The night before our first day of class a doctoral student of mine sent me the link to the trailer for ‘Slavery–The Game’ — exclaiming WTF! or something to that effect. We both went sleuthing around,but when class time rolled around I presented the trailer to my Heritage of the Oppressed and reactions were strong. We discussed possibilities it was a hoax or a real forthcoming game. In the event it was real we considered writing op-ed pieces that would share feelings and organize around the heritage implications of such a game. Below are some pieces that students submitted. Let us discuss these even in the context that it has now been revealed that the trailer was fake and an attempt to create viral awareness for an upcoming show on Dutch TV.
Rebecca:
The Escapist Culture
The humans that inherit the earth at this time face challenges never seen before in the history of this planet. These challenges are local as well as globalized and some exponentially increasing. They include environmental, social, political and economic injustices led by wealthy individuals and corporations who control our institutions, our culture. This is painful to face. It can feel overwhelming to the average individual who is aware of the dangers we face because it’s hard to know where to start. There is no simple solution and one person is unable to heal our world and evolve our species alone. So, culturally, we individuals suppress the pain we feel for the world. We turn to media and media-driven consumerism to numb our minds and our hearts. We escape. This action is reinforced by our culture. Yet there is a hierarchical agenda that willfully intends to distract us from these very real challenges. Corporations and wealthy individuals create a culture of indulgence upon fast passed stimulants to stop us from going deeper into ourselves and asking why aren’t we happy? Why do we choose apathy? This is why video stimulants such as ‘Slavery’ the game, where gamers become slave owners in eighteenth century Europe, are produced. If whipping African slaves within the comfort of your home seems appealing to you, now is the time to look a bit deeper inside of yourself. Do you love yourself? On a local as well as global scale this is the time to self-organize and evolve into a sustainable, egalitarian society or else the magnitude of the situation will create an uninhabitable earth, with barren soil, unpotable water, and wars over resource access until the last man falls.
Emily:
Creativity is a powerful instrument, and rarely does it go without controversy. By “pushing the envelope,” one better gains the attention of their audience. Yet when it comes to widespread media, there is a stark contrast between sharing ones ideas in order to broaden the public’s thought and simply being offensive.
Although I am vehemently opposed to censorship, believing that it promotes ignorance by denying the world of ideas, when people create a video game such as “Slavery: the Game,” even I approve of banning its publication. Anything that purposely reinforces ignorance rather than fights it is not creating an idea worth debate. Rather, this game is making light of a serious topic and reinforcing racist attitudes.
As a political cartoonist, I hold freedom of expression at extremely high value. There has never in the history of any culture been a unanimous opinion as to what makes a drawing “quality” or what makes a statement “funny.” Each culture has very firm boundaries about satire: hence the fiery outburst when a Danish cartoonist lampooned Islam. Consequently, when it comes to publishing, especially in widespread media such as the newspaper, television, or forms of entertainment, it is important for one to look at the psychological impact the art will have on the general audience, and whether that impact is intended to be positive or negative.
For example, many political cartoons will offend members of the opposing party. Because we live in a country that allows for such expression, artists and writers are able to call attention to the blunders of their leaders and society without retribution. This is what I call “constructive maliciousness.” It is intended to offend in hopes of calling attention to a greater wrong or oversight. However when the statement goes beyond politics, and is instead targeted at a personal characteristic, such as race or gender, one is abusing their power of freedom and using it as a means to only cause harm. There have been examples of this recently in cartooning, such as the New York Post publishing a cartoon depicting President Obama as a chimpanzee. Though his predecessor George Bush was also characterized as a simian during his presidency, African Americans in particular have been illustrated as primates throughout our nation’s history. Therefore, due to historical examples of hatred rather than satire, this cartoon is inappropriate and offends more than it makes a statement.
“Slavery: the Game” as far as I can tell has no clear message to it other than to promote violence and racism. If their intent is to educate gamers on the historical time period, they are doing it in the wrong way. The targeted audience will clearly be those who want to go back to a time “when Europe ruled the world,” as is advertised in the trailer. Consequently the release of this game will only reinforce the motives of racists and make more moderate minded gamers insensitive to the atrocities of the past and their own virtual actions.
Censorship is necessary in proportion to the impressionability of an audience. In a more perfect society, hate statements could be made, because the general public would be educated enough to disregard them. However we live in a world where many are impressionable, young and old alike, and having ignorant and hateful remarks in the media will send to them the message that serious topics such as violence, racism, sexism, etc., can be made light of. It’s unfortunate, but it is currently a part of human nature. Until we can change the way people think about and receive such topics, malicious media such as this should be kept out of publication.
Burton:
“De Slavernij Junior”
As tempted as I was to wait until Sunday to write (more information about the viral ad and television show could be released by then), I have a bit of time to write this morning and would like to try and focus some of my thoughts. On September 7th, joystiq.com (a fairly reputable gaming website, in my experience) ran an article by Mike Schramm entitled ‘Slavery the Game’ Revealed as a viral ad for Dutch TV history series. According to Schramm, the Youtube game trailer was “a project put together by a Dutch public television network named NTR, designed to promote an upcoming series talking about ‘the European and Dutch involvement in trans-Atlantic slavery.” Shramm reported that the American viewers reacted incredibly harshly to the video because of slavery’s more sensitive implications in the United States.
Interestingly, comments from Dutch members of the site hit on points involving the fact that there are very few former slaves living in the Netherlands, no Black History Month, and no real figures of power in a Black Rights Movement; people of this country (at least, some posters at the website) therefore seemed to think that an outrageous ad like this one was definitely needed to stir interest for the television series. Many netizens agreed that after this explosion of curiosity, they would certainly be watching.
The Internet has always been a place where boundaries are pushed to (and sometimes past) their utmost limitations, and this viral campaign is no exception. Other communities like reddit.com even expressed some interest in the game itself. Of course, it’s hard to tell if these comments are real feelings or sarcastic, but the wall of anonymity allowed by the virtual world gives users a generally safe place to voice their opinions, factual or otherwise.
The Youtube video that features the ad’s developer brings up even more points; the interviewer expressed at 1:50 that he “personally, [hasn’t] been taught this at school and that’s what still really fascinates [him].” The two men go on to discuss how information about the Dutch role in the world of slavery needs to be addressed. For them, the best way to reach a younger audience is through the use of new media, obviously including a video game advertisement. At 3:22, the interviewer again states “You think it’s a subject where everyone knows what really happened back then, because no one talks about it. Although when you read the discussions, less than half of all our visitors realizes what role the Netherlands have played in the case of slavery.”
For Americans like myself, it seems that the issue of slavery in the Netherlands has truly been pushed under the table. Maybe an ad like this one really was necessary to spark interest and debate among a Dutch audience. As students of the Civil Rights Movement in our country, we are appalled by the implications of a possible video game like this one, but our snap judgments in class came before more information on the subject was released, reminding us that discussion and dialogue is always crucial before bringing out the torches and pitchforks on the internet. Still further (and maybe we can touch upon this in class, maybe not), the implications of the global eye and international culture show their true colors here. The idea of “writing for a Dutch audience” disappears almost entirely, which I find very interesting indeed.
Tenzin:
Slavery The Game
The world is not what it should be. One doesn’t have to search far to see that there are things in this world that should not happen, but somehow they always persist to be so. What is the point of government when laws are arbitrarily defined and abused by a group of selfish men? The saddest part of human existence is that our evolution has taken us far from the grips of humanity. It is no longer common practice to show compassion and empathy because it is not profitable. Capitalism teaches us that money is the root of life and our government reinforces this doctrine because they believe that such is the path to human evolution. These values of American Capitalism reflect the political and social structure of our world. With that in mind, it is no longer a shock to me when I see symbols of human maliciousness protected by the veil of American capitalism.
Just like all things in American culture, the gaming industry never ceases to stop producing nor evolving. In a capitalist society, a business cannot succeed if it fails to meet the growing appetite of the market. The gaming industry has become so important to ordinary people because it helps them live out a fantasy the likes of which they couldn’t make possible in the real world. That is the pull of the gaming market and unfortunately, forms of media like Hollywood enjoy romanticizing the use of violence, sex, and drugs because doing so is highly profitable. It’s a daunting question to ask why or maybe even how we have come to this point in human civilization that we find more enjoyment in killing a fictional character with a fictional gun (that looks real) over real physical activity? It doesn’t take much to realize that going that far back into both American and gaming culture would take an extensive amount of time and so rather than trying to figure out who’s to blame, it’s much easier to realize that gaming culture has evolved to a point where anyone’s fantasy can be lived through the controls of a machine.
Within our existence, we as people have toyed with the habitual unjustified acts of violence and oppression. Human history is full of pain and suffering, such is so that we should never forget the sacrifices of the innocent (slavery, holocaust, War in Iraq, etc). Any game that allows you to reenact those cruel events in history -where you as a player take the place of an oppressor- should be taken out of the market because it raises ignorance by glorifying violence as an accepted social norm. Playing the life of a 16th century European slave trader, whose sole purpose is to monopolize the enslavement of the indigenous colored people is a disgrace to the memories of those millions that died during the actual slave era. The fact that Slavery The Game was created is evidence that there are still many people, both gamers and producers alike, who still hold racist attitudes and chose to venerate the suffering of black slaves by letting players think it’s cool and accepted to be a slave owner/trader. It is an ugly game that deserves no attention, but sadly enough, it received plenty of media scrutiny and the game’s target audience responded with excitement and eagerness for the game’s launch.
Some people might argue that Slavery The Game is no different than most other violent video games and that the real problem behind the perpetual glamorization of violence, sex, and drugs through video games lies within the whole of American culture. It has now become cool and accepted within gaming culture to become a murderer, a drug dealer, and lesser forms of malicious human nature. What are the lessons that we teach by allowing companies to make and sell these games? Games like Grand Theft Auto, Bully, and Call of Duty preserve the American culture of violence and oppression by making it “cool” to play as such a violent and oppressive characterization of a human being. American capitalists are more worried about how much revenue they make than the real life repercussions that there games have on the minds and actions of there gamers, many of whom are young kids who’s minds are easily molded by the propaganda in popular culture. Both the extreme violence in video games and addicting nature of living such a fantasy is causing many of the problems in social development that are plaguing the world of hate and discrimination. A video game based on becoming a slave owner sends the wrong message and should be taken off the market if they somehow end up within the PC or console systems. Children or people in general should not be able to live a fantasy that promotes such hatred and racism.
Elizabeth:
Where do we draw the line in regulating video games?
With the recent release of the video game titled: “Slavery the game”, one might wonder where do we draw the line on regulating video games? In the past there have been a number of games released that would make any mother worried if they found their child playing. Among such games you can find Super Columbine Massacre RPG, Postal, Manhunt and Concentration Camp. In Super Columbine Massacre RPG you play Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine that took place in Colorado. In the game you take on the tasks off planting bombs and entering the school to kill as many people as possible only to kill yourself and enter the level stimulating hell where you can fight the devil. The game Postal was inspired by the phrase “going postal” which refers to Vietnam veterans who were postal workers suffering from PTSD and went on killing sprees. While the point of Postal was to kill as many innocent bystanders as possible the second edition gave you the option to either “go postal” and partake in mass killings or get around peacefully. In Manhunt you play an escaped death-row murder convict and go on a killing spree. In the game Concentration Camps you work as the manager to keep the camp functioning; some tasks entail disposing of dead bodies and order resources to sustain the well being of the camp. All these games received ridicule and extreme backlash from various international groups and ceased to be solid in many countries. However it should be noted that all these games were created and sold to people all over the world.
With the new release of the video titled “Slavery the game” many have speculated if this trailer is for a real game or if it was taken out of context from another video segment or was created just to stir up talk on the subject. However in the description of the video games stated above where games are focused on mass killings and concentration camps I don’t think it is that unbelievable that a game would be created around slavery. With some research I found that the maker of the game didn’t exist and the advertised 18+ rating by Entertainment Software Rating Board stated that they did not partake in rating the game. I also found reports stating that the video game trailer was not for a video game but for a new Dutch public television station that was trying to promote their new documentary series on the Dutch’s involvement in trans-Atlantic slavery. The documentary will start up later in the month and even has a “child’s” version. The article stated,
“the series producers said they figured it would mainly be seen by a Dutch audience; they didn’t anticipate it would get so much play in the US, where “the topic of slavery has had much more attention.” (Francie Latour, Slavery for Gamers?)
I think there is some reassurance in knowing this is not a real video game however my feelings are somewhat diluted by the fact that this is a documentary series. Being a first generation American on my father’s side from Holland I am very uncomfortable that my relatives will have direct access to a show that presents slavery in an insensitive way seen on the trailer.
In the US our freedom of speech is more often called into question, especially when touchy issues pertaining to the constitution can be interpreted in many ways. In terms of publishing: writers, journalist, and producers have been regulated on what they are able to present to the public. One facet of mass media that has surprisingly gotten away with more than their counter parts is video games. From the games stated above it seems to me that you can develop a video game on almost anything you please. In light of the recent release of the preview of the game “slavery” (even though it is not a video game) the ethics of video game society has lead me to question their motives and the lack of government involvement in regulating their games. While I have a lot of problems with government involvement in regulating media I wonder why they haven’t concerned themselves in games that are youth are spending the majority of their time on. Maybe if the government spent more time regulating what is seen and taught to youth the US could have fewer issues when people reach adulthood. In concern with the Dutch documentary I am interested to see if the harsh reactions of US citizens will alter or cancel the program.
*Quotation found at: “Slavery for Gamers?” by Francie Latour. http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/hyphenated_life/2011/09/slavery_for_gamers.html
London Tangibility of Racism and Concern: Slavery: the Game
The history of race in this country is a sordid tale of colorism and inequality. It is paramount in our society yet relegated into the backdrop by the ideas and concerns the hegemonic elite. Through the notion of modernity and the ‘post-racial era,’ we have transformed into a nation that does not acknowledge the evils of the past and how they may impact the present. What can be said of a video game depiction of slavery? For one, it paints a picture of apathy. It assumes that the wound of racism and racialization has healed. It is insidious because it trivializes a time in history that is responsible for the disparity and lack of existential spaces for black people and other people of color. This video game is the proverbial middle finger to the past of nearly 13% of the American population.
The intro of this game is completely flawed. It is laughable that there was ever a time when “Europe ruled the world” without a considerable amount of resistance and agency from those cast as ‘others.’ In games like “Call of Duty” (which I also despise) players can at least fight back as an enemy (Viet Cong for example)—but in this game there is no room for slave uprising or resistance. There is no room for the rich history of Cimarron and Maroon populations (runaway enslaved people), and others that sought to forge a way out of no way. It is simply about the direct application of European power over black bodies and the violence it took to extract their labor. We hear the false teachings of our history and this virtual platform for racism seems to pay homage to misconceptions. Africa is painted as a backwards continent of actors that require a script. It is as though our history ends and begins with the touch down of European interest in Africa and the subsequent displacement of millions of Africans. In class we discussed heritage and how subjective it can be—well how can we feel empowered by knowledge about our heritage when it is consistently thought to begin with the process of enslavement according to mass media?
Freedom of speech gives us rights to express our thoughts, opinions, and theories—yet we still have laws against hate speech and terrorism. This video game is the equivalent of psychological terrorism and must be thought of as such. It is so easy to say ‘it is not real, get over it’—but this is precisely what the champions of modernity said about racism since it has been proven only to exist as a social construct. This occurs at the exact same time that white privilege is upheld and unchallenged. The fact that this game exists is white privilege, which is prolific and all encompassing in our society in how it operates to uplift one group to the detriment and exclusion of all others. This is the era of desensitization and ignorance. This game exists not only because capitalism dictates there is a buyer’s market, but also because people still hold racist sentiments and do not want to be held accountable for them. The only people who can play this game with delight.
My only solution to the white supremacy of mass media is to counter it with disseminating knowledge. I have sent this preview of “Slavery: the Game” to many people in order to evoke outrage and disgust. Academia is not the only arena in which someone, through academic knowledge, can challenge this creation. We must remember that we vote with our dollars. Unfortunately every hit we provide YouTube increases the profit margins for whoever posted the video, but this is a small price to pay in the quest to be treated with respect and dignity. This game provides one with every reason to pick up a book, turn off and disengage from mass communication technology. Corporations control how much of our history is put before us and it is our burden to prove that we do not suffer passivity when things like this surface. We take action in whatever way that we can. We remember the motives of events past to inform the desired changes for the future.
Eric
Recently, I’ve had the displeasure of viewing the newest installment in the constantly evolving arena of vile viral video. Jaded by years of racial, sexist, and sadistic media drudged up through the glory of globalized anonymity, I was not surprised to stumble upon a trailer for the upcoming Slavery: the Game whereupon the player assumes the role of 17th century slave trader. Complete with slick graphics and epic music, the trailer urges the would-be player to profit from, discipline, and exploit African slaves through a variety of diabolical methods. The trailer concludes with an ominous, “coming soon,” and major game company logos splashed across the screen.
Logically, the use of Xbox and PS3 logos decries this trailer as a hoax. In no way, regardless of personal politics, would any major company be affiliated with such an outright outrage and expect to stay in business. The majority of the online community, through countless comments and forum chatter, also proclaim this game to be a fake for a variety of reasons. These internet comments and forum entries, however, have proven to be more disturbing than the game itself.
We find ourselves in an internet driven age where any attention being paid is good attention and free speech is experiencing its greatest test. Web prestige and availability depends solely on the number of anonymous “hits” any given topic receives. Traffic on an issue bolsters its position within search engines, making it privy to a slew of opinionated eyes. Concurrent with the rest of internet culture, the ability to voice one’s opinion freely is immediately available, as is the ability to react to the opinion, and so on. The most important aspect to consider in all this, however, is the nature of human reaction. A person is more likely to immediately react to something egregiously offensive than agreeable, thus beginning a vicious circle. A person reacts, spawning more reaction to its previous reaction, spawning more attention paid to the subject, and so on. The angrier one becomes on a given subject, the further it is thrust in to the spotlightand allowable for abuse by those simply enjoying anonymity. In this vein comes free speech’s greatest threat.
Within the realm of free speech, this entire subject is viable. Cyber slave trade, outrage, and supportive disgusting comments all fall under the guise of free speech, regardless of cost. The cost, however, is great. As the name of free speech is sullied by the need for opinion and the extreme, the risk of opposition to this abuse to free speech grows. After years of abuse, free speech can certainly become something untrustworthy or dangerous to a public tired of anonymous hatred meant to shock. This is why Slavery: the Game, hoax or otherwise, is dangerous. It allows for one more opportunity to further dirty and bruise the nature of free speech for whatever purposes intended. The further sullied the name of free speech becomes, the more it will be rejected. In opposition to this, I urge everyone not to search for this game or talk about it with others. Compared to the ability to speak our minds, this misinformed 2-odd minute clip is nothing special.
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See you in class on Tuesday. New Africa House room 123. Come prepared to discuss these Op-Ed pieces and the viral assault on our heritage. Also, be prepared to discuss the work of Neil Asher Silberman, particularly (CLICK FOR PDF DOWNLOAD):
ICOMOS Charter for the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites (2008)
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