Lara Croft Posted:

I think it’s worth mentioning that God Hates Facts pulled in over 400 up votes, twice as much as Wiccapedia got…if that’s any measure of how much people like to make fun of Christian fanaticism.

Anyway – it’s unquestionably racist. The question is whether or not the game’s audience, particularly Americans, is still as susceptible to blatant anti-Arab/Muslim content as they were 7 years ago (after 9/11).

In respect to this, I think Americans are becoming less susceptible to anti-Muslim propaganda and media, and that this game appeals to only a niche audience that still desperately hates Muslims and Arabs. This isn’t to say that the majority of people are completely acceptant of Muslims…just enough to know that this game is blatantly offensive.

Overall, the vibe I get from recent media (a good example being Iron Man) is that “Muslims and Arabs are okay, it’s just those damn terrorists that are evil.” Which is a naive stereotype in it’s own right, but at least we’re not seeing mosques being burnt down anymore.

The game is clearly going the irony route.

However, the sense that I get from those around me is that, sure muslims are people, but they’re not worthy of trust. They’ve been put on the level of “subhuman”. Distant folks who we rarely interact with but collectively judge.

Of course, this is just someone from Kansas speaking. But it’s the vibe I’m getting, and not just from the white community.