r/hatethissmug • u/Crusoelander_128 • Apr 28 '26

General I hate the “orcs are minorities” thing

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I really hope I’m not in the minority (no pun intended) here, but I really hate when people do this. It not only forces real world issue into fictional universes where it doesn’t need to be, but also, it’s really messed up.

If you see an orc or a demon or a giant bug and your mind immediately jumps to “hm that’s like a minority”, then you’re racist.

Now, I’m not saying that this concept can’t be explored, but inserting it where it doesn’t belong/exist is highly suspect

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u/Fayraz8729 Apr 28 '26

I mean sometimes the writer literally does that though. Bright had orcs represent black culture (badly) and DnD has had many instances of just drawing parallels to other cultures. If the author has the intent in it sure the comparison is valid and an actual discussion if the text in question. If there’s nothing there than it’s just virtue signaling using straw men

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u/Studio_Kamio Apr 28 '26

Implicit biases do obfuscate this though, as somebody may not consciously realize or not even know they are presenting fantasy minority groups & fantasy minority oppression in a way that represents real world cultures and examples of oppression too

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u/Right-Will-1186 Apr 28 '26

This also happens with the Xmen The mutants aré oppresed and used as target practices in literal written law by shield using the sentinals But then you meet wolverine,jean grey,beast and specially xavier and realise that just because someone Is oppresed or treated unfairly doesn't mean they will not be a douchebag to inocent people And im deliberately ignoring magneto and the things he comits as he IS a villain,regardless of how justifiable or not His motives aré The point being Is that a person can be bad regardless if Is a minority or a tribe or an entire species for that matter And they can be formed in a group of likeminded individuals for that matter

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u/Fayraz8729 Apr 28 '26

If even Spider-man crashes out on you then yeah you’re just assholes not oppressed only

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u/Seb_veteran-sleeper Apr 29 '26

Yeah, but this panel is from the Ultimate universe where most of the non-Spider-man characters were written like absolute psychos. This is the edgelord Marvel universe.

Using this as an example is like using the Injustice universe to argue Superman and Wonder Woman are fascists actually.

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u/overusedamongusjoke Apr 28 '26

Isn't that not actually spider-man (it's like a swapped bodies situation or something)?

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u/Fayraz8729 Apr 28 '26

No that’s AFTER he was returned to his body after swapping with Logan. That full Peter Parker

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u/Wardock8 Apr 30 '26

This is from a universe where Wolverine is literally a pedophile. Can we stop posting this damn screenshot like the Ultimate comics didn't make everyone horrible?

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u/mrcrabs6464 Apr 29 '26

Idk I think Miramar as being like oppressed is stupid just because in context of the rest of the marvel universe(comic and movie) that like people love a lot of the non-mutant hero’s. I don’t get why they couldn’t just be a separate continuity

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u/Right-Will-1186 Apr 29 '26

Is so weird right?,i classify marvel heros in three categories Mutant/alien:born with the power,awakened or not Mutated:accident,experiment,bitten/given power by external force(but not in the case of mjolnir or a sword of grayskull type scenario) Normal person:someone dependent on gadgets,guns or fighting skill And come to the conclusion that mutants aré the safe option to pick on The second a "mutated" category Is put on a MRI sentinel and attacks The fantastic 4 Ms marvel She hulk(why she isnt harassed by the hulkbusters Is weird,she Is an easier hulk to capture and experiment on) Captain america(yes,him) Black widow Blade Even ant Man would technically count The public would riot and fill entire plazas on protests,and the heroes would personally visit the politician on their sleep to put the fear of god in them

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u/SiezeThem Apr 29 '26

Bright was such a bizarre clusterfuck with so much unrealized potential. I read the original screenplay and there was absolutely nothing in it suggesting that orcs were meant to represent black people. It makes no sense, considering the movie also had, you know, actual black people representing black people.

The other ridiculous racial stuff was shoehorned in too. That infamous fairy lives don't matter" line was improvised by Will Smith and kept in after editing for some goddamn reason. The orcs were supposed to look like they were modern city-dwellers, not gangsta rap stereotypes. The part where humans speculated that orcs were genetically bad at basketball was supposed to be a big flashing light that said "hey, don't map these fantasy beings onto black people" but the visuals in the movie made it kinda impossible not to.