Wizard’s Lack of Diversity- Part 2, My response to your notes

nightmarejellyfish:

First off I would like to thank ezralahm for linking me to other examples of ethnic angels.  It makes me happy that there has at least been some effort in the past to diversify the Multiverse.  I think that female representation is important in fantasy games, but the way they are portrayed is even more important.  In MTG we have a creature type that is completely female, not only that but they are overwhelmingly fair skinned.  While some may say this is empowering I argue the opposite and believe it to be damaging.  According to Wizards angels are all female, there has never been a reason for this other than “just because”.  It allows them to distort everything angels symbolize- divinity, grace, beauty, light, purity, and perfection, into a package Wizard’s deems more suitable- in this case white females.  Angels are not ethnic because other races do not reflect those qualities as well as white skin does, in other words.  And yes there are a few blueish angels and ones made of metal- but this is not diversity, it is an insulting illusion of diversity, it is the abstract realized before the actual- the message is that blue skin color and metal are more worthy of everything an angel epitomizes than other ethnicities.  You have to go to an alternate universe (Planar Chaos) if you want to see a male angel (Malarch) because the idea that a male would possess those qualities or be caught dead in an all female creature type is so insane that it could only be true in another reality.

I would argue that Magic the Gathering is still a “boy’s club” and Avacyn Restored just reinforces that.  Since angels are a pure female creature type it gives Wizards the power to define what a female should be, or more accurately, since angels reflect perfection it gives Wizards the power to define what female perfection looks like.  They  have to be sexy, busty, beautiful, thin, almost always white.  Religious depictions of angels and the most shallow of fashion rags have expanded their perceptions further than the archaic notion Wizards perpetuates (and I say notion because it does not even have the strength of an idea, Wizards has never given a solid explination as to why things are so skewed.)  Vampires are pale but at least they have a reason to be.

Moving on from the terrible lack of diversity and possible racism…  To some of you who accused me of not being familiar with the storyline or multiverse before “being a troll”, let me assure you that you are very wrong and that I’m well versed with MTG.  I know that Avacyn broke the lycanthropy curse by fusing the human and wolf spirits into a new being, but are you satisfied with such a weak blanket excuse to tie up the loose ends to such a unique and badass creature type like werewolves?  What about the ones who wanted to return to being human to do, you know- human stuff, like living a happy and fulfilled life with your family and loved ones?  What about the ones who enjoyed the double life?  Wizards could have done better.  Oh no!  The card has two sides!  What in the hell will we do to solve the rule problem?  It’s out of the question that we make an exception to the legend rule for flip cards even though we are the creators of the game and have the power to do so.  Here’s a hint for those who believe that crap- Wizards simply didnt want to.  Kamigawa was all about legends and flipping and it worked then.  Maro stated that after fans were so disappointed with the lack of a werewolf legend that he would have pushed for things to have been done differently given a second chance.

Magic the Gathering is worldwide, there are more females and people of different colors playing the game than ever before.  The time for MTG to diversify just like its customers and fans have has long since past; Wizards is late.

I happen to be of the thought that Angels are, you know, above humans and their petty classification. Traditionally, angels are genderless and choose to appear as a specific gender because they were either made that way or chose it for themselves.

Angels are not people. You know how humans are so varied and appear in all colors of Magic and professions? Angels simply are. Sure, I’d be all for the depiction of Angels as other ethnicities and such, but if you go with flavor, Angels are what they are. It’s like how Dungeons and Dragons (I think it was in Book of Vile Darkness) defines it as: “Good and Evil are not moral in the sense we normally think of them. They are actual forces.” I just think we’re looking at Angels (as the creature) differently here.

Think about it this way too: As Plato said we are imperfect beings. Whatever we imagine an Angel, as you’ve put it, to be a “perfect” being, than our version (a flawed one) of perfection is outright invalid from the get-go.

Plus, I’m sure if we went in the other direction (made Angels male/”ethnic”), there would be more outcry of “This isn’t an Angel!”

I do share your disappointment about the werewolves though. Hope we can revisit them in the future.

I do encourage you to contact the team and ask them your quandaries about art direction and such. I’m just a person with an opinion, subject to other’s opinions, just like you.