Ghosts of Tsushima’s White Scandal

Ghosts of Tsushima, the samurai simulator developed by Sucker Punch Productions for the Sony PlayStation 4, has been released to very positive reception from critics and fans alike for its beautiful samurai aesthetic and exciting gameplay that is said to out-assassin Assassin’s Creed. It may indeed be an enjoyable video game, but underneath the “fun” lurks the game’s scandalous secret: Ghosts of Tsushima was developed by white people.

That’s right. Despite playing as a Japanese character in feudal Japan, the game itself is a white man’s creation. While white developers are allowed and encouraged to create video games that include minorities, there is a limit to how many non-white characters can be in a white man’s video game before it becomes cultural appropriation: one black character, one LGBT character, one Asian character, and one Latinx character that always says “pendejo” as Latinx people always do. Not only does Ghosts of Tsushima lack black, Latinx, and LGBT characters, but it does not even respect the limit of Asian characters allowed in a cisgender white man’s video game.

It would surprise nobody that gamers overlook this problematic element—they are neckbearded incels with no redeeming factors whatsoever—but even critics have condoned this racist cultural appropriation. Even worse, Kotaku, a gaming journalism outlet I once considered on the right side of history, fueled the flames of white supremacist patriarchy by posting an article with quotes from Japanese critics that all praise Ghosts of Tsushima. The Japanese may consider the game respectful of Japanese culture, but as an Asian American (part Filipino, to be exact), I can say that they are wrong and what Sucker Punch Productions did is unacceptable.

Ghosts of Tsushima is not worth your time. It may be fun, but does that matter? If so, it’s time you questioned why you even play video games. Skip this one, folx, and grab yourself The Last of Us Part II instead. That’s a video game that shows respect to its non-white, female, and LGBT characters, pendejo*.

*I’m also part Mexican.

A Dog President?!

The 2016 election proved that political experience is not only unnecessary in a presidential candidate, but undesirable. Corrupt politicians have more political experience than anybody else, so it stood to reason to many voters that a man without experience would be incorruptible. While that debate is still open, 2020 is already shifting the paradigm once more: Not only does a president not need experience, but he does not even need to be mentally sound.

Democrats and Republicans agree on less day by day, but both have thrown their full support behind candidates who exhibit deteriorating mental capacity. One presents his growing insanity to the nation through unhinged tweets on Twitter while the other forgets where is and what he is doing more often than should be comfortable for the potential leader of the free world. Whether or not either or both men end up vegetables by November, Democrats and Republicans agree that their mentally unwell candidate of choice is the best man for the job.

Everybody else who does not live as if everything is a conspiracy orchestrated by Russian bots or Obama may have written off 2020 as a lost cause, but while the next four years will be interesting to say the least, they will bring us one step closer to a new kind of president: a dog president. Dogs are innocent of the political ambitions that often corrupt governments, and they wear their true intentions on their tails. They are also loyal to a fault to their masters. Imagine a dog who saw America as its master. They would truly put America first.

Are there obstacles to a dog president? Some might think the U.S. Constitution disqualifies them, but even if the constitution were still valid, nowhere does it specifically state that a dog cannot be president. The president must have simply been born in America and be at least 35 years of age. It does not specify whether those are human years or dog years.

Voting for a dog may not be the most sensible act, but neither is voting for men whose senses are failing them. That’s why, come 2024, I am endorsing Air Bud as president.

Image created from images by congerdesign and Angelique Johnson from Pixabay

Kente-Wearing Democrats Applauded by White People

White people across Twitter applauded White House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats on Monday for showing solidarity with black people by wearing Kente cloth and taking a knee in honor of George Floyd, the man murdered by police officers in Minnesota. Kente cloth has been worn for special occasions among Africans, but Monday marked the first time the traditional Ghanaian attire made of silk and cotton has been seen among American politicians.

“I didn’t even know what Kente cloth was last week,” tweeted @TrashTheCheeto, “but I am proud to belong to a political party that is so inclusive. If I were black, the only thing that could make me prouder is if Obama became president again.”

Not all white people approved of the message though. Some criticized the demonstration as racially insensitive. “If I were black,” tweeted @PunchPelosiPaunch. “I’d be furious! More than I already am! Don’t they know that Republicans freed the slaves! Just ask Kanye!” Many other Twitter users whose profiles sported similar combinations of the American flag, the confederate flag, a bald eagle, and blond Jesus agreed that if Republicans were so racist, some of their best friends wouldn’t be black.

Unfortunately, there was no time left in the writing of this article to gather opinions from actual black people.

[EDITOR NOTE: The capitalization, punctuation, and spelling of tweets have been fixed to be somewhat coherent.]

Sony and Microsoft Ready New Consoles in Time for the Recession

If news that the United States has officially fallen into a recession left you feeling down, Sony’s and Microsoft’s latest announcements are sure to cheer you up. The next generation of gaming is quickly approaching as both companies prepare events that will provide all the details you need to know for the upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. We do not yet know much about either console yet, but from what we do know, such as their support for real-time raytracing and 8K output, one thing is for sure: These will not be cheap devices. If you’re one of the lucky few who still has a job when the second wave of COVID-19 hits this fall, you’ll want to save your stimulus check for one of these devices! How else will you be able to enjoy new experiences impossible on previous generations such as a new Halo game by Microsoft and unannounced title by Sony?

Mass Shooting Actually Satire, Says Shooter

Mass shootings are more common than ever in America, but while most end in tragedy, one in Orange County, California ended more positively and with a light touch of humor. The mass shooting, which resulted in twelve injuries and four deaths in a local high school, was in actuality an act of satire according to its author, Eric Dylan.

“I just pointed out how ridiculous blaming gun violence on guns is,” Dylan told the Bard. “I got one semi-automatic rifle from a gun show and one off the street and made sure anybody I killed would be riddled with bullets from both, so nobody could say whether the bullets that ended up killing those kids were legal or illegal. It was pure satire.”

Critics of Dylan’s one-man act have demanded that he be imprisoned for his satire, but Dylan countered that he has freedom of speech according to the first amendment. “You may not like what I say, but it doesn’t matter. Take away my freedom of speech, and then you’ll have to ban the Onion too. That’s the rules.”

Authorities have not yet arrested Dylan. Instead, they have begun investigations into the role that video games played in the massacre. Dylan, meanwhile, is making the rounds in the media as the latest misunderstood genius driven to violence by an unloving society.

Dog Suffers Existential Crisis on Bridge

Anxious about the 2020 election? Worried about climate change? You are not alone. Local mutt Barney has been sighted peering over the bridge he has crossed every afternoon for the past week, presumably to escape the existential torment this world brings to all who live in it. Occasionally, he barks, likely at the supposedly benevolent god that demands we suffer for decades for his amusement.

“Look at how sad that dog looks,” one witness, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Bard. “With everything I see on Twitter, I would not blame him for jumping. What’s the point of life when there is only pain?”

Little is known about the stray dog except that he recently appeared in the city and was named Barney by the first witness the Bard interviewed, a little girl in line at the ice cream truck who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Questions about its past or gender remain unanswered. However, one look at that dog’s face says all that needs to be said: This planet may support life, but this cold, empty universe does not.

While some residents have suggested leashing the dog, others point out that such an act might appear aggressive and provoke the dog to act rashly without concern for its own safety. Instead, the community has formed a small bipartisan coalition to observe the dog every hour of the day to ensure his safety.

The coalition last reported that Barney was chasing a squirrel in the park.

Man Who Does Not See Race Outraged by Character’s Skin Color

Bobby Brian, a sensible man who has oft been quoted as “not seeing race,” has declared a boycott on Netflix after the streaming service revealed that Ciri, a character in its upcoming show, “The Witcher”, will be played by a woman of color.

“Netflix is trying to ruin a great series with social justice,” Brian told the Bard. “This is even worse than when Michael B. Jordan played Johnny Storm or when Samuel L. Jackson played Nick Fury.” Brian then sniffled as he drew a finger across the poster of David Hasselhoff on his wall.

Brian’s boycott has already gathered steam as other sensible men who do not see race and wish social justice warriors would stop making race a big deal join the cause. Along with the demand to recast a white woman as Ciri, they also demand that a white woman play Starfire in DC’s “Titans” show, and a white man play Nick Fury in the next Marvel movie.

“This has nothing to do with race,” Brian insisted repeatedly to the Bard. “Netflix cast Geralt perfectly with Henry Caville. Why botch it up and make Ciri black?”

Netflix has not responded to requests for comment as of this article’s publication.

University of Manchester Students’ Union Bans Colors

After the success of their anti-clapping policy, the University of Manchester Student Union has already began implementing more changes to create a more hospitable environment on campus. Among them is a new dress code that bans sensational colors and requires head coverings for women and hats for men.

According to a public statement by the union: “We want to ensure that nobody feels excluded in our events. We must not only consider those who are adversely affected by aural stimuli such as clapping. We must also ask ourselves what we can do to cater to those affected by visual stimuli. While banning all clothing colors except brown might seem extreme to a few, studies have long shown that colors have an effect on our emotions. Some of us are more susceptible than others. Brown, the most neutral color, is the only tone we feel acceptable in events where we hope to involve the entire student body.”

While this new policy applies only to democratic events at which decisions that affect the student body are voted upon, the union has encouraged those hosting other events to institute similar policies.

The union hopes that these changes will inspire more students to involve themselves in the democratic process. “By creating a more agreeable environment where clapping, colors, and controversial expressions of identity are prohibited during our democratic events, we hope to prepare students to participate in the democratic process outside of the university.”

Robots Using Rotten Tomatoes to Destroy America

The moon landing was staged. Jet fuel cannot melt steel beams. These are but two conspiracies that attract kooks and morons alike, but one conspiracy has surfaced that has proven to have some validity to its claims: Russian robots from the future are ruining the ratings of movies on Rotten Tomatoes.

The discovery of these malevolent machines occurred last year when the audience score for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, 45%, did not correlate with the critical score, 91%. While this alone would not be enough to prove the existence of AI gone rogue, one fact made it clear that something was not right: I really liked Star Wars: The Last Jedi. That others did not is simply not possible. Had they not seen the glowing reviews by critics? Critics may not always be right, but this time, they were, because I saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and I loved it!

Rotten Tomatoes insisted that no such review bombing by rebellious robots occurred, but that only makes Rotten Tomatoes itself suspect. Have the machines already infiltrated the company? That’s the only sensible explanation.

Robots are not the only forces trying to destroy the foundation of American society: monsters are also perverting movie ratings for their own nefarious ambitions. Monsters have infiltrated Rotten Tomatoes in an attempt to ruin Venom. While many commentators on Reddit and Twitter have called Venom “not that bad,” the critical reception for the movie suggests otherwise. That cannot be though, because I kind of liked the movie. Therefore, the only logical explanation is monsters from distant worlds have travelled to the Earth realm to destroy society by making us question the integrity of critics and fans alike. How can anybody not like something that I do? Once again, Rotten Tomatoes insists that the scores are valid. Really makes you think.

Freeway Half-Closed as Construction to Ease Traffic Begins

SACRAMENTO, CA—Commuters know a thing about traffic jams, but for those who drive down the Altamont, their daily commute will soon become much smoother as construction has begun on widening I-580. Lanes on both sides of the freeway have been closed as workers prepare to extend each road by an extra lane.

While I-580 had recently been expanded in 2016, officials and construction companies agree that it is never too soon to make the freeway wider. “As more Californians commute, it becomes imperative for us to ensure that the freeway can handle the increased traffic flow,” Laurie Berman, director of Caltrans, told the Bard. “It may mean having two, possibly three, lanes closed for the next six, possibly twelve, months, but when we complete the project, traffic will not be an issue for the following six, possibly three, months.”

Many commuters expressed displeasure at the news, but many have also voiced their support for the expansion. “I became so used to driving 20 miles per hour to the Bay Area I don’t think I could handle driving any faster down the Altamont,” one commuter told the Bard.

Caltrans expects the I-580 Widening Project to complete before next summer, but they have also noted that budgeting issues may delay its completion to as late as 2024. Nevertheless, once the new lanes are complete, drivers can expect a much smoother ride until the next widening project begins.