Very much enjoyed this post - esp the sentiment "Not everything is about everything". Wise words for our time.
Puerto Rico is an interesting one. In the game - the workers (discs) that you place on facilities are listed as colonists. The word "slave" is never ever used. However, there's been so much discourse about it - starting with the *assumption* that some of these people must be slaves if its realistic that it has become assumed that the game has you do this directly: which it does not (It also suggests the critics haven't played it! Surprise surprise...).
Of course, historically, a lot of the people working on the plantations would be slaves. But in the game's world the same colonists also run prestigious businesses in town so... they're clearly not?
There is some better more nuanced point in the idea that the game sweeps the issue under the carpet. But then the debate is about the duty of art of re-create history and in what ways: which is way more nuanced and thorny. It can't just be that the game is problematic on a simple level for making you profit from slavery.
It’s really interesting to me how we humans find so much importance in symbolism. I agree I wouldn’t want to play a game where I had to be the Nazi, but it’s all pretend so why do I care?
When my child was in To Kill a Mockingbird many years ago, I remember feeling relief that his character didn’t say the n-word so I wouldn’t have to hear that word come out of his mouth. But then, he had to (in addition) say some words off stage as another character and he had to say it anyway.
I found it really jarring, even though he never used that word toward a person in real life.
It really is interesting to me, how we can have have such strong reactions to pretend things.
Very much enjoyed this post - esp the sentiment "Not everything is about everything". Wise words for our time.
Puerto Rico is an interesting one. In the game - the workers (discs) that you place on facilities are listed as colonists. The word "slave" is never ever used. However, there's been so much discourse about it - starting with the *assumption* that some of these people must be slaves if its realistic that it has become assumed that the game has you do this directly: which it does not (It also suggests the critics haven't played it! Surprise surprise...).
Of course, historically, a lot of the people working on the plantations would be slaves. But in the game's world the same colonists also run prestigious businesses in town so... they're clearly not?
There is some better more nuanced point in the idea that the game sweeps the issue under the carpet. But then the debate is about the duty of art of re-create history and in what ways: which is way more nuanced and thorny. It can't just be that the game is problematic on a simple level for making you profit from slavery.
It’s really interesting to me how we humans find so much importance in symbolism. I agree I wouldn’t want to play a game where I had to be the Nazi, but it’s all pretend so why do I care?
When my child was in To Kill a Mockingbird many years ago, I remember feeling relief that his character didn’t say the n-word so I wouldn’t have to hear that word come out of his mouth. But then, he had to (in addition) say some words off stage as another character and he had to say it anyway.
I found it really jarring, even though he never used that word toward a person in real life.
It really is interesting to me, how we can have have such strong reactions to pretend things.