‘It’s-A-Me, Racist,’ Does Super Mario Kart 8 Push White Privilege?

[eduardo89]

‘It’s-A-Me, Racist,’ Does Super Mario Kart 8 Push White Privilege? (http://dailycaller.com/2014/05/16/its-a-me-racist-does-super-mario-kart-8-push-white-privilege/#ixzz31wLCqjI0)



Are Yoshi, Lakitu and Donkey Kong not doing enough to end white privilege? One video game reviewer–having determined that Nintendo’s “Mario Kart 8″ suffers from a lack of black and Latino playable characters–seems to think so.

Casey Malone, a writer for Paste magazine, praised the latest installment in the Super Mario-themed racing video game series in all aspects but one: racial diversity. The game does not feature enough playable characters who are racial minorities, according to Malone:


After 30 years there are still zero Mario characters of color, a problem that Mario Kart 8 highlights by lining up all the characters on a single screen. When it comes to human characters, Mario Kart 8 is overwhelmingly white. Of the 29 drivers, 14 are human (including Toad and Toadette), and every single one of them is white. While it’d be atypical of Nintendo to introduce new characters into a Mario Kart game, it’s also where the deficit is the most obvious, and during play I found myself disappointed that Nintendo’s stable of characters so painfully fails to reflect the diversity of its audience.
A Daily Caller review found significant faults with Malone’s analysis.

Though Malone counts Toad and Toadette as human characters, they technically belong to an entirely different species: the Mushroom People, Mushroom Retainers or Toads, according to the Mario Wiki.

Discounting Toad and Toadette, there are indeed 12 white playable human characters. However, several are doubles of each other. For instance, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Princess Daisy are all also playable in “baby” form. Since each of these characters is white, their doubles are also white.

Even so, both Mario and Peach are playable as metallic versions of themselves. Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach should hardly be considered “white” characters.

Two other characters, Wario and Waluigi, are simply evil alternate versions of Mario and Luigi. Since the famed plumber brothers are ethnically Italian, so too are Wario and Waluigi.

Continue reading: http://dailycaller.com/2014/05/16/its-a-me-racist-does-super-mario-kart-8-push-white-privilege/

[Kotin]

DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB


I cannot stand people like that..

[eduardo89]

DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB

I cannot stand people like that..

Have you ever met someone like that in real life?

[RJB]

I'm curious if they shied away from different races out of fear of offending people with caricatures. The Mario's big Italian mustache is acceptable, but to introduce other characters who fit in with the artistic designs may have worried them. Just a guess...

[acptulsa]

Last time I played, my driver was green.

Green. What more could a liberal ask for?

[eduardo89]

Last time I played, my driver was green.

Green. What more could a liberal ask for?

Liberals won't be happy until Mario becomes 'transgendered' Maria, an atheist, drives a hybrid, and starts dating a disabled biracial illegal immigrant.

And even then, they'll complain about the lack of diversity.

[Feeding the Abscess]

This shit is creeping into statistically-driven websites like fangraphs, too.

If I wanted social commentary and analysis, I wouldn't fire up a fucking racing game featuring cartoon characters from games marketed to children.

[Paulbot99]

Do liberals have to see oppression ​everywhere?

[heavenlyboy34]

LMAO!!! IIRC, the Marios' ethnicity was determined by the imagination of the creators-Japanese fellows, IIRC. Isn't it enough diversity that Asian people dedicated a game franchise to Italian guys? :confused:

[heavenlyboy34]

Do liberals have to see oppression ​everywhere?
Statists do ("liberal" and "conservative" alike), as they can exploit it for political reasons.

[acptulsa]

All I know is race is important to me.

That's why I stick to far, far better racing games than Mario Kart.

[specsaregood]

All I know is race is important to me.
That's why I stick to far, far better racing games than Mario Kart.

dunno about that, Mario kart is pretty fun.

[ClydeCoulter]

The people being targeted with drones may not even play the game.

[jjdoyle]

If I was Nintendo, I would acknowledge this complaint, and make some Japanese characters. Just to show them how stupid they really are. Mario, created by a JAPANESE game developer, is an Italian character. And they want to complain about a lack of diversity? Please. These people are a waste of time.

[idiom]

There's plenty of places in the world that Italians are oppressed minorities.

[HVACTech]

Have you ever met someone like that in real life?

pssssst.
(he indicated that he has)

[James Madison]

They are aware that Mario isn't made by white people, right?

[BamaAla]

This shit is creeping into statistically-driven websites like fangraphs, too.

If I wanted social commentary and analysis, I wouldn't fire up a fucking racing game featuring cartoon characters from games marketed to children.


Don't bring race into WAR, xFIP, and wOBA!

I hadn't noticed but I never read the articles on FG; I just swing in to read stats. When did this crap start?

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

Debunked




http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/b/b7/Black_Yoshi_YIDS.png/141px-Black_Yoshi_YIDS.png
Black Yoshi is a Yoshi that first appears in Yoshi's Story. He can first be found in secret areas of World 2. Along with White Yoshi, he has certain abilities that give him advantages over the other Yoshis.


http://www.mariowiki.com/Black_Yoshi

[dannno]

Debunked


Black Yoshi is a Yoshi that first appears in Yoshi's Story. He can first be found in secret areas of World 2. Along with White Yoshi, he has certain abilities that give him advantages over the other Yoshis.


http://www.mariowiki.com/Black_Yoshi

What are the advantages? Is he several inches taller?

[BamaAla]

What are the advantages? Is he several inches taller?

Too easy, I'll let someone else take it.

[Anti Federalist]

Do liberals have to see oppression ​everywhere?

Yes.

Because it helps mask and dilute the real oppression out there.

[Feeding the Abscess]

Don't bring race into WAR, xFIP, and wOBA!

I hadn't noticed but I never read the articles on FG; I just swing in to read stats. When did this crap start?

Wendy Thurm and Alex Remington write progressive screeds on a regular basis.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/at-the-ballpark-race-community-and-mlb/

A recent Thurm piece. Remington wrote about how sexism issues are keeping women from playing in MLB. He was rightfully pilloried in the comments.

[jclay2]

These people can go jump in a lake. Like another poster said, if they would have added a new black/Hispanic character they would be accused of racism for absurd caricatures. Why in the world are we still talking about race? Seriously, I am so sick of this needless and irrelevant topic.

[Antischism]

Incredibly stupid article. I thought it was a joke, but wow, they were REALLY reaching here. Jesus Christ.

[Nastynate]

They are aware that Mario isn't made by white people, right?

^^

[69360]

It's a Japanese game for kids. Give me a break already.

[aGameOfThrones]

The game also includes Yoshi, a dinosaur; Lakitu, a cloud-riding lizard; Donkey Kong, an ape; and Shy Guy, a masked character of unknown race, color and gender.


Gender neutral?

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/05/16/its-a-me-racist-does-super-mario-kart-8-push-white-privilege/#ixzz31ysIw9Ma

[Cutlerzzz]

Liberals won't be happy until Mario becomes 'transgendered' Maria, an atheist, drives a hybrid, and starts dating a disabled biracial illegal immigrant.

And even then, they'll complain about the lack of diversity.

They already are. Yoshi is in love with a transgendered Yoshi named Birdo.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birdo

[Philhelm]

There's plenty of places in the world that Italians are oppressed minorities.

Probably in Italy.

[AuH20]

It's a Japanese game for kids. Give me a break already.

That's not the issue. All races and cultures shall be represented because that's how the natural world operates. LOL

[Philhelm]

If Nintendo wanted our dimension to be ripped asunder by leftist rage, they should say that Donkey Kong is black, Toad is a lazy Mexican, and Mario and Luigi are actually Jewish which is why they are always after coins. Yoshi is clearly LGBT, since he can lay eggs, likes to be ridden, and can swallow just about anything. Princess is obviously offensive to feminists, since she depends entirely upon men for salvation.

[muh_roads]

What are the advantages? Is he several inches taller?

Several inches, in the dong.