Comedians are some of the greatest social commentators of our generation. They provide humorous takes on everyday situations that most of us encounter at some point. Two such comedians are Key and Peele, infamous for their hilarious skits. One of their skits called, You Can’t Fight a Guy with a Baby, portrayed a scene in which a seemingly well-mannered father holding his infant bumped into a man at the park.
Initially, the father was apologetic, as the indignant man snapped at him. Then, upon sight of the infant, the man quickly forgave the mistake. A sudden realization dawned on the father. Whilst holding his baby, the other man’s honor would not let him resort to violence for fear of harming a child. In a sense, the father was invincible – at least, that’s what he believed as he began taunting the man.
The skit humorously continues as the irritated man smacks and punches the father, all without harming the child. Unimpressed, the emboldened father scrambles around the park, snatching several infants from the arms of their mothers. He straps them around his body, wearing the toddlers as armor. This time, when the father returns to provoke the man, the man simply walks away and the father cheers triumphantly.
As hilarious this skit was, it somewhat depicted a very real situation we encounter every day. It’s become a staple for studios in the entertainment industry, so much so that we have a name for it.
The Black Chain-mail
Black Chain-mail is a new term for an old practice. It’s the act of utilizing the black community to protect certain agendas. Rejection of ideas wrapped in Black Chain-mail are perceived as a rejection of black people themselves and therefore racist. Thus, the public feels obliged to say nothing, and the agenda is free to spread. Indeed, from conservatives to liberals, it’s hard to find a political group that hasn’t used this tactic or had it used against them.
Recently, in the entertainment world, a funky trend seems to have arisen. This is the introduction a black character to a declining or struggling intellectual property. The black individual is placed in a controversial role or one they simply are unsuited for. When the inevitable backlash comes, studios can serve it as an excuse as to why their project failed – because of racism, of course!
Bat Woman, Doctor Who, and the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot are a few examples of where Black Chain-mail came onto the scene.
At first glance, it’s tempting to view Black people obtaining these roles as a boon for the culture, a sign of advancement, and progress. However, these roles are often used to introduce something different. Media tends to focus more on normalizing left-wing or LGBT narratives than promoting anything about black culture or acceptance. The most insidious part is that their tactic has a negative impact on black people. It associates them with failing franchises.
Is it any wonder why Ubisoft’s newest addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise received swift backlash?
The Yasuke Controversy
Yasuke is a black samurai and one of two main characters in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. While some gamers feel the choice to feature a black samurai was ridiculous, others are quick to point out that a foreign samurai featured in games are nothing new. Nioh, an action RPG released in February 2017, featured a European samurai.
There have been several social commentators that have given their takes on why some reject this game, even before launch. Few seem to take issue with gameplay or even the story. While many have lost trust in the franchise altogether, most of the focus remains on Yasuke.
One popular YouTube commentator, Endymion, takes umbrage with Yasuke being portrayed as a samurai. After all, the details of his time in Japan are murky at best. In his opinion, William Adams, the main character of Nioh would have been a much better choice for a non-Japanese character if Ubisoft wanted to go that route. After all, more is known of him and his impact on Japan as a country.
However, Assassin’s Creed is not known for its historical accuracy. The entire franchise rests on the premise that a technologically advanced, ancient society has shaped our entire history. Assassin’s Creed 3 even featured an alternate history of King George Washington as a DLC mission. One could argue that featuring William Adams in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows would have been unimaginative for Ubisoft to do. Why not take creative liberties and focus on a new, unused character?
Could there be another issue? Perhaps this is simply a natural side-effect of the Black Chain-mail being used for far too long.
Conclusion
Much like real armor, wear and tear will eventually cause it to break. What we are seeing is a subconscious association of black characters with “woke” failures in the minds of the public. For some, the mere sight of a leading black character causes anxiety for those weary of propaganda. Discerning whether backlash is birthed from racism or simply a rejection of “woke” ideology is now impossible. We suppose that is the point. They want you to stop fighting, throw up your hands, and walk away.
The Yasuke controversy highlights yet another damaging effect of politics in the entertainment sphere. Black Chain-mail tarnishes the Black image and needlessly exposes them to criticism. If we are to move forward from this, we must stop inserting agendas in games. Modern audiences are not happy audiences, and why should they be? Video games were never meant to preach – they were meant to be fun.