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Thinking is hard, fear-mongering is easy
May 25th 2004, 22:07 CEST by McBain Moronic Brent Bozell piles on with another indictment of video games and their developers based on the usual suppositions that fail to make an ounce of sense to anyone who thinks hard for two seconds. Supposition #1: Video games are all intended for children. Most video game stores also sell R-Rated DVD's or even XXX DVD's at a place like Virgin Megastores. Everyone understands that they are for adults. You can cop this to a generational gap, but surely the slightest bit of thoughtful analysis exposes the problem with this thinking. Video games with mature content are all more clearly labelled than R-rated movies. The age of the average video gamer climbs ever higher. (It's 29!) Supposition #2: The interactive nature of video games has an effect on people dissimilar to that of other mediums. Impossible to disprove, but then, people making the claim should provide evidence. There is little effort to rail against books that contain sex and violence because the war over that medium has already been fought. The battle over movies and television is almost over. Why is it necessary to argue about each new medium or genre that appears? I'm reminded of Greg Beato's hilarious column comparing Fox's Bill O'Reilly, who had written a crime novel, to rap artist Ludacris. O'Reilly condemns rap as violent and misogynist, while writing and publishing a novel containing crack whores giving blow jobs. Supposition #3: Children need to be protected, particularly from sex. This has been so pounded into our collective psyche that the idea is never really challenged. Are we really so certain about this? Why do we just accept it as fact? Our own feelings of worry and uncomfort are not evidence. As someone who's parents did little to shield me from the realities of human sexuality, I'm quite skeptical. I'm not saying this supposition isn't possibly true, just that there is no debate on it at all. When some like Judith Levine attempts to offer thoughtful debate, she's accused of advocating pedophilia. Game developers need to continue to be vigilant, and fight for video games' current status as protected speech. I doubt the booth babes help much. |
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Topic: Thinking is hard, fear-mongering is easy
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Buh? Saving Throw vs Humanity
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Bah! That's a big trunk. It fits a tuba, a suitcase, a dead dog, and a garment bag almost perfectly.
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This topic does not interest me. Comment Signature
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You know what is more interesting than this article? [url=http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html]This[url] Comment Signature
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Oh fuck you Comment Signature
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Though I find the topic interesting, it's been debated here so often that I doubt there's anything we haven't already covered. Machina improba! Vel mihi ede potum vel mihi redde nummos meos!
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I agree with the topic title, and I also believe that the topic title explains everything that could be discussed in this topic. "I'm not asking for much; just a job that meets the minimum legal requirements set forth by my country."
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Ergo, technically I'm in the same boat. The topic USED TO BE interesting. Now I'm sick of hearing about it. Not just here, but anywhere where gamers congregate. Comment Signature
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#0 "McBain" Most video game stores also sell R-Rated DVD's or even XXX DVD's at a place like Virgin Megastores. Everyone understands that they are for adults. I'd say the enforcement rate for ratings is about equal for DVDs and games. That rate, of course, is very very low. Video games with mature content are all more clearly labelled than R-rated movies. If by "more clearly" you mean that the rating is on the front of the box rather than the back, then yeah, I guess. The age of the average video gamer climbs ever higher. (It's 29!) How many 8 year olds do you know that fill out surveys? Is it even legal to survey those under 18? I'm not even going to bother with the rest of it. Haven't we been over this already? P.S. "Haven't we been over this already?" should be the new PC t-shirt slogan. Fetch this space frisbee, human. Fetch it, and gaze upon your ruined world!
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The age of the average video gamer climbs ever higher. (It's 29!) I am the average gamer. Arrange yourselves chronologically around me, peons. |
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Ok then, how about a random insult then. Steve Martin sucks on your mother's mutant testicles. |
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#10 Shadarr The age of the average video gamer climbs ever higher. (It's 29!) I am the average gamer. Arrange yourselves chronologically around me, peons. Considering my age, I completely fuck up the curve. Machina improba! Vel mihi ede potum vel mihi redde nummos meos!
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Steve Martin is a funny guy and a good writer. If you haven't read "The Pleasure of My Company", I suggest you do. Comment Signature
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That's something I need to do. Learn to reed. |
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Ergo is 85. "hey look at me, i'm DJ Dethstryk, The Square Who Is Not Cool™! i've never heard of Fringe Band X or Scratch DJ Y! haw haw haw!"
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#15 Dethstryk Ergo is 85. Close enough, mister!! Machina improba! Vel mihi ede potum vel mihi redde nummos meos!
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Ergo- I ain't saying JACK SHIT. And I agree with those who have said there's nothing to talk about anymore as far as the topic goes. Is there any other angle to take? That's a beautiful way to go. Shot by Yot. In more ways than one. -mgns
I wear my sunglasses at night. The NEW Official PCMLB League Page |
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Steve Martin is a funny guy and a good writer. If you haven't read "The Pleasure of My Company", I suggest you do. Is it as short as his last book? I need a quick read. -Jeremy
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Yes, it is short. Comment Signature
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Jibble: How many 8 year olds do you know that fill out surveys? Is it even legal to survey those under 18? Thinking that the ESA wouldn't be so dumb as to rely entirely on self-report survey data for their study, I went to the website and read the report that was referenced in #0. Come to find out, they don't say a damn thing about their methods in the report or anywhere else on their website I can find. So right there, automatically, I distrust anything they have to say. Doubly so because they present them as "Essential Facts," which smacks of marketing speak. #0: Supposition #3: Children need to be protected, particularly from sex. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that yes, we need to protect children from sex. Up to a point. Unsafe sex can lead to unwanted pregnancy and/or STDs. The insane puritain backlash against the likes of Janet Jackson baring her breast is insane, but your politics may vary. Personally, it doesn't bother me, though. Any sexual content that I would consider too extreme for my daughter would be covered under the "AO" or "M" rating system. Thrrrpptt!
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Oh, just make candy that resembles genitalia. That'll teach everyone the right message. "hey look at me, i'm DJ Dethstryk, The Square Who Is Not Cool™! i've never heard of Fringe Band X or Scratch DJ Y! haw haw haw!"
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#20 Thrrrpptt! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that yes, we need to protect children from sex. Up to a point. Unsafe sex can lead to unwanted pregnancy and/or STDs. The insane puritain backlash against the likes of Janet Jackson baring her breast is insane, but your politics may vary. There's a difference from completely shielding a child from anything remotely to do with sex, and educating them on proper prevention meathods and whatnot. However, this is something that has been beaten to death 'round these parts so I'm not really gonna say much more than that. |
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Boy.. talk about shrill. This guy is more worried about the fact that someone might steal their parents credit card and use it to download a game where you can get nudity, than using the same credit card to sign up for porn sites, where you can get the nudity and "homosexual couplings id you so choose" without playing a game for 2 hours. Has this guy ever even been ON the internet? By the way, if signatures weren't for perverts, I'd totally sig this.
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What does id have to do with homosexual pornography? "hey look at me, i'm DJ Dethstryk, The Square Who Is Not Cool™! i've never heard of Fringe Band X or Scratch DJ Y! haw haw haw!"
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Quake 3 was totally gay. Comment Signature
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The problem with "protecting kids from sex" is that what they really mean is "protect kids from knowledge about sex", even though knowledge would be real protection. |
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Either PC has gotten really funny over the past week, or I'm just exeperiencing some fucked up side-effects of the insane amounts of stress I've been under for the past month. 'Cause I've been laughing my ass off all day. Hell, I've even found PA to be funny! |
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27 was in response to 24 & 25 by the way. |
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And Shadarr said in 26 what I was trying to say in 22 much more better and gooder. |
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HAT TRICK |
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hay shut up "hey look at me, i'm DJ Dethstryk, The Square Who Is Not Cool™! i've never heard of Fringe Band X or Scratch DJ Y! haw haw haw!"
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fuck you i wont do what you tell me |
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BULLET IN YOUR HEAD "hey look at me, i'm DJ Dethstryk, The Square Who Is Not Cool™! i've never heard of Fringe Band X or Scratch DJ Y! haw haw haw!"
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see? that shouldn't be funny, but I'm can't help but to laugh. Is something wrong with me? |
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You're funny in the head? YES. Machina improba! Vel mihi ede potum vel mihi redde nummos meos!
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No one has the time to compile a list for that, Squeaky. Patriots don't need grammar or spellings for rid the world and tyranny. - Leslie Nassar, 3/28/2004
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Dude, if you laughed at PA that ought to answer all your other questions. |
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#37 Shadarr Dude, if you laughed at PA that ought to answer all your other questions. I didn't laugh at it, I just thought it was funny. |
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Hmm... I see your conundrum. That's definitely a grey area. |
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#39 Shadarr Hmm... I see your conundrum. That's definitely a grey area. If I had laughed at it, I would've checked myself into the looney bin right then and there. |
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Soy! By the way, if signatures weren't for perverts, I'd totally sig this.
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Are you high? |
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..wait, I laugh at.. I mean.. I have a friend who laughs upon reading the PA strips/newsposts. Why is that considered the PC equivilant of leprosy? #21, oh, they did that around these parts about a year or so ago. Booy howdy parents were not pleased with penis-shaped lollipops being made available.. the product went away rather quickly. For this topic we need to invite someone in here with the opinons that games are bad, and under no circumstances should sex ever be discussed, mentioned, seen, or otherwise be made aware of. Until then we're apparently just a bunch of agreeing humans.. We could proceed to derail the topic as fast as possible? For instance: I'm generally very fond of icecream, but not the cholocate-flavors. Now there's a discussion just waiting to happen. |
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The PA strips are funny. The posts on the frontpage are godawful. "hey look at me, i'm DJ Dethstryk, The Square Who Is Not Cool™! i've never heard of Fringe Band X or Scratch DJ Y! haw haw haw!"
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[editing]The PA strips are funny. The posts on the frontpage are godawful.[/editing] The PA strips used to be funny when they weren't only inside jokes. The posts on the frontpage are godawful, but then again, Gabe and Tycho owe us nothing. That's a beautiful way to go. Shot by Yot. In more ways than one. -mgns
I wear my sunglasses at night. The NEW Official PCMLB League Page |
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He cut his hand off! Funk. we rocked his butt with a 12 inch cut called disco kryptonite!
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#43 gaggle For instance: I'm generally very fond of icecream, but not the cholocate-flavors. Now there's a discussion just waiting to happen. Try harder, we've already discussed this. |
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Funk: yup. Dood.
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Deth The PA strips are funny. The posts on the frontpage are godawful. So how's life in bizarroland anyway? Saving Throw vs Humanity
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Funk: that was cool. Patriots don't need grammar or spellings for rid the world and tyranny. - Leslie Nassar, 3/28/2004
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