Are these characters offensive?

Discussion in 'Character Development' started by Rick n Morty, Aug 12, 2016.

  1. Rick n Morty

    Rick n Morty Active Member

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    Maybe. I'll consider that.

    But I wanted the Tapejara to be sort of the "low" one because out of the four pterosaurs featured, Tapejara was the smallest.
     
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  2. Simpson17866

    Simpson17866 Contributor Contributor

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    I actually tend to make my worst villains more light-hearted than my brooding heroes ;)

    There's a Trope for that ;)

    Or rather "against" :meh:
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2016
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  3. Rick n Morty

    Rick n Morty Active Member

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    Just to let you guys know, I'm actually very happy that you pointed out a problem, and I'm quite thankful. I get it now, if you want stereotypical characters, put a new spin on them. That's why I'll be brainstorming until I figure out something.

    Thank you for your help. If I figure out something, I'll post it on this thread.
     
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  4. Oscar Leigh

    Oscar Leigh Contributor Contributor

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    Stereotypes are only a problem if a) they occur too often, which no individual example should be held accountable for, and b) if they consume the character. A character who is a German bossy military character can be very different if you only give them more detail, then it will be harder and harder to not have differences. Not every character should or needs to be some fantastic mould breaker, in fact that can be just as repetitive since you can be equally unimaginative with that. If you're thinking that all I've really said is "write well" then you've got it. Bad writing is the issue, trends are not.
     
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  5. Rick n Morty

    Rick n Morty Active Member

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    I pictured General Azdark as a mostly comedic Captain Hook-style villain who suffers a lot of slapstick while chasing the MCs. (Though he does get a couple truly menacing moments.) And he doesn't always have his henchmen with him, only in a couple sequences.

    I also recently thought about Private Bobo helping out the climax somehow, shortly after Azdark fires him.
     
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  6. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    This confuses me. Why does being small require that one be fun-loving and incompetent? I'm not seeing a connection.
     
  7. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I have to quibble about this. I suspect that they didn't talk and dress like blacks did, but like blacks were stereotyped as talking and dressing.

    Returning to your characters, I think that it would be better to eliminate your stereotypes and create your own cultures for these characters. I know that it would be far more work, but I just don't see the stereotypes going over well.
     
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  8. Janus3003

    Janus3003 New Member

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    I have to echo @Oscar Leigh on this. Writing well needs to be your goal, and that in itself will help your characters.
    I lived in Brazil for two years, and Bobo sounds a lot like people I knew. Brazilian culture in and of itself tends to be a lot more laid back than what I'm used to in the States.

    To be frank, so long as you flesh out your characters, I don't think having a few stereotypical traits will be a problem. Show them with those traits, sure, but add other character moments to make them more human (or oddly intelligent dinosaur, whatever). Maybe consider scenes where those traits become advantages or disadvantages, or the characters finding themselves needing to go against their instincts to get out of a particular situation.

    EDIT
    I wrote "there" instead of "their." I'm probably not qualified to give writing advice if I can't get they're/there/their right. :dry:
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2016
  9. Edhla

    Edhla New Member

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    These characters do sound like stereotypes to me. I'm not sure the extent to which they're harmful, but I feel as if quite a few people would complain if they saw this in print, definitely. If you're reluctant to change their nationalities, then definitely you'd have to change/expand/complicate their personalities.
     
  10. Rick n Morty

    Rick n Morty Active Member

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    As I've said before, I picture this as a movie, not a book.

    I AM brainstorming ways to add to their personalities though, to prevent them from being TOO stereotypical.
     
  11. Edhla

    Edhla New Member

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    Good to hear - you'd probably have a rougher time trying to pitch a movie with stereotypes in it than a novel with stereotypes in it. The film industry has taken massive amounts of flak over that kind of thing in the last few years. And in my experience, both readers and filmgoers are sensitive right now - arguably hypersensitive - to issues regarding nationality, race, sexuality, religion, disability or gender.
     
  12. Rick n Morty

    Rick n Morty Active Member

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    So, I've been thinking about these replies, and I realized that a lot of these arguments could be applied to various Disney comic relief characters like the Jamaican crab from The Little Mermaid, or the Cajun firefly from The Princess and the Frog. Yes, these characters are stereotypes, but audiences still love them, and you don't see very many people complain about them being offensive. (And the few that do aren't usually taken seriously, like the Cracked article that claimed "Under the Sea" was promoting Jamaicans being lazy.)

    With that said, you could argue that these characters are loved because there's more to them than just a funny accent; they actually help out the heroes. And that's what I'm trying to do with Bobo. I'm trying to think of a way for him to help the heroes out during the climax after his heel-face turn.

    You claim there's no reason for Bobo to be Brazilian other than him being a Brazilian pterosaur species...but there wasn't really any reason for Sebastian to be Jamaican, now was there? How is a Tapejara with a Brazilian accent any worse than, say, a kangaroo or koala with an Australian accent?
     
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  13. Oscar Leigh

    Oscar Leigh Contributor Contributor

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    I think the issue is that if you're characters are too tropic in can consume their interest= bad writing. A character shouldn't have to avoid being like what other people are doing, originality is more complex than made out to be, but if a character feels too obvious and fulfills a certain narrative it can be boring. And if someone does get offended, that's something. You don't want to bow to offense, but if you can avoid offense that is good because you'll do better financially, get more appreciation, and have a more fun result for people.
     
  14. Rick n Morty

    Rick n Morty Active Member

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    So, you agree that a character with a funny accent can work if there's more to that character than the funny accent?
     
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  15. Oscar Leigh

    Oscar Leigh Contributor Contributor

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    Yes of course, unless by funny accent you mean a mock version of one. In which case no that's racist. But yes, of course you can do a Brazilian tapejara. But you can make him light and funny without being a stereotype. Maybe he has some cultural aspects but there are some he rejects? Or maybe show him anxious and pained over his guilt. Leads up to his turn and avoids him being just the happy Brazilian. Mix it up. You can do things that resemble stereotypes just make them feel distinct enough. Even just a little to show they aren't just a cardboard caricature, or else it plays into racist narratives.
     
  16. Rick n Morty

    Rick n Morty Active Member

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    Well, a lot of his humor comes from the fact that he's in the military even though he's clearly ill-suited for that kind of thing. Maybe I could have him be a Pollyanna character, who is upset over how the world is under Cletus's rule, but hides it behind his friendly cheerful attitude.

    Also, be thankful I didn't have him be a fan of soccer. I feel that would be stretching the stereotypes too far. (Please note that this dinosaur world DOES have sports and games, but they're not real-world sports and games.)
     
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