Look, I'm all for equality. Racism, sexism, and things of the like are just stupid. But really, it never helps the case when people keep bringing it up offensively towards things that are not trying to take a stand on the matter. Right now, I'm taking about the fantasy genre. I have a solid feeling that my opinions here are not going to sit with some readers, but oh well.
Fantasy games come in all shapes and sizes, with different content matter. Some games, like Dragon Age Inquisition and The Elder Scrolls Series, make their own world totally from scratch. In these games, it is not uncommon to see what most would call an ideal society, with people of all genders, sexual orientations, and races working together. That kind of world is what ours should strive to be. In DA: I, you can be a black female lesbian (going off of the Pitch Perfect 2 character) and be accepted as the leader of the Inquisition and as a hero uniting Thedas. It is a wonderful thing to behold. Unfortunately, the real world, and real history do not reflect this egalitarian mindset, and their are plenty of fantasy settings out there that want to show a more realistic version of ourselves.
First, lets look at literature. Two of my favorite fantasy authors, J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. In Tolkien's magnum opus, The Lord of the Rings, you will be hard-pressed to find any 'minority' characters. Everyone is white and straight. Tolkien's world aims to reflect more realistic fantasy, which sound like an oxymoron. However, it just means that it is more realistic and familiar to us because it reflects aspects from our real history. Tolkien made some powerful female figures, which is a breath of fresh air. Martin's masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire, presents a scary-accurate representation of Middle Ages Europe. A patriarchal society where marriages are arranged, most women are treated as pieces of meat, and while there are other races that have significance, they are from across the sea from a totally different land. This reflection is the more accurate, and therefore the most unsettling to people. My thought is this: It. Happened. Get over it. Martin is reflecting our historical perspectives of other genders and races for all to see. If you can't get over someone portraying what actually happened in a light that isn't being sympathetic (like the media nowadays), then just stop watching it and ruining it for everyone else who appreciates the art. Martin himself said that he aimed to create a reflection of medieval Europe, and adding too much that wasn't in that time broke the realism.
Now video games. A lot of people recently have been complaining about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which I posted about a few days before. It is still and amazing game. The setting for the game is clearly a version of medieval Scandinavia, which again did not have much to do with other races (of skin color). In fact, the game does address the race issue through the interactions of the 'nonhumans' and mages. But people aren't satisfied. They still call it racist. Well, if you want to build the demographic of a fantasy world, build your own game.
I am not a racist, sexist, or anything of the like. I believe that we need to live and let live. To paraphrase a line from The Avengers: Age of Ultron, we need to not be so worried about law and order and what we feel is right, but rather to just focus on living. So-called 'activists' that call for games to have more diversity annoy me. If you want to influence the world that has been created for a fantasy, then go get involved with whoever is morphing that world. Stop critiquing their amazing efforts because it doesn't 100% fall in line with your opinion, and do something about it. If you aren't going to, then just appreciate the beauty of the world they created. Whether it be an ideal society like DA: I or The Elder Scrolls, or a reflection of our own, appreciate the masterful work put behind it, and stop raising a fuss over something as books or video games when there are far more productive activist events you could be putting yourself to.
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