Sena Bryer is right: the hatred that Smile gets is highly problematic

As Sena Bryer has said:

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Smile is straight up Black Gospel music, and the fact that it's getting a lot of hate from "certain sections" of gamers? Probably not a coincidence.

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You can see her tweet here: https://twitter.com/senabryer/status...50775403815132

I think this is a timely reminder to us in the FF14 community right now. With the hatred that Dawntrail is getting - including towards all its elements like the music Smile or the character Wuk Lamat - we must learn to separate criticism from bigotry.

Sena Bryer is completely right here. She is pointing out how the hatred towards Smile can often be a result of bigotry and intolerance than actual substance. I believe Sena Bryer will also agree with me that FF14 has up to now often used White Classical music (like orchestral music or opera-style music). So the use of Black Gospel music is a welcome change and a breath of fresh air. But apparently this musical diversity has provoked certain elements of the playerbase into outrage mode for bigoted reasons. As a community we need to stand against this bigotry and look at ourselves and ask ourselves: are we living up to FF14's ideals of tolerance, acceptance, and hope?

Of course, this does not apply to everyone. As Sena Bryer has said: "Weird how so many people are getting defensive to this instead of going 'ah, she's not talking about me though.'"

What even is "Black Gospel music"?? It's just "Gospel music". Why do we go out of our way to segregate and divide ourselves??

And how on Earth is Smile supposed to be Gospel music? Just because it includes a choir? It doesn't have the typical deep soulful vocals.

It's a song for a Japanese game, composed by a Japanese man and sang by a Japanese American woman. It's included in a Latin America-themed expansion and is performed during a coronation and a bomb-making montage.

It literally has nothing to do with Black people, Christianity, churches or anything of the sort.

Sena Bryer was getting a lot of backlash for her #1 below par performance and #2 her very toxic stream of consciousness on Twitter, so she decided to drag the Black community into her own drama as a distraction, and decided to paint us, the FF community in general as racist.

I like Smile, I genuinely do, but the hate It's getting is also entirely justified as it's uses are very out of place, especially in that bomb-making scene.

No, people who dislike it are absolutely not racist and Sena should be ashamed for using Black people as a meatshield like that.

*reviews OP's history*
*returns to the 2.0 thread*

Edit: Nevermind, the 2.0 thread was deleted. Maybe this one will be too.

bait used to be believable

0/10

If I tell you that I'm black and I also hate Smile and Wuk, would you feel better?

Honestly, it just reads as intentionally incendiary to me. Making generalizations about a group, prefacing it with "certain types of X people", and then going "well gee, I didn't say YOU were one of the bad ones!" is a timeless classic of bad arguing. Heck, the "certain types" she's talking about there love to do it too.

Are there bigots playing XIV who hate the song because they're bigots? I mean, yeah obviously, the game's got like a million players, it's gonna happen. But this argument being used to address the feedback to the song aint a great look.

But also, congrats on your 10 page topic (if it doesn't eat a lock before then), I guess.

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Originally Posted by NegativeS

If I tell you that I'm black and I also hate Smile and Wuk, would you feel better?

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^ Seconded. Nothing about Smile brought back memories of when I used to go to church as a kid , and definitely was not bringing back nostalgia like The Fighting Temptations. Way more Disney vibes as people already said.

I'll just leave this over here.
https://i.imgur.com/wi64Zod.png

Smile is less a gospel song and more a Direct-to-DVD Disney Sequel song.

It's used in a very jarring way and doesn't suit the game.

People are allowed to dislike a song. And no smile is in no way a "black gospel" song sena has no clue about music or genre's of music and has no right to mislabel and slap any genre label she wants to a song then call people racist for not liking it

I said it in a different thread, so I'll just repeat it here.

I hate smile. It's not an awful song as a whole, but it certainly doesn't really fit the times it's used in-game at all. I mean they play this song when WE'RE BUILDING A GIANT TRAIN BOMB. I'm not going to knock people who like it though, different strokes for different folks. But basic common sense tells me going "If you hate this specific song, you're just racist" is not a good idea, especially for a VA voicing a major character in a massive MMO like FFXIV.

I'm Smile& Wuk Lamat enjoyer, people going too far, no hate just different, not everyones cup of tea, i get it

I'd just like to point out OP, aside from having nearly no posts, has one healer and all crafts/gathers maxed. If you've been here long enough you know what that means.

The last Wuk thread claimed more posters who are now on vacation - best not to let Sena's words that were repeated here under false pretenses (false concern) rile you up.

Felt too Disney to my liking. In general that was my vibe of DT it felt like they were trying to target a younger audience. I liked the overall more laid back feeling of the first chapter so to speak in the story. I do hope they take more twists with the story going forward though. I hope it does not stay Disney a FFXIV story.

Who is she that she gets to categorize this piece of music as "black" gospel music? Why bring race into a conversation where race isn't even part of the topic?

EDIT:

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Originally Posted by Losado

She is pointing out how the hatred towards Smile can often be a result of bigotry and intolerance than actual substance

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You do know that there are alot more instances of cultural appropriation of black music/culture because they sound really good to people of other cultures right? And why must I like it just because it been labeled "black" by a white person?

EDIT:

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Originally Posted by Losado

But apparently this musical diversity has provoked certain elements of the playerbase into outrage mode for bigoted reasons

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Was there bigotry with the indian inspired music during endwalker?

https://media1.tenor.com/m/n6qLBpYy1fcAAAAd/floppa.gif

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Originally Posted by Dorito_Burrito

https://media1.tenor.com/m/n6qLBpYy1fcAAAAd/floppa.gif

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https://media.tenor.com/UST_0FZzk4sA...te-so-cute.gif

Not really
The raktika great wood song is gospel music too but people loved that

The problem was it was used at unfitting times and sounded like disney music because of how unfitting the situations were.

https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2...4LD/giphy.webp

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Originally Posted by NegativeS

If I tell you that I'm black and I also hate Smile and Wuk, would you feel better?

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inb4 "muh internalized racism"

Smile...isn't a gospel song.

I truly thing Sena needs to just like..not use Twitter cause at this point she is stoking the fire.

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Originally Posted by Willemdarke

What even is "Black Gospel music"??

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Gospel music by black folks

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Originally Posted by lolnotacat

inb4 "muh internalized racism"

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It's funny because I get that all the time. And I absolutely despise it.

It's basically saying "we care about what you think, but not enough to let you form your own opinions".

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Originally Posted by Shinku_Tachi

Gospel music by black folks

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Before I clicked on the link I was like 100 bucks it would be He's God.

I know it’s bait but
https://i.imgur.com/YDxADEG.jpg

I need to know what “Gospel” people are listening to that make them think Smile is 100% pure gospel and not religious or choir/choral INSPIRED. Like skip over specifically labelling it as Black Gospel (cuz it’s missing all the musical trappings, other than the choir, that it could get even considered for that), just what general generic religious-ish sounds like Smile? The only thing I could think of if if there’s a Kidz Bop Religious CD out there

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Originally Posted by Shinku_Tachi

Gospel music by black folks

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I just wanna share this video again cuz, example of Black Gospel and the YTber/Vocal Teacher who breaks down the song does other Black Gospel/Religious song break downs that also hightlights some of the specific singing/vocal stuff that is common in black religious/gospel music.

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Originally Posted by Bobby66

Before I clicked on the link I was like 100 bucks it would be He's God.

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It's a masterpiece. I'm not even a christian and I love it, lol

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Originally Posted by Papayatar

I just wanna share this video again cuz, example of Black Gospel and the YTber/Vocal Teacher who breaks down the song does other Black Gospel/Religious song break downs that also hightlights some of the specific singing/vocal stuff that is common in black religious/gospel music.

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A+ video! ^_^

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Originally Posted by lolnotacat

inb4 "muh internalized racism"

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https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PidAAOdwa0M/h...7FCfJhRWUe0kog

"I missed dealing with the Gridanians. We should just go back to the Twelveswood. That would be the best Expac."

/s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqus0SgQFzU this is the only black gospel song i need. sena can shove it.

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Originally Posted by Thaciscokidd

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PidAAOdwa0M/h...7FCfJhRWUe0kog

"I missed dealing with the Gridanians. We should just go back to the Twelveswood. That would be the best Expac."

/s

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Why Uncle Ruckus he is a respectable white man with revitiligo. The disrespect for that man and his medical condition.

LOL btw cuz if you know you know

bad song is bad song

This woman needs to look up stuff before spouting nonsense tbh. How is it a "black gospel" when the main and back singers aren't even black? The lack of her professionality baffles me.

Probably know career is done, so trying to put up as much noise as possible to get Disney attention. Given Disney track record in the last 5-10 years in term of their product, hiring practice and how they response to critic, I think Sena'll fit right in. If Disney hire her, she may even become their employee of the year because she would represent their modern value them so well.

I personally won't mind tbh. The more these people gather at one place, the easier it will be for me to avoid them.

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Originally Posted by Xuled

bad song is bad song

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It's not a bad song tbh, I actually like the melody. But this is like playing Swan song at someone birthday party while singing happy birthday to you at a funeral.

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Originally Posted by ZXN

I said it in a different thread, so I'll just repeat it here.

I hate smile. It's not an awful song as a whole, but it certainly doesn't really fit the times it's used in-game at all. I mean they play this song when WE'RE BUILDING A GIANT TRAIN BOMB. I'm not going to knock people who like it though, different strokes for different folks. But basic common sense tells me going "If you hate this specific song, you're just racist" is not a good idea, especially for a VA voicing a major character in a massive MMO like FFXIV.

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Does it not fit because you have preconceived notions of what "correct" music should sound like? I think shedding those preconceived notions would help you appreciate Smile.

And wow, just... Lots and lots of ugly attacks on Sena. Y'all need to be better. This is embarrassing for the community.

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Originally Posted by Losado

Does it not fit because you have preconceived notions of what "correct" music should sound like? I think shedding those preconceived notions would help you appreciate Smile.

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Maybe by shedding those preconceived notions that people dislike this song due to racial discrimination, I think it would help you to understand that people can dislike things due to personal preferences and circumstances. If listening to that song makes him think of the bomb scene which result in him disliking it, why should he force a change in his perspective for your contentment.

Literally garbage song, my ears have been permanently scarred by hearing this piece of "music" (If you could even call it that) and Sena is an embrassment, not only does her VA performance suck, her attitude on Twitter is also trash.

People need to stop defending this embarassment of a human being. This has nothing to do with whatever is in their pants. This has nothing to do with skin color. If Sena has to label all her critics as transphobes, racists, bigots, ect it is obvious that they are unfit for such a major role in such a large franchise. It's time for Wuk Lamat to recieve the Yugiri treatment. Time to give our boy Koana the spotlight.

So like, does this person keep making stupid threads and getting banned?

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Originally Posted by Losado

Does it not fit because you have preconceived notions of what "correct" music should sound like? I think shedding those preconceived notions would help you appreciate Smile.

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You're really not good at this.

Why is everything being twisted until it serves the American culture wars theme?

Not only is not everyone playing this game American, nor does taste have anything to do with one's political opinions.
Heck, I could be a North Korean communist and hate the song. I could be a right-wing crackpot from Alabama and love it.

Can you cut it out already?