Sex and Violence in the Media
Another political one, though not as controversial as the others. Still, I think it deserves talking about, so here it is.
I won’t name names, but a lot of politicians out there are up in arms about the supposed “evils” of sex and violence in the media. Well, I know where I stand on this matter….and it’s against those politicians. I’ll admit that I’d like to keep kids away from certain things till they’re old enough to truly distinguish fantasy from reality and right from wrong. That doesn’t mean we should ban violent games though! And sex…sex is normal. And when it’s handled in a respectful manner, I don’t see any problem with it being in games or movies. And if it’s not handled respectfully…that still doesn’t mean we should ban those products. Just put certain restrictions on them…which we already have. It’s called a rating system people! If a parent buys “Grand Theft Auto 4″ for their kid without bothering to check the clearly labeled rating code, that’s the parent’s fault, not the company’s! It’s up to the parents to keep an eye on what their children are watching on TV or the games they’re playing. Put parental locks on the TV that restrict access to certain channels and shows. Check the rating code and do some research before letting them see a movie or buy a game. Do stores and movie theaters have a responsibility to not sell or rent certain products to underage kids? Of course. But the parent is still the main ones responsible, and if the kid does get their hands on a violent game, YOU DON’T SUE THE FREAKIN COMPANY THAT MADE IT!!!! This is a free country, isn’t it? Freedom of speech and expression is what we’re all about! I think that means that companies should be allowed to make whatever products they want, no matter how much sex or violence they cram into it. You don’t go banning porn, or violent movies, or throwing a fit because a clearly marked “Mature” rated game has a small sex scene. You don’t go sueing the companies that make these products because a kid managed to get his/her hands on something they shouldn’t have. Those companies have rights, and so do the consumers! They have a right to make the products they want, and I have a right to enjoy them. “God of War” was a great game, a work of art even! Sure, it had lots of semi-nude women and a lot of blood, but that doesn’t make it a bad product! You don’t go pulling the thing off shelves because a few parents were careless!
Parents and the media (damn newspapers and news shows) need to wrap their heads around the fact that violent games/movies/comics/books/whatever aren’t going anywhere any time soon. They also need to realize that these products are not solely responsible for certain acts of violence, no matter what the perpetrator or their relatives might say. It takes a seriously messed up mind to go out and deliberately hurt other people, and a few scenes of poorly animated violence are not going to mess up a person’s psyche that badly. They were screwed up in the head long before they got their hands on a some product, and what they really need is proper psychiatric help. So I say stop shifting the blame. Videogames don’t kill people; people kill people. Don’t ever forget that.
P.S. I know this started out as a (poorly organized)rant on violence in the media in general, but it sort of shifted towards a focus on games near the end there. What can I say? I feel strongly about all this controversy surrounding games, and far too much negative attention is being directed towards them. Games are art, in my opinion, and you don’t go banning art, no matter how outrageous it might be (well, some people do, but those people need to learn to lighten up). As long as Mature rated games are kept out of the hands of kids and with responsible adults like us who understand the difference between fantasy and reality, I’m happy. And if a kid gets does his or her hands on something they shouldn’t…well, then obviously somebody wasn’t paying close enough attention, and they are the ones at fault. Also, every parent should have a nice long talk (preferably several talks) with their children about the differences between reality and make-believe. “Videogames are make-believe, and one should never judge what’s right and wrong from what one sees in them. Just because Mario jumps up and down on people’s heads till they’re dead doesn’t mean you should! It might be fun and okay in a game, but in real life it’s a bad, evil thing to do, and you could go to jail for the rest of your life!” See, easy talk folks. A lot of grief could be saved if every parent took the time to make sure their child understands this simple concept. Anyways, I’ve ranted on long enough. See you next time folks!
P.P.S. Frankly, I’m not as worried about this as I am with some of the other issues I’ve talked about. There’s a huge community of gamers and moviegoers out there, and we have a voice. We’ve got tons of incredibly popular websites (GO IGN!!), our own TV channels, stores, and huge conventions. I think there’s more of us then there are of them, and the government is (or should) be very afraid of getting us up in arms.
). Usually those two facets of my personality are very much connected; things I obsess over are much more likely to trigger one of those emotional highs (I call them “nerdgasms”…….but just among my friends 
). Still, it takes something really special to get me to that point where my skin breaks out in goosebumps and tears come to my eyes……something that really strikes me as “TOTALLY BADASS!!! 
“. Usually, it takes a story with what I consider to be incredible depth, some awesome visuals, and a clever soundtrack. The means it has to appeal to me visually, audibly, and emotionally….though sometimes it only takes two of the three, such as with a really good book or song. Most often though, it’s a scene in a movie, TV show, or videogame. 
The point is, these scenes and stories have a deep, emotional effect on me, and I think it would be a lot of fun to describe them here in my journal. 
That is, to break down the scene into my own words, both for my own enjoyment and (hopefully) yours. I think I’ll attach a video to each of them as well, probably a fan or professionally made music video of the scene/story that captures the emotions well, or maybe just a vid of the scene itself. This is mostly something I want to do just because I think I’d enjoy it, so nobody has to read these if they don’t want to. Heck, you might actually want to avoid the “Story Time” segment, as I’ll warn you right now that there will be spoilers galore! 
I think those of you who have seen these movies/shows, played these games, heard these songs, or read these stories will probably enjoy revisiting them. Those of you who haven’t might even enjoy the small taste I provide enough to try out the full deal for yourselves. Regardless, I’m doing this for me, so while I hope you folks enjoy this new segment, it’ll mostly be for me. 
Look forward (or not) to “Story Time!”, the newest upcoming segment to B’s online journal. See you then folks! 
This is a real treat, for me at least. Somewhere, hidden in a Word file I never noticed till just now and just 
