I'm curious to know how many people defending fantasy Orcs as NEVER being representative of nonwhite races in the historically majority white genre, are white themselves.

I love fantasy and RPGs. But I recognize where it came from, and what all fantasy and sci-fi genres portray.

Especially when it comes to "fantasy" or alien races.

No matter what, they will often be used as stand-ins for cultures and ethnicities other than white or European.

Dwarves, Klingons, Ferengi, Gungan, whatever. People of color have pointed this out, and it's valid.

It doesn't mean that Dungeons & Dragons (or Lord of the Rings or Star Trek or Star Wars, etc.) is maliciously racist, but these favorites of ours DO have blind spots.

And it's our job as fans to listen to people when they bring up these concerns. And to be inclusive.

Like, I love joking that Chewbacca is Mexican. (He's a mechanic, he's hairy, nickname is "Chewie", etc.)

But there's a real issue at the heart of that joke. For 38 years there was no major Latin representation in that franchise. Jimmy Smits is the man, but he wasn't the lead.

All this to say, it's not INSANE to point to these fictional races and ask "what are they saying about us? What are they saying about nonwhite peoples? What are they saying about our cultures and customs? What do they say about how white Europeans (or white Americans) view them?"

And why are white Europeans or white Americans "the norm" in these stories?

Because they were historically the ones creating these worlds. Their origins are from their perspective and point of view. And their conscious or subconscious biases.

If we're gonna have these conversations (and we should, it's just basic critical analysis), then people of color have to be part of the conversation.

It can't just end with white people saying "no, Orcs are not black people. End of discussion."

You gotta ask black people.