Stereotypes (ie Caricatures) AND THE ACTUAL REAL LIFE CULTURES
BOTH OF WHICH makes them representations
Which is the POINT.
The line between “racist trope” and “representation” is nuance and who is doing it.
Tolkein based his Dwarves on antisemitic tropes (ergo the Fatal Flaw of Greed, which he admits to in his letters) but also made them heroic in the story.
WoW added on Scottish/Irish/German elements, some of which are stereotypes, but some of which are explicit cultural representations (eg River Dance, eg Pict face paint, etc).
If Blizzard made all dwarves violent alcoholics who in-game were known for trying to blow up stormwind or abuse their families, and were constantly depicted as self destructive villains, that would also be inappropriate.
It’s 2022, stop giving Blizzard a pass for trite racist world-building upon the in-game races based on POC/Subaltern Peoples otherwise.
This argument is moot because April Copeland already confirmed that the intent was to make him completely illiterate and ignorant.
She briefly tried to spin it and then recanted and did a 180.