Earlier this month, a bill was proposed to the New York State Assembly. Under normal circumstances, this would hardly be something worth me mentioning, seeing as how I scarcely have the patience to (ie almost never) read bill proposals from my own state, much less those from states with which I have no affiliation. But bill A01474 was different, and not just because it had to do with video games. Okay thats a lie... its entirely because it has to do with video games. But it also raises a more serious question that I'd like to mull over.
The bulk of A01474 is devoted to making sure it is more difficult for minors to get their hands on games where naughty people with potty mouths do bad things. Right up until you get to this little ditty:
Racial stereotyping in video games? Sounds crazy right? Too absurd to possibly be a problem? Maybe. But there is someone I'd like you to meet.
Let me introduce you to Private Augustus "The Cole Train" Cole, former "Thrashball" all star, and current member of the COG Army's Delta Squad. As I'm sure you are no doubt aware, Cole is not a real person. He is a character in the Gears of War video game franchise.
And he is a stereotype.
I'm assuming that most of you reading this post have not played through Gears of War, so allow me to enlighten you with a snippet of The Coletrain's witty repartee. Be warned, its quite profanity laden if such things bother you.
In the interest of fairness, every one of the characters in Gears of War is a walking stereotype in one way or another. And were Cole an exception, this discussion would probably be completely irrelevant. But Cole is not the exception.
There is Barret Wallace, the hot tempered, gun armed, profanity spewing member of the Final Fantasy 7. Little Jacob from GTA 4, the gun laundering, weed smoking, Rastafarian. There is Staff Sergent Griggs (Call of Duty 4), who has to be the member of his squad to turns rap music on after taking an enemy communication station (though at least there is a real life story behind that character). Drebin (MGS4), is another gun launderer. Don't even get me started on Black characters in fighting games (DeeJay, Jax, Balrog, etc). Carl "CJ" Johnson is one of the very few African American main video game characters you'll find. Of course he is the main character of GTA: San Andreas, so invariably, he is a cop killing, drug running gang-banger.
Were you to continue running through the list of Black video game characters, you'd notice two things. First of all, its not a very long list. And secondly, its loaded with character stereotypes. It doesnt get any better if you consider other equally under and misrepresented minority groups (Lara Croft anyone?).
Now before we go too far, I want to make it clear that I'm not calling racism (or sexism) on any of the developers who've put forth these characters. As I said before, taken in isolation, none of these examples are really all that worthy of discussion. But taken within the broader context of the industry, it does raise a few questions for me.
There are literally thousands upon thousands of video games that have been produced over the last 20 years, and though I havent played all of them by any means, I've certainly played my fair share. So should it be a cause for concern that I can't think of more than one game I've played with a black main character? Or that almost every example of a black supporting character I can think of either speaks in Ebonics or has some connection to crime? And just as a point of reference, I can come up with 5 female main characters, 3 Native American characters (total) and not a single game with a Latino main character. And all those that do exist, either in a main or supporting role, are laden with stereotypical depictions.
Why?
To a certain extent, you might expect that a large chunk of game characters would be White or Japanese given that most games are developed in White or Japanese majority countries. To a certain extent, you might expect that most game characters would be male, since more males than females have historically played video games (though that is now shifting). But rationalizing demographic trends does not explain overwhelming disparities in numbers. It does not explain why black game characters use more profanities than periods, or why female characters usually could have been ripped out of the Victoria's Secret catalog. I'm an adult (though that is debated by some) and I come from a very diverse background. To me, these sorts of depictions are at worst, decisions made in poor taste, and have no impact on my perceptions of race or gender. But who is to say that I'm the rule and not the exception in that regard?
What are the consequences of failing to get explanations for these character caricatures we're pumping out?
I'm not giving television, film, or music a pass on their contributions to the portrayal of certain stereotypes. But to be fair, they also offer far more diverse perspectives than games do. And when you consider that each of the more traditional media outlets existed during times of real segregation and racism in this country, it makes them look all the better. What excuse does the gaming industry, which for all intents and purposes began in the 80s, have for its lack of character diversity? What reason could it possibly have the pathetic numbers and poor depictions of minority characters in its products?
"Why" in this case, is not a question I'm prepared to answer, though I do think someone should. For my own part, I'd just like to ask for a change.
The Cole Train doesnt offend me. In fact, I really like the character. I like most of the characters that I mentioned earlier. And lets be honest, I'm perfectly happy with most of the white male characters I didnt mention. Its not that I have a problem with a Black character running guns in a game. Or an attractive female. Or a Latino gang member. That level of sensitivity is uncalled for.
But when the only diversity you see in games comes in the form of a stereotype, I think that everyone who calls themselves a gamer has a responsibility to demand better.
After all, we just elected our first African American President. Are a few more minority video game heros so much to ask?
Images from gearsofwar.wikia.com and listverse.com
The bulk of A01474 is devoted to making sure it is more difficult for minors to get their hands on games where naughty people with potty mouths do bad things. Right up until you get to this little ditty:
"Prohibits the sale to minors of certain rated video games containing
a rating that reflects content of various degrees of profanity,
racist stereotypes or derogatory language, and/or actions toward a
specific group of persons."
Racial stereotyping in video games? Sounds crazy right? Too absurd to possibly be a problem? Maybe. But there is someone I'd like you to meet.
Let me introduce you to Private Augustus "The Cole Train" Cole, former "Thrashball" all star, and current member of the COG Army's Delta Squad. As I'm sure you are no doubt aware, Cole is not a real person. He is a character in the Gears of War video game franchise. And he is a stereotype.
I'm assuming that most of you reading this post have not played through Gears of War, so allow me to enlighten you with a snippet of The Coletrain's witty repartee. Be warned, its quite profanity laden if such things bother you.
In the interest of fairness, every one of the characters in Gears of War is a walking stereotype in one way or another. And were Cole an exception, this discussion would probably be completely irrelevant. But Cole is not the exception.
There is Barret Wallace, the hot tempered, gun armed, profanity spewing member of the Final Fantasy 7. Little Jacob from GTA 4, the gun laundering, weed smoking, Rastafarian. There is Staff Sergent Griggs (Call of Duty 4), who has to be the member of his squad to turns rap music on after taking an enemy communication station (though at least there is a real life story behind that character). Drebin (MGS4), is another gun launderer. Don't even get me started on Black characters in fighting games (DeeJay, Jax, Balrog, etc). Carl "CJ" Johnson is one of the very few African American main video game characters you'll find. Of course he is the main character of GTA: San Andreas, so invariably, he is a cop killing, drug running gang-banger.
Were you to continue running through the list of Black video game characters, you'd notice two things. First of all, its not a very long list. And secondly, its loaded with character stereotypes. It doesnt get any better if you consider other equally under and misrepresented minority groups (Lara Croft anyone?). Now before we go too far, I want to make it clear that I'm not calling racism (or sexism) on any of the developers who've put forth these characters. As I said before, taken in isolation, none of these examples are really all that worthy of discussion. But taken within the broader context of the industry, it does raise a few questions for me.
There are literally thousands upon thousands of video games that have been produced over the last 20 years, and though I havent played all of them by any means, I've certainly played my fair share. So should it be a cause for concern that I can't think of more than one game I've played with a black main character? Or that almost every example of a black supporting character I can think of either speaks in Ebonics or has some connection to crime? And just as a point of reference, I can come up with 5 female main characters, 3 Native American characters (total) and not a single game with a Latino main character. And all those that do exist, either in a main or supporting role, are laden with stereotypical depictions.
Why?
To a certain extent, you might expect that a large chunk of game characters would be White or Japanese given that most games are developed in White or Japanese majority countries. To a certain extent, you might expect that most game characters would be male, since more males than females have historically played video games (though that is now shifting). But rationalizing demographic trends does not explain overwhelming disparities in numbers. It does not explain why black game characters use more profanities than periods, or why female characters usually could have been ripped out of the Victoria's Secret catalog. I'm an adult (though that is debated by some) and I come from a very diverse background. To me, these sorts of depictions are at worst, decisions made in poor taste, and have no impact on my perceptions of race or gender. But who is to say that I'm the rule and not the exception in that regard?
What are the consequences of failing to get explanations for these character caricatures we're pumping out?
I'm not giving television, film, or music a pass on their contributions to the portrayal of certain stereotypes. But to be fair, they also offer far more diverse perspectives than games do. And when you consider that each of the more traditional media outlets existed during times of real segregation and racism in this country, it makes them look all the better. What excuse does the gaming industry, which for all intents and purposes began in the 80s, have for its lack of character diversity? What reason could it possibly have the pathetic numbers and poor depictions of minority characters in its products?
"Why" in this case, is not a question I'm prepared to answer, though I do think someone should. For my own part, I'd just like to ask for a change.
The Cole Train doesnt offend me. In fact, I really like the character. I like most of the characters that I mentioned earlier. And lets be honest, I'm perfectly happy with most of the white male characters I didnt mention. Its not that I have a problem with a Black character running guns in a game. Or an attractive female. Or a Latino gang member. That level of sensitivity is uncalled for.
But when the only diversity you see in games comes in the form of a stereotype, I think that everyone who calls themselves a gamer has a responsibility to demand better.
After all, we just elected our first African American President. Are a few more minority video game heros so much to ask?
Images from gearsofwar.wikia.com and listverse.com
Just googling "video games and minority characters" led me to your post, and I had to giggle when I read the title. Playing through what little I have of Gears of War II, I noticed "Coltrain"'s sterotypical attitudes and actions immediately. But he's not the only one in the game, as you've noted, that adheres to stereotypes-- for example, Dominic's fanatical pursuit of his wife... only to "euthanize" her. Creepy.
This game, amongst a few others that I've seen, but especially this one, has prompted me to do my senior undergrad thesis on the stereotyping of minorities in videogames; analyzing it as a rhetorical artifact for ideological symbolism and messages regarding minorities. I'll be looking into Gears of War and Gears of War II, as well as Grand Theft Auto IV and a few others.
Thanks for your post, though. It's heartening to see that at least one gamer hasn't completely overlooked this trend. And props for mentioning the "victoria's secret" trend in depicting women in games as well. I see this changing slowly as the population of female gamers increases. If you've played the latest Resident Evil, you'll notice that one of the two main characters is a woman, and seems almost fully clothed and equally matched with her male counterpart. (That is, until you play through the game and unlock/purchase more outfits for her which make her look like a 70's disco stripper, but ah well- it was almost progressive.)
All that aside, I found this encouraging, and thought I'd share:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8837488/
So thanks again, and here's to hoping for more diversity with less stereotyping in future games.
Thats a great point about Disney, Shawn. And ultimately I think you're right about the need to actively pursue change. I guess my frustration just stems from the need to "keep asking". One would think that a progressive medium like video games would have an equally progressive view on race, or gender, or sexual orientation (as in, an ability to see beyond it). But clearly there is a disconnect somewhere.
It does make me wonder if the game industry feels the same way American car companies did about mammoth gas chewing SUVs - "we're just giving the consumer what they want". It begs the question are they more at fault, or are we as gamers?
Your film sounds very interesting - it wouldnt happen to be available online would it? I'd love to take a look!
Nice post, Chris. This reminds me of a short film I made a while back in which an out-of-work black animated actor complains about the dearth of black animated roles for him to play. He is particularly unhappy with Disney, which seems to actively avoid black characters in every film they make. They have movies with characters who are Arabian, Chinese, Indigenous Americans, heck, even Merpeople, and not an African-American or African to be found. The one time they make a movie set in Africa, there aren't any people in it! (The Lion King)
You raise some good points. Your reasoned approach is also refreshing.
My initial thought is that getting some diversity in the game production pipeline would probably do a world of good in this regard too. It might take a few years, but change always comes.
Keep asking for it.
I think you hit it spot on Elizabeth. More character development with fewer cookie cutter conventions.
As far as character development and the fantasy element of games goes, I'd like to believe that there is plenty of room for experimentation, no matter how outlandish. Though we all play our games with some pre-existing ideas or even stereotypes of our own games exist specifically to step outside of those ideas. No gamer has any idea what it would mean to defend the planet from hostile alien invasion, but that has become a convention in video game plot. That sort of acceptance is perfectly suited to allow developers an opportunity to think outside the norm, outside the stereotypical with their characters. I accept, almost without question, an anthropomorphized dog-cat thing (Ratchet of Ratchet and Clank) as a main character. Why not more women or minorities?
P.S. Did I detect a potential future as a gamer in your comment? =)
Great blog post - I had an immediate flashback to Tropic Thunder. Of course, you can't really blame the game designers because they are essentially ripping off the cheap action-adventure flick which are full of bad stereotypes.
What I am seeing here though is a call for more character development (which includes characters who buck conventional stereotypes). Is that possible in a game or would that interfere with the "fantasy" role play element?
I'm not a player (yet), so it really is an open question.
This reminds me of one of the first and most popular video game series to have a stereotype main characted (No, not Pac-Man, which may have been offensive to round, yellow people who hallucinate about ghosts). The game series I am thinking about starred two Italian-American plumbers. And then there's Space Invaders, which stereotypes aliens as wanting to take over the world and hurt us.
It looks like stereotyping is in the roots of the industry...
Thanks for an interesting read!