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List of controversies: Difference between revisions
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==Implied themes== | ==Implied themes== | ||
=== | ===Portrayal of Birdo's gender identity=== | ||
In the manual of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', the character of [[Birdo]] is described as follows: | In the manual of ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', the character of [[Birdo]] is described as follows: | ||
<blockquote>''He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He'd rather be called "birdetta."{{sic}}''</blockquote> | <blockquote>''He thinks he is a girl and he spits eggs from his mouth. He'd rather be called "birdetta."{{sic}}''</blockquote> | ||
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*''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''{{'}}s Japanese website description is ambiguous (''Birdo appears to be Yoshi's girlfriend, but is actually his boyfriend!?''), as well as the Spanish manual and the Spanish website of ''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'' (''Birdo is your man... well, or woman.''). | *''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''{{'}}s Japanese website description is ambiguous (''Birdo appears to be Yoshi's girlfriend, but is actually his boyfriend!?''), as well as the Spanish manual and the Spanish website of ''[[Super Mario Strikers]]'' (''Birdo is your man... well, or woman.''). | ||
*The localized ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]] description of the character mentions Birdo has an "indeterminate gender" and uses "it" to refer to her. | *The localized ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]] description of the character mentions Birdo has an "indeterminate gender" and uses "it" to refer to her. | ||
*In ''[[Captain Rainbow]]'', Birdo has a deep male voice. The matter is used as a side quest, where the player must find something to prove Birdo is really female. The object is found, though it is censored. | *In ''[[Captain Rainbow]]'', Birdo has a deep male voice, which heightens in pitch when she gets excited, and refers to herself with the feminine first-person pronoun "atashi."<ref>{{cite|author=Clyde Mandelin|date=June 1, 2019|url=https://legendsoflocalization.com/personal-pronouns-in-japanese/|title=Tricky Translations #4: "I" & "Me" in Japanese|publisher=Legends of Localization|language=English|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528221521/https://legendsoflocalization.com/personal-pronouns-in-japanese/|accessdate=May 28, 2024}}</ref> The matter is used as a side quest, where the player must find something to prove Birdo is really female. The object is found, though it is censored. | ||
*The song Birdo sings in ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'' is about her ambiguous gender. | *The song Birdo sings in ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'' is about her ambiguous gender. | ||
*In ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Party]]'', most versions refer to Birdo as female, while the British English versions refer to Birdo as male. The French and Chinese versions use ambiguous genders instead. | *In ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Party]]'', most versions refer to Birdo as female, while the British English versions refer to Birdo as male. The French and Chinese versions use ambiguous genders instead. | ||
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==Legal and copyrights== | ==Legal and copyrights== | ||
===Universal Studios=== | ===Universal Studios=== | ||
{{main- | {{main-wiki|Wikipedia|Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.}} | ||
Approximately nine months after the original ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' game was marketed in 1981, [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] sued [[Nintendo]] and their production companies, alleging that ''Donkey Kong''{{'}}s name, story, and [[Donkey Kong|titular character]] were similar to that of the character [[wikipedia:King Kong|King Kong]] (the rights to produce another ''{{wp|King Kong (franchise)|King Kong}}'' film had been recently won by Universal in 1976).<ref>https://openjurist.org/746/f2d/112</ref> | Approximately nine months after the original ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' game was marketed in 1981, [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] sued [[Nintendo]] and their production companies, alleging that ''Donkey Kong''{{'}}s name, story, and [[Donkey Kong|titular character]] were similar to that of the character [[wikipedia:King Kong|King Kong]] (the rights to produce another ''{{wp|King Kong (franchise)|King Kong}}'' film had been recently won by Universal in 1976).<ref>https://openjurist.org/746/f2d/112</ref> | ||
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Nintendo debunked these claims by vouching that Universal had won the rights to produce a sequel, claiming that the ''King Kong'' franchise was in the public domain and that the likelihood of confusing ''Donkey Kong'' with ''King Kong'' was low. Nintendo had also discovered the attempt by Tiger and Universal to create a ''King Kong'' video game and claimed that this was an infringement on ''Donkey Kong''.<ref>https://openjurist.org/746/f2d/112#fn2</ref> | Nintendo debunked these claims by vouching that Universal had won the rights to produce a sequel, claiming that the ''King Kong'' franchise was in the public domain and that the likelihood of confusing ''Donkey Kong'' with ''King Kong'' was low. Nintendo had also discovered the attempt by Tiger and Universal to create a ''King Kong'' video game and claimed that this was an infringement on ''Donkey Kong''.<ref>https://openjurist.org/746/f2d/112#fn2</ref> | ||
The district court ruled in favor of Nintendo, indicating that Universal did not own the ''King Kong'' franchise and that the two franchises were hardly similar. Judge Sweet stated that the cease-and-desist letters sent by Universal allowed Nintendo to receive compensation, and that Tiger's ''King Kong'' video game was a direct infringement of ''Donkey Kong''. Nintendo opted to receive compensation and was awarded $1.8 million.<ref>https://thegaminghistorian.com/universal-vs-nintendo-case/</ref> Universal appealed the decision but lost again. | The district court ruled in favor of Nintendo, indicating that Universal did not own the ''King Kong'' franchise and that the two franchises were hardly similar. Judge Sweet stated that the cease-and-desist letters sent by Universal allowed Nintendo to receive compensation, and that Tiger's ''King Kong'' video game was a direct infringement of ''Donkey Kong''. Nintendo opted to receive compensation and was awarded $1.8 million.<ref>https://thegaminghistorian.com/universal-vs-nintendo-case/</ref> Universal appealed the decision but lost again. | ||
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==Other== | ==Other== | ||
===Wigger Wednesday=== | ===Wigger Wednesday=== | ||
[[File:Wigger Wednesday.jpg|thumb|The | [[File:Wigger Wednesday.jpg|thumb|The Wigger Wednesday tweet]] | ||
On April 22, 2015, Nintendo of America's {{wp|Twitter}} account posted a photo of a plush [[Waluigi]] riding a [[Wiggler]] with the caption "''Reply "WAAAA" for #WaluigiWednesday. Reply "🌼" for #WiggerWednesday.''", having misspelled "Wiggler" as the slur word "{{wp|wigger}}", a term used to describe a white person perceived as emulating mannerisms of African-American culture. The typo was met with widespread bemusement and derision from Nintendo's social media followers, with many screenshotting the original tweet.<ref name="dailydot">Imrad Khan (April 23, 2015). [https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/nintendo-twitter-wigger-wednesday/ Nintendo forgets to spell-check its tweet, promotes #WiggerWednesday]. ''The Daily Dot''. Retrieved March 14 2018</ref> The account would later delete the tweet and post a message stating "''When tweeting about one of our characters, we missed a letter. Oops! Sorry about that!''"<ref>Nintendo of America Twitter account (April 22, 2015). [https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/591046983307100160 "When tweeting about one of our characters, we missed a letter. Oops! Sorry about that!"], ''Twitter''. Retrieved March 14 2018</ref> Although the tweet was deleted, #WiggerWednesday became a minor trend on Twitter.<ref name="dailydot"/> | On April 22, 2015, Nintendo of America's {{wp|Twitter}} account posted a photo of a plush [[Waluigi]] riding a [[Wiggler]] with the caption "''Reply "WAAAA" for #WaluigiWednesday. Reply "🌼" for #WiggerWednesday.''", having misspelled "Wiggler" as the slur word "{{wp|wigger}}", a term used to describe a white person perceived as emulating mannerisms of African-American culture. The typo was met with widespread bemusement and derision from Nintendo's social media followers, with many screenshotting the original tweet.<ref name="dailydot">Imrad Khan (April 23, 2015). [https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/nintendo-twitter-wigger-wednesday/ Nintendo forgets to spell-check its tweet, promotes #WiggerWednesday]. ''The Daily Dot''. Retrieved March 14 2018</ref> The account would later delete the tweet and post a message stating "''When tweeting about one of our characters, we missed a letter. Oops! Sorry about that!''"<ref>Nintendo of America Twitter account (April 22, 2015). [https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/591046983307100160 "When tweeting about one of our characters, we missed a letter. Oops! Sorry about that!"], ''Twitter''. Retrieved March 14 2018</ref> Although the tweet was deleted, #WiggerWednesday became a minor trend on Twitter.<ref name="dailydot"/> | ||