Alexceptional
[CW: racism/mmos/Boop Dessert]: Okay. This is very finnicky. But GOOD LORD PEOPLE ARE RACIST AF.
Alexceptional
Okay, context: I play on the South East Asia server of Black Desert Online.
Alexceptional
Players are primarily comprised of people from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and sometimes Thailand.
Alexceptional
There is a beauty album feature that I think a lot of mmos have where people can show off their character design and others can download it for themselves and edit as they please to take someone else's creation and make it their own.
Alexceptional
Classes in this game are gender locked and while customizing is intensely detailed, it's hard to stray TOO far from the given defaults. Like, you have to spend time to make a unique character really look unique.
Alexceptional
Fff I'm shaking I'm so mad. Hold on a sec. gotta calm before I type more
Alexceptional
Okay so of the available classes, 9 are male, 13 are female
Alexceptional
^ I love that aspect of the game lol
Alexceptional
However, let's go into default "race"
Alexceptional
I say race in quotes because it's difficult for a lot of reasons. One, video game. There are elves, giants, shai that are less-than-hairy-hobbits, and a lot of other demibeast types
Alexceptional
Godddd how do I explain this.
Alexceptional
All right so let's go down through "race" and you'll maybe see what I mean before we talk about race in our own social irl sense
Alexceptional
Males: 1 giant, 1 elf, 7 humans | Females: 2 elves, 1 shai, 10 humans
Alexceptional
^ That's what I meant by "race"
Alexceptional
Here's another breakdown for race:
Males: 1 brown-skinned default, 2 Asian defaults, 6 white defaults
Females: 4 Asian defaults, 9 white defaults
Alexceptional
Do we see a problem with these numbers
Alexceptional
There is a new female class putting female classes to 14 and 11 humans, however the race is disputed between white and Hispanic
Alexceptional
All right, that's a lot of background
Alexceptional
So when you look at the beauty album everyone is very very pale and very very white. Ghost white
Alexceptional
If you see a dark-skinned character they are under the "ugly" category and are purposefully terrible looking and
Alexceptional
That's angering on its own
Alexceptional
So I made a character months and months ago and the default for this class is Asian. When doing the character designs, I usually pull from pinterest for a base to work off of because I do very much like spending time on character creation.
Alexceptional
I was reading up on the news at the same time and Naomi Osaka had just won against ... Serena Williams I think? Anyway, Naomi Osaka is really pretty. I ended up basing this character off of her
Alexceptional
Also the face wasn't too far off from the default so it wasn't hard.
Alexceptional
I've edited the character some since initially making her, but the skin tone hasn't changed. It's a darker-skinned character
Alexceptional
And she's so cute and pretty and I love running around with this avatar
Alexceptional
Okay, this is a lot of background
Alexceptional
Today I was being followed around in a town by another player. Literally followed to where they'd stand on me and despite moving around a lot they would follow
Alexceptional
I should have screenshotted the conversation, but I remember it vividly enough
Alexceptional
I said hello and their response was "hello. I'm streaming. And my friends were asking me
why is that [character] so ugly?"
Alexceptional
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
papermint tiger
Hoo boy
Alexceptional
"I think you were going for Indian character?"
Alexceptional
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUCKkkkkkkkkkkkkk
papermint tiger
I hate this ( :
dirtsmell
'to make racist idiots like yourself out themselves'
Cookie Politics
^that
papermint tiger
Why are people awful
𝔬𝔥 𝔤𝔯𝔢𝓎 𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔢𝔫
wooooow the fuck
Alexceptional
https://images.plurk.com/7tWbqGgFKDGrBN92ui4QkO.png This is the character now, by the way
Alexceptional
I can't find the initial appearance save but
Alexceptional
SHE CUTE FUCK YOU
dirtsmell
omg, she's super cute!
Alexceptional
I should have called them racist right then and there. What I did say was "Dark skinned characters are under represented and not respected. I made one that was pretty to prove you all wrong".
Alexceptional
And that's the best I could do through how angry I was
Alexceptional
I really should have just said Your friends are racist. I even typed it out. But decided against it.
Alexceptional
This isn't the first comment I've gotten
Alexceptional
But it's the most racist and most negative
Alexceptional
My character has been called "black [class name]" among other variations of the same
Alexceptional
Because it's GENUINELY that rare, that people are shocked when this character renders into their view and just
Alexceptional
FffffffFFFFFFUCUCUCUCKCkckc
Alexceptional
Sorry, I am still very angry
Alexceptional
Guys, I'm very very white. I'm so white, a woman once grabbed my arm while I was in Japan and just repeated "white" at me, Unkie knows this story well. I think she was standing next to me when it happened
Alexceptional
I have questioned whether playing or 'representing' a darker skinned character was even appropriate for someone like me
Alexceptional
I'm not going to change my character's appearance over this though. But I probably need to figure out a better way to react to this because it's gonna keep happening
Alexceptional
Anyway. HALF FFFFF but also HALF what do I do
papermint tiger
That truly sucks
papermint tiger
I also play darker skinned characters in games despite being white, i blame Storm of the x-men being a big part of my formative years
papermint tiger
Thankfully we don't seem to have issues quite as bad as this in my game of choice
Alexceptional
I think......... it's a server issue. I'm not saying BDO in NA or EU servers are roses and rainbows, but I know that at least in China and Taiwan, darker skin tones are seen as dirty and people admire white or lighter skin.
Alexceptional
This is such a heavily embedded cultural issue. Like. A Chinese coworker of mine who is my age and is "darker" by Chinese opinion, says she can't marry because her skin makes her unattractive
papermint tiger
Ah...very good point, i forgot about that
papermint tiger
That is. Idk. Kinda sad i guess
papermint tiger
And i repeat. Why are people awful
Alexceptional
She's drop dead gorgeous, I wanna say. But she has a lot of self-loathing over this and it really hurts to see
Alexceptional
I'm glad I'm not the only one angered by this
Alexceptional
I just didn't react as well as I should have and I want to be better at reacting and actually idk, I'm a teacher, I want to educate people, I want them to be better people and not just resent I called them out
Alexceptional
So how do I do that
papermint tiger
I am afraid i don't know. People who have set ideas aren't always the most receptive to learning things no matter how well you frame them
papermint tiger
Sometimes the best you can do is explain that you like this look, or what you did say, and just hope it reaches them
papermint tiger
And if it does not, that is a shame
papermint tiger
But nothing you can change, sadly
Alexceptional
papermint tiger
I hope someone has a better answer than i do
Alexceptional
I do appreciate the attempt and suggestion, but idk. I feel like there's something I'm missing
Alexceptional
Yeah, glossed over is a good way to put it
Alexceptional
I don't think they realize they can be racist. It might be something I ask my guild about because I'm comfortable enough with some members that we could have such discussions
Alexceptional
But fuck, honestly. You are both probably right and just calling out is the best response
Alexceptional
calling them out* sorry, switched to mobile
Alexceptional
What the fuuuuuckkkk
Alexceptional
I logged in today to find that the streamer sent a friend request
Alexceptional
I just I what. What the actual fuck is wrong with people lol why would I friend you after you prove that you or at least your friends are racist shitheads
Alexceptional
Friending in this game shows when a person is online, and allows for a 1:1 chat box. Not much more than that. But. What.
Alexceptional
EUHGHGHGEUHGUh ya
Alexceptional
I did decline the friend request
Alexceptional
I did not block them, because it only affects chat on my end
Alexceptional
They can still talk shit in general for all to see, but only I won't see it. Everyone else will
Alexceptional
Ignorance is bliss, but I'd rather know when they talk shit so I can counter it
✧ Navigator ✧
One way you can always make them look very foolish is to go "I don't get it, , what do you mean?" and back them into having to explain their 'humour'. its a fast way to have them backpedal into showing off their racism. and frankly, if they're toxic in public channels, don't waste time debating them - report it.
Alexceptional
That's a good point and a good tactic.
Alexceptional
I did request a chat ban for them, which means someone has to look at the chat log and decide the severity. It's the best I could figure out from not having a screenshot
Alexceptional
But it's often not severe at all. They can permanently ban someone from chat with it, but it's very rarely done
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