The latest White Wolf debacle

[eurydicebound]

I've said all I really plan to say about this in a friend's journal where the teapot definitely got a bit tempest-y. I assume that it got to be something of a furor because the page actually went live today, or something of the sort. The name had been around for a while, but I never thought they'd actually do it. I mean, FanPro put up elf porn art for April Fools, but you didn't see them rushing out to print a card game on it.

I bring this up, however, because I wanted to comment on one thing that seems to be going unobserved. In the midst of wormen objectified and general offense and defenders/apologists, etc., guess what this weekend is? I'll give you a hint: my kids had an assembly today to commemorate the battle for civil rights, and a man who led that battle and said things that nobody in power wanted to hear, standing up for the rights of the minority against the status quo and dreaming of a day his children would stand as equals with all other children, a world of oppurtunity available and no artifical barriers left between us.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Superb timing, guys. Way to commemorate how far we've all come. Bravo.

Comments

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think that a lot of particulars of the real pimp culture are a lot more insulting and damaging to women and blacks than White Wolf's little opus.

But I agree with you: There are many more disgusting fish in much bigger ponds.

[anaka.livejournal.com]

Gah. See... man. I don't know how to express this. I'm not trying to try White Wolf in absentia over some cosmic crime. I'm sad that this really bothers me, and that a company I've had a good relationship with is behind it. That means that people I know did this, and I'm having problems reconciling that.

I mean, this isn't the first tasteless/disturbing product White Wolf has put out, and it won't be the last. I've never had a problem with the stuff they did before, but I'm having a problem with this. I'm trying to sort out why that is,.

I guess in part it does come down to, yes, our nation has had its cultural priorities messed up for a long time. Too many people over too many different places who can't even agree on where to go for dinner, much less where to spend money and who is worthy of help when it comes down to it. My friends and acquaintances didn't number within that greater, faceless mass of society, though. They were people I knew and in whom I felt a relative degree of trust. And now a company I've worked for is putting out something hat is really troubling to me, which makes it all too real. It may be a small fish in a small pond, but it happens to be my pond too, damnit.

Just because greater problems exist doesn't mean that noticing the small ones isn't worthwhile. I can't suddenly erase the pimp culture and make it all better everywhere. I can finally stop being polite and say, okay, I've had enough. If it takes a card game to do that... well, then so be it.

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. I don't know. My personal philosophies keep intruding on the issue, I guess.

Do what ya gotta do. I'll buy you a cuppa at Origins and we can talk. :)

[anaka.livejournal.com]

You're on. :)

[iavasthul.livejournal.com]

Another depressing thing is...
You know why they put this out? Because people will buy it. Anymore it seems you can call a man's mother a whore and piss on her grave in front of him and he will pay you for the privilege of watching you do it as long as:
1. He doesn't have to expend effort
2. You can make him giggle somewhere in the performance
3. You can run an ad TELLING him to like it
We can despise this and rave against all we want but it won't stop it because in the end money talks and good taste walks.

My gods but I'm jaded as all hell. And I got this way AFTER having a kid.

[anaka.livejournal.com]

So, just let me know when you start shaking your cane and telling those damn kids to get off your lawn. :)

[iavasthul.livejournal.com]

ROFLMAO
Actually, I continually see myself growing up to be like Red Foreman from That 70's Show. Only not QUITE as bad.

And probably with less hair. *Sigh*

[iavasthul.livejournal.com]

You wanna get REALLY depressed? Go rent or buy "Network" and watch it. Then come back and try to figure out what from that movie has NOT been tried by cable or regular network television since then.
And it was supposed to be a parody/sad sommentary on pop culture...