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[LurkerPrime]

Probably because he is flamboyant

I had no idea they ever released a Tingle-focused game...

Some people think Ike was written this way. I haven't played the Radiant series enough to say if this is true or false.

I can't imagine where that sentiment is coming from. PoR and Radiant Dawn make it pretty clear it'd be Ike and Elicia if things were a bit different, though they never actually say it.

 

[mclem]

Now now, you could interpret Rosy Rupeeland to be an origin story to all that is Tingle. ;p

Clearly, we need the Tingle Timeline to iron this out.

 

[Trevelyon]

http://youtu.be/v42NgsOk_7I?t=25s

 

[maquiladora]

Aonuma: "He's not gay. He's just an odd person.

I think....that could have been worded better.

 

[jblank83]

Yeah I don't really get that at all. I guess people might misread the way he's talking about "fairies" in Majora's Mask? ...even though it's incredibly obvious he's referring to the mythological creature. That or the tights?

He doesn't have a butch shaved head and he doesn't carry a huge rifle. Even more concerning, he doesn't talk in a low, gravely voice. Have you ever once seen him single handedly stop an alien invasion?

The questions write themselves, really.

 

[Rich!]

I had no idea they ever released a Tingle-focused game...

They released TWO.

That ones a Japanese exclusive. the first was Japan and Europe only.

 

[TheMoon]

Who's "we"? Every single person in the world knows who Aonuma is? Everyone who plays Zelda knows who Aonuma is?

Headline is fine.

We = we on The Neo. If you don't know who Aonuma is and are on NeoGAF, you also don't care where Tingle came from.

 

[Calamari41]

I thought the whole thing with Tingle was poking fun at manchildren, and I thought that was incredibly apparent.

Doesn't he even have a line in Majora's Mask along the lines of "my dad just doesn't understand" or something like that?

 

[Yonafunu]

Tingle is my favorite character, although Groose has given him a run for his money since Skyward Sword.

 

[Joqu]

They released TWO.

That ones a Japanese exclusive. the first was Japan and Europe only.

Nope, they released 3!

This one was Japanese Club Nintendo only

 

[GaimeGuy]

Because it would be interesting if Nintendo had a gay character to compliment the obvious heterosexual norms in all their other games?

Nintendo RPGs are full of non-heteronormative characters. Particularly Fire Emblem.

The only major Japanese company I can think of with a similar volume is Atlus.

 

[tolkir]

http://youtu.be/v42NgsOk_7I?t=25s

Groose entrance is brilliant.

 

[spared]

Clearly, we need the Tingle Timeline to iron this out.

This - EXACTLY!

 

[Damian.]

All I have ever read about Tingle was people questioning his sexuality. Back when the game came out.

I do not see a problem with the question in this instance. It has been widely speculated.

Overly sensitive hive mind gets bent out of shape about obvious questions when they think it crosses the erroneous line they have set in the sand.

 

[SturokBGD]

Article says a lot more about America than it does about Tingle.

 

[LurkerPrime]

They released TWO.

That ones a Japanese exclusive. the first was Japan and Europe only.

Nope, they released 3!

This one was Japanese Club Nintendo only

AHHHHHHHH

Nintendo's crazy.

Overly sensitive hive mind gets bent out of shape about obvious questions when they think it crosses the erroneous line they have set in the sand.

Please explain how it's obvious that Tingle is gay, because the hive mind doesn't understand.

 

[Crocodile]

Realizing a lot of Tingle hatred in the last 15 years was mostly perceived homophobia took me far longer than it should have.

Never thought of it myself but damn I think you may have hit the nail on the head O_O

 

[hao chi]

What kind of weird question is that? On that note, are there even any homosexual Nintendo characters?

Heather from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is a lesbian. I think there might also be some other gay Fire Emblem characters, especially from the games that didn't leave Japan.

Fire Emblem Awakening also heavily implies that Kjelle is attracted to Severa, but Kjelle can marry male (and only male) characters in her supports. Also, Tharja arguably seems attracted to Robin regardless of their gender.

Some people think Ike was written this way. I haven't played the Radiant series enough to say if this is true or false.

I disagree with this one. He seemed pretty obviously attracted to Elincia, and Awakening pretty much confirms he had a child at some point.

Maybe there was a gay romance hinted at that I don't remember or didn't see, but if anything I'd say he might be bisexual, not gay.

 

[Damian.]

Please explain how it's obvious that Tingle is gay, because the hive mind doesn't understand.

I never said it is obvious he is gay, only that it is a perfectly legitimate question with how he has been represented.

 

[akira28]

Because it would be interesting if Nintendo had a gay character to compliment the obvious heterosexual norms in all their other games?

compliment? strange compliment.

 

[Capra]

Because it would be interesting if Nintendo had a gay character to compliment the obvious heterosexual norms in all their other games?

...Would you like to be represented by Tingle?

 

[hachi]

Looking at the source material, it's pretty clear what kind of character his is:

What’s this? Green clothes…white fairy Sir, could you by chance, be a forest fairy?

Oh my! My name is Tingle! I think I am the same as you sir. A forest fairy! Alas, though I am already age 35, no fairy has come to me yet… My father tells me to grow up and act my age, but why? I tell you… Tingle is the very reincarnation of a fairy! Now while I stand here waiting for a fairy of my own, I sell maps to help out my father.

Lucky! Lucky! You’re so lucky to have a fairy! I know! I know! We should b friends! Yes! Yes In exchange, I will sell you a map for cheap as a sign of my friendship. Will you buy one of Tingles maps?

Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-Limpah! ...These are the magic words that Tingle created himself. Don’t steal them!

He is a middle-aged man with stunted emotional development, still holding a somewhat childish obsession with dressing up as a forest child (who, as we know, never age -- so Tingle is certainly not one) waiting on his personal fairy to arrive. For a well-known example of this archetype, take the obvious case of Michael Jackson, whose Neverland Ranch, based on the eternal child of Peter Pan (similar in many ways to the Kokiri), forms an obvious parallel to Tingle.

Ie., Peter Pan Syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puer_aeternus#Peter_Pan_syndrome). Surely this is the evident idea behind Tingle. That, however, does not map onto homosexuality; they are rather different things that may or may not coincide.

 

[Hylian7]

The whole point of Tingles Rosy Rupeeland is for him to get hot bitches

Isn't it?

That's the sequel, Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love.

I really wish Balloon Trip of Love came to the US, I have the European version of Rosy Rupeeland, which is quite off-beat but tells a nice Tingle origin story.

 

[akidnamededdy]

Clearly, we need the Tingle Timeline to iron this out.

In before timeline split makes straight Tingle and gay Tingle both canon.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

Those are Tingle's magic words, do not steal them.

 

[akira28]

I always thought tingle was a slight dig into cosplayers and superfans.

Never thought he was particularly gay, just a little flambe. But I did understand all the hate was because that would be enough to be considered gay. Like pony fans must be pedophiles, Tingle must be a fem.

 

[LurkerPrime]

I never said it is obvious he is gay, only that it is a perfectly legitimate question with how he has been represented.

As per your previous post, the obvious question "Is Tingle gay?" implies that he is obviously gay and that Nintendo needs to confirm it.

The hive mind does not understand this at all. We seek to know the why.

 

[Qwark]

As a gay person, I always thought Tingle was a caricature of the gay stereotype. Never thought it was offensive, just that it was there.

Never played the DS game though, that would've sorted it out.

 

[SweetJohnnyCage]

I always thought he just had a bit of Peter Pan syndrome, never wanting to grow up. But then the Tingle Tuner stuff in Wind Waker revealed that he may have been a fairy or something like that. Pop Fiction/Pop Facts just recently covered this.

http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/...-the-wind-waker--part-3---legend-of-the-fairy

 

[Nightbird]

In before timeline split makes straight Tingle and gay Tingle both canon.

What about the bisexual Timeline?

 

[Damian.]

As per your previous post, the obvious question "Is Tingle gay?" implies that he is obviously gay and that Nintendo needs to confirm it.

The hive mind does not understand this at all. We seek to know the why.

How is asking if a character is gay, saying they are obviously gay? Wouldn't it then not be a question but a statement?

 

[Capra]

I always thought tingle was a slight dig into cosplayers.

I thought Tingle was supposed to be Link's alternate self in Termina.

Not sure how that fits into Wind Waker but that always seemed appropriate.

 

[XANDER CAGE]

Can't help but feel like this is the "Who's the mother of Bowser's kids?" level of questioning.

I mean

who IS the mother of Bowser's kids? Mariowiki needs to hire some investigative journalists for stuff like this.

 

[10k]

So....bisexual then?

Western culture associates flamboyant men and tight clothing on men with homosexuals so that's why people thought he was gay. I was 12 years old when I played MM and I thought he was gay.

I can see why the question was asked.

Can't help but feel like this is the "Who's the mother of Bowser's kids?" level of questioning.

Aquamarine is. Only Gaf's resident Waifu could tame such a beast

 

[akidnamededdy]

What about the bisexual Timeline?

They're saving the explanation of that timeline for Tingle Historia.

 

[Impeccable]

As a gay person, I always thought Tingle was a caricature of the gay stereotype. Never thought it was offensive, just that it was there.

Never played the DS game though, that would've sorted it out.

And that is just the point why this question is not out of place or wrong. When the game was floating around it was fairly dominated by the speculation like you said. Yes it is a "homophobic" or An ill informed view to assume that because he was a flamboyant over the top character he was automatically gay but it is what it is when it came to the speculation.

No one here is saying it was right or wrong... just at the time it was the thing. Kotaku just asked. No harm intended clearly.

 

[Joqu]

Seriously though, some annoyances aside I thought Rosy Rupeeland was a rather fun game that I'd definitely recommend importing if it's not available in your region. I've heard great things about its sequel too (which is still being fan translated). I'm really looking forward to that.

I hope they make another one someday but Nintendo probably wouldn't bring it over anyway.

 

[Rikkun]

Was "bitches" actually written in the game or something? What is going on here?

Yeah, the intro was "Tingle is out 4 bitcheez, help him get money"


No, from what little I remember he was... married to some woman who ditched him for someone richer? Or he wants to reach a girl who only wants money? Something like that.

 

[MCN]

Those are Tingle's magic words, do not steal them.

Tingle is on DeviantART?

 

[Vyse The Legend]

I never said it is obvious he is gay, only that it is a perfectly legitimate question with how he has been represented.

His two games are about him getting laid by hot chicks and getting paid. So, he is represented as hetero in the canon. In his first appearances in Zelda, he's just weird and ecentric, which doesn't say anything about his orientation either. He is just a grown man who wants to be like Link, a forest elf.

So, I'm not seeing the "how we was represented" part. If you're talking about his appearance and mannerisms, they don't say anything about his orientation either, unless you, for some reason, think there's something intrinsically gay about them.

 

[Coconut]

People thought he was gay?

Sorry, what?

Why?

You gotta keep in mind most gamers never leave their house to interact with other humans so they can only pass judgement on things with a limited knowledge of crude stereotypes. It's sad really.

 

[TouchMyBox]

I had no idea they ever released a Tingle-focused game...

Don't worry, NOA had no idea either.

 

[LurkerPrime]

How is asking if a character is gay, saying they are obviously gay? Wouldn't it then not be a question but a statement?

If that's the case then what is prompting the question to begin with? Why Tingle and not some other character, aside from some crude stereotyping on the part of Kotaku & co?

My point is, it's a foolish question to ask at all. Doubly so for something so out of Zelda's scope (relationships & love). I mean, I seriously doubt that Nintendo designs all of Zelda's NPCs with a rich and detailed backstory to explain every facet of their life.

Don't worry, NOA had no idea either.

I suspect this is the sad truth.

 

[Damian.]

Always talking about getting laid by hot chicks while being wildly flamboyant and wearing tights brings the obvious question, are they gay, or are they straight with odd mannerisms? The question was asked, and it was the latter, according to Nintendo. The PCness is blindingly strong in here, need some sunglasses for this ignorance.

 

[John Kowalski]

count me in the field that thought tingle was nintendo's hard gay joke character

glad to see aonuma demystify that

 

[Impeccable]

You gotta keep in mind most gamers never leave their house to interact with other humans so they can only pass judgement on things with a limited knowledge of crude stereotypes. It's sad really.

Crude stereotypes for everyone, hooray!

 

[Impotaku]

Don't worry, NOA had no idea either.

Yes they did, they even asked the American gaming public with a poll if they wanted to see tingle brought to the states and the population chose no, so none of you got it. Shame as both games are fantastically funny.

 

[L Thammy]

I always thought of Tingle as a parody of Zelda fanboys. I never thought he was gay, but I'm not surprised that other people do. A lot of people are quick to accuse others of being gay whenever they act differently.

I thought the whole thing with Tingle was poking fun at manchildren, and I thought that was incredibly apparent.

Doesn't he even have a line in Majora's Mask along the lines of "my dad just doesn't understand" or something like that?

Yeah. Considering Tingle's magic words that don't mean anything, I don't think it's supposed to be suggested that he's had much contact with fairies or magic at all. Yet he goes around in Link cosplay all day. If you give Tingle's father a photo of him, he asks you to hush up about it because he's embarrassed.

 

[Mexen]

Probably because he is fabulous

FTFY.

 

[Corgi]

tingle ain't gay, birdo ain't... I have no clue what birdo is, but having a sexual organ on your face always weirds me out