Resident Evil 5... Racist?

[InuTrunks]

The new Resident Evil video game depicts a white man in what appears to be Africa killing Black people. The Black people are supposed to be zombies and the white man’s job is to destroy them and save humanity. “I have a job to do and I’m gonna see it through.”

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.

KymPlatt

Thank you to Black Looks

She also had this to say in response to a commenter's views. (As posted by R_N)
But they… ARE zombies. They aren’t “supposed” to be zombies.

If it’s any comfort, most of the zombies in the first 5 games (0-4) were white.

Yes… I am more comfortable with the zombies being white. In fact, ALL zombies should be white from this day forth.

Seems to be hardcore hating at it's finest and, well it's not capcom who's at the problem here, it seems to be this lady.

[Eohmer]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

Haha! Wow!

[Sevv]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

Wow i have black hair and get my hair cut... Does that mean I am training my barber to kill black people... and because he is black does that mean I am training him to cut himself... OMG I R RACIST!

[eticket109]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

I thought the game took place in Haiti... of course there'd be a lot of white zombies there right?

[InuTrunks]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

Found one more

Uhhh wow

Resident Evil 5 is already raising questions about racism (White good guys vs. black bad guys? Is this some kind of race war?), or maybe questions about Capcom’s judgment (Who okayed this for production?). As one forum commenter wrote, “Is it just me, or is there something subtly racist about gunning down mobs of angry Africans?”

But the point isn’t to smack one more label on mainstream video games (violent, sexist, racist). The point is that—for this white girl, at least—the Resident Evil 5 trailer is strangely disturbing.

wow.

And that’s the other issue with setting a zombie movie in Africa. The whole idea of zombies is based on our fear of contamination. Get bitten by a zombie, or just drop a tiny bit of undead blood in an open wound, and you’re a goner. Soon you too will carry the disease of the living dead.

Sounds familiar yet? Yup, we could be talking about the HIV/AIDS crisis, which has killed 15 million Africans, and infected 25 million others on the continent. Especially since one of the few sentences spoken in the Resident Evil 5 trailer is, “Casualties continue to mount over the long years I have struggled.”

.... wow.

[Eohmer]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

I found these comments from the OP's first article... heh..

11. Ryo

August 1st, 2007 at 7:08 am

As a black woman myself, I’m disgusted by your ignorance and easily offending manor. This game is meant for 17+, and has shot other zombies of color.

Why bring this issue up and recycle the hate machine?

and ...

104. A Black Man

August 1st, 2007 at 2:25 pm

I’m black, I love video games, I love Resident Evil.
This chapter is set in Africa, so it makes sense to have black people in the game.
So many black people fought for their rights, rights to be equal to white people. And now they are equal…yet they don’t want to be in movies, books, video games, etc.
“I do find the images of violence against Black people to be problematic even if those Black people are supposed to be zombies or whatever.”
That just doesn’t make any sense.

[Aksannyi]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

I can't believe how stupid these people are being. The main character in Resident Evil - Leon - has always been white. What, are they supposed to change him black so he can kill blacks who live in AFRICA?

Okay, this is stupid on SO many levels. There are zombies in Africa. People become zombies. People who live in Africa are (for the most part) black.

Am I missing something here? Is there some reason why I get this connection but others don't? So Leon's supposed to go to Africa and kill white people even though THEY DON'T FREAKING LIVE THERE?

Or wait, wait, wait ... are blacks supposed to "turn white" when they become zombies?

Good god I could go on about this all night and day and probably never get through to these people, for fuck's sake some people will look for ANYTHING to bitch about.

I have to get back to class. -.-

[Eohmer]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

I love how the person of that article said she is going to borrow RE4 from her 10 year old nephew... lol...

[Omni]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

people have too much time on their hands.

[Sevv]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

I love how they shut down comments, "I post for human rights" lmfao racist people who say everything is racist!

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

Haha! Wow!

Quoted for . . . something . . .

[nazlfrag]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

I watched a kung fu movie where an asian guy beat up a black guy AND a white guy! That movie just hated on everybody!! From now on, all movies, books and radio plays should be set in Antarctica, with penguins replacing humans just to be safe. They're black AND white! Problem solved!!

[Saren]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

This is why sensitivity training courses and awareness campaigns past a certain point etc are bad. All they do is make a certain slightly stupid people so paranoid about bigotry that they make idiotic comments like this.

The people who actually are bigoted without realising it just end up still being bigoted, still oblivious to it but come out of armed with the conviction that they don't have a problem and a nice list of government approved words to be assholes with. The people who are bigoted and realise it are usually so far into their own screwed up little universe of reasoning you couldn't make your point with a hammer let alone a leaflet.

If this had been 4 or 5 years ago I bet a lot more people would have been freaking out about the 'race implications' of the game. You are always going to get people who will be stupid about this sort of thing but at least the rascism hysteria seems to have calmed down a little.

[Malacite]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

Well, they're zombie-like. They're not actually zombies, they're more like those Russian Villagers in RE4. I wonder what the catch is this time though (sure not another ancient parasite)

People are reading into this too seriously. It's not racist. If you want to get technical, most games that involve shooting people portray mostly white people. So we could argue the same thing;

It's pointless, quit taking it all so damn personally and chill. It's just a videogame. Capcom isn't out to make some kind of racial statement here, they just want to put out their next "zombie" game.

I'm sick of all this PC bull shit. It's getting to the point where almost anything could be considered offensive these days. When is this gonna end?

[Eohmer]

Re: Resident Evil 5... Racist?

Well, they're zombie-like. They're not actually zombies, they're more like those Russian Villagers in RE4.

Russians don't speak spanish. They aren't Russian villagers. The game even takes place in a Spanish village in Europe... not in Russia.