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Originally Posted by Horus397
Ok, so after thinking about this more I'm not sure that subversive racism isn't involved here. I mean even though I agree that designers think in terms of recycling at a pretty superficial level why is the one constant in the middle of this recycling almost always a "White" looking character if "White" is viewed as a significant part of what's cool? If race isn't a component why does virtually every non-White character generally get the stereotypical design treatment relative to their group. Black characters generally have some era of "Ghetto" flavor, Asians virtually always have some type martial arts flavor, but designers seem very okay with assigning any and all of these stereotypical characteristics (if they look cool enough.)
Why are there no Indian Male "Sci-Fi" heroes like a Commander Shephard from Mass Effect if there's not really any racism involved?
Here's an Interesting video I just found that deals with videogames, but I'm starting to think it's broadly applicable:
Racism as Design |
My illustration instructors have been discussing the fact that we tend to create symbols of everything. We create a symbol for how a leg looks like, or how eyes look like, or what a particular subject looks like. Likewise, we create a symbol for what non-White people look like or what their culture is like. The problem with using symbols and not actually researching or finding out what something really looks like, is that the symbol usually is inaccurate. That's why people who tend to draw without reference will have anatomy issues, or perspective issues-in the same manner, people who simplify and symbolize a ghetto culture through one black character have created all sorts of inaccuracies.
I do not like it as much as you do-I am Hispanic and it does bother me how in Mass Effect series(one of my fav games) many of the characters symbolize cultures that exist around us. But that's the role of artists, to change culture, to shape the visual library of masses. So it falls to us whether we keep repeating those symbols or we make new ones that are more accurate.