Comments on: The most important European emigrant of 2008 http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/ European Opinion Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:13:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Marko Popović http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20762 Marko Popović Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:49:21 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20762 After movie about a Serb who wore backpack with A-bomb to blow up UN building in New York ("Peacemaker"), every Serb in world media looks good. I am Serb, and when i heard that hero of GTA IV comes from Serbia, i was flattered, not humiliated. Nobody sees Niko like a monster killing innocent people-everyone sees him like a 21st century Vito Corleone, a guy who came from nowhere to get to the top(by nowhere i mean bottom where he was after coming to America, not Serbia). So dont worry; fighting with Albanians, showing America who is the man, teaching Serbian language through video game and most of all showing people that Serbs are more then blood-thirsty animals - this video-game couldnt fit Serbia better. P.S. Sorry about possible grammar mistakes i made, i am not very good with English. After movie about a Serb who wore backpack with A-bomb to blow up UN building in New York (”Peacemaker”), every Serb in world media looks good.

I am Serb, and when i heard that hero of GTA IV comes from Serbia, i was flattered, not humiliated. Nobody sees Niko like a monster killing innocent people-everyone sees him like a 21st century Vito Corleone, a guy who came from nowhere to get to the top(by nowhere i mean bottom where he was after coming to America, not Serbia). So dont worry; fighting with Albanians, showing America who is the man, teaching Serbian language through video game and most of all showing people that Serbs are more then blood-thirsty animals - this video-game couldnt fit Serbia better.

P.S. Sorry about possible grammar mistakes i made, i am not very good with English.

]]> By: karokkio http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20679 karokkio Tue, 20 May 2008 22:33:38 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20679 I have seen (and played with) GTA III and GTA SA, I wonder if there is an episode with an Italian mafia guy, cooler still, the daughter of a famous italian boss in disgrace, who has to emigrate to Russia to forge an allegiance that will take her back to power back in Sicily... I have seen (and played with) GTA III and GTA SA, I wonder if there is an episode with an Italian mafia guy, cooler still, the daughter of a famous italian boss in disgrace, who has to emigrate to Russia to forge an allegiance that will take her back to power back in Sicily…

]]> By: Linda Margaret http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20675 Linda Margaret Tue, 20 May 2008 03:57:49 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20675 When I worked in Bosnia, my Bosniac and Croat hostess and host told me that it was the Serbians access to more weapons which led to an excess of Serbian crime in the war rather than any Serbian tendency towards crime. They implied that the war and the leadership created the villains rather than any nationality or ethnic group. Whoever had the most technological capability for murder would commit the most murder. In the US, I note a tendency towards TV shows and games with more clear-cut villains and good guys, a la WWII versus Vietnam. I think the Balkans is the last war in which the media presented clear-cut crimes in the American media. This makes it an easy morality tale magnet. At this point in our own complex moral current events, I don't know how interested we are in the real complexity of Balkan history. When I worked in Bosnia, my Bosniac and Croat hostess and host told me that it was the Serbians access to more weapons which led to an excess of Serbian crime in the war rather than any Serbian tendency towards crime. They implied that the war and the leadership created the villains rather than any nationality or ethnic group. Whoever had the most technological capability for murder would commit the most murder.
In the US, I note a tendency towards TV shows and games with more clear-cut villains and good guys, a la WWII versus Vietnam. I think the Balkans is the last war in which the media presented clear-cut crimes in the American media. This makes it an easy morality tale magnet. At this point in our own complex moral current events, I don’t know how interested we are in the real complexity of Balkan history.

]]> By: Philippz http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20671 Philippz Mon, 19 May 2008 18:14:23 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20671 what about a guy from the suburbs of marseilles with italian origins..yes, far too "old school" i'm afraid... So what about the same guy with "arabs" origins, like in the TAXI movies ? would be a kind of good us/international stereotype of a modern bad(but no so much) guy ? what about a guy from the suburbs of marseilles with italian origins..yes, far too “old school” i’m afraid…

So what about the same guy with “arabs” origins, like in the TAXI movies ?

would be a kind of good us/international stereotype of a modern bad(but no so much) guy ?

]]> By: Jussi Jalonen http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20669 Jussi Jalonen Mon, 19 May 2008 15:36:03 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20669 Well, the first question in my mind was "who the hell is Niko Bellic"? So, I guess that I'm not an informed reader. As for the question "what if Niko Bellic were [my nationality]?" Hm, well. On balance, I'd say that it wouldn't be any worse option than Aileen Wuornos or Vampira. Cheers, J. J. Well, the first question in my mind was “who the hell is Niko Bellic”? So, I guess that I’m not an informed reader.

As for the question “what if Niko Bellic were [my nationality]?” Hm, well. On balance, I’d say that it wouldn’t be any worse option than Aileen Wuornos or Vampira.

Cheers,

J. J.

]]> By: Carlos http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20666 Carlos Mon, 19 May 2008 10:22:48 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20666 Ha! I'd say it was a simple but inspired choice on the part of Houser and Humphries. Maybe even a little overdetermined. The game uses a fair amount of Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian popular music in one of its internal radio stations (Vladivostok FM, hosted by Eurovision winner Ruslana), and the tracks have proved fairly popular with American audiences. But as far as I know, there's no turbofolk in the game, which is what you'd expect the main character to listen to, right? Given the effort the company made to acquire the rights to a wide variety of music for the game, I doubt it's a simple omission. Ha!

I’d say it was a simple but inspired choice on the part of Houser and Humphries. Maybe even a little overdetermined.

The game uses a fair amount of Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian popular music in one of its internal radio stations (Vladivostok FM, hosted by Eurovision winner Ruslana), and the tracks have proved fairly popular with American audiences. But as far as I know, there’s no turbofolk in the game, which is what you’d expect the main character to listen to, right? Given the effort the company made to acquire the rights to a wide variety of music for the game, I doubt it’s a simple omission.

]]> By: R http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20663 R Sun, 18 May 2008 00:25:20 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20663 There was a time when white South Africans (particularly Afrikaners) were the bad guys in movies and tv shows. There was a time when white South Africans (particularly Afrikaners) were the bad guys in movies and tv shows.

]]> By: Doug M. http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20661 Doug M. Sat, 17 May 2008 20:11:49 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20661 bganon, no -- I've been thinking about it for a while now. Also, I only check the Belgrade blog irregularly. Um, I should probably go check it now, I guess. Cough. Paul C, good point. However, they're also constrained by the fact that they can't make the protagonist over 30. Apparently it's too hard for teenage gamers to identify with someone who's /so damn old/. And while not all gamers are teenagers, it's an important chunk of the market. So by GTA V, they'll have to use an Albanian veteran of Kosovo. (Or maybe an Iraq war vet but, hum, somehow I think not.) Doug M. bganon, no — I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Also, I only check the Belgrade blog irregularly. Um, I should probably go check it now, I guess. Cough.

Paul C, good point. However, they’re also constrained by the fact that they can’t make the protagonist over 30. Apparently it’s too hard for teenage gamers to identify with someone who’s /so damn old/. And while not all gamers are teenagers, it’s an important chunk of the market. So by GTA V, they’ll have to use an Albanian veteran of Kosovo. (Or maybe an Iraq war vet but, hum, somehow I think not.)

Doug M.

]]> By: bganon http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20658 bganon Sat, 17 May 2008 14:03:40 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20658 It could easily be a Croatian Serb name, although that might also be bjelic. Anyway I fully paid up member of the GTA / Niko Belic fan club. As a former hardcore game player, I know what games are and the function they serve. They are not movies where you watch whats going on, rather in the game you are Niko Belic, so you will identify with him. I know that thousands of Serbs, Croats and Bosnians will get a special kick out of playing this game because of the extra connection, even if the accent is rubbish and even if Niko is ostensibly Bosnian Serb. I think its mainly non gamers who will have a problem with Niko. Douglas, you didn't pinch this subject from the Belgrade Blog did you? We did it a couple of weeks back! It could easily be a Croatian Serb name, although that might also be bjelic.

Anyway I fully paid up member of the GTA / Niko Belic fan club. As a former hardcore game player, I know what games are and the function they serve. They are not movies where you watch whats going on, rather in the game you are Niko Belic, so you will identify with him.

I know that thousands of Serbs, Croats and Bosnians will get a special kick out of playing this game because of the extra connection, even if the accent is rubbish and even if Niko is ostensibly Bosnian Serb.

I think its mainly non gamers who will have a problem with Niko.

Douglas, you didn’t pinch this subject from the Belgrade Blog did you? We did it a couple of weeks back!

]]> By: Paul C http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/culture/the-most-important-european-emigrant-of-2008/#comment-20656 Paul C Sat, 17 May 2008 07:19:34 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/?p=3213#comment-20656 This seems to follow a trend that's been apparent in American pop culture in the last 10 years; the profile of Balkan immigrants has risen, but usually they appear in connection with organised crime. Off the top of my head, I can think of Spartan, Inside Man and numerous episodes of Law and Order, but there have been enough other instances that I've noticed it. Part of me suspects that this is because the Balkan wars and subsequent criminalisation of the region present a handy source of battle-hardened, criminally-inclined characters - who happen to be white. Given the racial politics in the US (which is where the publicity battle is won or lost), that's a much lower risk than presenting a protaganist who is - shall we say - of a more dusky complexion. This seems to follow a trend that’s been apparent in American pop culture in the last 10 years; the profile of Balkan immigrants has risen, but usually they appear in connection with organised crime. Off the top of my head, I can think of Spartan, Inside Man and numerous episodes of Law and Order, but there have been enough other instances that I’ve noticed it.

Part of me suspects that this is because the Balkan wars and subsequent criminalisation of the region present a handy source of battle-hardened, criminally-inclined characters - who happen to be white. Given the racial politics in the US (which is where the publicity battle is won or lost), that’s a much lower risk than presenting a protaganist who is - shall we say - of a more dusky complexion.

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