"Esus" I can't see how the argument of race is in any way superior to my own interpretation regarding sex and gender. I'm not saying it is any LESS valid than my own, but when it comes to interpretating a fenomenon which contains as much depth as an Oddworld game, the resulting theories have more in common with looking at a certain painting and discussing whether or not Mona Lisa looks happy or sad. None are definitely right, none are completely wrong - but that does not mean it cannot be discussed, with positive, though not finite, result.
As regards the Grubbs, i can see how the term "stupid" is somehow lacking. I used it because I think Oddworld is a carricature of our world more than anything else, for instance: the capitalist powers are portrayed as mind-numbingly evil and greedy. I see the Grubbs as primitive, weak and ignorant, because i think they are a carricature of just about every repressed native population on Earth [READ ON BEFORE YOU HAVE A COW].
On Earth, the native americans, for instance, could be regarded as primitive, because they were technologically LESS developed than their european counterparts. They were weak because they were unable to gather their forces when they COULD have made a difference by driving away their future oppressors, because they were spread too thin and segregated in rivalling tribes. Finally they were ignorant because they were unable to understand the scope or even what was happening around them, i.e. selling off Manhatten for a bead necklace or whatever. They were however a lot more NOBLE than the europeans who were just downright manipulative, violent and, yes, ignorant too. Both cultures had their own reasons for being this way.
To elaborate: The Grubbs, noble though they may be, are less technologically developed than their Octogi rivals. Grubbs were obviously a lot weaker than the Octogi, cuz they lost their water and were nearly eradicated. Finally, i STILL think they were ignorant, because they don't conquer the Sekto Springs facility or die trying - or thirdly adapt (though i can't see how). Furthermore the individual Grubb seems in a state of constant confusion, is surprised at every other word coming out of it's own mouth.
To reformulate my earlier argument that Grubbs are a bit clever and a bit stupid: Grubbs are seems to me like a species primitive, weak and ignorant enough to not know the difference between a male and a female steef - because the steef are regarded as semi-deities which are to be reverred, not wondered upon. While still clever enough to build, fight and follow a strong leader, not wondering about whether he is a she.
As regards to the argument of the bearded steef with no breasts and a deep booming voice: we are NOT talking humans, we are talking steef, a different species - perhaps even a different family of species. Telling a male cat from a female cat is pretty hard to the untrained eye. Nobody, to my knowledge, on this forum can call themselves experts on determining age OR sex on a steef.
Stay Odd!
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