Violence in the Entertainment Media

nekokate · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Location: West Yorkshire, UK

George is on this subject again, talking about GTA4. For a man so opposed to violence he's really twatting the shit out of this dead horse.

It strikes me that his real argument is from heart not head - he personally hates violent games and movies so he wants them banned to satisfy his own moral standards, but unfortunately there are too many people - and I'm talking about adults - who love games like GTA4 and will fight to the last drop of digitally rendered blood to protect their right to play them.

I can understand his argument that everything we see has some influence on us - that's elementary - but his assertion that the influence is always a negative or degenerate one is a non-sequiter leap. Playing GTA4 and getting your character involved in a police chase and a shoot-out is certainly going to have an influence on someone, but perhaps that influence will be manifested simply in them having some bloody good fun for 5 minutes.

The idea that people play these games and go out and blow prostitutes' heads off the next day is just absurd. I'm dead certain that the connection between violent games and violent people is the opposite way around. I think people who are violent by nature will go out and buy violent games, not that placid people are made into sociopaths by playing them. For instance, if you were to search the house of an 18 year old kid who'd just shot some of his friends, you'd almost certainly find some violent movies and perhaps some violent video games, but that simply does not prove that the material was what caused him to flip. You might as well advocate banning pizza and orange juice because that's what was found in his kitchen cupboards, too.

Comsatangel · Joined: 23 Jan 2007

I have been away for a while and am just catching up on the shows I had missed. I sort of expected George to start banging on about this again following the high profile release of GTA 4. It's clear that George has not even seen any footage of the game in action. I'm sorry, but if you haven't played it, then I cannot take your objections seriously. Likewise, when George was banging on about the Eastern Promises film, criticising the violence, it was clear that he had not seen the film. As it turned out, the film was a masterpiece and was nominated for several oscars.

It reminds me of the Brass Eye and Jerry Springer The Opera outrages. Thousands of people made compalints about the Jerry Springer Opera but very few of the complainants had seen the show. Likewise, when the Brass Eye Paedophillia episode was broadcast some years back, many people complained without having seen the show.

GTA 4 will not turn anyone into a killer. I have played the game through, and it actually requires the player to make several moral decisions during the course of the game. It was fun. I'm not a bloodthirsty killer. I am a vegan with a degree in psychology (and incidentally, I can tell you that no study has ever demonstrated a causal link between video games and violent behaviour, including the recently published Tanya Byron study).

It's a shame that I didn't hear the show going out live. I would have liked to have called in to ask George if he wishes to ban games and movies because of their violent content then perhaps he would join with me in campaigning for the banning of The Bible, containing, as it does, some of the most vulgar and gratuitous acts of random violence, rape and genocide that I have ever read.

nekokate · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Location: West Yorkshire, UK

faceless · admin Joined: 25 Apr 2006

ok then, if games have no effect then why do the American Army use video games as training and recruitment tools?

And here's a video that shows how close the line in visual perception is between killing real people and 'fragging a few baddies'... (note, this video is from the Dutch forces)

nekokate · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Location: West Yorkshire, UK

faceless · admin Joined: 25 Apr 2006

I just wanted to be Devil's Advocate as it's a great point for discussion... Cool

You're right that evil (though that is a biblical reference really) people will find a way to have an outlet, but can you influence someone (who might not have personal strength) to be evil when they might not otherwise be - people such as The Manson Family for example? If they'd not come under the influence of Manson himself, would they have done what they did?

And isn't that what the video-game mentioned above is a useful tool in employing?

nekokate · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Location: West Yorkshire, UK

faceless · admin Joined: 25 Apr 2006

I'm sure the American Army wouldn't be wasting millions of tax payer's money on a frivolous exercise like this if they didn't think it would pay off... or would they? haha

nekokate · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Location: West Yorkshire, UK

Of course not. The American government never wastes money.

Incidentally, for people who have never played any of the GTA games before - they might be extremely violent but they are fairly Left wing. Most of the jokes are at the expense of the Right. Let's not shit on our own doorstep. GTA and Dan Houser have my support and admiration - the funniest, most entertaining and best computer game ever created.