Tolkien's orcs were a *classist* trope. Tolkien had a splendid ear for dialect, his heroes speak in hifaltun' dialect because it sets them apart, not because he couldn't write differently. T.A. Shippey points out two characters in Tolkiens' published works speak in a completely modern dialect: Saruman and Smaug. They sound like 20th Century politicians.
So when Tolkien makes his orcs sound, well, working class, it's not an accident. It's alright to be a rural bumpkin, but anything that suggests you might earn your bread in a factory is the Mark of Cain.
Tolkien's orcs were a *classist* trope... So when Tolkien makes his orcs sound, well, working class, it's not an accident. It's alright to be a rural bumpkin
Wrong. You are reading into things. Orc's had characteristics of classist trope, they are short, ugly, fanged, sallow-skinned, violent, brutish, aggressive, ugly, malevolent, and contrasting with the benevolent Elves and serving an evil power, even if they share a human sense of morality. But they themselves are not trope, metaphor or allegory, unless it be servants of evil, and are certainly not symbolic of working class (look to hobbits for that). Tolkien absolutely despised allegory (sl any striking rese
"Nuclear war would really set back cable."
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Ideology/Politics infesting passtimes (Score:5, Insightful)
Sorry, but if you look at an Orc, Troll, etc and think "Black Person", it's YOU who are the racist.
The whole point of the game is to give you enemies who aren't necessarily other PEOPLE to fight.
This is stupid virtue signaling, turned up to 11, and nothing more.
Look at what this woke crap has done to other industries, like comics.
Sure, the MOVIES make zillions.
But the actual comics industry is now in the toilet, in the process of being flushed.
And it's starting to metastatize in gaming.
Oh well. A 40-odd ye
Re:Ideology/Politics infesting passtimes (Score:5, Interesting)
Tolkien's orcs were a *classist* trope. Tolkien had a splendid ear for dialect, his heroes speak in hifaltun' dialect because it sets them apart, not because he couldn't write differently. T.A. Shippey points out two characters in Tolkiens' published works speak in a completely modern dialect: Saruman and Smaug. They sound like 20th Century politicians.
So when Tolkien makes his orcs sound, well, working class, it's not an accident. It's alright to be a rural bumpkin, but anything that suggests you might earn your bread in a factory is the Mark of Cain.
Re: (Score:2)
Tolkien's orcs were a *classist* trope... So when Tolkien makes his orcs sound, well, working class, it's not an accident. It's alright to be a rural bumpkin
Wrong. You are reading into things. Orc's had characteristics of classist trope, they are short, ugly, fanged, sallow-skinned, violent, brutish, aggressive, ugly, malevolent, and contrasting with the benevolent Elves and serving an evil power, even if they share a human sense of morality. But they themselves are not trope, metaphor or allegory, unless it be servants of evil, and are certainly not symbolic of working class (look to hobbits for that). Tolkien absolutely despised allegory (sl any striking rese