Can someone explain to me #orclivesmatter?

[CommanderKrieg]

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the orc community. Don't laugh at other creatures pain!

#orclivesmatter

[ctothep]

*snip 30 obesity delusions*

[Flasmix]

[7threalm]

#orclivesmatter #saveorcchildren

Though such lives of hard work and
danger have made most orcs rather
strong and tough constitutionally, the
race has a short lifespan. A 40-year-old
orc has reached the virtual end of its
natural life; the average orc lives for 12 to
26 years. As might be expected, orcs
have a very high rate of reproduction,
but their infant mortality rate is quite
high, too. Barely one orcish child in
three will see adulthood, and fewer still
will see old age.

None of this is any surprise to nonorcs
who have made even the briefest
study of the race. But what shocks the
casual observer is the degree of acceptance,
even preference, orcs express for
this situation. “How could we feed so
many hungry little mouths?” retorted
one orc prisoner to a curious paladin. “If
you have lots of brats and some of them
die, so what? They were the weakest . . .
the strongest ones will live and work for
you, make you proud of their strength.
Who wants weak sons? Your enemies
will kill you in your sleep if they see you
are protected by weaklings.”

[Steve]

Its basically a joke on the tension between "orcs are a monster race" vs "orc PCs" vs "Orc hugging round FAI campfire"

Thank you for confirming that it is what I thought: a joke.

But how does this #orclivesmatter joke reference back to the reference that created it, as in #blacklivesmatter? What is the direct association? Is there one? Does taking a RL political and cultural movement designed to erase dehumanization and racism, and attributing it to an fantasy realm which is also "jokingly" addressing the racist/acceptance aspects of "monsters"....

If, for example, a person would read #orclivesmatter and take from it a racist comment, even if done with best intentions and in a joking manner or as parody, would you stop using it?

[Flasmix]

You understand then, that it is done in the best intentions and is a joke/parody.

If they 'take it' as a racist comment, those are their feelings. Even if after having it explained to them of what you stated above and they still feel it is racist, then it is on them. Catering to feelings is not the way to go. I would simply agree to disagree.

[aaron22]

Its basically a joke on the tension between "orcs are a monster race" vs "orc PCs" vs "Orc hugging round FAI campfire"

Thank you for confirming that it is what I thought: a joke.

But how does this #orclivesmatter joke reference back to the reference that created it, as in #blacklivesmatter? What is the direct association? Is there one? Does taking a RL political and cultural movement designed to erase dehumanization and racism, and attributing it to an fantasy realm which is also "jokingly" addressing the racist/acceptance aspects of "monsters"....

If, for example, a person would read #orclivesmatter and take from it a racist comment, even if done with best intentions and in a joking manner or as parody, would you stop using it?

pure coincidence.

[7threalm]

#orclivesmatter #orcsarenotmooks

Mooks

A slang term for the hordes of standard-issue, disposable bad guys whom The Hero mows down with impunity. Deadly, competent, loyal, abundant... pick any two.
Also called "baddies", "goons", "scrubs", "drones", "small fry", "flunkies", "pawns", "toadies", "grunts", "minions", "lackeys", "underlings", "henchpersons", and "cannon fodder". In Japanese videogame jargon, they're known as "zako" or "small fry". The actual term "mook" presumably comes from Hong Kong Cinema, and takes its name from the mook jong, the wooden training dummies used in Wing Chun, whose only function is to get hit. In Hong Kong movie circles, they're often called "three-hit men," in reference to how many hits it takes to put them down, though the actual number of hits varies.

It's a thankless job, to be sure, but somebody's gotta do it. Enter the humble mook.
Mooks play an important role, as without someone to fight on a constant basis, an action movie/show/game would have a lot less action. If every single minion your hero ever runs into has a personality, then the pacing of the show would slow to a crawl and Quirky Miniboss Squad, The Dragon, and the Big Bad would not feel as unique in comparison.

Thus, mooks serve as Filler and a backdrop to the truly climactic moments of an action franchise while also ensuring that in-between things are kept lively. In Video Games, they may also double as a ready source of Experience Points, gold, and recovery items for the player.

In addition to accentuating the real villains, mooks also help establish the heroes, especially their combat skills, as their lack of an identity allows them to be beaten, mauled, shot or otherwise disposed of in creative ways without guilt. The Hero might find it in his heart to Save the Villain, forgive him, even accept him into his inner circle, but the guys whose only crime is not finding a better employer will be shown no mercy (although exceptions apply). Next to Punch Clock Villain, but usually more faceless, this is one of the tropes most liable to Just Following Orders, a fact that may be pointed up in order to reduce Moral Dissonance about their disposability.

It's rarely explained just why they're willing to fight and die for villains who want to destroy the world, or what they get in return. Their life expectancy is on a level with that of the average mayfly, and you have to wonder why they took the job in the first place, especially if master is abusing them as much if not more than the heroes. Depending on just who/what they are fighting for, the plausibility of this can vary.

Being Acceptable Targets by definition, sometimes mooks serve as (or devolve into) outright comic relief rather than an actual menace by being dimwitted, ineffective, clumsy, a genuine danger to themselves or just plain unlucky. Despite all this, some may get their own moments in the spotlight or become genuine villains in their own right.

Except where noted in some of the subcategories, it is generally considered "bad form" for mooks to be given any sort of detailed backstory or personality (beyond broad strokes). Put another way, for the purposes of heroes continuing to be seen as heroes, and to avoid a major mood swing, mooks generally have no girl/boyfriends, children, parents, grandparents; they don't belong to church groups or non-profits that might miss them; they don't spend part of their day looking forward to what's on TV tonight (never to see the show because they're about to die), and they generally die quick, semi-painless deaths (blood and gore optional). Mooks are rarely female, and if they are, they generally don't fall into the "gorgeous" category because you don't want the viewer/reader to become attached to a character the hero is about to kill (The Spy Who Loved Me is a noted example where this rule is broken, and 35 years later James Bond fans still criticize the decision to have Bond murder Caroline Munro's helicopter-flying babe). There are, of course, exceptions, either to make a Mood Whiplash and ponder about the nature of violence, establish the protagonist as a ruthless Anti-Hero, or briefly acknowledge that the mooks have lives and personal affairs but they're so trite and cliche that they deserve no sympathy anyway.

If they're lucky, mooks may very occasionally get promoted to the status of a more major villain. The heroes may also be able to persuade them over to the good side, in which case they have performed a Mook–Face Turn. Humanizing mooks is a basic technique of Deconstruction. In some Video Games, certain kinds of mooks will have a special introduction when they appear for the first time.

[kleomenes]

If, for example, a person would read #orclivesmatter and take from it a racist comment, even if done with best intentions and in a joking manner or as parody, would you stop using it?

That's an interesting question and one that highly depends on context.

The target of this satire is of course the introduction of modern values and/or the fact that some RP becomes excessively tolerant against lore out of a desire to avoid hurt feelings. So in the context of the server, I'd struggle to see allegations of racism carrying any weight.

If it was posted say in a political forum, I'd see it very differently. This is literally a forum that bans politics, though.

[DM Arkanis]

Sooo glad no one posted this on Ask Arkanis... thanks gang!

#Arkanismatters

[Wandering_Woodsman]

My thoughts are, every single aspect of the whole thing is wonky.

[CommanderKrieg]

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=51695&p=655411&hil ... er#p655411

There you go! This is the second time somebody was offended by it

[Kagger911]

#Orclivesmatter

Tell me, can you cross yourlegs as a orc when sitting?! Can you lay on your back?! Orcs sit on the floor because it looks more tribal, but gods be damned if we don't want to be fancy and lift both legs up!

Also, if you think #Orclivesmatter is #blacklivesmatter. You're an idiot and just want to be offended.


Do you know what it is to not be able to walk around naked?!
Nsfw

Hidden: show

I was told to put clothing on!



In the end of it all... it was horrid.

[Steve]

You understand then, that it is done in the best intentions and is a joke/parody.

What are those best intentions, actually? Have you asked yourself what blacklivesmatter is about, then asked what orclivesmatter is about, and decided nothing is made at the expense of another?

...one that highly depends on context.

Yes, it does.

So what happens when, I put #orclivesmatter in my Forum signature? What happens when I put #blacklivesmatter in my Forum Signature? What would happen if I put #hielDukes in my signature, or #killbabygaywhalesforAo in my Forum Signature? Is the context difference that of fantasy vs. Real Life, and thus, we should not equate the two or investigate the underlying connections between statements that are inspired from one and used in another?

The target of this satire is of course the introduction of modern values and/or the fact that some RP becomes excessively tolerant against lore out of a desire to avoid hurt feelings. So in the context of the server, I'd struggle to see allegations of racism carrying any weight.

If the intention is to reflect upon OOC values being injected to IC actions, which is a valid discussion to be had, what is gained from simply slogan-izing the issue, without the debate actually occurring?

If it was posted say in a political forum, I'd see it very differently. This is literally a forum that bans politics, though.

Funny enough, #orclivesmatter is utilizing tools that are historical and precisely political:

- slogan (even if a parody of another political slogan)
- cartoons (with cultural, sub-text message and metaphor)
- racial profiling

Personally, I am not offended by #orclivesmatter use. However, I see it used, at best, in bad taste, and at worst, as a devaluing, racist dig against the Black Lives Matter movement, which has made a successful political use of the hashtag #blacklivesmatter, in order to gain footing in the crusade against the negative issues plaguing the black community of the USA, and other other countries.

If it is fair game to apply this to Orcs for some OOC laughs, then...the joke is lost on me (which wouldn't be the first time).

Just for reference, I'll leave these links here:

The hashtag and social activism

All Lives Matter

Use of #blacklivesmatter

White Lives Matter

Blue Lives Matter

---

I want to be clear by saying I myself am not calling anyone a racist. I fully understand #orclivesmatter being used once as a joke/parody of something otherwise very serious AND very political (in real life).

However, please be aware that after continual use, and applied use, a joking statement or parody transforms into a Statement, a message...and may very well develop into more than a simple joke/parody, something quite negative.

Having said my piece here, I think I can leave the conversation I started. I have now received some disturbing PMs and comments, which is showing me more of what I feared is true.

Thanks.

[Wolfrayne]

#Orclivesmatter