Red Dead Redemption 2 has smaller side stories to offer in addition to the main story, where players can get to know different characters. One of them is Magnifico, who particularly excited a player. Because Magnifico is short-statured, just like the player herself.
What disability is it about? Recently, a player spoke out on the subreddit for Red Dead Redemption 2. happyquinn27 thanks Rockstar for how disabilities are portrayed in the game, especially her own disability.
Before buying Red Dead Redemption 2, the player watched playthrough videos on YouTube and came to a part where Arthur meets Marjorie and Bertram in the Van Horn Saloon and has to find Magnifico.
During the course of the quest, it is revealed that Magnifico is short-statured. A little shock for the player, who is also short-statured.
Who is Magnifico? You encounter Magnifico in the side quest “The Smell of Theater Makeup.” Miss Marjorie wants Arthur to find Magnifico, who does not want to perform together with her and Bertram, who suffers from gigantism.
The trio travels through the land and performs in shows. As happyquinn27 writes, this was very common for short-statured individuals at that time. They were showcased in exhibitions or the so-called “freak shows”.
The player draws a comparison to the movie “The Greatest Showman,” in which Hugh Jackman plays P.T. Barnum, who really lived and introduced the trend of using short-statured individuals as entertainment in circus shows. Barnum also introduced the English term ‘Midget’, comparable to ‘Zwerg’ in German. The term is now considered derogatory and meant “little fly” or something that can be crushed back then.
Fortunately, Rockstar has refrained from using this term.
The realism of RDR2 has been praised earlier, such as how hunts are conducted or how birds are portrayed in the game.
Why is this so important to her? The player further explains on Reddit that she is grateful that Rockstar portrayed short stature and her story semi-realistically. While degrading terms were avoided, everything else corresponds to the truth.
The character was even accurately represented. While other games might have simply scaled down Magnifico’s model, he was modeled realistically in Red Dead Redemption 2, with shorter limbs, a protruding nose, and forehead. happyquinn27 could even note similar features between herself and Magnifico, as they both have the same form of dwarfism, achondroplasia.
In conclusion, the player noted that she is glad that Rockstar incorporated the circus mission into the game. Although her stomach turns at the stories of how people like her were treated in the past, seeing her disability represented in a popular video game is very important to her.
