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What is historical accuracy?
A characteristic that works of fiction, by definition, do not possess. Oftentimes invoked by disillusioned young men as a white nationalist dog whistle when discussing triple-A video games on the internet.
Man, I used to really enjoy jumping from my helicopter and hijacking a plane in mid-air in Battlefield but it's just not the same without the historical accuracy
The Last of Us 2 had historical accuracy for about 3 hours but then it stopped having it
Utterly disappointed by the lack of historical accuracy in the Cyberpunk 2077 character creation options
historical accuracy - video
Historical accuracy - what is it?
When used in reference to a fictional story, "historical accuracy" actually means "Pretending that women or people of color are not real"
"Historical accuracy" is used as a replacement, to pretend one's bigotry is coherent and well reasoned.
"Did you see the trailer for Fantasy Magic Battle 8?"
"Yeah, I think it was really cool when the triple-headed dragon arrived to support the 4000 year old water wizard and the cat demon, but why is the player character black? Why don't game developers care about historical accuracy anymore?"
What does "historical accuracy" mean?
Historical Accuracy: The combined definitions of the words "Historical" and "Accuracy".
The term "Historical Accuracy" is defined as concerning history or past events, in the state of being correct or precise.
If a piece of entertainment claims to be historically accurate and yet it does not line up with historical documents, photographs, or first-hand accounts, then it is not considered historically accurate, but historical fiction, alternate history, or something else.
Historical accuracy is typically used in reference to forms of entertainment like books, movies, and video games, all of which sometimes base themselves in specific eras of world history. Historical accuracy in these forms of entertainment exists at varying levels, typically depending on the story's setting, the specific genre, and the expectations that consumers have for it. Sometimes, the historical accuracy of a specific piece of entertainment can be increased or decreased, based on the creator injecting their political and or religious beliefs into the story.
Additionally, sometimes the terms "historical accuracy" and "historical authenticity" are politicized and used to suggest closeted bigotry and or sexism, but this idea is incorrect. With few exceptions, those that desire historical accuracy or authenticity in their entertainment only want it as it is defined. There is no secret or nefarious definition of historical accuracy, for the majority of consumers.
The Typically Conversational Interpretation of Historical Accuracy
Sam: "Hey Phil, you see Pearl Harbor, yet? It's a fun film!"
Phil: "No, I haven't. I heard it's not very historically accurate. There's nothing wrong with you enjoying it, but I personally like historically accurate films more than Michael Bay's big budget popcornfests."
Sam: "Yeah, that's fine. I just thought you might be interested in it, since it's a WWII film."
The Politicized Conversational Interpretation of Historical Accuracy
Dave: "Hey Mark, you gonna buy Battlefield V? I just saw the reveal trailer and it looks great!"
Mark: "Naw, man. I'm more interested in historically accurate games like Call of Duty 2 or Brothers in Arms. I don't wanna run around WWII Europe as a pirate-hooked British woman with Braveheart war-paint. It's fine if you like it, though."
Dave: "Um, historical accuracy? People say that's just a code term for advocating sexism and racism in video games.
Mark: "What isn't a code term for sexism and racism, these days? No, it's not actually sexist or racist to want only people that were actually there, whoever they are, to be in specific historical settings and battles. That is by definition, historical accuracy."
Dave: "Yeah, I suppose so."