Pegasi, though your argument is quite well structured, I must point out one very severe flaw in it: You're trying to apply logical and intelligent thought to Fox. Those people don't understand the meaning of it. As far as their bullshit story on inappropriate content in video games goes, I entirely agree- irresponsible parents don't want to admit that they should have used a rubber when they jumped on each other in high school, and so they look for a convenient scapegoat- which just happens to be the M rated game that they themselves bought for little Jimmy. Furthermore, anyone can get facts and figures to support anything. People seem to think that facts are infallible, but in actuality, they aren't- they can be bent, modified, twisted. All it takes is enough money or intelligence. Faux news has the former, and a quite severe lack of the latter. I started playing violent games at age 6. I started playing M rated games and the like at 13. I turned out just fine.I've said it before, and I'll say it again, in some vague hope that the drooling mongoloids at Faux will eventually get the ****ing message: Violent media does not make violent children. Bad parenting does. As for sex in video games, it really does depend on how it's portrayed. If it's like the sex scene in Mass Effect...it's the culmination of a mature relationship between two adults. How is that objectionable? I can think of about ten to fifteen examples of far more inappropriate sexual conduct on Faux's own network. So, we can posit that not only are the people at Faux glib, babbling idiots, they're also blatant hypocrites.
Pretty much my thoughts on the matter. But there's always the problem that psychological professionals have a more informed perspective than me, so I wouldn't like to put a definitive answer on it, that's exactly what that Fox News interviewee did. Although, I suppose you did have this covered with "i somehow have trouble seeing...", so fair play. But even then, if people want to raise their kids that way then its their right (tricky business, the rights of the parent, tricky indeed), so it makes little difference. But what I really object to is when those same parents are too lazy to do the parenting themselves and cry foul at any given target, currently the newer demon of Video Games. Summarised, the discussion goes something like this: Parent: Waaaah, being a parent is hard! Actively monitoring what my child is exposed to in accordance with my own pompous beliefs is too hard, I can't be bothered to do it. Microsoft, you do it for me! Microsoft: Pssssh, no. We're producing a variety of media for varying markets, it's up to you what you buy for your children, and there are varying legal ratings and guidelines in place to support this, as well as added features on the Xbox that facilitate parental monitoring and control with ease, if you could be bothered to use them that is. Parent: Waaaaah, social injustice! I'm going to sue your ass! I think that's the really key point here. The only reason video games are the current focus of this debate is because they are, in terms of illogical prejudice, the new black (oh, the levels...). Violence and sex exist, and media thrives on basing itself of aspects of life, otherwise you just invent random, weird universes and should get a job at Nintendo or somewhere in Japan. The real discussion should be on why people are failing to monitor video games as a true media form under the outdated and lazy assumption that they are simple games for small children. Sure, once they may have been the digital equivalent of hop-scotch, but this is far from the case now. People need to realise that and start thinking clearly about how THEY raise their own children, as opposed to all the evil that modern society is apparently forcing upon them. They also need to stop finding social demons that they can shift their own responsibilities in to in general. Quit being lazy or get the hell out of the gene pool. I lol'd, seriously hard. So true. All I can really say is: yeah. You've condensed several sad facts of some sectors of modern society (who unfortunately seem to hold quite a lot of weight) in to one wholly depressing but accurate post, good show sir. I can empathise with your feelings about the parents. I mean I'm not commenting directly on whether buying an M rated game for your child is good or bad, I'd tend toward your point of view but then parenting is a terrifyingly free decision business, it kinda has to be. I just get so angry when these parents make a decision yet can't be bothered to enforce it themselves as is their responsibility, then cry foul all the time and seem to actually get their way, I didn't think it was possible to feel astounded and angry in such strong and equal measure, but apparently it is, as you may have guessed from my rants above. It's literally like they want to decide how their children are raised but not do any of it themselves. Then, not satisfied with this, they also want to enforce this same standard upon the rest of society by shaping the nature of media and entertainment to their own tastes.
I try. I refer once more to the most depressing instance of bad parenting I'd ever seen- some asshole bought his two ten year olds Grand Theft Auto IV. He justified it by saying "They're not gamers, they're hockey players." Unfortunately, since I was just a lowly till monkey at wal mart, I had to make the sale-I had no choice in the matter, and died a little inside. Did I mention that both kids were arrogant brats, and will probably end up being living validations of Faux news's skewed, horribly twisted views on video games? It's people like that which make life difficult for anyone who's even a fraction of intelligence. I dearly hope that some day that man realizes that he is a failure as a father. Yes, that sounds harsh, and yes, I sound like an arrogant twat. But to be honest, anyone who buys a game like Grand Theft Auto for a child and tries to justify it by somehow referring to Gamers as a seperate species- an inferior one to 'hockey players' at that had no business spreading their polluted seed in the first place. --------------------- On to another order of business, the issue of people attempting to censor media. The thing is, there are always going to be a few fascist busybodies who don't quite understand that the concept of 'free speech' does not simply mean 'I get to say what I want but no one else does'. They become so offended by the fact that something they dislike exists that they worm their way into every facet of society, mewling like an epileptic cat about how 'wrong' everything is. They babble on and on about how they know everything regarding how to 'properly' live ones life. It enrages me to no end when these bottom feeders come out of the woodwork and try to censor things- I'm twenty years old, I don't need some clueless, half-senile old bat telling me what sort of media is 'appropriate' for me. They are unintelligent and closed-minded- they believe that the entire world should conform to their ideas and beliefs. They will not be happy until everyone has bowed down, kissed their feet, and fawned over how 'right' they are. The sad irony is that at least 80% of these types of people have never been parents. On top of this, they are hopelessly out of touch with contemporary society. Yet they still still advocate censorship of the latest social demon which it's popular to hate. They still talk out of their asses like they know something when in reality they are as clueless about the issues as a squirrel is about quantum theory. They are probably the same sorts of people who consider Faux News "fair and balanced" reporting. I will quote Tim Buckley from Ctrl Alt Delete, or rather, paraphrase him. "I am a twenty year old gamer. I have played every violent game in existence, and never killed anyone. There are millions of people just like me, and we're getting sick of you people blaming your problems on us. Man up and take responsibility, and stop ****ing blaming video games." I wish it was possible to present intelligent, logical arguments to these people. But it's just not going to happen. If I recall correctly, in that same segment where those journalistic jokes were bashing Mass Effect, they brought in an actual expert on video games. The ****ing harpy didn't let him get a word in edgewise, and essentially made a fool of him. Hence, if we're going to stick up for ourselves and prove these hateful ignoramus's wrong, it won't be in forums like Faux News.
So. ****ing. True. You're taking the thoughts out of my head here, and all I'm really left with to say is: Yeah, it's so incredibly frustrating isn't it? Don't you just hate large amounts of people sometimes? The sad irony is that to stop all these people being so incredibly annoying would be the same as they are doing, much as I wouldn't be able to physically stop myself if I were given some magic "you shut up now" button. But the worst, by far the worst bit is, as you say as well, when these people actually get their way. Democracy is touted as a wonderful thing, but if it's wonderful then it's also terrible. In fact, democracy is neither of these things, it's just a method, it's the people themselves that are both wonderful and terrible. And the people in question here fall firmly in the latter category in my personal opinion, and much as I hold that their opinion is as valid as mine in an objective sense, it doesn't stop me hating them beyond words...
we all know that the news is mostly twisted and contorted bullshit. but once we find one sensible enough to let gamers talk about gamers, not the crappy newscasters, people will see what the difference between gamers and other people are: we just play videogames more. thats the only difference. just because i play gears of war 2 and viking:battle for asgard does not mean i go around with a chainsaw yeling and slicing people in half, or chopping off peoples arms wih my axe and sword while i call a dragon to kill them! video games do not have an effect on our everyday behavior, unless you mean we might be more irritable if we just spent 2 hours on a forge map only to realise it looks like a 4 year old made it. us gamers do not do what we see in video games, and it simply has no real effect on our lives except maybe to get addicting. but thats it. i say you cant bash something unless you've tried it. its the same thing with fox-to-videogames, as it is with 3 year olds-to-new foods. you just cannot attack things you havnt tried. like i cant really say anything bad about paintball, as i have never played it. but of course other people who have never played would judge it based on only visuals, and not experience. its quite obvious that if you don't try something, you don't know the full story. exactly what i thought when the guy on the video said "have you ever played it?". i bet she felt stupid there.
She just shrugged it off and tried to avoid acknowledging the fact that she looked stupider than a rock. To be fair, the notion of "monkey see monkey do" might not be that unreasonable if you're looking at the world from the perspective of Faux News. I mean, just consider for a moment their typical viewer- they probably think everyone is as stupid as the neo-conservative who swears by the Fox logo as if it's the holy bible. I say the witch hunt on video games will end in the same way as the witch hunt involving comic books, rock and roll, and Dungeons and Dragons- some new entertainment medium or controversial pastime will emerge, and all the idiots and busybodies will forget that video games were ever an issue.
i have been playing violent games sience i was about 7-8 and do you see me going round with a flamethrower at the shops burning everyone becouse cod 5 is out of stock SNOW and sexy babes and **** are needed for the human race to live on i dont see anything wrong with that!