::begins a slow clap that quickly picks up speed::
THANK-EFFIN-YOU. Argh. I think I know where we all stand when it comes to that “violent video games cause people to kill others!” bullshit, so I won’t preach to an already agreeing choir, but damn, this Dorkly strip really hits the Ganondorf on the snout. (Uh, yeah, just work with me on that reference.) I like to use myself as an example whenever someone tries to flap their mouth about how “violent video games teaches kids to kill!” this and “my daughter became pregnant because she saw a hooker in GTA!” that, etc, etc.
Growing up, my parents allowed me to play whatever game I set my heart on. My dad and I co-oped through the Twisted Metal games about 50 times years before my balls dropped (read: I was about 9). Despite the nightmares they gave me, I played a LOT of Resident Evil. My buddies and I would cruise around in Grand Theft Auto and receive immense pleasure from flattening pedestrians. I slaughtered chickens in The Legend of Zelda for fun. I’d venture into a strip club in Duke Nukem and my poor, pure eyes (that’s sarcasm, folks) would be subjected to pointy, jagged strippers grinding on a pole.
I could go on, but I think the picture has been painted.
I’m now 25. Have I murdered anyone? Am I prostitute working the street corner? Do I have an vast criminal record? (Uh, for the record the answers to all of those questions is “No.”) But even if I was a convicted criminal, who’s to say video games would be to blame? Could it have anything to do with, oh, I don’t know, a troubled childhood? Bad parenting? Of course not. Of course it must be the video games. Because violence hasn’t been a thing that’s happened before video games. Yup. Let’s ignore all of the other violent things that have taken place in the history of mankind.
Ahem. Anyway, I don’t want to turn this into a bitchrant, so I’ll leave it at that. I’m fascinated to hear your thoughts on this matter, so please drop some knowledge in the comments below!
Now to lighten the mood — BUTTSEX! :D
***
Note: I will say that if I have a spawn I won’t be buying it a copy of Grand Theft Auto IX or whatever until I feel as if it’s, like, mature enough to understand or something. I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PARENTING I CAN BARELY WIPE MY OWN ASS. Point is while my parents allowed me to play anything I wanted, it had its repercussions. Example: Playing Resident Evil 2 in the fourth grade was a VAST mistake and caused me haunting nightmares for years. Just be smart, people.
I’m a parent of young kids, and I do try and monitor what media they consume. Hell, I really don’t want them watching the local news because there’s always a story about someone getting stabbed or some other shit. But I’m not worried that games or anything else is going to turn them into a menace to society. It’s more that I want them to keep some of their innocence and not grow up too fast.
I know they aren’t ready to drive around shooting and running over random pedestrians, or watch half the shit that’s on HBO. Hell, my son feels bad when I kill a fly, or when the redhead from the Wendy’s commercials rubs her food in other people’s faces (true story). They don’t have the capacity to understand it or handle it as someone more mature would. In time I’m sure they’ll play GTA8 and I’ll be right there next to em telling them to get their money back from that hooker. But certainly not now.
The people who claim games do affect kids I’m sure believe there’s a difference between games and other types of media because in games you have a more interactive role. What these people don’t realize is there isn’t any evidence to support their claims, it’s just a knee jerk reaction. I see games as more of an outlet then an inhibitor. Such as, most of us enjoy games like God of War or GTA. But there are some really fucked up people who might enjoy them even more from the standpoint of where they’re living vicariously through the game. That’s fucked up, but they could also get their outlet through art, or movies, or pretty much anything else. The game detractors need to get some common sense.
Aww, your son sounds adorable!
Thanks for your comment. Great points made, and I totally agree — whenever I produce a spawn and I feel it’s of appropriate age I’ll also explain how to get that money back. ;)
My parents never monitored my games, either. My first game was Mortal Kombat was my first game, I believe. I regularly played games that had violence, strippers, etcc. and even in middle school and high school I was the innocent girl of my class who got good grades, never got into fights, never came home drunk or pregnant, and never even swore…I mean after all, I was staying home and playing video games haha! So I LAUGH at anyone who says video games make people violent.
And also, video games are a relatively new thing, but humanity has ALWAYS been violent. There have always been people killing people for what seems to be no good reason.The only difference is that we have more effective weapons now.
HA! It sounds like we had almost the same lifestyle growing up.
And that’s just it. People have been killing people since FOREVER. I think media forgets that.
It’s not Media that teaches kid to kill, it’s poor parenting that leads to kids making bad decisions, and it just snow ball’s from there.
I totally agree that’s one of the factors. I mean, I know people who grew up with terrible parenting, but they made it out just fine. Others, though, yeah — has a terrible impact.
Couldn’t have said it better myself
<3
You had me at buttsex.
Well put!
HA! My only early memory from grand theft auto was hitting pedestrians. Being the oldest girl in my family i had older brothers so most of our games were violent. I remember throwing temper tantrums because they never let me win in goldeneye. My brother also made me play resident evil because he enjoyed watching me screech of fear and almost piss myself. The only thing we ever did that could be close to resemble violence was when we made Zelda home videos and cast ourselves
That being said, I was always a goody goody growing up and never had the balls to talk back to my parents or get in trouble because they used a little thing called discipline. I’ll let you know when the urge to go out and kill hits me