galloway has become a "fox news" bully

[nekokate]

[Comsatangel]

Galloway is an expert at manipulating his audience. I don't mean that as a criticism, merely an observation. He is extremely good in selecting evidence to support his beliefs, and discounting that which refutes them. I was listening to the show a week or so ago, where he decided to have another pop at videogames and it's very interesting how he presents his arguments. For example, he deliberately misled his audience by describing the chap from Mediawatch as an "expert." But Mediawatch are not experts in anything. Previously known as The National Viewers and Listeners Association, they are unelected, self appointed moral guardians, who believe that their right wing christian beliefs affords them a mandate to tell the rest of us what we can, and can't watch in the privacy of our own homes.

And yet, Galloway allowed their representative to go unchallenged to criticise not only the videogames industry but also the BBFC, as well as misrepresenting psychological and sociological research which seemed to conclude that videogame violence has a direct correllation with real violence. As a former psychology lecturer, I can tell you that there is no conclusive evidence that playing violent games or watching violent films makes you more violent. At best, it has been demonstrated that individuals with a propensity towards violence enjoy violent media, but the media is not the cause.

But delve into Mediawatch a little more deeply, and you will discover that many of their aims are a little more sinister. For example, they campaign for a ban on the potrayal of homosexual characters in soap operas, believing them to be a corrupting influence on younger viewers, along with a ban on any references to pre marital or extramarital sex. They were behind the infamous Jerry Springer The Opera campaign a few years ago, and believe that the blasphemy laws in this country should be vigorously upheld. Their current campaign involves lobbying to criminalise DVD and video material currently classified as R18. This would mean that a couple who consensually film themselves having sex could be liable for prosecution.

I cannot belive that Galloway would not be aware of all of this, but he chooses to ignore it, as his and Mediawatch's view of videogames converge and it is useful for Galloway to stay onside with them, as they are a useful tool in his somewhat irrational campaign against games and violent films. Most of which he has never played, or watched. You've got to admire him for it, though. It's a great skill he has.

[faceless]

I didn't know that Mediawatch was that group - thanks for the info. However, if Galloway wanted to stay onside with them, rather than just using them for his own ends in that discussion, I wonder if he would have done that segment on spanking in Saturday's show?

Because, as we know, spanking always leads to physical abuse and rape.

[nekokate]

Comstangel, you make a good point about him having opinions on video games he's clearly never even seen. A few weeks ago he referred to Grand Theft Auto IV as something along the lines of "... a game where you get points for stealing cars and running people over"

Points? Ignoring the fact that there is no such thing as a points system in the game, you don't even get any sort of reward for stealing cars or for running people over.

He lets his side down by saying things like that, because anyone who might be liable to be persuaded by his argument will hear him talking and alarm bells will go off. Hello? Does this guy even know one single thing about this game?!

When people try and argue with him and get one tiny piece of factual evidence wrong he capitalises on it. I think he should actually do some research into the game. He'd still hate it, but at least then he'd know why.

[cobweb]

It's a totally spurious argue that a violent game makes you violent.....I play driving games but I don't go up and down the M8 at 120 mph. Nor does playing tiger woods golf make me want to play golf any more or less.

George has gone off on one here and has said some nonsense...It would pay dividends from him to gen up on the subject before he goes in boots first.