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Showing 1 of 20 conversations about:
Gens
62
Gen.s
Jul 30, 2018
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these artisan design was from vikings as inspirations。I never intended for this to be anything offensive and racist. Living in China, I was never aware of this. However, I still want to apologize if this design offended anyone, we will do our best to be more aware in the near future.
Battery
36
Jul 30, 2018
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GensBecause you are from China I can understand if you were unaware of the implications of such a design so I don't have any ill will towards you.
This is a severe oversight by the Massdrop team though. They DO live in the United States, and had the opportunity to either advise on altering the design to be more sensitive to events in the country's history, or to simply decline to offer it out of respect.
I don't know how something like this can be excused as this is not the fault of an individual as this offer had to have passed through the hands of several staff members to make its way onto the website.
This is a severe oversight by the Massdrop team though. They DO live in the United States, and had the opportunity to either advise on altering the design to be more sensitive to events in the country's history, or to simply decline to offer it out of respect.
I don't know how something like this can be excused as this is not the fault of an individual as this offer had to have passed through the hands of several staff members to make its way onto the website.
TheNamesTy45
260
Jul 31, 2018
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GensTotally understandable. I'm sure if I designed something for the Chinese market, I'd accidentally do something to offend people too. Live and learn.
Looking forward to seeing more designs from you in the future, sorry that this one turned out the way it did!
Massdrop team, mistakes happen. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that nobody really did anything intentional. People will be pissed, and they have a right to be, but hopefully we can all be mature enough to say it was a dumb fluke and not indicative of the overall vendor. Unless something like this were to ever become intentional, I'll still be buying from you.
Looking forward to seeing more designs from you in the future, sorry that this one turned out the way it did!
Massdrop team, mistakes happen. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that nobody really did anything intentional. People will be pissed, and they have a right to be, but hopefully we can all be mature enough to say it was a dumb fluke and not indicative of the overall vendor. Unless something like this were to ever become intentional, I'll still be buying from you.
ferretallica
919
Jul 31, 2018
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TheNamesTy45They're ugly, yes. Very much so. But 'racist'? If you look at this and see anything racist, the real racist is probably YOU.
ferretallica
919
Jul 31, 2018
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zzzaacchhYou must not be aware that there's an entire world out there beyond 1960s USA.
Seriously, it's a Viking. I don't see anyone getting upset on their behalf. Are a certain ethnic demographic really that weak, thin-skinned and venerable that they need you to protect them from the horrible persecution of... an ugly Viking keycap?
Look hard enough for something to be offended about and you'll find something just about everywhere.
I'll bet the overwhelming majority of people complaining about this being anything other than horribly ugly are not even black or around during Jim Crow and are so busy looking for a platform for moral grandstanding that they don't even consider the possibility that the rest of the world beyond their own bubble doesn't see everything in racist overtones.
"But how dare MassDrop allow this!" - if it was overtly racist in any way, I have no doubt they wouldn't allow it. MassDrop may allow a lot of garbage to be sold on here (*cough*treblab*cough*) but they've never done anything to suggest they are in any way OK with *actual* racism, and if they trip over themselves trying to appease everyone who takes issue at some far-fetched perceived offence they'd never sell anything.
zzzaacchh
Jul 31, 2018
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ferretallicaI understand your point, that everything should be seen objectively, free of cultural bias. It's a beautiful, ideal world that I would love to live in. I realize the other 7.2 billion people in the world are probably not familiar with the United State's racist past. This is just an unfortunate coincidence; it closely resembles a certain portrayal of black people that has been/is considered racist. If these didn't have the exaggerated red/pink lips, then nobody would care. I've never seen Vikings represented this way, but maybe they were, I don't know. But I hope you realize that it's ok for people to be upset sometimes, especially on the internet, you shouldn't let it bother you.
ferretallica
919
Jul 31, 2018
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zzzaacchh You can't change the racist past, but a racist present and future is something you can definitely influence. Perhaps that's what you, or more so some of the others who are more blatantly demonising Massdrop and the artisan vendor, are intending. The impact is something else. Another way to look at it is this: without any negative bias or hatred behind things, racism simply doesn't exist. Being offended on behalf of others over things like this serves to perpetuate and propagate the very things you'd wish didn't exist. Hate is in so many ways a self-fulfilling prophecy, just as I see the most hate these days from the people most loudly declaring "f*ck h8" and being anti-fascist, anti-Trump, anti-Nazi, anti-borders, anti-homophobia, anti-transphobia, anti-patriarchy, anti-nationalist, anti-etc etc etc... for people against hate, there's a lot they're "anti", yet have no problem claiming to be 'the good guys'.
Sure it's OK for people to be upset. I just think a lot of people need to step back sometimes and consider if the things they claim to be so opposed to are what they're effectively enabling by protesting too much at any given opportunity.
I think we can at least agree on one thing. An objective world free of cultural bias is a beautiful thing. Call me idealistic but I will continue to try my best to live in the world I want to see. If I can convince people to join me there along the way, even better.
Sure it's OK for people to be upset. I just think a lot of people need to step back sometimes and consider if the things they claim to be so opposed to are what they're effectively enabling by protesting too much at any given opportunity.
I think we can at least agree on one thing. An objective world free of cultural bias is a beautiful thing. Call me idealistic but I will continue to try my best to live in the world I want to see. If I can convince people to join me there along the way, even better.
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