#1

So I recently heard about how the term Midget was no longer being used in Borderlands 3 as some people may find it offensive and it got me thinking about some things in Borderlands 2 that might be just a bit problematic.

Like the DLC where you go to a different continent full of primitive dark skinned savages who chuck spears at you… and who practice witchcraft… and are cannibals… and who worship a white man as a god… and who you mow down by the hundreds with advanced firearms. I think I might be sensing a theme here.

It seems just a wee bit hypocritical that gearbox doesn’t want to use a term it deems a offensive when its still happy to make money selling a product that pedals all manner of racial stereotypes.

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#2

Or Claptrap refering to the constructor in the Opportunity mission with “him” pronouns. How dare he assume the constructor’s gender?! He could be identifying as a “non-binary” like Fl4K !

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#3

Calling them midgets is an accurate description of what they actually are, and that’s OK in my book. If you were to use the N-word to describe someone who has dark skin, you wouldn’t be describing. You’d be out of line. There’s a difference! A big difference.

Let’s have a look at some other things that GBX poke fun of:
Tannis - Asperger’s
Scooter and the rest of the Hodunks - Inbread rednecks
Goliaths - Fat and stupid
Jack - Corporate Megalomaniac

The people who get offended because GBX uses midgets in their game should remember how offended they thought it was the next time they open their mouth to say something. Chances are, there are people out there who find their comments just as offensive.

Take a step back and relax! It’s a game! Don’t like it? Go watch TV or something!

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#4

A politically-correct Borderlands would not be Borderlands.

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#7

Can’t do that! They might show a white male! Oh wait that’s not right, white guns are the lowest rarity! Gearbox confirmed racist! #exposed

You’re posts are fantastic, ronnie! Never stop being you!

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#8

But murder is? You murder people in this game, sometimes innocent, unarmed people, children and puppies. It’s a f*cked-up, twisted game, and none of it should be taken seriously on any level.

Poetic License isn’t the only reference to suicide in the game: Kill Yourself, Face McShooty, suicide psychos, General Knox, and a bunch of other stuff. Borderlands games are dark and sardonic.

You sense a theme? Did you see the opening cinematic? The whole thing is a reference to Colonialism. You’re on safari on a different continent.

You are not a good guy in these games. Lilith flat-out refers to you as Killer. I think looking at a reference to colonialism and thinking that it’s not PC to remind people that they’re monsters or are descended from colonialist monsters misses the point that you relish playing the role of an amoral, sociopathic monster in the game. These games are sociopathic.

Fortunately, none of this is real - it’s all an absurd digital cartoon. If we’re going to get up in arms over PC violations, then we should start with the murder, the child murder, the PUPPY murder! Because if that’s not the first objection, then I’m going to think that the objection is disingenuous.

Having said that the term midget is derogatory and offensive to some people. I’m not offended by it, but it’s no secret that little people are, and I’m fine with removing it.

You’re saying that it’s just a game, relax, don’t be upset, it’s not a big deal. I’ve never read anyone on a BL board complain about the term midget (not saying that’s never happened, but it’s never been a major issue or controversy) GBX dropped the term of it’s own accord. There was no protest by anyone. There was no campaign or hashtag on twitter to have the word midget dropped. The people who are protesting about a word in BL3 are the people who are offended that BL3 will use the term tink. They would like GBX to use a different term - midget. The argument is that people need to relax and shouldn’t be offended by the use or non-use of a word in a game, and that’s being made by people who want GBX to use a different word other than the one they chose to go with in BL3. It’s not PC people complaining about a word in a game here.

They’re using tink in BL3.

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#10

@moderators

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#11

OH NO PIE IM WHITE AND OFFENDED

yeah-number-1-how-dare-you-imagechef-com-19492390.png500×522 119 KB

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#12

I’m also white and male, what shall we do?

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#13

There’s only one answer.

Hot.

Dirty.

Southern.

Spooning.

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#14

As much as I love the midgets in BL, I’m really looking forward to what I think will stir up things even more. Although we don’t really have an accurate name for them yet, we’ve seen them in the previews for BL 3. I’m, of course, talking about…

Female Psychos

This might be the start of something wonderful. My warped mind is already going nuts over the possibilities for bad jokes. Female psychos… and just how are they different from regular females? :rofl: OK, OK… That was low! But still funny, right? Right? Anyone?

OK, I’ll try something different next time.

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#15

Careful now. Psycho is a politically incorrect term for anyone with mental illness - which is a disease. And we must be sensitive to their plight.

Besides, we all know they’re called “crazy bitches”, right?

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#16

The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path…

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#17

What 90’s band did that come from? I kind of want to hear it.

#18

Seriously?

  • EDIT - Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon

The song title is Brain Damage

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#19

i don’t think midget is all that bad though? like yea don’t call someone with dwarfism a midget but these guys are both fictional and LITERAL psychos. Same with the guys from HBGH, these guys are fictional and evil so i don’t think real world standards apply

#20

Then what do you call them? Short men? Little guys? People with dwarfism? Why would you want to complicate the language when there already exists a word that describes exactly that and that word is midget.

#21
#22

This is not a constructive discussion. Yes, there’s a difference between in-game and real life. Yes, we should care what labels we attach to people in real life, and if you’re not sure how to refer to someone with dwarfism I suggest just using their name rather than a term that has become a slur. GBX has chosen to use a different name for these characters in BL3, as is their right. End of discussion.

I would suggest that folks upset by this take some time to review the COMMUNITY GUIDELINES

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