“The Legend of Zelda” is "classist, sexist and racist"

[Deleted_171835]

This gripping analysis can be found below

The game’s perspective on class issues can best be seen in its portrayal of the Kakariko carpenters and the wealthy family in the House of Skulltulla.

The relationship between the self-described “boss” of the carpenters and those he calls “my workers,” appears to be one of a guild member and apprentices or journeymen. The boss refers to himself as a master craftsman, and says the workers were hired by the royal family to improve the village. Karl Marx described this relationship as one of “oppressor and oppressed,” comparing it to that of “freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, (and) lord and serf.”

“Ocarina” portrays the apprentices or journeymen as lazy and shiftless, and the boss as the only one willing to work. “Young men these days don’t have any ambition,” the boss says. “Do you know what I mean, kid? My workers are just running aimlessly around the village, and they’re not making any progress at all … Even my own son doesn’t have a job, and he just wanders around all day! They’re all worthless, I tell you!”

By focusing on the greed of individuals, the game ignores how private property incentivizes and even mandates such behavior. And with this moralizing focus comes a belief that society’s economic ills are intractable because of humanity’s flawed nature.

The racial, ethnic and religious traits of the “good characters” and the “bad characters” within the game also demonstrate a certain xenophobia. All of the good characters, such as the Hylians and Kokiri, are white. In contrast, all of the bad characters, such as the thieving Gerudo and their king, Ganondorf, have brown skin. The Gerudo live in the desert, and in case it wasn’t clear what real-life group of people they are based on, the original Gerudo symbol is strongly reminiscent of the Islamic star and crescent.

The game’s representation of animals is best displayed in the idyllic Lon Lon Ranch, a small farm operated by a human father-daughter duo. Entering the location, “Epona’s Song,” a tranquil and nostalgic piece by composer Koji Kondo, plays in the background. The wistful choice in music isn’t surprising, given widespread yearning by industrialized human populations for a recently abandoned, romanticized pastoralism.

From the perspective of domesticated animals, agriculture of the past was a gentler prospect than the modern, factory-farm system. But for non-humans the pre-industrial farm, as symbolized by Lon Lon Ranch, was still a place of exploitation and violence, where their lives, in general, would be significantly shorter and more circumscribed than those of their nearest, wild cousins.

But in the game, domestication is portrayed as a mutually beneficial, voluntary arrangement. The anthropomorphized cows of Hyrule speak to Link, literally saying, “Have some of my refreshing and nutritious milk!” Of course depicting a relationship as anything like symbiotic when one party kills and eats the other, as well as the latter’s children, would be laughable if it weren’t so appalling.

Source

And no this isn't satire.

 

[Foxi4]

If you want to put a tag on something really, really badly, you will succeed. For the same reasons "Resident Evil 5" was branded "racist" because your enemies were mostly black zombies. Not that the whole story took place in Africa so it was entirely understandable to see a lot of black people there, but noo--, let's put it down to racism.

I'd also like to add that Mario games objectify women - they put Princess Peach in the position of a constant victim, completely unable to take care of herself without the help of a man to save her despite the fact that she's apparently capable of single-handedly ruling an entire realm.

 

[Ericthegreat]

This is bullshit. And there are "not bad" dark skinned NPCs.

 

[WarMachine77]

Talk about looking into something way too much.

 

[JoostinOnline]

I hate this kind of stuff. Characters in a video games are not meant to be a representation of a race or sex. They are just single people. There are lazy wimpy white carpenters. The game isn't suggesting that all white people are lazy wimpy carpenters.

It was the same thing with Metroid Other M. Samus was portrayed with HUMAN reactions to things as opposed to being a killing machine who never cared if friends died. She also had a flashback to when her parents were murdered by Ridley during the game. PTSD is natural. If you see a giant pterodactyl-like creature who killed you parents appear after you thought you killed him, you're going to get scared. People then took that and said "The people who made this think that women are sex objects who get scared by everything."

This guy is just upset because the stick up his ass has started to splinter.

 

[Blaze163]

Oh Christ, it's the Resident Evil 5 trailer bullshit again.

 

[Foxi4]

I hate this kind of stuff. Characters in a video games are not meant to be a representation of a race or sex. They are just single people. There are lazy wimpy white carpenters. The game isn't suggesting that all white people are lazy wimpy carpenters.

It was the same thing with Metroid Other M. Samus was portrayed with HUMAN reactions to things as opposed to being a killing machine who never cared if friends died. She also had a flashback to when her parents were murdered by Ridley during the game. PTSD is natural. If you see a giant pterodactyl-like creature who killed you parents appear after you thought you killed him, you're going to get scared. People then took that and said "The people who made this think that women are sex objects who get scared by everything."

This guy is just upset because the stick up his ass has started to splinter.

I actually enjoyed Samus's portrayal in "Other M". Sure, it was a tad oversexualized, but Nintendo themselves put in Samus in a swimsuit in the earlier games (if you finished the game the "right" way ) so it was hardly something outside of the norm and sure, she was talking about "the baby" too much, but for once it was attempted to show her as a human being and I personally liked it. People complain about her reliance on Adam, but Adam is not a new character - he was mentioned in Zero mission and we already know that the two had a "connection". All in all, they did a good job - a lot of the criticizm concerning "Other M" is ill-founded.

 

[Heran Bago]

Why is it that movie fans allow for in-depth analyses and the shot-by-shot analysis is encouraged, but it's not okay for games? The author isn't personally insulting you or your tastes, they're just trying a little hard to look at some of the games' themes with a critical eye.

I know games are your favorite toy and when someone says something is wrong with your favorite toy you can take it personally. I don't think that's what the author intended. Maybe gaming as a whole is better off if you can talk about how it handles a subject without the overwhelming majority of responses being dismissive.

If you want to put a tag on something really, really badly, you will succeed. For the same reasons "Resident Evil 5" was branded "racist" because your enemies were mostly black zombies. Not that the whole story took place in Africa so it was entirely understandable to see a lot of black people there, but noo--, let's put it down to racism.

I guess you missed Sheva's outfit with the african war paint tribal designs and cheetah spots?
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/471/shevajungle.jpg

I actually enjoyed Samus's portrayal in "Other M". Sure, it was a tad oversexualized, but Nintendo themselves put in Samus in a swimsuit in the earlier games (if you finished the game the "right" way ) so it was hardly something outside of the norm and sure, she was talking about "the baby" too much, but for once it was attempted to show her as a human being and I personally liked it. People complain about her reliance on Adam, but Adam is not a new character - he was mentioned in Zero mission and we already know that the two had a "connection". All in all, they did a good job - a lot of the criticizm concerning "Other M" is ill-founded.

The "baby" issue in the game isn't just her saying it too much. There are maybe a dozen baby figures and a handful of mothers. Sometimes samus is made to feel like a baby. Ridley turns into a baby. There's Mother Brain responsible for raising the baby monsters on the Bottle Ship. Madeline Burgman (M.B.) is the Other Mother, the Other M if you will. The games' initial spell out MOM. The game bashes you over the head with these themes.
The game did some stuff right but it's so easy to forget. You should give this article a read:
http://moonbase.rydia.net/mental/blog/gaming/metroid-other-m-the-elephant/article.html

 

[Foxi4]

I guess you missed Sheva's outfit with the african war paint tribal designs and cheetah spots?
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/471/shevajungle.jpg

...and? Are you seriously assuming that there are no tribes in Africa anymore? Because you'd be sorely mistaken - they are on the decline, but some groups choose to live by ancient tribal traditions. Sure, it's not an accurate depiction of their outfits (since it's not uncommon for'em to walk around topless). It's also a game, so give it a rest. This is hardly racist - it would be racist if the game implied that the white characters are in any way "better" than the black ones because they're white - what you're showing is stereotyping at best - don't confuse the two.

The "baby" issue in the game isn't just her saying it too much. There are maybe a dozen baby figures and a handful of mothers. Sometimes samus is made to feel like a baby. Ridley turns into a baby. There's Mother Brain responsible for raising the baby monsters on the Bottle Ship. Madeline Burgman (M.B.) is the Other Mother, the Other M if you will. The games' initial spell out MOM. The game bashes you over the head with these themes.
The game did some stuff right but it's so easy to forget. You should give this article a read:
http://moonbase.rydia.net/mental/blog/gaming/metroid-other-m-the-elephant/article.html

Yep, here we agree - the game bashes you with motherly themes in the face... which was the intention. It gives it a heavy feel and tries to make the game deeper than it really is, but it did not spoil my experience. In a lot of ways, the baby theme is so recurring to underline that Samus too can be helpless (as a baby would) and that's a new, good thing in the series, a "different" take on the characters.

 

[Heran Bago]

...and? Are you seriously assuming that there are no tribes in Africa anymore? Because you'd be sorely mistaken - they are on the decline, but some groups choose to live by ancient tribal traditions. Sure, it's not an accurate depiction of their outfits (since it's not uncommon for'em to walk around topless). It's also a game, so give it a rest. This is hardly racist - it would be racist if the game implied that the white characters are in any way "better" than the black ones because they're white - what you're showing is stereotyping at best - don't confuse the two.


Yep, here we agree - the game bashes you with motherly themes in the face... which was the intention. It gives it a heavy feel and tries to make the game deeper than it really is, but it did not spoil my experience. In a lot of ways, the baby theme is so recurring to underline that Samus too can be helpless (as a baby would) and that's a new, good thing in the series, a "different" take on the characters.

Soldiers and tribal warriors aline don't dress like that. It's reasserting the wild stereotype on a character who wouldn't do that. It's out of character for Sheva and it's exoticization of Africans. Sure this is a thing in Japanese culture but you should expect better of people. Blaming Japan is just another kind of racist.

What does "it's also a game, so give it a rest" mean? Do you think games should be inherently taken less seriously than books or other media?

 

[Gahars]

Link confirmed for cis-male scum.

It was the same thing with Metroid Other M. Samus was portrayed with HUMAN reactions to things as opposed to being a killing machine who never cared if friends died. She also had a flashback to when her parents were murdered by Ridley during the game. PTSD is natural. If you see a giant pterodactyl-like creature who killed you parents appear after you thought you killed him, you're going to get scared. People then took that and said "The people who made this think that women are sex objects who get scared by everything."

lolno

 

[the_randomizer]

You know when people over-analyze videogame characters (which you know, are fake), you know people have no lives. It's just a damn video game, get over it.

 

[calmwaters]

Someone did too much work at journalist school and is now a lazy bum with too much time on his hands. This sounds like those people that do studies on how Call of Duty games inspire violence in real life. It's only for the recognition.

Why is it that movie fans allow for in-depth analyses and the shot-by-shot analysis is encouraged, but it's not okay for games? The author isn't personally insulting you or your tastes, they're just trying a little hard to look at some of the games' themes with a critical eye.

Because people who star in movies are real; the ones in the games are virtual reality. You don't need to criticize a real person, just the things they portray.

 

[emigre]

As a black man, I totally agree the LoZ is nothing more than an expression of racial hatred.

 

[JoostinOnline]

In a lot of ways, the baby theme is so recurring to underline that Samus too can be helpless (as a baby would) and that's a new, good thing in the series, a "different" take on the characters.

Analyst translation: Fox4 thinks all women are helpless babies.

lolno

Please elaborate.

 

[Gahars]

Please elaborate.

We've done this song and dance before. (I could've sworn there was another topic where we went over this, but I'm having trouble finding it at the moment).

TL;DR: People aren't mad because Other M "characterized" Samus. People are mad because it did a shitty job of it.

 

[ßleck]

I hate people like this so much. Stop trying to look for subliminal meaning in things and just enjoy the freaking game. I mean do you have absolutely NOTHING else to do with your life? Why would you waste our time by letting us read all this crap. How do you even come up with this? /rage

 

[Ryukouki]

Why do I feel like these are the articles a guy like me would write?

 

[JoostinOnline]

We've done this song and dance before.

TL;DR: People aren't mad because Other M "characterized" Samus. People are mad because it did a shitty job of it.

Yes, I remember your opinion that it was just a bad job. But a google search will tell you that thousands of people think it's sexist. The things I mentioned were complaints in many reviews about how the game was sexist. If it's not too much work for you, take a look at some of the links and you'll see I'm right.

Let's leave it at that.

So back on track. Whether it's a character in a game, movie, book, or any other type of media, people need to stop acting like the character is supposed to be a representation of an entire group (race/sex/religion/etc.) in real life.

 

[Foxi4]

Soldiers and tribal warriors aline don't dress like that. It's reasserting the wild stereotype on a character who wouldn't do that. It's out of character for Sheva and it's exoticization of Africans. Sure this is a thing in Japanese culture but you should expect better of people. Blaming Japan is just another kind of racist.

Exoticization of Africans is hardly a requirement - they're already exotic for the developers in question. She's not wearing these skimpy clothes because on any tactical advantage they might give her - she's wearing them because she was designed to be a cocktease. You could argue that this is sexist, but it's hardly racist - the game doesn't preach about the inferiority of blacks, it's merely using a tribal pattern for the sake of character theming. You could argue about the tactical disadvantages of wearing chainmail bikinis, skimpy outfits or slim-fit jeans as being a sign of treating women as a sexual object (albeit more often than not, such oversexualized characters have an impact on the story and are very much important, so you can't treat them as pure objects in the background - taking an active role in the plot elevates them from that position), sure, but I'd be rather skeptical before I'd write a tribal pattern down as "racist".

What does "it's also a game, so give it a rest" mean? Do you think games should be inherently taken less seriously than books or other media?

It means that a unless a video game is specifically aimed at depicting reality (meaning real life events, because there are history-oriented games out there) accurately, it's to be treated as a work of fiction and fiction is not to be treated seriously by proxy. Sometimes entertainment just has to be taken for what it really is - entertainment. There are no racist undertones in Resident Evil 5 that'd be racist on purpose and it's "looking into it way too much" that leads us to ridiculous conclusions. Like I said, the game does not enforce ideology of racial inferiority or superiority and although it does contain stereotypes, they're hardly used to depict blacks as inferior - they're (poorly) used for the sake of theming. In other words, the use of this outfit...

 

[Gahars]

Yes, I remember your opinion that it was just a bad job. But a google search will tell you that thousands of people think it's sexist. The things I mentioned were complaints in many reviews about how the game was sexist. If it's not too much work for you, take a look at some of the links and you'll see I'm right.

TL;DR: People aren't mad because Other M "characterized" Samus. People are mad because it did a shitty job of it.

...How exactly does that contradict what I said, bub? Or is portraying a character in a bizarrely sexist light not doing a shitty job of characterization?