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More bias on the Oculus store

cybernettr
Superstar
Am I allowed to complain about something that appears on the oculus store and is actually promoted on the home screen, even though it might touch on something political? After all, if the app itself is political, and it appears on the home screen on my PC, then why is it not fair game to be talked about? I’m talking about the “Traveling While Black” experience. 

The description is:

“Traveling While Black is a cinematic VR experience that immerses the viewer in the long history of restriction of movement  for a black Americans and the creation of safe spaces  in our communities.”

Avoiding talking about the political merits of this experience (because I don’t want this post to get too political) is there anyone who would say that this experience does not align itself with the progressive train of thinking or the progressive point of view?  I certainly don’t think anyone would seriously argue that this experience aligns itself with a conservative agenda.

This leads to the question: why do we see apps that promote a politically liberal point of view on Oculus but not apps that promote an explicitly conservative point of view?  If you doubt this, please name a single app on the Oculus store that is clearly pushing a conservative political dogma or doctrine. Just one. 

 I’m sure I’ll hear the argument “Oh well, oculus doesn’t want to promote anything controversial, and anything relating to conservativism nowadays is considered controversial.” Really? So you’re saying one entire half of the political debate is now controversial or off-limits?  That is, it’s OK to promote one side of the political aisle but promoting the other side is “courting controversy?” Really?  This point of view will push us towards a one party system, otherwise known as a dictatorship. 

 I’m hearing that we’re supposed to be eliminating bias in artificial intelligence, eliminating bias in this and that. Well, this is a clear example of bias on the Oculus store.  Why is that all right? 
13 REPLIES 13

Zenbane
MVP
MVP


Oculus wouldn’t be here without Palmer, but details, details.  




VR would be here without Palmer. Also, see the Zenimax trial for "details."



By the way, fired for incompetence? That’s not what you said at the time. You said he was this wild, hateful person who was sponsoring hate speech, yada yada yada.  You swallowed what you were told then and you’re swallowing it now. 


I've always said that Palmer was incompetent. Check my post history long before the political fiasco he was involved in. And the most common example I give regarding Palmer's incompetence is the video where he insults the idea of releasing the Rift with a mere X-Box Controller... and then he does exactly that.
Now, if we are going to argue about what he did as "rich nimble man," then yes, I have an opinion about that - which you just tried to paraphrase. But don't get your apples and oranges mixed up. The politics controversy is one thing, his firing is another.
Also, I definitely prefer what I swallow compared to what you swallow 😉

Anyway,
This thread is about a VR App, not Palmer.
I had to Search for this VR App, since it has not popped up as a New Release on  my Oculus Home at all. And I wouldn't have known that this App existed if not for you advertising it here. Thanks!
I didn't know that some award winning talent was behind it. Downloading now.
Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and Emmy Award-winning Felix & Paul Studios' film transports you to historic Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington DC. The viewer shares an intimate series of moments with several of the patrons of Ben's as they reflect on their experiences of restricted movement and race relations in the U.S.



Here's a great Forbe's article on the App:

Main site:

cybernettr
Superstar
 OK, I watched the trailer and it seems like this app is sending a horrible message to black Americans. Absolutely horrible.

“Every trip through America at the time was potentially fatal. The assumption is that at some time, it stopped, and that’s not the case. It never stopped.“

 As those words are being spoken, it apparently shows someone being shot in a diner.

What a terrible, horrible and depressing message to send to black people! The idea that they can’t travel through the country without risking their lives? This is absolutely demoralizing and heartbreaking.  I would think it would send most black people cowering in their homes, afraid to step outside. It would certainly be a major blow to the travel industry in America, which relies on the assumption of safety. And it’s also totally untrue.

I remember when America elected Obama as president. Many were saying it was the end of racism in the country. Many white people voted for Obama (In many cases, the vote crossing party lines) in the hopes of proving, once and for all, that they were not racist. Now over eight years later, the country seems more divided than ever

Think of it this way:  if it were true that black Americans couldn’t travel through the country safely, then why didn’t we hear about it while Obama was president? Obama had eight years to solve the problem.  I never recall Obama saying that it was unsafe for black Americans to travel. If so, it would have raised a national scandal. 

 Looking at the poster frame of the app, there’s more alarmist propaganda. It apparently shows a cop pulling over a driver who has his hands in the air. This is based on another lie, that blacks are disproportionately pulled over randomly or for speeding. The fact is, it is very hard to tell what the race of a driver is before they are pulled over, so this is an easily disputed lie. 

I think it’s important to have discussions like this. We appear to be entering a very contentious time in this nation’s history, and propaganda only makes it worse.  

I have not read the Forbes article yet but I will check it out. 

Zenbane
MVP
MVP

if it were true that black Americans couldn’t travel through the country safely, then why didn’t we hear about it while Obama was president?


So because you didn't hear about it, then it's not true? I don't think that truth has a prerequisite of whether or not you heard about it.

One study found that "racism grew bolder under Obama." I won't link to it specifically, because it contains some rather graphic content. But here's a link to Google's Search Results:
https://www.google.com/search?q=racism+under+obama 

OK, I watched the trailer and it seems like this app is sending a horrible message to black Americans. Absolutely horrible.

Yes, the truth behind some of America's history can be seen as horrible.


Many white people voted for Obama (In many cases, the vote crossing
party lines) in the hopes of proving, once and for all, that they were
not racist.

They only voted for that one reason? Do you have any statistics to back this up? Because that sounds like a fictitious claim. In any event, people should vote on "issues" that they want represented. People should not vote for artificial and disingenuous reasons such as the one you just described.


I think it’s important to have discussions like this.

Probably, but I don't think that labeling a historical piece about ethnicity as a "horrible biased message" is a healthy way to have a discussion. Instead, that sounds more like a label used for propaganda.


propaganda only makes it worse

This seems rather ironic.


@cybernettr your post history seems to be all about what you perceive to be an injustice to Palmer Lucky and this thread appears to have nothing to do with the app but is just another excuse to go down that same road

If I'm wrong then I'd simply suggest that you avoid apps that you find unpalatable becasue they don't fit easily with your personal politics.

Closing this thread.