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AusGAF 7 - We hang out IRL now and be social and shit. (Also, Adrian's Revenge)

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Serious question: What's the main point of contention about this? A lot of people have dressed up as people in traditional dress (e.g. dressing up in traditional Scottish, German, Swedish clothes) for many silly reasons. No one seems to take offense at this. In fact, I can order many of those traditional dresses from Costume/Fancy Dress shops.

So does this mean that people are offended by painting their skin brown? I feel at times that people have a kneejerk reaction to people changing their skintone, just because we've been conditioned that way. So what I'm asking, is why do you (and by "you" I mean AusGAF feel what they did is offensive. What is the difference between what these students did to someone dressing up in lederhosen, or putting on clogs? If it is purely thechanging their skintone, what is it about that which personally offends you?

I'm really interested in what people have to say. I'm not making an argument for what they did being wither right or wrong, I'm interested in healthy discussion about why our initial reactions to such things is immediately negative.
I guess look at mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com or that it's a culture not a costume campaign. If there's no malicious or condescending intent and noone is hurt I don't see it as wrong to do.
 

Jintor

Member
costumes are fine... but skin colour changing... that's a fucking weird-ass area and I think the idea of smearing it on for a temporary costume comes from a place of unthinking privilege.
 
costumes are fine... but skin colour changing... that's a fucking weird-ass area and I think the idea of smearing it on for a temporary costume comes from a place of unthinking privilege.
I think it's far less of an issue in Australia than in the US as we don't have a history of stuff like minstrel shows.
 

Choc

Banned
Purchased from a FUCKING RETAIL STORE

LUDICROUS. Can't even install it. At least EA let you install and then do the release date check.

JdUsT.png
 

Choc

Banned
the point is

if i buy this in a shop, i should NOT have to do that. Its not a consumers problem that it got released early
 

midonnay

Member
@qlders going bush

abit of a meh for me too....

some ppl just like to cosplay....doesn't mean they're making a statement or anything :/
 
I guess look at mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com or that it's a culture not a costume campaign. If there's no malicious or condescending intent and noone is hurt I don't see it as wrong to do.
I just had a look at that site and... well, it's hard for me to really... I... I don't know. The problem is that I'm not a minority and I've been privileged enough that I've not come from a culture or background (during modern history) where my ancestors were subjected to the injustices that some have. This can either nullify my opinion or diminish it through lack of personal or ancestral experience. I don't live with the bigotry of people's judgement based upon my appearance or heritage. I can understand many views and opinions about the offensiveness of certain activities and how they can unknowingly speak of atrocities from the past or be reflective of the current social climate towards people of specific backgrounds.

Maybe this is why I find myself at a loss for not being able to find the following as perhaps an overreaction based upon a life that's had to interpret everything as some sort of slight or conscious attack towards your heritage:


mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com said:
http://mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com/post/12762621603/svnoyi-iarrrrrapirate-i-am-not-really-sure
tumblr_lulzl6hJv71r4ufwqo1_250.jpg

iarrrrrapirate:

I am not really sure the significance of this picture, but it looks pretty amazing.

The significance is Imperialism, Colonialism, and Genocide. This image depicts the beneficiaries of the North American Genocide mocking their victims by mimicking them through tried stereotypes that were used to dehumanize them, making the public support their deaths and turn a blind eye to their suffering. The subjects of the image have donned cheap representations of sacred culture pieces of their victims, much like how some serial killers take “trophies” from their victims.

Enough significance for you? Amazing, huh?
I can't help but feel like that it reading way more than is actually intended and could reasonably be interpreted from the image but at the same time contains more thought than the people in the picture put into what they were potentially saying by donning "traditional dress."

There's also part of me that feels that deriving that much intent from what people are doing by being culturally insensitive is not helping the situation, either. Accusing people of genocide, wearing trophies and dehumanising their victims feels like an extreme reaction, even if the reaction is a product of hundreds of years oppression and death.

Like I said, I'm not looking to start a race debate, I'm just looking to get an idea of what people find offensive and why.

Thanks for the response, shan.
 

senahorse

Member
Jase, I don't really have an opinion on it one way or another. As has been mentioned if there is not malicious intent I guess I don't see the harm and if the culture of said costume/dress up is treated with respect. I just posted it as I was half expecting a knee jerk reaction from USGAF in the OT, which is rather common.
 

Gazunta

Member
I swear to God if it wasn't for Crackdown and Kickstarter this would be the worst generation in all of gaming ever.

I can't play Xcom unless I...what? Do some VPN...thing? I don't want to hack the mainframe database with a visual basic GUI or some shit I just want to play my fucking video game.
 

Gazunta

Member
Ha!

Fuck it I guess I'll draw a comic or something. Which reminds me why aren't I a rich and famous cartoonist yet. This is bullshit.

A peanuts movie? FUCK THIS. We don't need a Peanuts movie. Why do I have a horrible feeling our grand kids are going to be subjected to a Calvin & Hobbes movie?

No Xcom is making me cranky.
 

Jintor

Member
i want and don't want to play TWD right now

Each episode of that thing is an emotional rollercoaster. They only take like 1.5 - 2 hours each but it's like I've gone through the intensity of an entire season of tv in that time
 
I mentioned this the other day (they're partnering with French mob NeoPost and I believe they are German lockers). Think they're still testing the units (graffiti proofing, damage resilience, etc).

I hear a test site will be near the Rialto in Melbourne.

(Apologies if posted more than once - hotel wireless a bit shit. AusGAF moving too fast, anything interesting happen? Far too much politics talk! VKS not sure which sake since they're all blue! Matsumoto advice? I found craft beer here in Takayama! Shirakawa-go is super pretty)
 

Choc

Banned
Dishonored is fucking amazing

in terms of game design (storylin aside) its up there with half-life, it really is. Because everything just CLICKS
 

Omikron

Member
So, played about 2.5 horus of ep4 of the walking dead tonight. I stopped (a) because I had to go to bed but largely because (b)
I didn't wanna find out what is on the tape.

PS> The game is fuck off amazing.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Dishonored is everything right in an industry so very wrong. XCOM probably is too, but I won't get around to playing that until I'm done with a few other things first.

Dishonored is a great example of how so many developers cant do anything but go with extremes. Extreme openness or extreme linearity. These middle ground titles, smaller sandbox environments encouraging emergent yet focused gameplay, is the sweet spot.
 

Shaneus

Member
I swear to God if it wasn't for Crackdown and Kickstarter this would be the worst generation in all of gaming ever.

I can't play Xcom unless I...what? Do some VPN...thing? I don't want to hack the mainframe database with a visual basic GUI or some shit I just want to play my fucking video game.
You used Crackdown and Kickstarter in the one sentence, but not in the right way. I hate you :(
 

Gazunta

Member
Oh Christ I don't know what I'd do if there was a Kickstarter campaign for Crackdown 3.

Oh who am I kidding I know exactly what I'd do. I'm sure the wife will understand why I put the house up for sale on eBay.
 
So, played about 2.5 horus of ep4 of the walking dead tonight. I stopped (a) because I had to go to bed but largely because (b)
I didn't wanna find out what is on the tape.

PS> The game is fuck off amazing.
I just finished:( man that game is depressing. Did you
kill the boy in the attic? That and the dog really messed me up for some reason. It just all the little things that get to me.
 

Jintor

Member
I played a little of episode 3 (enough to do the little detective mystery at the beginning) and my stomach is already in knots

these fucking games, man. Dark Souls, FTL, even XCOM ain't got nothin' on this narrative brilliance, tv show though it is

It's a pity sometimes you can really see the animations shining through
 
Walking Dead is GOTY. Part of me wants this holiday to hurry up and finish so I can play episode 4.

Not really. No matter how good a game is, it can wait. Haven't played Dishonored or XCOM yet, but it'll take a lot to beat Walking Dead.

Shan, I needed your translation expertise today via Twitter. You didn't answer. :(
 

Jintor

Member
it's not really about being gameplay hard, it's about having to make choices. TWD is really good about stuff not just being 'yes/no' for the most part... it's more... granular than that

I mean, in a lot of games (even adventure games) i try and 'game the system' to get to a more favourable outcome. It's a rare game that can pull me out of that and just make me invest in the story and do what I, as a character, would do.
 

Arksy

Member
Catherine is really good. They should've just gotten rid of the rubbish puzzle parts and kept the drama.

Edit: Naww, the puzzle parts are decent too, but they feel kind of like filler.
 
I mean, in a lot of games (even adventure games) i try and 'game the system' to get to a more favourable outcome.
Indeed. And the limited time it gives you to make a choice means it's usually a gut choice (especially the first time through).

Also, Shan, not a big deal, wasn't life or death. As mentioned, was trying to see if the thing I was going to buy was barley (it wasn't it seems) or something else. If it was barley I was going to buy it to use in a beer back home (how exactly I don't know). It was probably grown locally in Shirakawa-go, right?
 
Catherine is really good. They should've just gotten rid of the rubbish puzzle parts and kept the drama.

Edit: Naww, the puzzle parts are decent too, but they feel kind of like filler.
I felt the story took a silly turn that almost ruined the game in my eyes. It was great until that point, but hmmm. Still a great game though.
Indeed. And the limited time it gives you to make a choice means it's usually a gut choice (especially the first time through).
there's never a right choice either:(
 

Omikron

Member
There is no right choice, also no wrong, good, evil, paragon or renegade either.

Just, what you think at that time and I love the way you get little nuanced dialogue sometimes episodes later referencing what you did or didn't do.

btw Shan, how much of a spoiler is your reply to me above based on my current game situation, I don't wanna spoil obviously :p
 
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