Zombie Racism: Black Looks On RE 5 Racism

[News Reader]

Zombie Racism: Black Looks On RE 5 Racism
For many people the trailer for Resident Evil 5 was seen as an exciting new direction for the definitive survival horror franchise. For others, it's racist hate mongering at its worst. Kym Platt at Black Looks, a blog dedicated to exploring issues concerning African women, expresses her concerns over the trailer which depicts Chris Redfield in what appears to be an African setting, struggling against a horde of black zombies.

This is problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults. Start them young... fearing, hating, and destroying Black people.

This is a really touchy subject. Looking past the mistaken idea that the game is being marketed to children, I can completely see where Platt is coming from to a certain extent. It is a white figure of some authority being attacked by a horde of what appears to be African peoples. This much is true.

On the other hand, zombie stories originated in the Afro-Caribbean Vodoun belief system, so for a series that relies on zombies as its main antagonists, exploring the voodoo origins of zombie mythology seems only natural, and in order to do that you are going to end up exploring villages that just don't happen to have many Caucasians in them.

If the game does anything it bolsters the hatred of black zombies already present in the well-established hatred of zombies in general. It teaches us that no matter what color they are on the outside, flesh-hungry reanimated dead people are really fundamentally the same, and should probably be avoided at all costs. When the zombie apocalypse comes, I'd like to think that mankind will band together regardless of race or nationality in the name of preserving the future of humanity and the safety of our precious brainmeats.

Resident Evil 5 [Black Looks via Game Politics]




Author: Mike Fahey
Category: Racism RE5 Resident Evil 5 Social zombie racism Zombies
Publish Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2007 10:20:08 EDT
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Source: Kotaku

[spoodie]

FFS!

Out of curiosity, do we have any minorities on 5punk? Don't feel you have to answer.

[tandino]

FFS!

Out of curiosity, do we have any minorities on 5punk? Don't feel you have to answer.

*Doesn't answer*

If we have no minorities of any shade, does that make us racists?

[amblin]

.

[deject]

never mind that it's taking place in Africa where the vast majority of the population is black OH NO WE'RE ALL RACIST PIGS.

[Lateralus]

I'm white, english, male, aged 21 to 30, average height, weight and build, I have an average salary, a petrol powered car and blonde hair.

But if it's minorities you're looking for, I do freckle when exposed to sunlight in excessive quantities.

That count?

All of this , except I burn a bit easily rather than freckle since I have fair skin, and won't own a petrol car until the weekend.

[Lateralus]

never mind that it's taking place in Africa where the vast majority of the population is black OH NO WE'RE ALL RACIST PIGS.

Pffffffft, good point. Didn't realise it was set in Africa.

[Duke of Ted]

FFS!

my thoughts exactly

[northwesten]

my thoughts exactly

[Roman Totale]

I was going to type a long rant, but then I got the rage over the stupidity and futility of it all. They're zombies FFS! If Redfield were dressed in a Klan outfit then she might have a point.



I'm going to guess that the majority of people here (and on B3ta for that matter) are white, male, 18-35 age group, not paupers. That seems to be the demographic gamers.

[northwesten]

I was going to type a long rant, but then I got the rage over the stupidity and futility of it all. They're zombies FFS! If Redfield were dressed in a Klan outfit then she might have a point.



I'm going to guess that the majority of people here (and on B3ta for that matter) are white, male, 18-35 age group, not paupers. That seems to be the demographic gamers.

LMAO!!!

[Stoat]

I would argue that it was more racist to have no black zombies at all.
Also, I would find it odd to go somewhere "with an African setting", during a global zombie infestation, and find an equal mix of black and white zombies.

[Gunslinger42]

White, black, they all die the same.

But seriously, people looking for racist undertones in everything is the problem here, nothing else.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

White, black, they all die the same.

But seriously, people looking for racist undertones in everything is the problem here, nothing else.

REALLY FUCKING HARD

They're all people, they all bleed, they all die the same. what the fuck does it matter what colour they are?

I think it's only moderately racist people who actually notice/care what colour skin someone in a computer game has.

[Anhamgrimmar]

White, black, they all die the same.

But seriously, people looking for racist undertones in everything is the problem here, nothing else.

for some reason, i read that as racist underpants.

ho-hum, need moar bree

[Dr. kitteny berk]

ho-hum, need moar bree

?

[spoodie]

Now if there was a KFC and watermelon shop in that shanty town, that'd be a different matter entirely.

[Stoat]

[eion]

ho-hum, need moar bree

?

[Roman Totale]

Chip, meet shoulder:

http://www.askthisblackwoman.com/

I do love this quote of hers:

Bonnie Ruberg, a self-proclaimed white person