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Resident Evil 5 set in Haiti, the home of voodoo. Not so racist now, eh?

8:40 AM on 09.21.2007, Jim Sterling 63 comments

Resident Evil 5 set in Haiti, the home of voodoo. Not so racist now, eh? photo
     Capcom

Several of our own readers had already called this before the news surfaced, but it's become somewhat clear that Resident Evil 5 is not set in Africa, as some had predicted, but actually takes place in Haiti, where voodoo rituals and zombie mythos are considered to have come from. Kotaku claims to have a well-placed insider who has confirmed the location for them, a location that lends an incredibly deep context to the latest Resident Evil.

Of course, having argued against idiots in the past who claimed this was racist, I am filled with a tremendous sense of self-satisfaction at this news. After the controversy of that pathetic Black Looks blog screaming racism from the rafters and my own battles against one or two crybabies who whined the same thing, this comes as hilarious news. It's set in Haiti and there's a very good reason for that. 

It looks like a few self-interested reactionaries with chips on their shoulders are going to have to STFUAJPG now, aren't they?


Next page: More Controversy stories




Rockvillian's Avatar
Rockvillian at 09/21/2007 08:43
Ohhh burned....
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 09/21/2007 08:44
So they're black mexican zombies now? I think that's race-a-riffic!!
Upgrayedd's Avatar
Upgrayedd at 09/21/2007 08:45
@blehman

What, so now all Hispanics are Mexicans?
DGX Goggles's Avatar
DGX Goggles at 09/21/2007 08:47
Mexicans aren't even Hispanics, they are LATINOS (Latin America anyone?).
Toneman's Avatar
Toneman at 09/21/2007 08:48
@Upgrayedd

Are you insinuating that Hispanics are too good to be considered Mexican?
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 09/21/2007 08:50
Nobody has mentioned the Chinese yet. ZOMG THIS THREAD IS RACIST!
Commodore624's Avatar
Commodore624 at 09/21/2007 08:50
Toneman i think you like to get things going, is peace not good enough for you?
nademagnet's Avatar
nademagnet at 09/21/2007 08:51
WHAT ABOUT THE INDIANS?!

Toneman's Avatar
Toneman at 09/21/2007 08:53
We forgot about the wolves. How many wolves have to die?
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 09/21/2007 08:53
Jim : LoL @ capitalizing black and not any other race. I still remember that racist gold digger.

Ps. - Why you gotta burn mah man Lucas?!
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 09/21/2007 08:55
Snaileb: Because he's a mediocre hack.
TheMadLeper's Avatar
TheMadLeper at 09/21/2007 08:55
Holy fuck. I'm dominican. Thats like, right next door.
Commodore624's Avatar
Commodore624 at 09/21/2007 08:56
I think we need some eskimos who doesnt like zombies in jackets
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 09/21/2007 08:57
Sorry, I'm from Texas, all hispanics are mexicans.

Yet, not all mexicans are hispanics. Some are just assholes.

Or the other way around, I'm not sure.
hollywooda's Avatar
hollywooda at 09/21/2007 08:58
Black doesn't always = Africa.....yep true, have you been through Tottenham rescently?...


oops..is that racist?
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 09/21/2007 08:59
Damn it, I had money on it being set in Detroit.
Commodore624's Avatar
Commodore624 at 09/21/2007 09:00
im from New Hampshire we dont have any non whites lol i live in a town with about 200 people my family is 5% of town we sway votes also be have 1/2% hispanics ive never seen him tho
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 09/21/2007 09:02
@ Jim : I'll continue to wet my Ewok bed sheets in the Star Wars blog.

blehman's Avatar
blehman at 09/21/2007 09:03
@commodore624

I'm in the minority down here in Texas. Good times.
PraiseChaos's Avatar
PraiseChaos at 09/21/2007 09:06
Still can't wait for this game!!!
TorpedoTed's Avatar
TorpedoTed at 09/21/2007 09:16
Dont see how it would racist anyhow even if it was in Africa??
I dont understand!! help me please!!
So caue all the zombies were white that i killed in the res evil, does that mean its racist towards white people?? Im white i dont think it is...
People need to get this BIG OL chip off of thier shoulder!!
savagesaladin's Avatar
savagesaladin at 09/21/2007 09:21
Sweet victory? Its probably not over yet. I'm sure even though the game is set in Haiti, offended crybabies from black racist blogs will still say its Africa, even though its not. People don't mind misinforming people to get there way.

Sweet. This will be like that mission in one of the GTA games called "Kill the Haitians".

Even though Jack Thompson is probably a racist, he will probably bitch about because its about "a white guy killing black people".

I hope you have the right to play this game in the UK, Jim. Hopefully your government won't try to protect you from this tasteless, nasty media.
DolphGB's Avatar
DolphGB at 09/21/2007 09:24
What would be racist is if zombies were only ever white in games, films and books. This makes RE5 about the most non-racist game ever, as it gives non-Caucasians an equal chance to be lifeless undead monsters. ;-)
JACK of No Trades's Avatar
JACK of No Trades at 09/21/2007 09:25
I HATE people!!!! No wonder people are racist! Its funny cause there fitting into the sterotype: Fucking Stupid ******.
BS3 Owner's Avatar
BS3 Owner at 09/21/2007 09:27
@blehman

You think Texas is bad... Besides El Paso. & Santone

I come from Arizona where there's drunken,
Indians everywhere... Including the streets.

Peyote & Beer are #1 right next to Mexican Meth...
BahamutZero's Avatar
BahamutZero at 09/21/2007 09:29
this going to swing back the other way when people find out your only weapon is a noose
BahamutZero's Avatar
BahamutZero at 09/21/2007 09:30
Hmmm... peyote, beer and mexican meth. sounds like a regular friday to me.
face112's Avatar
face112 at 09/21/2007 09:30
I'm black and i really don't se wats the difference between killing white zombies and black ones. Do we really care that much about the skin color of the ones we are blasting with a shotgun? America will probably have a field day with this game when it gets released there.
TorpedoTed's Avatar
TorpedoTed at 09/21/2007 09:34
@face112

My point exactly mate, who cares what colour the skin is, i dont even notice, too busy playing the game!
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 09/21/2007 09:38
@BZero

Comment 1: Oh, snap! Literally
Comment 2: That's what I said.
Origim's Avatar
Origim at 09/21/2007 09:39
Well it may not be set in Africa yet there still going to cry
racist. Haiti is 95% black. Check it out for yourself.
[url]https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html[/url] If you cant trust the CIA who can you trust. Still it doesnt mean the damn game is racist it just means idiots are still going to try and make the claim.
Gjmode's Avatar
Gjmode at 09/21/2007 09:39
Now being Haitian myself, I do not feel offended about RE5 being set in the country of Haiti. I never heard any outrage when RE4 was set in a small European Country. To all that think racism is playing a part in the making of this game, just need to chill and go after REAL people doing horrific things rather than fantasy violence.
BS3 Owner's Avatar
BS3 Owner at 09/21/2007 09:41
^ Can't trust no one. One word "Iraq"...
brad drac's Avatar
brad drac at 09/21/2007 09:42
Still waiting for the unlockable ghosts costume to be announced.

Origim's Avatar
Origim at 09/21/2007 09:42
Damn screwed up the link. We really need and edit function for fools like me
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
AngelsDontBurn at 09/21/2007 09:54
Stupid people will be stupid. If they have nothing better to do they'll continue to say the game is racist..

Idiots.
Professor Pew's Avatar
Professor Pew at 09/21/2007 10:06
So that explains the Middle/South American general type shouting around in the trailer.
SlavedHeart's Avatar
SlavedHeart at 09/21/2007 10:14
What about Canadians?

Has anyone claimed to be racist against them yet?

Because if not, I call dibs... see, it's even ironic because I was born in Canada...

I think all them frostbacks should be thrown from video gaming, dam frog-speaking-donut-eating.... MAPLE LEAFS!

Ok, I'm good... who's next?
blehman's Avatar
blehman at 09/21/2007 10:21
It's aboot time someone besides South Park made fun of them flappy headed big nosed Canadians.
PappaDukes's Avatar
PappaDukes at 09/21/2007 10:51
Black, red, purple, green, WHO FUCKING CARES! If it's dead, and moving, shoooooot!
shipero's Avatar
shipero at 09/21/2007 11:14
Canadian is a race now? Who forgot to forward that memo to me? I need to be kept up to date on these things.
skullivan's Avatar
skullivan at 09/21/2007 11:31
I never understood why anyone thought it was anywhere else other than Haiti to begin with. It was obvious it was either Haiti or a fictional place that was supposed to be Haiti.
frozenbabylon's Avatar
frozenbabylon at 09/21/2007 11:50
lol BigBlackCar lol.
Trevor McGee's Avatar
Trevor McGee at 09/21/2007 11:54
Yeah, bigblackcar was just stupid beyond belief. He kept talking like he knew what he was talking about and that he knew exactly how black people felt and that somehow it was his job to tell everyone how they felt.

The funniest part about that is that most black people who talk about this game never found it racist to begin with, so much for him know how it makes black people feel.
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 09/21/2007 11:58
Saying "That's Racist!!" has probably been incredibly inaccurate in this whole bitch with whine session.

Regardless of the setting, the imagery, out of context, can be considered disturbing. Why disturbing? Because of 1) the imagery of people of dark skin portayed as dehumanized and 2) the imagery of a white man bringing violence upon a group of black people (dehumanized or not)

The concept and imagery of dehumanizing the black man is a touchy subject in America, at least. It did, after all, arguably contribute to our first and only Civil War.

Also, the concept and imagery of a white man in uniform inacting violence against a large group of black folk is reminiscent of race riots in the south in the middle part of the century.

Is the game inherently or intentionally "racist"? Arguable, but probably not.

Is this a hot button version of "Misuta Supaakuru"? More less yea. Black folks and activists in America are Homer, RE5 is Mister Sparkle, and Capcom is Japanese. I don't know who that makes gamers though . . . maybe Lisa . . .

That's all I got.
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 09/21/2007 12:04
Also blackvoodoohatianzombie cocks
wonky360's Avatar
wonky360 at 09/21/2007 12:06
We can't make Chris Redfield Black, so suck it up, the game is set in a 95% black community. I do not see the problem. The game has still to be released and I am sure the zombie plague will not be limited to native residents.
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 09/21/2007 12:25
Well, no rational person should demand the game be changed to accomodate sensitivities. If for anything, Black Looks earned their lambasting for the sheer mention of wanting to stop RE5's release. Chris Redfield's white. Light bulbs are round, and fish has bulbous eyes.

Thing is, no one's who's outraged by the imagery has explained their gripe / expectations of Capcom very clearly.

Neither have I, come to think of it. :) But then again, I'm not that outraged. But I see where the distress is coming from.
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