Wow, Wuk Lamat is really single-handedly ruining the DT story...

[Astronis]

For an expansion that was supposed to be crafted and vetted for cultural sensitivity it's an almost hilariously continuous roll of white saviour + stupid natives + Shah of Iran / CIA operations. I also notice that the underlying motif of "cultural understanding" is food, which is such an oblivious western approach to cultural appreciation "oh those funny brown people, they make a mean curry/taco". In the past of FF14 it would have been something weighty like religion or government or a system of oppression etc etc but food is "Disney-safe".

Ironically, a tremendously Western way to look at a story written by an entirely Japanese team.

[Zaniel]

Ironically, a tremendously Western way to look at a story written by an entirely Japanese team.

The outcome is still the outcome, I don't pretend to have insider knowledge on Hiroi's thought processes. They DID hire a cultural sensitivity consulting group (I have no idea who, presumably a Western one).

[Regis_Paran]

They DID hire a cultural sensitivity consulting group

I can only hope none of them were the type screaming "cultural appropriation" when women used baby sling carriers not from "their own cultural" heritage.
And honestly, any time I see "(...) sensitivity consultant", I'm expecting the worst possible ideas regarding the topic.