Racism against Orcs

[SG854]

So racism is abundant on our world. Many disenfranchised groups are being discriminated against. And changes are long due to make our world a better place.

One of these unfortunate disenfranchised groups are Orcs. Orcs have been depicted in many media outlets as inherently evil such as very popular works from J.R.R Tolkien of the famous Lord of the Rings franchise. Very few places depict them are beings with feelings and emotions just like everyone else. It teaches racist beliefs against Orcs, which is ingrained in a child's mind from kidhood when reading and seeing popular media.

As a step in a right direction Dungeons & Dragons creators have vowed to be more inclusive to Orcs, and depict them in a more positive light. And end the racist depiction and beliefs against Orcs. Together we can make the world a better place.

Why Orcs are problematic in Dungeons & Dragons

D&D WotC announces inclusitivity updates to Orcs, Dow, and Vistani

 

[MikaDubbz]

Yeesh, this is in really poor taste

 

[nero99]

Yeesh, this is in really poor taste

So racism only matters if it’s in reality?

 

[FAST6191]

Do you think I could demand a patch to Elder Scrolls so I can get in the orc village peacefully despite not being an orc?

 

[Xzi]

Yeesh, this is in really poor taste

Yeah I was gonna say, not sure if SG854 is trying to come off as sarcastic here or what.

Anyway, I'm not big into D&D or anything, but mostly this seems like a change for the better. Makes the race less one-dimensional and more nuanced. Of course, people are gonna keep using whatever version of the rulebook they like best (is 5e still the most popular?) and that's just fine. AFAIK it's up to the dungeon-master to make all the big decisions about which races are allowed in a party and etc anyway, the rulebook is more like a bunch of suggestions.

 

[MikaDubbz]

So racism only matters if it’s in reality?

Yeah, pretty much, deciding its a problem for mythical creatures really kinda downplays the actual issue. (Nice Lych profile pic by the way, can't wait for the first new Adventure Time special this week)

 

[FAST6191]

Might serve to have some background here. Seems some of the whining set, the ones that may or may not imagine racism as underpinning everything in society and everything they do, have got their knickers in a knot about how orcs or something are a standin for blacks (backgrounds vary between works but usually corrupted elves or products of dark magic or chaos) and then fiction depicting them as savages is troubling, possibly as some arsehole decades ago used some similar phrasing.

and in some ways it is part of a larger narrative
https://www.geeknative.com/73805/here-are-the-racist-magic-cards-wizards-have-banned/