of game advertising into public media channels: More »
oblivion
