Old Man Yells at the Sky: Cultural Appropriation in games

On our latest segment of Old man Yells at the Sky, we talk at length about the issue of cultural appropriation in games; specifically tabletop, video and live action role play (LARP). We reached out to a number of communities on social media to get their take on this important issue.

 

We also talked with Dr. Amanda Morris who is an associate professor of writing and rhetoric at Kutztown University and a scholar of contemporary Indigenous rhetorics. She currently serves as chapter president for the faculty union, APSCUF, and co-hosts and produces the Inside 254 Podcast. She talks with us very specifically about Native American cultural appropriation.

 

It's a tough topic but one we all need to discuss. Did we forget something? Should we expand on another type of game? Let us know what you think at oldmanskinnyguy@gmail.com or on our Facebook group page: Old Man & Skinny Guy: The Group Thing!

 

Important Links discussed in the show:

The Problem with Drow from KnightErrantJR's Games and Geekdom Blog

Cosplaying Drow from the Black Role Players Organiziation

Why is the Only Good Orc a Dead Orc? The Dark Face of Racism Examined in Tolkien's World - Project Muse

Elizabeth LaPensée - Native American game designer, writer, artist, and researcher

Video Games Encourage Indigenous Cultural Expression by Indian Country Today

Destroy Oil Pipelines as a Thunderbird in this New Video Game

Definition of Cultural Appropriation (Wikipedia)

Definition of Cultural Appropriation (Oxford Dictionary)