I’ve got an unpopular opinion - I think it’s at best insensitive and at worst racist (in BIONICLE’s case, for example) to take words from other languages and cultures to name one’s characters and MOCs. I’m guilty of doing this in the past, and I’m working to remove other languages’ words from my characters’ names. If you’re going for an aesthetic, like BIONICLE was back in 2001, it’d be better to have soundalike words (e.g. Takua) than straight-up stolen ones (the worst offender here being “Tohunga”).
I have seen a lot of opposition to the idea that it was racist for LEGO to appropriate Maori words to sell toys, so I will also say that my unpopular opinion is that it was indeed racist for LEGO to appropriate Maori words to sell toys.
This idea that using anything from another culture for a story is “racist” is not only wrong, it’s problematic. Racist is something that’s actually harmful or insulting to another race, not just reusing a word or idea.
Lego’s issue was the misuse of words, like using the word priest for every random villager (tohunga). You’ll notice there are many Maori words that Lego did keep, like Tahu and Whenua, because their use was absolutely fine.
Naming your character or moc using the word for ‘ice’ in another language because he’s a Toa of ice is not racist, and should not be compared to actual racism.
Exactly. The copying of an aesthetic or culture was not the issue here, it was the trampling of the religious heritage of the Maori people that their government took action against. In fact, if the former copying is all that takes place, you’ll find most people are not only fine with it but in some cases very much support it. What was the revenue for Moana again?
And speaking of Moana, there was literally zero issue taken with any of it outside of one costume of Maui - which was mostly twitter wanting something to yell at. Outside of a few instances of small groups or organizations, the people of most traditionally-practiced/upheld cultures of today do not care or directly approve of appropriation.
Racism is, as Racie said, something that’s actually harmful or insulting to another race. As far as I know, nobody got offended by Bionicle making a robot version of Maori culture, just trampling Maori religion.
And for the record, religious appropriation is definitely not cool either, and Bionicle is totally guilty of that for like two years.
Bingo. If that somehow counts as racism, then nearly every work of fiction on the entire planet is thoroughly racist because inspiration was directly taken, and that can be extrapolated ad infinitum.
My next unpopular take is that Solek-
I think the idea of racism in Bionicle should actually have been explored a little more thoroughly. Not real life racism, I’m talking about where the dividing line between Rahi and sentient MU life is drawn that excludes the thinking, speaking, fully humanoid Keetongu and the lizard-like animalistic Zyglak; how come one gets an in and the other doesn’t?
It’s definitely an interesting conversation to be had, though maybe not here, but I’ll through in my two cents before it’s shut down.
There are definitely lines between racism, appropriation, inspiration, and insensitivity. There is such a thing as non-hateful racism, and I still think it doesn’t matter, and that it is bad no matter what, but I don’t think using another language’s words is that. I think misusing another language/culture’s words is both insensitive and inpoortaste, definitely something I’m guilty of, and LEGO was to an extent as well. But I’m not sure I’d immediately jump the gun of “using other languages/cultures is racist” or that “LEGO was universally and unequivocally racist”.
That seems more Dume-specific, whereas my musing was more based on a literally universal standard held by most everybody in the MU, and even the Great Beings. Why is Keetongu an animal and the Zyglak not?
I consider it as such because it shows an entitlement to their culture - a culture that it was against the law for the Maori people to practice in many ways, like speaking their language.
Not fully an answer, but I imagine Keetongu being more or less the Bionicle equivalent of a gorilla or chimp: very, very intelligent for an animal, but doesn’t quite make it over the line for what’s considered “sapient/intelligent/self-aware/whatever.” And going from that, maybe Zyglak just barely trip over that line?
(As for other Bionicle race stuff, Metru Nui did have an entire race war 80,000 years ago, which still seems to have a soft spot if Matau and Onewa’s use of “firespitter” is anything to go by. Plus, someone could probably make the argument there’s “uncomfy” stuff in the Agori-Glatorian dynamic and the triangle dynamic between Skrall-Vorox-Glatorian.)
As for an on-topic unpopular opinion: Out of the six finalists, Double’s Helryx was actually the best one to canonically represent Helryx, even putting aside the whole “a vote not for Double is a vote for Hoseryx” thing.
Its probably one of the reasons why LEGO canceled legend of mata nui because there was quite a few things just ripped right from Māori culture, like there being a Haka every level and it wasn’t anything like an actual haka
Being respectful is also a big deal. Finding appreciation and inspiration from another culture isn’t wrong. Honestly humans would’ve never gotten to our current point if we had the mindset that we couldn’t learn and grow from each other.
I think the idea that humans should stay in their own little race and culture boxes is more harmful than anything else, as that promotes hardcore segregation.
From a person with a diverse family I can say its 100% about respect. Will everyone agree? No. But people never agree 100%. Just be sincere about things.
Okay, I’m glad to elaborate :
Well, my statement above is mainly based on a well known rumor, started by a former Lego ambassador in an old post on a forum on Eurobricks.
This person, who goes by the name of Deevee/Dviddy/Darth Vader, wrote that according to his circle of contacts, due to the huge negative feedback following the abrupt cancellation of Ninjago in 2013, TLG had to withdraw funds from the budgets of other projects in development to bring Ninjago back immediately.
According to him, one such project that had its budget cut in favor of Ninjago was the Bionicle reboot itself.
Hence, my own conclusion that, if there was no way to prevent the early cancellation of Ninjago, TLG might have had to postpone the debut of G2 to a date that would have been more convenient and beneficial to the success of the theme.
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