[jeegsy]

The analogy itself is the problem. If I wanted to assign a racism value to the creation of a fantasy race with certain characteristics and the resulting analogy by some to black people in this instance, the analogy would always have a higher racism value.

[spoiler]

But, I don't think the analogy to black slavery is meant to be there. It seems to me that some people just want (or need) it to be there.

Also, at the risk of being painted a heretic/racists/whatever. I'm not sure why the focus is so much on just black slavery; is it because it was most recent, or is it because of the current zeitgeist? Is it an American thing? Is it the "monkey" part and because some racist rednecks call black people monkeys? I find it mortifying we're giving those people so much influence over a fantasy world they're probably not even aware of.

[jeegsy]

> Is it the "monkey" part and because some racist rednecks call black people monkeys?

Ding! You hit the nail on the head! To be succinct, if you hear monkey and think black people, then you are a racist regardless of any good intentions you may or may not have.

[spoiler]

But why are we letting those people control our games? That's what's insane to me in this whole discussion.

It reminds me of the ok hand emoji kerfuffle; where it was briefly racist/taboo to use it.

I think it's total madness to let people I disagree with influence my fantasy world games. Why give them that power? Maybe I don't get it because I'm not American and this is a cultural issue specific to the US (and the majority of people here, I assume, are American).

[wardedVibe]

Yeah, that's why its a gross trope that needs to die.