Awkward Inkling Skin Color Discussion?

[LobsterClaw]

I was talking with a friend about Splatoon, and they started talking about Inkling skin color. They said it bothered them seeing miis on the miiverse who were caucasian playing with a dark skinned inkling.

Her: "Now all of a sudden they want to be dark skinned? When so many people are born that way are oppressed because they were born that way?!"

She also called them racist and ignorant.

My response was, "I wouldn't say they're racist. I mean, I'm sure there are some trolls who play with darker skin on purpose, but I think most people just appreciate the skin tone and are taking advantage of being able to have it. It's almost a bit flattering"

She said, "It's insulting. They're using it like it's an accessory."

It was an awkward conversation, bringing race into such a fun lighthearted game.

I think I was correct in saying that I don't think it's racist and mostly just out of genuine interest, except for in the rare case of a troll.

However, being a person of color myself, I am still curious: Why do caucasians play as dark skinned Inklings?

Am I right in thinking it's nothing serious?

Or is my friend right in thinking it's "racist"?

 

[Relados]

You're right in thinking it's not a problem. Excluding the occasional weirdo, people are just creating a character and giving it a design that they think is cool. It's no more weird than a cis guy deciding to play as the girl inkling, it's just the character design they want.

 

[warghoul]

You PC bro?!

I think your friend needs to get a grip. Its a game where you play squid people.. Are we speciesist also because us humans are playing?

Also how does she know what race the person is that's playing dark skinned inklings?

 

[LobsterClaw]

You're right in thinking it's not a problem. Excluding the occasional weirdo, people are just creating a character and giving it a design that they think is cool. It's no more weird than a cis guy deciding to play as the girl inkling, it's just the character design they want.

Exactly!!

 

[Poxnixles]

You're right in thinking it's not a problem. Excluding the occasional weirdo, people are just creating a character and giving it a design that they think is cool. It's no more weird than a cis guy deciding to play as the girl inkling, it's just the character design they want.

This is kind of boiling down to "treating it like an accessory" like OP's friend mentions. Nobody of course means harm, I'm sure. It's really a bind.

 

[ShinyGirafarig]

Maybe people of all races want the chance to play as minorities as there is not many options in the video game world?

I remember there was an outcry when Shantae's skin color was lightened in the first promo images of Half-Genie Hero and then got fixed to be like how she appeared from previous games. You rarely see female minorities in games so people rightfully complained and Wayforward listened.

I am female and do not mind males playing as female characters and I know female Inklings really outnumber male Inklings. It shows people with certain traits are able to identify with others who have different traits (Not sure if traits are the right word).

 

[LobsterClaw]

You PC bro?!

I think your friend needs to get a grip. Its a game where you play squid people.. Are we speciesist also because us humans are playing?

Also how does she know what race the person is that's playing dark skinned inklings?

Miiverse :/ If their mii isn't dark. Which I thought was a dumb point anyway. Anyone can change their miis appearance anytime anyway.

I'm just glad I now have evidence against her weird racist claims. Thanks guys

 

[Relados]

This is kind of boiling down to "treating it like an accessory" like OP's friend mentions. Nobody of course means harm, I'm sure. It's really a bind.

I see it more as treating it as normality - people choose it because they don't see dark skin color as a problem, or something to treat as a special case.

 

[RadioactiveMoth]

I play as an inkling girl with a darker skin tone than I actually have, but it's because I think it's beautiful. I think people of all skin tones and race are beautiful, and it's not racist to appreciate how others look. If you use it purely because you think that the darker tone looks better and don't care about the people and culture who are behind it, then that is racist. But appreciating the people whom have the darker skin color is wonderful and helps unify people of all races, ethnicity, and cultural background.

 

[Litagano Motscoud]

Your friend needs to get a ****ing grip. It's a goddamn game, who cares? It's not "insulting". You're 100% in the right to think that it's not a big deal at all.

Why do people have to bring race into everything?

"Now all of a sudden they want to be dark skinned? When so many people are born that way are oppressed because they were born that way?!"

Yeah, because I'm soooo oppressed right now. Every single black person in America has been mistreated by the evil white man.

Sheesh. To a hammer, everything looks like nails.

 

[polysaw]

Is your friend black? Because that could be a huge factor in the validity of her claim.

 

[RadioactiveMoth]

Is your friend black? Because that could be a huge factor in the validity of her claim.

Their race doesn't affect the validity of their claim. If they're black, they're free to feel hurt if people are doing this. But that doesn't mean it's racist. Feeling sensitive to race because of your own mistreatment by racist individuals is perfectly fine, but that doesn't make it racist because they personally dislike it.

 

[Hero of Lime]

If I were talking to your friend, I would ask her if she thought it would be racist for someone to prefer to play as a character with their own skin color, vs. playing with a skin color they don't have in real life. As far as I'm concerned, if someone is willing to make their avatar a completely different race than their real one, that makes them appear to be anything but racist. I just don't see someone playing with a dark skinned inkling to make a racist statement.

I play as an inkling girl despite being male. I really love their designs while simultaneously not caring for the male inkling's design. I would love for someone to try to rationalize accusing me of being a misogynist for doing so. I prefer to play as characters who I think look awesome, I don't need my avatars to resemble me.

 

[aceofscarabs]

Inklings are shape and colour shifters, their skin colour is irrelevant when they can be whatever colour they please.

 

[Airi]

I'm sorry but to say that someone is racist because they have a darker skinned avatar is honestly really ridiculous. That is taking this "political correctness" to a ridiculous and unneeded level. That's looking for offense where there is no offense to be found in the least bit. If having a darker skinned avatar makes us 'racist', are the males who play Inkling girls sexist? Or the females who play Inkling boys sexist? No because there's nothing sexist about that just as there is nothing racist about playing as a darker skinned character.

Frankly... It's an avatar... In a video game. If people want to try and make their avatars represent them 100% than that is their choice. If someone doesn't want to than that is perfectly fine. Sometimes people want to play as a lighter skinned character or a darker skinned character. There is nothing wrong with that. It is not racist.

Besides... How does your friend even know they're lighter skinned? Their Miis aren't "proof" of anything. For all they know, they could be using a lighter skinned Mii when they have darker skin in real life. I'm sure we all know plenty of people whose Miis aren't exactly modeled after themselves. If my friends' Miis are modeled after them..... I have some seriously weird looking friends then, I'll say.

My point is that trying to say someone is racist for having a darker skinned player is ridiculous. There are real issues to be worried about. Someone choosing to play as a darker skinned character is not an "issue" at all. I know this was not the most "PC" thing to say but sometimes the truth isn't all "PC".

 

[Dreamy Luigi]

She doesn't know what racist means. It means thinking or talking bad about someone because of race, character customization doesn't fall into that.

 

[ShinyGirafarig]

I think I get it.

This person probably is thinking that character customization of those who do not share the race as the character is the equivalent of blackface and its kind.

A video game avatar to me is sort of the equivalent of playing pretend through a doll just in digital format. Sometimes the doll may look like you but you can also have a doll of a different gender or race but still play with the doll. If your favorite doll happens to be of a different race or gender and you like playing with it no one sane will accuse you of being racist/sexist.

 

[WesFX]

I definitely see the "accessory" angle, I myself use a boy inkling with dark skin simply because I think it looks better on the boy inklings (honestly I wish the art and Amiibo had the boy with dark skin).

You can't really say it's not offensive, because that's up to the individual who might be offended, but I don't think there's anything racist to it.

 

[Jazy]

Your friend sounds like she belongs with the SJWs on Tumblr who complain about race everyday. She sounds exactly like one too.

 

[Graff]

I'd quote Paul Mooney, but that'd be inappropriate.