Loco Roco contraversy

I found this on 1-up, and thought it was interesting:

http://1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3151879

I don't think 1up is really the home of intelligent discussion on things like this, but I thought it related to some of the things that have come up in regards to the non-release of VF5 outside of Japan, mainly, the issue of how Japanese developers do or don't take into account the feelings of gamers who aren't Japanese.

I find the image on the left (which I'm assuming is from the import manual or official website?) to be pretty striking, and I don't consider myself reactionary. I've also read that at somepoint in-game these characters are also interacting w/ watermellons? I want to say as a kind of personal opinion disclaimer that I:

A) don't think Sony is outright trying to make a racist statement here, or even a subversive one.

B) this will never be released in America or Europe like this IMO

what I DO think is that since this release in intended only for Japan ATM, they think it's OK to do this. There is no way I can reasonably see that these images could get into the game and/or it's packaging w/out SOMEONE at Sony considering this would be offensive to Blacks. People just aren't that stupid. To me, this means they've chosen to ignore what Blacks (or anyone w/ a social concious) would think for now, and go ahead w/ the release. For me, therein lies the problem, and it reminds me of the VF5 thing. If you aren't Japanese, it's not that we hate or don't like you, but for the time being, you don't matter. We'll get to you and how you feel when we'd like you to buy our American products.

When I was in Japan in March, I was surprised to see several Blackface logos on storefronts, which I think was meant to be "cute". I even remember saying to a friend that you couldn't have that up in America today. Also, I didn't remember seeing this kind of stuff there before. There's also this comedian who's popular in Japan now called Bobby Ologun. I first came to know about him because I saw this mask for sale in a huge store, Tokyu Hands, which just seemed like a crazy Blackface mask. Then I was told it was a "Bobby" mask. here's the wikipedia for Bobby:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Ologun

[ QUOTE ]
His facial expressions also routinely get a reaction from viewers as he frequently pouts his lips to the point of absurdity and bugs his eyes out. This brand of humor could be viewed as offensive or self-denigrating in the West, but not considered so in homogeneous Japan.

[/ QUOTE ]

if you read it you can also see that his humor is based on being kind of a fool, and usually mis-pronouncing words. Obviously this guy is an adult, and he can do whatever he wants w/ his life. I believe we also have this kind of thing in America (Spike Lee's film Bamboozled deals w/ this subject so well, and I'd encourage everyone to see it, it's really challenging culturally).

For me, the classic example from Japan is the character "Mr Popo" from the Dragonball series, who is nothing short of a Blackface cartoon character, and is also a kind-hearted buffoon, and a servant. To me, the biggest problem w/ Mr Popo and now Loco Roco is that these things are marketed, in huge numbers, to little kids, who are impressionable. Especially in a country like Japan, where most people will never have real contact w/ foreigners, so these images can play a big role from a young age in an extremely limited frame of reference.

I'm reading an interesting book ATM about an American's experience in Japan called "Learning to Bow" by Bruce Feiler, and I found an interesting passage; this describes this American's first meeting w/ the principal of the school where he's going to teach:

[ QUOTE ]


"do you know what that is?" the principal asked, pointing to a small flowerpot on the floor. A bare trunk stuck out of the dirt and several naked branches protruded from the side.
I told him I didn't know
"It's a cotton bush!" he cried, "Just like you have in Georgia."
"I didn't know cotton grows in Japan," I said.
"It doesn't," he said. "We don't have the right soil. Plus, we don't have any slaves..." He paused as if to consider his next line. Then a smile crept across his face. "All we have is our wives." The two men laughed uproariously at this comment....

I assured them we didn't have slaves anymore either, but they didn't seem to listen. After a moment Mr. C jumped up from the sofa and pulled me beside him.

"You see Bruce, I'm sure Mr. Principal will take good care of you. He already knows your heart."

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a middle school principal making these comments to a guest from another country on their first meeting! The book is full of things like this, which I've experienced first hand there, and is a good read for anyone interested in Japan's take on Gaijin, and their own youth and Education System.

I'm also fascinated by our Gov't's foaming at the mouth over the Hot Coffee content in GTA, when there's so much more in those games that's offensive (like that you can run over racial and sexual stereotypes w/ tanks). Hot Coffee is just sex, I'd like to ask Hillary Clinton "Since you have a child, you've had sex before, right? Do you feel ashamed?" Spike Lee's newest film, Inside Man, also touches on the GTA games (I'm not a Spike Lee zealot, he's just the only filmmaker I can think of who consistantly comments on these kinds of issues).

I guess my larger point is that I think the game industry runs pretty un-checked when it comes to content like this, and it's too bad because it's basically content for children, and I think some of the more sublte things tend to fall through the cracks, because there aren't clear rules about portrayal of stereotypes etc. I also think the new version of Jeffry is pretty lame, seems like he has a hard time making complete sentances, wiping his mouth after he talks w/ the back of his hand, insinuating that he spit/drooled on himself while talking... I don't think they'd have Akira or Aoi doing that.

this was the best response I've found @ 1up, from user Godheval

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I've already replied on Alejandro's blog, so I'm not gonna spam my lengthy post here too. The thesis is this. It's funny how easy those of you who have never experienced racism can deny it. The LocoRoco character is clearly modelled after blackface - in the tradition of many other Japanese characters like Pokemon's Jynx. If that wasn't enough, then the big chunk of watermelon in front of him pretty much seals the deal.

Do I think that the company has any real malice towards black people? No. I think that they find blackface amusing - just like many white people did when it was popular here in the U.S. However, what they fail to acknowledge - CANNOT even begin to understand - is its association with a long history of degradation.

So perhaps it is funny - in the same way that a big squinty-eyed buck-toothed guy with a small penis chewing on a stick of bamboo and acting like a retard would be funny. After all, silly things are funny. Does it mean that they're acceptable, though? No. And would I call on that Japanese cariacature as being racist and take its creators to task? Hell yes, because I don't tolerate it in any form, against ANYone.

Now does LocoRoco offend me, as a "black" person? No, I couldn't care less. It's a stupid video game, and has no bearing on anything that matters. But what DOES offend me is how many people have demonstrated willful ignorance and denial of racism in general, and their attempts to turn the criticism back on people who DARE to notice it, who DARE to be offended, who DARE to be subjected to it. Yeah, because racism will stop existing as soon as black people (or other victims) stop noticing it, right?

Shut up, you idiots.

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so anyway, discuss if you're interested, please no flaming or dumbshit, you can go to 1up for that.

Bryan

 

It's just the reality that every country has their own stereotypes of everyone else, some more than others.

Look at the way Japanese or Asians are portrayed in US media. The first example that comes to mind is that chinpokomon episode on Southpark.

I'm not saying it's ok or not ok for these kinds of things, but every creative attempt has an intended audience. Strangely, Southpark is definitely somewhat known even in Japan despite it's often offensive/racist content.

There are plenty of stereotypes among Americans themselves, like country hicks, rappers, metrosexuals, etc., and plenty of popular cultural/media exploits on these stereotypes(Like Dave Chappelle). It's not exactly fair for it to be ok if it's directed at your own culture, but it's not ok for another culture to do the same.

Obviously it can be argued that there is a difference if you compare them side to side, but who has the right to judge what is appropriate and what is not?

In this case, you can look at it in a positive way, or a negative way. It can be just a character that draws attraction through our unconscious instincts, or it can be an active attempt at exploiting the stereotype. There is one thing for sure though, black people sure do stand out in Japan, especially those who tries to use the stereotype to their advantage.

 

Why would they even come up with such an offensive character, let alone make it into a video game? I think that it's lack of respect for the black culture. I'm not offended by this character just because I'm a third black, I'm also white and hispanic and I am proud of all of my ethnicities but there is a difference in how a black person and a white person get treated all around the world. It's almost as if black people were the ones that set off to other countries, raped, pillaged, stole, murdered to the point where actual ethinicities have become extinct, dropped nuclear bombs, commited genocide, invented and have fine tuned the art of serial killing, etc. White people have done and continue doing way worst things than loud-mouthed rappers and even terrorists have ever accomplished. I dont hate "whitey" because then I would hate myself and my father, but what I do hate is how quickly people judge without looking at their own culture's wrong doings. The black culture should not be catching as much flak as it does if you compare them to... say, the white culture, if they're going to make an offensive video game they should try to offend the same people who dropped a nuclear bomb on them, oh, but no, they are in love with blond hair and blue eyes and they dont like blacks that much, how did that come about?! I have a theory about that, which I wont get into. I use to find it truly amazing how black people found themselves at almost the bottom of the totem pole (the absolute bottom spot is currently held by Middle Eastern people due greatly in part to 9/11) instead of whites. But I do know that when most people think of the black culture, they think of the hip-hop culture and it is not one and the same. Hip-hop, lately, is doing nothing but showing the worst side of the black culture. It's the equivalent of hillbillies, rednecks, and and KKK representing for all of the white community. I love my white, non-racist people but if any group of people has truly earned to be treated badly it's "racist whites". When it comes to "Ethnicities people love to hate" black people are either right above Hispanics, beneath Hispanics or right next to them depending on who you ask. Due to the dramatic rise in terrorist activity right now there is not one ethnicity more hated than those of Middle Eastern descent, and some would say to that "they earned it". I dont think black people have "earned" this sort of treatment, wether worldwide or just here in the states.

It's hard to see other's point of view when you're on the other side of the fence but I'm pretty sure if non-blacks who think that "things are not that bad" or think that blacks complain too much and pull the "race card" too soon (and yes this does happen, it's not always racism 100% of the time) saw some of the things that I and countless others see on a day to day basis and if they would look through less-biased lenses they would see that racism is still alive not only in America but Japan and all across the globe.
A game such as this is just a small example of that, it may not be all the way racist but it is wrong.

P.S. Would they ever come out with a game this insulting but towards whites? Hmm, I wonder what that would be like....