I Was Wrong About Bayonetta 3 Voice Acting Scandal
Well, as is always the case, I was wrong. To catch you up, because why not, voice actor Hellena Taylor made a few videos in which she accused — or at least implied — PlatinumGames of only offering her $4,000 to voice Bayonetta for the third entry in the series of the same name. She asked fans to boycott the game, which I’m sure a few did and a lot of others didn’t. I’m boycotting Bayonetta 3 in the sense that I still haven’t completed the first two Bayonettas and have to accept the painful truth that not everything that’s good is for me.
I’m fine with the games. If they’re great for you, have at it. We need more games that feel like they came from the year 2000. I respect Bayonetta is an important character for a lot of fans. I also respect some of those same fans have felt the new game has done some queer erasure through poor story choices. Again, I haven’t played it, so I’ll have to trust people who have. That said, I was wrong to completely trust Hellena Taylor.
I say “completely” because, as with any part of show business, the world of voice over acting is a labyrinthian maze of pain. Bayonetta is an iconic character and her voice is an iconic part of said iconic character. When she implied — she denies she implied it, but watch the videos and come the fuck on — she was only offered $4,000 to play Bayonetta, most people thought that meant the entire game. What she actually meant was she was offered at least $15,000, possibly more, to voice the character. She turned it down and then was later offered a smaller cameo for $4,000. So, yes, it’s true she was offered $4,000, but that was only after turning down more money for the main role.
When she got called out for this, she pivoted and asked people to donate to charities, including ones that promote taking away reproductive rights. Because if you’re going to turn heel, you gotta go full villain. I’m sure if there’s one thing Bayonetta herself would approve of, it’s making sure people don’t have the right to choose what to do with their bodies. Just perfect. No fucking notes.
