(08-02-2015, 07:59 PM)Nero Wrote:(08-02-2015, 07:47 PM)Marisa Wrote: As someone who is, admittedly, a little bit racist in the real world, I can assure you that most prejudices are arbitrary. Example, why do I think more favorably about Chinese immigrants than Japanese immigrants? Because the one Japanese guy I know is a jackass, and the couple Chinese people I know are super nice. I based my entire perception of those races off those few people because that's just how the human mind works. So yeah, if the first Au Ra I ever met rubbed me the wrong way, I'd subconsciously start to dislike all of them until somebody changed my mind otherwise.
(08-02-2015, 07:37 PM)Natalie Mcbeef Wrote: That's kind of how racism is though. I don't think most contemporary racists could give you a bullet point list of reasons about why they're racist. Most of them probably don't even think they are.
I think Racism is often at its core nonsensical, and just brought out by latent fears and worries in populations. I'm not always sure it needs strict lore justifications. Obviously it should make a little sense but 'Fear of the Other' is often reason enough.
To further clarify my point, I'm not disputing the irrationality or unaccountable nature of racism and the concept of prejudice as a whole. I think most everyone can agree that such things are inherently a byproduct of the unreasonableness that resides in every human brain. What I am saying is that if you intend to play the "racist" character trait for meaningful drama, having that racism be arbitrary or nonsensical effectively kills that drama and makes it trite and banal.
Graeham's prejudice against Garleans example is a specimen of a character trait being substantial in its makeup that can lend itself to compelling conflict.
Saying your character hates Lalafells because the Lalafells keep screwing them over on shop prices is barely enough to warrant a footnote in a character's trivia section.
Perhaps I'm merely beating the dead horse so vigorously that I'm mistaking its necrotic twitching for signs of life, but my end point remains: it's not unreasonable in the slightest to ask for variety and accurate representation of the setting by playing as a racist or prejudiced character. But if you intend to make that racism or prejudice important in a narrative, then the trait of that racism or prejudice has to be set up in a way that is significant to not only the character, but the audience as well, and Eorzea does not have too many avenues for that besides the aforementioned ethnic conflicts.
An Ala Mhigan being racist to Au Ra? A Limsa Lominsan being racist to a Dunesfolk Lalafell? A Gridanian being racist to a Seeker Miqo'te? An Ul'dahn being racist to a Hellsguard? These are things that have to be well-defined beyond Freudian excuse and lame anecdotal evidence to be taken the slightest bit seriously within the setting or at the least, within a narrative. Otherwise, the prejudice seems forcibly shoehorned and awkward and only serves to make the character as a whole less believable.
I've seen a few Ala Mhigan refugees being racist towards Au Ra now and each time I roll my eyes so hard they fall out. Not only is there little to no lore supporting anyone being against theyr arrival in Eorzea (barring Ishgard for their obvious Dragon-y traits, but even that is never addressed by the setting itself), but the irony is thick enough to cut with a knife.
Like I said, people invent things to make their characters dark and gritty because they assume that also makes them interesting. It doesn't. Not everything is Game of Thrones nor should it be.
