2008 Woodie Awards
Stereotype Fighters
Mustafa Gatollari
Issue date: 2/13/06 Section: Life & Leisure
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There isn't a single person in the universe today who hasn't played "Street Fighter II" or at least some incarnation of it.
There's nothing that brings that game down…except for RACISM! The stereotypes are so beautifully rampant in this game that it makes me cry, laugh, and feel sorry for myself on a Saturday night because I'm happy I'm able to defeat the computer on maximum difficulty without using any continues…sigh.
On a semi-serious note however, the deplorable racism pre-eminently punching you in the face in "Street Fighter II" leaves me awe-struck. First, since it's a Japanese game, the Japanese character, Ryu, is made the most noble and coolest out of everyone. The funny part is, JUST like all Japanese anime characters, he doesn't look Japanese at all. Now most people would say that this is almost a way of refuting my claim, but read on further and see how this is a testament…NO, a COMMANDMENT that corroborates my findings.
Let's take a look at Vega, the Spanish, masked fighter. Here, Capcom decided that it would harp on the stereotype of effeminate Spanish males by making Vega lanky, high-pitched, and a completely homosexual character.
With all of his jumping around and behind the back grabs, Capcom almost is begging for Spanish males to hate them. Not to mention his mask and how he cries like a girl whenever you hit it off because his face is too precious. (Also see the Spanish fighter Don Flamenco in "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"). This shows that Capcom intentionally targeted Spanish stereotypes, but CHOSE to get it all mixed up with other South American and Latino stereotypes as well by putting Dole banana Ladies in the background of Vega's level…definitely deplorable.
If that isn't bad enough, we get the Communist Soviet Union "Bear," Zangief. With him, it just shows how much Japan hated Russians. By rendering Zangief the worst character in the game, all Russians and Slavic peoples should be insulted.
Now I don't have anything against Japanese people, but any people will try to make their own look good, even if it's in a video game. If America made "Street Fighter II," Ken and Guile would be UNSTOPPABLE, but since Japan made it, here's what they did. The difference between Ken and Ryu is a lot like American and Japanese cars. Sure Ken is a little faster than Ryu, but Ryu's a hell of a lot more dependable, and HIS hurricane kick knocks the guy down, Ken's doesn't. Cars don't have hurricane kicks, but if they did, American ones would leave people standing up, whereas Japanese ones would knock them down…and that makes perfect sense.
There's nothing that brings that game down…except for RACISM! The stereotypes are so beautifully rampant in this game that it makes me cry, laugh, and feel sorry for myself on a Saturday night because I'm happy I'm able to defeat the computer on maximum difficulty without using any continues…sigh.
On a semi-serious note however, the deplorable racism pre-eminently punching you in the face in "Street Fighter II" leaves me awe-struck. First, since it's a Japanese game, the Japanese character, Ryu, is made the most noble and coolest out of everyone. The funny part is, JUST like all Japanese anime characters, he doesn't look Japanese at all. Now most people would say that this is almost a way of refuting my claim, but read on further and see how this is a testament…NO, a COMMANDMENT that corroborates my findings.
Let's take a look at Vega, the Spanish, masked fighter. Here, Capcom decided that it would harp on the stereotype of effeminate Spanish males by making Vega lanky, high-pitched, and a completely homosexual character.
With all of his jumping around and behind the back grabs, Capcom almost is begging for Spanish males to hate them. Not to mention his mask and how he cries like a girl whenever you hit it off because his face is too precious. (Also see the Spanish fighter Don Flamenco in "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!"). This shows that Capcom intentionally targeted Spanish stereotypes, but CHOSE to get it all mixed up with other South American and Latino stereotypes as well by putting Dole banana Ladies in the background of Vega's level…definitely deplorable.
If that isn't bad enough, we get the Communist Soviet Union "Bear," Zangief. With him, it just shows how much Japan hated Russians. By rendering Zangief the worst character in the game, all Russians and Slavic peoples should be insulted.
Now I don't have anything against Japanese people, but any people will try to make their own look good, even if it's in a video game. If America made "Street Fighter II," Ken and Guile would be UNSTOPPABLE, but since Japan made it, here's what they did. The difference between Ken and Ryu is a lot like American and Japanese cars. Sure Ken is a little faster than Ryu, but Ryu's a hell of a lot more dependable, and HIS hurricane kick knocks the guy down, Ken's doesn't. Cars don't have hurricane kicks, but if they did, American ones would leave people standing up, whereas Japanese ones would knock them down…and that makes perfect sense.