The fantastical roots of "scientific racism"

10 days ago

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Elon Musk criticized Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast for making Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) less racist and sexist, suggesting he might buy the company to reverse these changes.
D&D's origins are tied to J.R.R. Tolkien's works, which, despite Tolkien's personal rejection of Nazi ideology, contain racial stereotypes that influenced the game's design.
The game's early editions included problematic racial and gender stereotypes, such as certain 'races' being inherently good or evil and limitations on character classes based on race.
Recent updates to D&D have aimed to make the game more inclusive by removing the term 'race' and adjusting lore to eliminate prejudiced elements.
The backlash against these changes mirrors similar reactions in other geek cultures, like Gamergate and Comicsgate, where diversity efforts were met with hostility.
Elon Musk and other tech figures have promoted racist pseudoscience, echoing the outdated racial theories that influenced early fantasy literature and games.
Despite the backlash, D&D has grown more popular and diverse, with new players and creators reshaping the game to reflect contemporary values.

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