Racey

While my closest friends will tell you that I reach near "fanboy" levels with two companies - Blizzard and Nintendo - my love for games is obviously not limited to just the two companies. Some find it ironic that even though I seem to drool over new Nintendo items and games, or have day dreams about playing Blizzard games that don't even exist yet, my favorite game of all time is Final Fantasy VII on the Sony Playstation. While I have usually found myself perfectly content staring face-down at the stunning list of Nintendo and Blizzard titles that I own and perhaps even covet, some of my fondest memories (or biggest surprises) comes from third party gaming. (stay with me, this all connects together, I promise).

After playing (and enjoying) Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3 on the Playstation, it was really hard for me to get into any of the later games. Not owning a Sega System since the ill-fated purchase of the SegaCD made it hard to enjoy the games on those systems (Code Veronica, right?) and playing through REmakes just seemed like a poor waste of money. I even bought RE0 for the Gamecube for a low eBay price of $7, but couldn't talk myself into finishing the game. So when people kept telling me how awesome Resident Evil 4 was, I just tuned them out.

After breaking down and buying the game for some super-discounted price after several friends prepared to disown knowledge of my existence for not playing, I was shocked to see that, once again, the genre was new and innovative and, while it made me pull my hair out and freaked me out sometimes, a very entertaining experience. So, when I heard that Resident Evil 5 was only coming to PS3 (and, later, Xbox 360), I was somewhat disappointed (currently, my only "next gen" console is the Wii). Still, I followed the game because I wanted to see just where RE5 would take the series, and how Capcom could take this new formula and really polish it up into a true blockbuster.

So, when capcom finally realeased the trailer for Resident Evil 5, I was stoked. I tried frantically to find a live mirror and sat down to see just what "next gen" could do to the already stellar looking RE4 formula. This may not be for the "squeamish" of you out there, and while the HD trailer is really the only trailer to do the game justice, here is the trailer just to see what I am about to get into. Basically, we take RE4, remove Leon and replace him with Chris Redfield, throw in some really stunning visuals and place us in what looks like Africa with, you guessed it, zombies. Except, something is a little different...

When I first watched the trailer, I will admit I immediately notice that the zombies were not white. Then, I immediately knew what else would come along with it: the "race" card. Apparently, someone honestly believes that making these zombies "African" (as I doubt the are also American) is some form of white supremacist racism in it's most potent of forms. From the article written by the obviously crazed "Kym Platt",

"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."

Honestly, the only thing "problematic" is this post. Firstly, I don't see a "problem" with a game that is about zombies to appear both inhuman and savage, on any level. I've seen more inhuman savagery in Resident Evil 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, Code Veronica, Outbreak Files, REmake, and all the other Resident Evil spin off and side story games that I pretty much know what happens. Considering that the game takes place nearly every game within America (RE0-3, RE4 is in Europe, I don't knnow where the others take place), it is kind of expected - and accepted - that the savage things attacking me are white zombies. But - ho ho! - they are still just that: zombies. I don't care that they are white. I wouldn't care if they were purple and green. I also don't care if the are Dog Zombies, Scorpion Zombies, giant-zombies, or even invisible ninja-bug zombies (screw you, RE4): if they want me dead, I'm gonna fight back. They want my brains, and, honestly, I kind of like keeping them. I've never noticed - or cared - what the color of the zombie was that I was killing, so why start now?

And what is with the military clothing comment? Would she have preferred a white guy killing black people... in a clown suit? In the nude? No, I doubt it. I really see no basis for this. In the first few games, you were a member of a police squad (S.T.A.R.S.), was this an outcry and police brutality at the time? No! So what's the point now? Is our military so known for killing innocent Africans that someone feels this is directed towards them? Apparently this twisted human being thinks so, because she claims the game is targeted at children to "Start them young… fearing, hating, and destroying Black people".

Ok, really folks, now this is just nonsense. Apparantly a game written, directed, and programmed by a japanese company is being used to encourage the mass extinction of a race? Last I checked, Japan didn't have that significant of an look into "racial issues", which may be best for them considering the kind of idiotic reverse-racism that we receive over here from time to time. Really, the only thing this person is looking for is someone else to try and blame for a heap of problems and situations that cannot possibly be pinned on one place, time, person or thing.

But for someone who is so concerned about a game that is promoting "racial hatred", she sure does live in a messed up family. First and foremost, she believes that Resident Evil 5 is geared towards "children". Uh, since when? This ain't no Trix cereal, lady: We aren't talking about silly rabbits or chasing leprechauns for item-shaped marshmallows. We are talking about a "Mature" rated genre of games.

She later goes on to say that she had never even played Resident Evil, but that she would "love to play Resident Evil 4. I’ll go borrow it from my 10 year-old nephew". What is your 10 year old nephew doing playing a Mature rated game about killing significantly human-like creatures with guns, huh? Where is your high-and-mighty morality now, talking about how your family openly allows 10 year olds to play games like this, and yet you think this kind of material is geared "towards children"? Are your nephews also listening to Howard Stern and watching The Playboy Channel? Are you seriously concerned about the material seen in Maxim because your 5 year old niece uses it to learn how to read?

No, obviously not. And despite her obviously snobby attitude towards gamers, she seems to mean well on some level, right? I mean, if I read her correctly, she wasn't trying to say that they let her 10 year old nephew plays these types of games, instead what she was really trying to do was insult anyone who plays Resident Evil 4 because, apparently, she is above this "child-like" genre... but not enough to pay close attention and get riled up about it. Seriously, if you never played Resident Evil 4 - and need to go ask your "10 year old nephew" for a copy as a snide dig to those of us who honestly enjoy the game - what are you doing even looking at trailer for Resident Evil 5? Obviously you are not concerned at what we do at all, until you think you can turn it around as some vicious attack on the "white man" even though the game isn't even created within the United States, but in freaking Japan? Get serious.

But, no, she doesn't. Instead, she says this in response to someone asking if it was OK that people were shooting at white zombies in all previous games:

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

Then, her reverse racism shown for what it really is, she tries to save face by saying this in her comments:

"And, it was a bit tongue-in-cheek on my part, but 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."

and a little later in the same comment:

"The author of the original article is white and states as much. Would your responses be the same to that article since it was written by a white person? Or would you think that she was “crying racism” as well?"

Why yes, Kim, we would. Because it is ABSURD to accept something as "OK" because it is being done to a white person, but NOT ok when it is done to a black person. Of course, this is not just limited to white/black. On the show 24, there are several times where terrorists are first revealed to be Muslim (usually Muslim-Americans), only to have outcries from groups like CAIR and what not about how this "inaccurately portrays the Muslim community" and such. But, when the true plot line is revealed, we learn that, as always, the big bad rich evil white man is the one who mastermind it all, and the Muslims end up being sad puppets who are abused in their little game over money and power. Who cries then? Who sticks up for the honor, the dignity, and the respect of my people, huh? Why is it ok that a white man on 24 can be portrayed as: dumb, evil, power-hungry, mad, crazy, twisted, back-stabbing, two faced, a jerk, greedy, selfish and violent, and no one gets insulted or takes issue?

I realize that there are still many - in both America and abroad - with some problems of prejudice (different from racism), but this is not the way to go about "fixing" things. Calling out anything and everything as "racist" and hoping that this is blanket snuffs out the problem isn't going to help, it's only going to hurt. But I do ask you to remember this: When you are trying to stand up for your own people and their honor, their "misrepresentation", their "plight".... where are you when it comes to someone else's turn? Where are you when Christians get bashed and defamed in public, called "stupid" and laughed at? Where are you when world leaders spew hate and violence against Jewish and Christians alike? Don't think that we all don't know some form of hate; we do, you just never see it, because you are too busy looking at how you think people are possibly trying to hate on you.

It's a story - just let the story be. They are zombies, created by Umbrella Corp. and their mis-managed T-virus or G-virus or whatever it is this time around. And don't worry - the main villian (Whesker) still seems to be a white man, so all is well in the world!