Representation: Damned either way

(Disclaimer: The following post concerns discussion of progressivism in video games or other forms of media and may be considered “Social Justice Warrior”. If you do not feel comfortable reading about such things, it is recommended that you read something else.

Also, don’t take anything I say too seriously. I’m the guy who liked all the Bayformer films, Sucker Punch, Green Lantern and the Mass Effect 3 ending.)

Representation: Damned if you do Damned if you don’t

What I’m about to say is very controversial. It may unintentionally push the wrong buttons, offend some people and phrase things the wrong way. If that happens, know that it wasn’t intentional and I apologize in advance. Feel free to call me out if I cross a line or two. Also, be aware that this post may contain logical fallacies and even strawmen. Okay? Okay.

So, when it comes to representation in mass-media, the issue of diversity has become a hot button topic and point of debate, creating flared emotions on both sides of the debate. And I happen to think it’s a good thing. At the very least, it’s not a bad thing. Yes, it might get a tad annoying that every other journalist or blogger brings up the Bechdel test, but it does bring forward a point of discussion and allows us to flex our brains.

Obviously, it doesn’t need to be said that objects and tropes aren’t racist or sexist or offensive by themselves. Objects and tropes are neutral, didn’t do anything to anybody. It’s the cultural context that makes an object bad. It’s the history and context behind what the object was used for that makes the object bad.  For example, a woman in the kitchen. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with having a woman in the kitchen, it’s just a person who happens to be a woman going into a kitchen. But it’s the years of showing women in the kitchen that implies ‘it’s where they belong’ and showing the opposite makes it seem strange or unnatural or weird.

So, now we’re seeing an influx of minorities from different races, genders, sexual orientations, etc. being part of the cast and even defying those stereotypes that put them down in the first place. Awesome.

However, there’s a ‘new’ criticism that emerges when you try to add diversity to a cast. There’s a school of thought going around of said minority adopting the traits of the established norm, they are none the less conforming and affirming those traits.

“Huh?”

In other words, by making the minorities look and act like their white, heterosexual counterparts, they are somehow supporting or conforming to the culture that oppressed them.

In the Chris Rock documentary “Good Hair” (which is pretty great and funny, too), Chris Rock shows the lengths African-Americans to go to get their hair as straight as possible, similar to a white person, to the point of putting dangerous chemicals in their scalp, paying upwards to $1000 and even stapling weaves into their scalp. 

You’ve heard the terms before: “Sell-out” “Uncle Toms” “Coons”. The idea and visual coding that labels a minority that acts or dresses in a way that’s considered ‘normal’ in a Western society, is automatically the enemy, part of the system, a turncoat.

This isn’t even a new issue. Hell, even the late Roger Ebert brought it up in his review of Aladdin.

“One distraction during the film was its odd use of ethnic stereotypes. Most of the Arab characters have exaggerated facial characteristics - hooked noses, glowering brows, thick lips - but Aladdin and the princess look like white American teenagers. Wouldn't it be reasonable that if all the characters in this movie come from the same genetic stock, they should resemble one another?”

The visual coding Aladdin seems to imply (not intentionally, not purposefully, but more likely as a result of a systemic culture) is that those characters with lighter skin and more Caucasin features are the ‘good guys’ and those with stereotypical features, like Jafar, are the ‘bad guys’.

Now, at first this seems like a good idea and a good starting off point to get a discussion going. But what happens when things get mislabeled or outrage is going into the wrong thing? Like Hiro from the upcoming movie “Big Hero 6”. Normally, we attribute certain traits to those of Asian descent, such as slanted eyes and an in-born ability of kung-fu. Hiro, however, seems to step away from that stereotype and has wider eyes and is just a normal kid. How much do you want to be bet that there’s an accusation of Hiro being ‘white-washed’. (Though, it would make sense in this case. He has a white mother).

Isn’t it kind of nonproductive and backwards to be attacking someone who doesn’t act according to a mannerism that the other side defined us as?

It’s become so weird that if a character of a certain ethnicity or gender or sexual orientation or whatever doesn’t act like a certain way, that if they defy the stereotypes that labeled them, they’re considered a “traitor” or an “Oreo” or something else.

Even Feminist Frequency’s Anita Sarkeesian stated that a woman in an action role, like Ripley from Aliens or Sarah Conner from Terminator are not ‘good representations for females since they embody the violent male archetypes’.

Now, assuming the strawman I put up is what Ms. Sarkeesian is saying, this bugs the hell out of me for a couple of reasons. I thought the entire point of female representation was to move away from the damaging stereotype that women were weak and not empowered. But, when we do have examples of women kicking ass, taking names and being in charge, ‘that’s’ no longer a female character?

So, wait. Does that mean female characters who display perceived ‘masculine’ traits don’t count? Ashley Williams doesn’t count? What about Aveline Vallen, Akaavi Spar, Cassandra Pentaghast? (I… uh… like Bioware games a lot).

Anyone who’s ever messed around with a character creator before gets what I’m talking about. In most RPGs, you can pick your race, gender, sexual orientation and some games even let you cross dress. Yet, a majority of the time (save some unique bits of dialogue that address your race), none of it is really brought up as a point of conflict or issue or debate. People simply accept your main player character as is.

No one really ever brings up skin tone. But yeah, certain games do show a certain dichotomy between male and female characters (Bioware does this a lot with their romance options. Female player characters sometimes feel ogled for their looks, but Shepard can pull out a pistol and threaten people).

Where’s the middle ground on all of this? This argument could virtually be used against every representation. If you’re foppish and homosexual? You’re a gay stereotype. If you’re gay but like sports, beer and action movies? You’re a straight gay.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php… If you’re a lesbian and decide to look butch? Stereotype. If you’re a lesbian but look feminine? “Oh. They’re not ‘real’ lesbians. They’re just putting on a show for straight guys”. Even transgendered and transsexuals are under this accusation. If the character looks more like their former gender than their intended one? That’s stereotyping them. If a character looks exactly like their cisgendered counterparts but was of a different gender before? “You just made them that way to show a transsexual without showing the struggle of being a transsexual.”

Jared Leto, recently from the “Dallas Buyer’s Club”, was criticized for his depiction of Rayon, a transsexual prostitute. Yet, no one thought to criticize the director, the script-writer, the producers, the casting director. No, it was apparently all Jared Leto’s fault. Because he wasn’t an actual transsexual.

Even a blogger named greenwolfmusic on Tumblr made a post on this. Tumblr. Internet short-hand for knee-jerk progressivism. Claire Augustus from Jeph Jacques’ “Questionable Content” and Alysia Yeoh from Gail Simone’s Batigirl are male to female transsexuals but look feminine or ‘passing’.

“That having been said, these characters do frustrate me a little. While on the one hand they represent very character driven portrayals, I’m concerned with how insignificant their genders are to their stories as a whole. Both authors use “coming out” as a trope to solidify the friendship between the protagonist and the trans side character. However, beyond this, these characters’ trans status is not used for any other sort of development. These characters could very easily be replaced by cis characters without dramatically affecting the narrative of the stories they appear in.”

Look. I’m glad we’re getting to a point where we praise diversity and recognize good actors like Laverne Cox from Orange is the New Black (good show), but to fault every show for not addressing diversity is a bit excessive, don’t you think? If we keep getting ‘outraged’ at every bit of media not being progressive, pretty soon, our audience is going to either a) be so frightened as not to consume any other media or b) get sick of us, label us as the “Boy who cried Wolf” and stop caring by the time a real, actual issue comes off and we need their support.

Yeah, art is influential. But it’s also a symptom and a reflection of the sick culture surrounding it. In order to change both, both sides need support.

When people ask for diversity in games or other forms of mass media, we shouldn’t ‘just’ be looking for more representations of minorities in race, class, gender, sexual orientation and other issues. I believe the Escapist’s own Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw said it best.

“I do think it's true that games could use more diversity. But when I say that, I mean diversity of ideas, thoughtfulness, and perspectives.”

In order to sell diversity in characters, we first have to sell diversity in ideas and values in order to change things.

A character’s race, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability scratch only the surface of that the character is. It’s a character’s actions, decisions, choices, and values that makes them what they are. What is their goal? What is their motive? What lines are they willing to cross to get there? What lines won’t they cross to get there?

On a parting note, while I can’t refute Mr. Johnathan McIntosh’s video on how flooded the video game industry is with mostly white male, cisgendered, heterosexual protagonists www.youtube.com/watch?v=85M3Ln…, I want to point out that not all protagonists are as engaging, interesting or defined as others. Take Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto IV, his pathos, his self-hatred, his inability to let out and how his attempts to blend into his new American life fail spectacularly. Match that with the boring blandness of Watch Dog’s Aiden Pearce, who virtually tackles the same arc as Niko’s but instead comes off as cliché and boring. Maybe there’s a lesson to be had there.