Module 1 weblog #5

iPhone Racist Game

            While looking for a site that dealt with cultural diversity in a wider context I found this interesting site. I was particularly drawn to an article in the controversy section about the misuse of an iPod game. The article talks about a game in which the characters are obviously meant to represent Polynesians, who are meeting all sorts of terrible ends. I was especially interested in a comment by Elaine Howard, who “stresses that if a game were produced that gave people the power of a God over Asians or Mexicans then there would be outrage.” (2009. p. 1) This article made me wonder if that is a true assessment of the situation. Cartoons got away with stereotyping ethnic groups until fairly recently and the world of electronic games is so vast, that I suspect most of us have no idea of their content. Nevertheless, it is an area which must concern us if we plan on using technology to educate. For as many of us have noted, while we concentrate may concentrate on teaching, they will be more assiduously playing and often without adult supervision.        

Main site:

Ethnic Mulicultural Media Academy

http://www.emmainteractive.com/

Article

iPhone Game deemed Racist to Pacific Islanders.

http://www.emmainteractive.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20016&Itemid=3321