Stereotypical Black Characters in Games

[InfinityXXX]

<---Black Person



As of now, I don't really care about seeing a stereotypical character on a video game as long as its not too extreme ( Having a black character being crazy over chicken or an asian character wanting dog...in other words, racial assumptions and behavior of a character)

I do question if the over the top black characters in games were even designed/developed by a black person. But then theres the word "over the top". And because of that word I don't waste my time getting angry over it.

Its a video game. It does show a bit of ignorance towards a particular race, but then again, its also a work of fiction and its not to be taken seriously. (especially due to the fact that most of the black characters are just side-kicks)


I would say, that when I was younger, I too was upset at Barrett from ff7 and upset at the fact that their were very few "African American" characters in video games .( I say african american because of the fact that is what "I" view myself as. At one point we were niggers, then negros, and now black. But truth is...."Black" people are not even black......majority of african americans are not even 100% "Black" *thus why we come in many shades of color*.....just fyi)


And in all honesty, when you're younger, you do want to see someone positive that looks like you on t.v, as an action figure, as a doll, in a book, or even in a video game. I remember my 10 year old brother being ecstatic over seeing Tousen and Yoruichi on BLEACH

( more fyi: The lack of many positive blacks in the media is why we have so many "SELF-HATING" African Americans and "blacks" who have identity/skin tone issues.)

But as far as as "positive" and "negative" images of black people in video games or the media. There are more negative over positive. But this can be said for other races as well. (why does the asian have to be smart? Why does the hispanic have to have a thick accent?) Its always like this, and it has always been like this. We all KNOW that the media only likes to show you one side of the coin.....and thats just how it is.



But on the flip side, I'm pretty sure that any "intelligent" person (or any person with a brain) will know that not all blacks "talk like that" or "listen to that kind of music" or "raps" or "loves chicken" (i do enjoy chicken though)


And to the masses that buy into the stereotypes or negative potrayals.....let them bathe in their ignorance....why waste your time convincing them?


Thus, all in all, I don't give it the attention for its not really worthy of it. If it REALLY DOES concern you so much, become a video game designer and try to paint a more accurate portrayal or blacks (or any minority).


(But I do respect you so much for being someone who is not of african descent and being concerned with another culture)



(Some more FYI: Despite Barrett being an idiot...that didn't stop me from enjoying FF7)




(hello Abdur and Nitro, how have you two been?)

[ABDUR101]

A Different World, The Cosby Show, Will Smith, James Earl Jones etc. There have been countless movies, tv shows and actors who have gone beyond the 'racial stereotype' in the media. Fuck I LOVED watching the above shows and actors, I could relate more to The Cosby show than most of the 'white family' shows they had going on.

As I've told countless other people(and I beleive InfinityXXX was one of them); if you look for the Devil hard enough, you'll find him. If you're looking to find something to be offended about, it's gonna happen.

I'm doing alright Infinity, getting by and all that.

[InfinityXXX]

As I've told countless other people(and I beleive InfinityXXX was one of them); if you look for the Devil hard enough, you'll find him. If you're looking to find something to be offended about, it's gonna happen.

I'm doing alright Infinity, getting by and all that.

lol, I remember that topic. And you are correct. If you look for the negative within things...you will find it....
------

Thats nice to hear.

[Kard]

Yeah, such stereotypes exist with some grain of truth to them - some more than others. As said earlier, you'll see these familiar tendencies coming from people of different races in all media, simply because they are created by the most vocal/visual in society. I figure this is still more rampant in video games than anything else as it's still such a young entertainment form compared to books, movies, music and so on. Deeper, more thoughtful themes and ideas are only now starting to be explored in gaming, as the medium matures.

I'm black, and I'm sure glad that PSU is one of the few games (especially of the JRPG variety) that lets me create a character with the same skin tone. Now if only I could get a black guy in a console RPG that isn't a Barret or Khyros...

[BlaizeYES]

well really, the politically correct thing needs to stop sooner or later. you get another extreme, too, when the media will try to make the polar opposite of a stereotype for a race just to show that they're not stereotyping. too much thought is put into it, and media will keep pushing to exploit those stereotypes with movies that fit an image, because they know people will feed into it... that's what is "in."


for instance, i was talking to some "thug" friends from "the 313," and we started talking about movies. a black friend of my friend that tries too hard to be up to date on "the streets" lists his favorite movies... four brothers was in it(because it takes place in detroit... typical), scarface(cliche), a few other movies that were generic, and then a movie called "paid in full." and i go, "i've never heard of paid in full. coming from you, i think i understand the premise... it's about an inner city black guy that has been on hard times, becomes a drug dealer, gets rich, and then someone dies, right?" and of course, he says, "no man, theres more to it than that," basically saying that i was right.

it's people like that who feed into a stereotype of their race to try to make themselves appear to be "cool"... like college kids saying "beerfest" is their favorite movie. it's sad... completely destroys all credibility

[Toadthroat]

I thought 4 Brothers and Paid in Full were both good movies.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

These examples are not nearly as bad as the black gang(of mutants) member in the 1991 Guyver live action Movie who proceeded to turn into a monster then performed the worst on screen movie rap ever seen before starting the fight in the monster costume. (Haven't seen the Leprechaun in the Hood where the Lep-dude raps during the credits though.)

Checks back of box again... Screenwriter: Jon Purdy, just gotta hope his hate mail tops his royalty checks in terms of #'s of mail received.

Also at least in games there are no Horror movie "spook" cliche' black characters in half of them as is the movie stereotype or unofficial rule. Or blacksploitation titles in the vein of direct to video movies with ebonics titles or changing letters to make them 'more hood.' (Ex: a "Holla if I kill you!", "Zombiez", or "Vampiyahs")

[amtalx]

Ha! I remember the Guyver movie. Box office aluminum.

[RufuSwho]

for the record, EVERYONE likes chicken wings and watermelon

[Complex_Jao]

rap is not singing but more of talking fast. it is music kinda but not singing