Stereotyped Pokemon Page 3

Started by MistahDude July 13th, 2010 6:45 AM
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Age 31
Male
Australia
Seen November 29th, 2016
Posted August 14th, 2011
919 posts
13.6 Years
relating to the jynx fiasco, one idiot got offended, over something they obviously didnt understand, sued somebody else, and now jynx is purple. that better not happen to wooguru.
They didn't actually sue, but yes it was one person. There are many, many reasons this wouldn't happen to Wooguru:

1. Pokémon isn't mainstream anymore. So no one cares if one random person gets offended. It won't be appearing in every second newspaper and magazine.
2. Americans are (sadly) an acceptable target, unlike (the sub-group) African-Americans.
3. It isn't even an offensive stereotype.
4. No one seems to be even able to decipher Pokémon names (to find it is named after war), until they are told about them being portmanteaus. Meaning non-Pokemon fans probably wouldn't even notice.
5. The same as 1. since that needs to be reinforced.
Age 30
Male
New York City
Seen May 21st, 2016
Posted May 16th, 2016
3,597 posts
15.9 Years
You could just make a stereotype, but it would be like making up a new word that only you use. There's nothing official to say what is or isn't an English word, so technically it would be. Just no one would care. In other words, the hippopotamus stereotype analogy just doesn't work.



You're sort of thinking of 'generalisation', not stereotype, anyway.
It was a long-shot hypothetical statement. Admittedly, it was a bit out there since I wanted the most random example I could think of. Though, I wasn't wrong in saying that Hippopotas is a stereotype for hippopotamuses, since -- and I'm still going to stand by this -- a stereotype consists of several things:

(1) a group which recognizes it
(2) an object to stereotype
(3) a standardized image regarding its attributes or image

stereotype n.
1. A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.
2. A person who is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.
By your definition, a stereotype still IS a generalization because it is a "conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified" thing. It takes the attributes of one thing and generalizes it to other things of the same category. If a group of things follows a "convention" or a "formula," then they are the same, therefore a "generalization." If you "generalize" something, then you "oversimplify" it.

The second definition isn't exactly relephant elephant either, since that's more of a sociological thing where one embodies a stereotype -- it's one of those words which has retrospective definitions grounded in its own definition only. It would have been more apt to say "2. a person or thing embodying a stereotype," but you can't use the same word in its own definition.

generalize v. (object)
1. to infer (a general principle, trend, etc.) from particular facts, statistics, or the like.
2. to infer or form (a general principle, opinion, conclusion, etc.) from only a few facts, examples, or the like.
3. to give a general rather than a specific or special character or form to.
4. to make general; bring into general use or knowledge.
The key definitions are the third and fourth, in which a "general," or nonspecific, all-encompassing, dare-I-say "conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified" quality is given to something. And if you're still worried about the wording of "conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified," well if a group of things is thought to have all the same attributes, is it not "conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified"? There's conformism, so yes it is. It's formulaic in the same reason -- things in the category in which the generalization is displayed are thought to be in the same "formula." That is, their qualities are the same (and I will refrain from repeating this sentence once again to show the similarity between it and stereotype). The oversimplification is simply the idea that there are no unique characteristics to individual bodies within the group, which sounds pretty much like generalization to me.

Furthermore, I still like Dictionary.com's definition a whole lot more;

stereotype n. Sociology
a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group:
Because, you're right. A stereotype has no meaning without a group to believe in or enforce it. "Standardized" is just another word for "generalized." They both involve an idea of universality and acceptance within the grander scheme. The only real difference is that "standardized" falls more into the "formulaic" category, whereas "generalized" falls more into "oversimplified." I feel that both fit the "conventional" part spot on, though.
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Livewire

Male
Sunnyshore City
Seen December 3rd, 2022
Posted August 2nd, 2019
14,091 posts
13.8 Years
Even if I were the easily offended type, I actually wouldn't be offended by Wooguru. He looks awesome and I don't see anything disrespectful.

The Jynx fiasco was idiotic. But if I were an idiot who was easily offended, I can see how I may get offended. Now thankfully I am not an idiot and the idiot part of that equation is extremely important.
exactly i agree completly.

and to what somebody else said, i think pokemon is safe (mostly) because it isnt technically mainstream anymore. but still, all it would take is one person who gets offended, not nesseceraly from Wooguru, and if they feel strongly about it, they'll make a bunch of noise

knook

Standing on the Sun

Age 30
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Seen March 19th, 2014
Posted September 19th, 2010
39 posts
14.7 Years
*imagines the topic-writer clutching at straws*

Ha... Funny how relevant this can be, just to prove it, I'll use the same logic but I'll say that it's a Scottish Pokémon.

1) The Golden Eagle is native to Scotland (It's worth noting that this thing looks a hell of a lot more like a Golden Eagle than a Bald Eagle but who am I to judge)
2) The headdress thing... Just... No.
3) The majority of the Eagle's front is Blue, the main colour of the Scottish flag, with accents of white (much like the Scottish flag). The back of the Eagle is red and Red, White and Blue are the colours of the United Kingdom. (Whilst I'm on the point, the colours red, white and blue are in a lot of flags, it's not an American thing - This Pokémon could also be French! That'd be cool).
4) If you know anything about the Barbarians, then you'll know the Scottish have a very war-centric History and the British Army is pretty much the best in the world - and we're damn good at not hitting our own troops too, but that's more of a personal dig ;)

Only the Gym Leaders ever have that kind of idea built into them, this is just overzealous analysis leading to a conclusion which was never supposed to be drawn.

Mana

Age 31
Male
UK
Seen March 25th, 2023
Posted August 18th, 2021
10,075 posts
14.3 Years
In the case of Woogeru I think you guys might just be seeing what you want to see.

Sure it's a bald eagle with an Indian headdress on, but I think that's where it ends. The 'blue' you guys want to see could just be instead of black, that makes sprites look very heavy, it's much more grey than blue. Leaving only a tiny bit of blue on the head and tail feathers.

There's also a yellow band on the tail, which I don't think would be there if it was all about America.

Simply put, GameFreak have picked an animal and taken something from it's habitat to make it interesting.

----

Also you could add Fantina to the list of stereotypes, she is quite stereotypically French in the English version of the anime.

wolfaru

Needs an easier hobby

Age 31
Female
I wish to be one with Russia
Seen September 18th, 2010
Posted September 18th, 2010
16 posts
12.9 Years
Seeing this discussion I'd hate to see a debate over Axis Powers Hetalia and it's stereotypes...

For the luls let's say Wooguru is supposed to be coloured after the Russian flag, Does that make it any less awesome looking? No! Would I still spam use it in Black and White? F Yeah!

Just because people get their undies in a bunch because of something that's probably not true doesn't change anything really. It's just people turning ant-hills into Mt. Everest.