Thread by @Hvitkanen, WoW is a beautiful game that we all love and adore, and [...]

☽ Hvitkanen ☾

Hvitkanen

WoW is a beautiful game that we all love and adore, and it's important to remember that some things that are still problematic to PoC's who play the game -- things that either haven't aged well or continue to be an issue.

WoW brims with a multitude of races that are interesting and often fun alternatives to another "short" or "pointy eared" human. But are often reduced to caricatures of the ethnic groups they are inspired by, an erasure of the people from their culture. https://www.autosave.tv/2018/08/14/fantastic-racism-the-problem-with-world-of-warcraft/

Fantastic Racism: The Problem With World of Warcraft

In preparation for the expansion Battle for Azeroth, I subscribed to World of Warcraft for the first time in over 10 years. I’ve grown a lot since then, but WoW has not. You probably know about War…

https://www.autosave.tv/2018/08/14/fantastic-racism-the-problem-with-world-of-warcraft/

This sort or representation establishes the idea of the "Other," exotifying ethnic groups through a Eurocentric lens. What does it say when humans represent American/European culture, while monstrous/animalistic races represent that of minorities? https://www.redandblack.com/variety/game-on-mists-of-pandaria-shallowly-presents-another-mystic-asia-fantasy/article_5ec6c92c-0821-11e2-8327-0019bb30f31a.html

Game On!: 'Mists of Pandaria' shallowly presents another 'mystic Asia' fantasy

Rolling rivers where foxes frolic nearby. Large pagoda temples with mountain-like stairs. Deadly guards armed only with staffs and fists.

https://www.redandblack.com/variety/game-on-mists-of-pandaria-shallowly-presents-another-mystic-asia-fantasy/article_5ec6c92c-0821-11e2-8327-0019bb30f31a.html

"So... is WoW racist?" Sadly, yes.
"Is it bad to play WoW?" Not necessarily.

Recognizing these issues is the first step for both devs and players to help make this game a better place -- more diversity and better representation -- for all.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Dissertations/Spring2010/c_ritter_050410.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwihvciT0_PpAhUWop4KHc1cCCAQFjAAegQIBRAC&usg=AOvVaw2s41auuKg5vH9mzjOf4Way

Oops. Sorry, not sure why that last link didn't work. This was what I was linking to:

Why the Humans Are White: Fantasy, Modernity, and the Rhetorics of Racism in World of Warcraft (WSU Dissertation)

http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Dissertations/Spring2010/c_ritter_050410.pdf

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