Borderlands 2's Writer Says He'll Change Tiny Tina If She Conveys Racism, As Some Players Think [UPD

Today, an argument broke out on Twitter between Anthony Burch, lead writer on Borderlands 2, and a few players who think that Tiny Tina is a racist character. The issue, as some folks saw it, was that Tiny Tina appropriated African American lingo. See above video, which showcases Tiny Tina dialogue, if you want rummy meet reference.(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c&cid=872d12ce-453b-4870-845f-955919887e1b'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c" }).render("79703296e5134c75a2db6e1b64762017"); }); The argument on Twitter, which ends with Burch saying he’ll consider changing her, is as follows—note that this is a mix of developers, game journalists, and random fans: https://twitter.com/embed/status/297863652508319745 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297864908131946496 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297865837602287617 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297868486783406080 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297869198074474496 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297869316672593920 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297869437636317186 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297869508939493377 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297869937794490369 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297870142954696704 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297871376340115456 @reverendanthony @mikesacco @DrShenanigans Its exaggerated stereotypical low class "black" lingo that with Tina amounts joy rummy to verbal blackface. — Lithobolos (@Lithobolos) February 3, 2013 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297875460442951680 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297876123533053953 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297876547229081601 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297877536220778496 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297872829234421760 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297876859100745728 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297876994589339648 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297877187158228992 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297884985615077377 @reverendanthony I mean this in a lighthearted way but you found another way to make me sweat bullets, what with the VO session coming up 🙂 — Matt Charles (@djsatis) February 3, 2013 Matt Charles is a producer on Borderlands 2. Whether or not a change in Tina’s character will actually occur is not clear, though I suspect many fans would be upset if she was altered: she is frequently cited as a favorite character. UPDATE: Some are even defending Tina, as not all players believe she is racist (including Gearbox president, Randy Pitchford): @reverendanthony tina is not racist because you are not racist. You're a pillar of tolerance and inclusion. — Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) February 3, 2013 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297897606762360832 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297897373441589250 @reverendanthony I will be deeply offended if you change Tiny Tina. — RvLeshrac (@RvLeshrac) February 3, 2013 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297895219750375424 https://twitter.com/embed/status/297890924317536256 Though this is rummy new app but a small sampling of the response Burch is getting, which you can view here. I reached out to Burch and have yet to hear back. UPDATE 2: Burch responds and clarifies: https://twitter.com/embed/status/297916878817488896