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Denver, 7:07 AM
Sun Nov 15
21 posts in the last 24 hours
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09/19/09
09/19/09
I imagine they simply duplicated the watermelon to save time.
09/19/09
09/18/09
I think there is one more inaccuracy in your story that needs to be fixed. It is that implausible stuff about the Ecuadorian soup recipe being the source of the Scribblenauts sambo.
The only way this makes sense is if you and Slaczka were at cross purposes during your telephone call. Slaczka was explaining to you what a sambo is, you heard it as being how it got to be in the game. Of course, the latter is patently infeasible – it would be a rotten inefficient way of finding words to put in the game and of course it didn’t happen that way. Unfortunately a number of posters here – and probably you yourselves – caught onto that and made more of it than there was.
What almost certainly happened is this:
Slaczka was caught on the hop by your telephone call – without access to the sources and etymologies of all the 22,000 (or 300,000-ish in all languages) words in Scribblenauts. He’s under some pressure, understandably, to find out what the hell a sambo is – so he does what you and I would do and uses Google, coming up with the Ecuadorian recipe, and uses that to explain to you what a sambo is.
It was never the original source of the word in the game, which was probably a specialist botanical dictionary from which common names were translated from Spanish to English, and it would be the translation that produced ‘sambo’ from’zambo’. Not something that could easily have been picked up on.
I think in fairness you should correct this point – it is the one remaining thing in the article that people are picking up on and spinning unfair scenarios from. And with that, I think the matter could rest.
Of course, the underlying racial disputes will go on – but you will have done your bit.
09/17/09
The point is... the developer should have known that "Sambo" is a loaded word, and should have just left it out all together. They didn't included thousands of other words, why not one less?
09/17/09
09/17/09
I can see how (without the developer's explanation) this in-game coincidence might cause offence. As the linked article shows, a player might well stumble across it by accident, and if the player knew the connotations of the word/imagery, I think they might reasonably be unhappy or confused about its inclusion.
I think the developer's done absolutely the right thing to put out a press release like this, and I think Kotaku was right to report on it, offering a platform for the message to get out.
09/17/09
My guess is that it's the first; I find it easy to believe because I live in Washington and in my entire 26 years have not even once heard the term sambo.
And of course, it's the unique way that Scribblenauts works that even allowed it to happen. If Scribblenauts had unique pictures for everything (read: impossible!) then the sambo would have had a more appropriate image and there wouldn't have been an issue.
Sadly, that's not the case.
I don't think that the term should have been removed from the game; that would be like removing, say, "strawberry shortcake", because it is the name of a violent sexual act.
The best solution would have been to be more aware of words such as these so that in this unique instance the sambo could have had a unique picture, thus avoiding the unfortunate connection.
09/17/09
Kotaku, you need to realize that some words aren't racist unless they are used in a racist way.
If someone calls me a "cracker", it's racist. If someone merely says the word "cracker" it isn't racist.
By the way, the word "cracker" as well as any number of other words that are used as racial slurs are also in this game. Why not report on them? This is pretty lame, Kotaku.
09/17/09
I'm offended and disgusted.
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
In this case, the impression one might have got playing the game is that typing in a racial slur summons up an item that is commonly associated with a racial stereotype. If it comes across that way, then someone might well think that there was a malicious intent involved, and would be offended accordingly.
And the developer has done the right thing to come out and explain how this is just an unfortunate coincidence.
09/17/09
09/17/09
Most western countries got over owning slaves a long time ago.
Also, instead of being upset over what your ancestors were called as slaves, how about help uprooting the much more widespread slavery that is prominent in the world. There are tons of places in Africa and Asia who still have them and while we're here arguing over how close a sambo looks to a watermelon, those people are still being forced to work, getting whipped and are barely fed enough to sustain themselves.
I am sorry if you're busy feeling sorry for yourselves over having had slavery, but the US is hardly the biggest case of slavery in the history of man.
09/17/09
We're not obsessed with the history of slavery. Most people will agree that slavery is bad.
What some are focused on, is the effects of slavery that still weigh heavily on our society.
Race is still a sensitive issue, and it's not just relegated to black vs white. In early US History, both the Italian, and Irish communities had to deal with extreme racism as well.
I'm not at all a PC person, but it doesn't take much for me to see that dropping something that looks like a watermelon when a player types a racial epithet would be offensive. It just so happens that that word also means Gourd (or something) and the Gourd looks awfully similar to a watermelon (which I learned thanks to a pretty in depth post--even though most commenters want to attack Bash).
09/17/09
I'm surprised and dismayed of the level of ignorance you are collectively displaying. I'm in a mixed marriage and, therefore, have mixed kids. (My wife is African-American and Puerto Rican. I'm Native American/German/Jewish. My kids are, therefore, (enter the race of your choice).
I've had my 7 yr old girl come home crying because someone has called her a nigger; or her mother a nigger; or her father a nigger lover. Of course, these are second graders who are calling her names. BUT, those kids do not exist in a vacuum - monkey see, monkey do. Had they not experienced their own parents and/or other significant adult influence in there lives speaking like that, they would have never had the original idea to speak that way themselves.
Even though I'm exposed to racism, I do not tend to wear my feelings on my sleeve and do not tend to see it where others reach to see it. Like, for instance, in Scribblenaughts: I see nothing racist about that. HOWEVER, I see nothing racist about it SOLELY because of this story and the explanation given surrounding the figleaf gourd. Had, for instance, I seen this issue on TV with just the watermelon-looking leaf above the head of a white-faced character, I'd be pretty stupid to not see racism in the imagery.
Funny, quick story. I grew up in New Orleans and went to High School and College in southern Mississippi. New Orleans is a MUCH more diverse place than rural southern MS. I had a black friend in high school who was acting like a goofball and I said: "Boy, you must be crazy!" He got PISSED and I thought we were about to fight. He later apologized and told me: "My dad always drilled into my head to never let a white person call me boy and I just over-reacted." Because of the pain inflicted upon him, his father did what any good father would do - instruct their kids accordingly. By the time this event happened, however, "boy" had pretty much gone the way of the dinosaur and was not in the lexicon the way it had been when his father was a teenager.
Lesson: Just because we ourselves do not experience terrible things today does not mean they did not occur. Like it or not, the term "sambo" accompanying an image of a watermelon has significant history in this country. Like it or not, southern blacks were derrogatorily called "boy" by southern whites. Those who ignore history are damned to repeat it.
I'm happy Kotaku posted that story and clearly outlined the facts behind same.
J
09/17/09
You wouldn't have been aware of this if you hadn't read about it here, Franks. That's my point. Kotaku put on their Crocodile Hunter Pants and went looking for drama here, and they found it. Good job!
None of us are arguing whether racism exists. We are arguing that Kotaku's efforts to shine a spotlight on this particular instance has probably created MORE racism in the world, not less. I would suggest that the emotions you've got tied to your own personal experiences might have blinded you from catching the subtext in some of our posts, so I can't blame you for missing the point of the arguments bein' made here. Your second to last statement further highlights your lack of comprehension of the discussion: "Those who ignore history are damned to repeat it." Those of us complaining about this story are making the argument that this isn't so much Kotaku REPORTING history, as creating it. In the next sentance you use the word "facts." Again, we are not disputing whether Kotaku should have reported these "facts"... We are suggesting that they have fabricated an issue where none exist. To put it another way, they are Crying Wolf when there is no wolf. I believe that this cheapens the discourse and makes people less likely to react when a REAL injustice takes place.
I'm sure you'll come back with "No, YOU misunderstood MY" blah blah blah. Don't really care. Going to go back to studying trends in journalism, because that's what I do for a living. (Nope, don't care what you do either.)
Where's the guy who accused me of being on a high horse earlier? I think he wants to have a word.
09/17/09
Concerning your friend, do you think it was better for his father to tell him "Son, you should feel offended if someone uses this word against you" than for him to say "Don't let people insult you"
You were his friend, after all, and you didn't mean to insult him, but he overreacted over something that even by that time was history.
I am sorry if I show ignorance, but I was raised with the values that everyone is equal, that no-one is better than anyone else because of skincolor.
And I feel very neutral over these sorts of ordeals. Because yes, I don't want to see racism, but neither do I want the other side to be portrayed like they are always racist.
09/17/09
Never heard that one before.
09/17/09
@ ShadowOdin: I agree with you. I'm not saying it was the exact right thing to do for his father to handle it the way he did. I'm saying it was clearly understandable. And, I agree that my friend over-reacted and he, apparently, agreed too. And, most likely, his father would agree too. Now. But, we don't always make the exact right decisions and it usually takes time for us to come to that realization.
Things are, thankfully, quite different than they used to be. My kids are growing up in a much different world than did I; I grew up in a different one than my parents and they surely grew up in a different one than their's. Prior to being in a mixed marriage, I was never the object of racism. Therefore, I had no true appreciation for it other than knowing it when I saw it happen to others. But, as a dad, I can certainly understand those who have gone through it going out of their way to make sure their kids did not have to experience the things they experienced.
J
09/17/09
Once again I ask you, how so?
How does raising the awareness of a racial epithet CAUSE racism? I really doubt anyone who wasn't racist suddenly became one because they knew about the word's negative connotations.
09/17/09
I respect that I am different from a black man, an asian, or even a jew.
I just don't think color = worth
We're all human beings, and I will treat you as such no matter what your skincolor.
If I say that I think a black person is wrong, I would've said he was wrong even if his skin was white.
I've never in my entire life looked down on a human being because of their skincolor, or origin. I don't think my white skin makes me superior.
That's what racism is. To think you're more worth than someone of a different race.
09/17/09
But to at the same time advocate the unfeasible stance that no one should talk about race or history is well... not great at all. Especially as ignoring past atrocities and humanities general tendency to divide itself, make derogatory stereotypes, and dehumanize those who are different from only causes the behavior to re-emerge.
That is why I don't understand why anyone gets upset whenever we talk about racial issues, are they just afraid or too lazy to consider that society is more complex than they'd like to think.
09/17/09
It does tell the black people who didn't even know of the word that "Hey, here's another word you can feel insulted hearing"
I never said that we should ignore race and history. I simply think that there's too much focus on the part where people are misstreated.
It might tell white people that it is wrong to misstreat black people, but in a sense it is telling black people that white people used to hate them, and that some still do.
09/17/09
The part where people have been mistreated is one of the most important lessons to learn.
" but in a sense it is telling black people that white people used to hate them, and that some still do"
I see no problem with that, is there any black person that is unaware of racism?
09/17/09
Yesterday, I didn't know the word "Sambo" existed.
Now not only do I know it exists, I know it's a racial term.
All thanks to the good people who felt the need to send this off to Kotaku to publish (or whoever found it first and decided to make a huge stink about it)
And I bet I'm far from the only person that was in this situation.
09/17/09
Boy this is also very true. The power behind racist words is only there if the people who hear it know it's supposed to be hurtful.
Now thanks to this article, a whole bunch of people who had no idea what this word meant know to be offended now.
Thus, the word has grown stronger.
09/17/09
If you tell a black kid that white people hate him, do you think that he will feel love and understanding whenever a white person is near?
No. You'll get a situation where the black kid is wary of all the white people around him or her. They'll think that any minor thing might be racist because that's how they were indoctrinated. Like in OP's post. His friend's father told his son not to let people call him "Boy" and in return when someone called him "Boy" in a non-racist manner, he got upset. With his friend. Who he knew didn't think less of him.
09/17/09
"Yesterday, I didn't know the word "Sambo" existed.
Now not only do I know it exists, I know it's a racial term...
Thus, the word has grown stronger."
Heck, while we're at it, Kotaku shouldn't cover lawsuits because then we all know we can sue, or crimes because then we know we can commit crimes, or cheating because then people know we can cheat, or crappy games because then we'll buy crappy games...
Information and awareness do not create racism. That's just absurd.
09/17/09
@Fabrice: Franks never said that they aren't allowed to make mistakes or that they should have delayed the game. Where are you getting that? He's said that their explanation is a reasonable one because without the explanation, the image gives the wrong idea.
09/17/09
Your point?
Once again I ask, how does raising awareness of a racial epithet CAUSE racism. All you pointed out was that you learned a possible racist use for the word.
Not an example of how racism was caused.
09/17/09
uh okay..
That still doesn't change the fact that there ARE racists out there, what harm is there in informing someone about that simple fact and one of the names a racist may use against you?
I mean come on. Whites I swear.
09/17/09
Take the earlier example of the word "Boy" being a racial slur.
There are several people who use the word "Boy" in daily speech.
If you suddenly start telling people "This is racial slur from our slave-owning days" some will put it in the tone of "This is a racial slur, when you hear it, feel offended"
And some people will fall for it.
So the next time someone say "Boy" in the presence of these people, congratulations, we now have another "racist"
Don't believe me? There are people on this very article that believe that the developers might've put in racial imagery on purpose, yet yesterday they wouldn't even have bat an eye at this, because they simply wouldn't have known that "sambo" had racial connotations.
Is it better for us then to persecute and cry fowl over someone innocent? Than to let something die out?
09/17/09
I think it hard to advocate ignorance. In advocating that someone, ANYONE, should not be informed of documented historical events because of what some of them MAY do with the information is beyond my comprehension and, I believe, a completely unsupportable position. That is, by the way, what you're saying; in case you didn't realize that.
J
09/18/09
Teaching what happened is okay, that's what we always do.
That is not what is happening, though.
The way it had to be applicable with your example was if the class was followed by a list of things a jewish, homosexual or handicapped person (did you think Jews were the only ones sent to camps?) can't be called, because they were called these things during WW2 and now they should feel offended if these words were uttered again.
And you know, I had no such lectures at all.
It is the witchhunt on specific words I disagree with. The words are unimportant. It's the underlying feelings that makes you a racist. If you really hate people of different race, then it won't matter what you call them, because the hate will still be there.
09/18/09
Second: That may not be what you were meaning to say, but that's certainly the way I read it. And I find it hard to reconcile some of the older post with the one above and come to the same conclusion.
Third: No, I'm aware that Jews weren't the only ones, but they certainly were the primary targets of propagandistic literature and movies and certainly there are 6 million less of them on this planet because of the holocaust. While I appreciate that homosexuals, handicapped individuals and gypsies were also killed, the sheer number of Jews involved, to me, gives them priority on my heart strings so I only mentioned them.
I could write about and discuss this and similar topics ad nauseum. But, Kotaku will probably start charging me by the word :)
J
09/17/09
09/17/09
However, then I looked at the word list again, this same word list that has been out for a while now. There are tons of really random foreign words in there... tons of random words period. There are about ten different types of GOURD, for god's sake. Including the Fig Leaved Gourd as a three-word term in English. There are chinese words in there, for instance:
[en.wikipedia.org]
What?!? Also the Japanese word for squash. Along with tons of others. There are so many members of the squash and gourd and zucchini families on that word list that it makes my head reel. Clearly, this sambo thing is probably just what happens when you have a dictionary/thesaurus/word-aggregator program that is just running amok across any number of different languages. Of the ten different gourds, six of them probably create that same watermelon and the others maybe make a tan, longer bulbous gourd, or something. They don't have individual art for every word, obviously.
If they had been really, really smart what they would have also done is grab one of those "naughty word lists" that many online games have (as well as services like AOL, famously) for chat filters. Sambo is on there (I just checked one that I have on my HD) and they could have cross-referenced to weed out all the racial slurs, etc.
09/17/09
09/17/09
I really want to believe that he didn't write this at all, and that his "contributions" weren't on the content/argument forming/ should this article even happen front. I feel like a trained chef just served me a McDonalds burger, made the McDonald's way. Sure, it might be his job... But he's BETTER than this. It's a shame.
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
09/17/09
Pictured above, the TG Sambo CP-1000
This news just in:
Korean computer manufacturer TG Sambo responds to Kotaku's calls for an interview regarding their company name.
They issued this response to Kotaku: "This is the dumbest article I've ever heard of."
09/17/09
09/17/09
You share my love of people hating!