Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Velma Dinkley is perceived to be a lesbian canon as she got mesmerised by beauty of another lady in new scene of 'Trick and Treat Scooby-Doo'. (Read More Here).
Velma Dinkley, the character from the beloved cartoon “Scooby-Doo,” has been dubbed a “Karen” for her ability to call police on Black characters in a new video game. Following backlash, the game has changed her powers.
The brainy crime-solver in the Mystery Inc. gang, Velma appears in MultiVersus, an online fighting game released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in July.
She's one of the many famous characters players can choose from Warner Bros. Discovery’s catalog including DC Comics’ Wonder Woman and Batman and Looney Tunes’ Bugs Bunny and Tasmanian Devil.
However, Velma's portrayal in the game has stirred debate online. As a sleuth, she can collect enough evidence against her opponent, hold up a wanted poster and call the police on them. Her character's ability to call police on Black characters such as basketball star LeBron James, who appeared in the movie "Space Jam: A New Legacy," didn’t sit right with everyone.
Critics branded Velma a "Karen" — a term coined by the internet to refer to a white woman who uses her status and power to humiliate a person of color.
There has been a spate of viral moments of white women threatening to or calling police, particularly on people of color, for things as trivial as watering flowers and barbecuing in parks.
“They really made Velma a snitch in multiversus," another Twitter user said.
"Velma in multiversus is just a karen," one player tweeted in August. "she yells at u and calls the cops."
Velma's abilities changed Thursday as a result of patch updates to the game.
“Instead of calling the police, Velma now solves the mystery and calls the Mystery Inc. gang and the Mystery Machine to take the bad guys away,” the update said.
NBC News has reached out to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for comment on the change."Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" the original animated show that inspired several remakes, was created in 1969 and only ran for a year on CBS. It featured a cast of all white characters, voiced by all white actors, and their dog, Scooby. It’s been reimagined many times since then, including several cartoon and live-action versions.
Over the decades, 12 actresses have voiced animated Velma and four others have played her in live-action adaptations. In the “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” and “Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster,” live remakes from 2009 and 2010, Velma was portrayed by Hayley Kiyoko, an actress and singer of Japanese descent. Gina Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican actress, voiced Velma in the 2020 animated movie “Scoob!” where the character also had darker skin.
Though some on Twitter made openly racist comments about Kaling’s new venture, some shared concerns that the portrayal of the nerdy Velma as an Asian American plays into the model minority myth that Asians are inherently hardworking and studious.
Controversy and racism often ensues when people of color are cast in traditionally white roles. In 1997, a live adaptation of “Cinderella” featured Black singer and songwriter Brandy in the titular role. While the film is remembered now as a classic, it was met with racist comments from both viewers and industry professionals. A similar backlash followed the announcement of singer Halle Bailey’s casting as Ariel in an upcoming live-action version of “The Little Mermaid.”
A “Scooby-Doo” fan herself, Yuen said she hopes Kaling’s team doesn’t just slap an Asian face onto the character but instead develops a backstory that’s in line with her racial and cultural identity. She also sees the need for original Asian American stories rather than just the reimagination of old favorites.
“It’s lazy for Hollywood to just try to use old material and try to freshen it up when they could actually create true freshness by centering people of color, centering BIPOC stories rather than just trying to revamp old stories,” she said, referring to Black people, Indigenous people and other people of color.
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