MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

Tagged:
1up has an asshat said, he said with Jack Thompson, a "video games are ruining our kids" lawyer and MIT Director of Comparative Media Studies Henry Jenkins. See if you can determine who said what!
We need a three-legged stool: education, legislation, and my approach, which is to do the right thing. This includes representing bereaved third parties so they can sue those responsible for actions that have resulted in death. Family members who miss their loved ones--this is where the breakthrough will occur. The industry fears this, so they've all run out and bought "copycat liability" insurance to protect them. If they don't think this is going to happen, then why are they buying it? This third solution is to scare the dickens out of the videogame industry to stop marketing and selling inappropriate games to children. My goal is to save lives.
There is a misperception among parents about what games are. Parents still assume they're for kids, and they buy them for their kids. The reality is that [games] appeal just as much to adults at the present time and much of the content is inappropriate for kids. But still, parents are buying something called Grand Theft Auto for their kids, with gangsters and prostitutes on the box, so maybe this isn't the best thing for your 9-year-old? Parents need to bear some responsibility. It's a challenge.

Comments

RE: MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

Wow. I would like to see someone on the ban games (ban books, ban whatever X) side refute this: How many violent criminals cite the Bible in their criminal action? Should we ban the Bible? Clearly more people commit violence in the name of God than anything else. And the Christian God is just as oft cited as others.

RE: MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

Personally I loved:
Eventually there is going to be a Columbine to the factor of 10, a slaughter in a school by a crazed gamer.
No hysteria there.

RE: MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

You know I bring this up from time to time when the "violence and kids" thing comes up, but even at the risk of repetition its apt, what about 30 years ago when I was a "kid"? I played "cowboys and indians" and "cops and robbers", I watched "Tom and Jerry" and "Road Runner". Now I know its not the same detailed and realistic violence, but come on, watch Tom chase Jerry around with a meat cleaver some day, watch Road Runner trick coyote into blowing himself up again. Every kid in every generation has the opportunity to be exposed to violent and sexually explicit material, bad stuff. Its up to parents to be parents in every case. If you think "Columbine" was more than conveniently superficially related to video games (or to Basketball Diaries) then you are stupid. Those kids had a houseful of weapons, explosives, and no fucking parents. The part of the equation that is "crazed" is the no parents part, not the games or movies.

RE: MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

Dude, I know that I was shaped by sexually explicit content in the Looney Toons cartoons. I mean, come on, whenever Bugs dressed up as a woman? Damn, that was hot.

RE: MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

Pepe LaPew was a date rapist.

RE: MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

Holy shit, ROFLMAO, I never thought of it like that but you are totally correct about ole Pepe. Mon Cherie . . .

RE: MIT Prof vs Some Asshat Lawyer on Gaming

Damn, and here I thought ol' Pepe was a good role model. So, if I am following you correctly, molesting strange women while farting is NOT socially acceptable behavior?

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