“Expert” Consulted on RE5 Racism Issue: Not an Expert on Race After All

VideoGamer.com states that Bowman is an “expert”, which would logically mean that he specialises in the study of race issues and racism. How can this “expert” opinion be trusted when the academic that VideoGamers.com consulted has not conducted research or published articles on race or racism? According to whom is Bowman an expert on racism and race? Was he the only anthropologist who would talk to them? Did VideoGamer.com go to lots of people until they got an answer they wanted? They don’t appear to have consulted people who have done research on African colonialisation and African cultures or academics in African American studies programmes. Why didn’t they talk to people who have conducted research in race, culture, and media studies? Or at the very least, why didn’t they speak to people who are are aware of the history of racist and stereotypical presentations of black people in the media, and who have actually analysed and thought critically about media portrayals of racial and ethnic minorities?

Many gamers are now treating Bowman’s “expert” opinion as gospel, the voice of reason, the authoritative word on this issue. He’s not a gamer or an expert on media studies. Yet, the initial critics of the racist imagery in Resident Evil 5 were completely dismissed and often attacked with racist slurs by many gamers because the criticisms came from non-gamers.

Many gamers in mainstream communities now feel validated in their view that Resident Evil 5 is not racist. They have rejected perspectives from game journalists like N’Gai Croal, Bonnie Ruberg, Dan Whitehead, and Tom Chick who questioned and critiqued the imagery in Resident Evil 5 by proposing that it is problematic and racially charged. Even Penny Arcade lukewarmly questioned the imagery in Resident Evil 5. Bowman lacks academic credibility on race issues and media/games, yet many gamers have wholeheartedly embraced his uninformed opinion despite the existence of knowledgeable commentary from anti-racist gamers and people from within the industry who have been critical of Resident Evil 5. Why? Because Bowman tells them what they want to hear, and doesn’t challenge their views.

You’d be hard-pressed to find mature, critical discussion about race and Resident Evil 5 taking place in mainstream gaming communities. But, you can find it in anti-racist communities, anti-oppression communities, and gaming communities which regularly discuss and critique these issues.

Page 2 of 3 | Previous page | Next page