An Open Dialogue on One Specific Slur

[Borin 6122]

[racist] Brother Odo isn't coming online til the heat is off.

[NightcastorKitty 1827]

Allowing racism on the server in roleplay is allowing anyone to point at the differences of other races and/or subraces to create the negative responses upon. To remove this completely is to remove the concept of racism. Otherwise this discussion is arguably mute as it enables slips anywhere of minor intent to full on extremes. 

 

So unless you want to create a list of do's and don'ts, it's rather hard to debate about. Especially given the term 'darkie' has been used in relation towards dark elves in roleplay for literal years on this server. Does it make it okay? No, but it's rather a minefield for people just playing characters unaware that suddenly its not allowed. 

[ChaoticallyCheshire 637]

14 minutes ago, NightcastorKitty said:

Allowing racism on the server in roleplay is allowing anyone to point at the differences of other races and/or subraces to create the negative responses upon. To remove this completely is to remove the concept of racism. Otherwise this discussion is arguably mute as it enables slips anywhere of minor intent to full on extremes. 

 

So unless you want to create a list of do's and don'ts, it's rather hard to debate about. Especially given the term 'darkie' has been used in relation towards dark elves in roleplay for literal years on this server. Does it make it okay? No, but it's rather a minefield for people just playing characters unaware that suddenly its not allowed. 

I agree darkie has been used for dark elves for years. I was under the impression that back when there became a larger social presence online about racism and what consists as such that lotc realized how racist said term is. Lotc in the past used, said and did lots of things. To say there can't be change due to its usage in the past is defeatist and shows that perhaps you aren't realizing how offensive a slur it is in the irl world. There was a black person in our vc when it was used, they had heard stories of the racism on lotc but had never experienced it until they heard what was going on. They are still disgusted and angry, this place is meant to be an escape from the harsh realities of the irl world. To use irl slurs is not only offensive but ruins that escape for so many people. 

 

Just because the term doesn't offend you doesn't make it any less offensive. 

[__WaterFox__ 634]

16 minutes ago, NightcastorKitty said:

 

So unless you want to create a list of do's and don'ts, it's rather hard to debate about. Especially given the term 'darkie' has been used in relation towards dark elves in roleplay for literal years on this server. Does it make it okay? No, but it's rather a minefield for people just playing characters unaware that suddenly its not allowed. 

Gotta happen at some point. You talk about the word "darkie" in relation to rp, I think of it as a word people use against some of the people I work with, and other people think of it as that word some angry fucker yelled at them while walking down the street.  Imagine the minefield that is existing as a minority when you can't even escape racist terms in mineman of all places.

[ydegirl 2130]

i kinda hate debates because i feel like nothing ever comes out of them but, i’ll post my two cents here.

 

like others have stated, using real life slurs have no place on lotc. the use of real life slurs encourages people to be racist in real life, dare i say.

 

also i’m not sure where this idea that ‘darkie’ (which i’ll refer to as the d slur from here on out) isn’t a slur, because i’ve heard black people specifically detest its existence— both irl and on social media. you don’t need a full etymology of a word to remove it from your vocabulary. end of discussion. 

 

finally, i forget who said this but using shakespearean level insults as slurs is 100x better than using real life slurs, such as the d slur. google shakespeare insult generator and you’ll find like 100 of them on the first page. unbaed also made the claim that one of the players was recently banned for roleplaying as a (im assuming) antisemitic jewish stereotype. all i’m gonna say is why do we allow them back on the server if they’ll just do the same again? 

 

thank you & im so so sorry for any formatting issues. i’m on my phone </3

[argonian 13241]

i've never heard darkie irl and i would always assume it was just a hypocorism for "dark elf", like "james" -> "jamesie", or "german" -> "jerry" if you want an ethnic example.

 

that said, if you guys wanna ban it because it has currency irl, then sure it's not like it's a huge loss to the roleplay slur lexicon, but at the same time even then i'd rather that any players who used it get warned not to first rather than insta-banned, because i doubt it's malicious in the majority of cases. 

[christman 3019]

1 hour ago, chacmul said:

u r a failure to soloman raven. you see folks, why do we use "knife ear?" it for one, dont sound racist, two it dont got that ring to it. now ysee folks, "piker" ticks both of those boxes, it sounds epically racist and its got a nice ring to it.

 

she say do you live me i tell her only partly i only love funonthebun and my soloman im sorry

[NightcastorKitty 1827]

2 hours ago, ChaoticallyCheshire said:

I agree darkie has been used for dark elves for years. I was under the impression that back when there became a larger social presence online about racism and what consists as such that lotc realized how racist said term is. Lotc in the past used, said and did lots of things. To say there can't be change due to its usage in the past is defeatist and shows that perhaps you aren't realizing how offensive a slur it is in the irl world. There was a black person in our vc when it was used, they had heard stories of the racism on lotc but had never experienced it until they heard what was going on. They are still disgusted and angry, this place is meant to be an escape from the harsh realities of the irl world. To use irl slurs is not only offensive but ruins that escape for so many people. 

 

Just because the term doesn't offend you doesn't make it any less offensive. 

You are missing my point. We can debate on this all day long, but unless racism concept itself is removed, or some list of do's and don'ts regarding what you can do with racism IRP, it is a moot point. Because, and as I said, many terms were allowed (and still allowed) to be used against races. And just like this apparent recent example this debate is using, you got people using a quite frankly common term I've heard for years use against dark elves and now suddenly there's a ban report on them. Thus without proper guidelines or anything, it's rather a minefield of what one can and can't do. 

[ferdaboy 2166]

just be creative with your words and put more effort into the roleplay lol 

[satinkira 7586]

34 minutes ago, RIGOR said:

 

yes cracker

 

why don’t we just not insult people based on the colour of their skin

[Jentos 8196]

[Astrophysical 1468]

Is it that hard to call people “Poopyhead”

[KeatonUnbeaten 1102]

9 hours ago, Nooblius said:

As a proud Roleplay and Real life racist,

 

bwuh?

[esterhase 164]

[ An aged man, face so embossed by wrinkles and the patina of time that you can only discern that the grim reaper has forgotten about him, holds a tome before you. His robe hangs limp at his wrists, threadbare and loose — possibly older than the man himself.]

 

 [ After blowing the layer of dust from the tome's leather jacket, you look upon its gilt title. ]

 

"The Big Bad Book of Slurs"

 

[ Durst you open the book of every slur you are not allowed to say on Lord of the Craft? ]

 

> [ Yes. Burden yourself with the knowledge of the forbidden and let the Gods judge you for it. ]

 

Spoiler

 

> [ No. This is enlightenment rightfully forbidden by the divine.]

 

Spoiler

The book disappears in a puff of gravedust.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by esterhase

[_Jandy_ 3516]

8 hours ago, Laeonathan said:

Any racism that refers to skin-color should be banned.

Exclude orcs from this. Raguks need to be denigrated for their redness.

 

Spoiler

Actual feedback tho, it's not going to be codified into the rules as to what slurs are or aren't acceptable in roleplay so good luck enforcing the ruling in 6 months. You'll just be handing out warnings and people will make up newer rp slurs to start using. I think people will make the slurs edgy-funny and you'll create a bigger problem than you currently have.