I was watching the news the other night and they had a story about something highly offensive in a very popular video game-Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Was it the car theiving? No. Was it the killing people, including cops along with realistic blood and gore? No. Was it the drug references and use? No. It was the horrible stereotyping, right? Nope, they were quite alright with all of that. So if those things weren't a problem, what on Earth is left to offend? ...Imbedded sexual scenes that can be opened with codes gotten off the internet. NOW parents want it taken off the shelf. WHAT THE FUCK! Shooting at cops, oh well, kids will be kids. S.E.X.?! BURN ALL COPIES AND SEND THE MAKERS TO PRISON!
This country has it's priorities so screwed up. This game series has always offended me because of the blatent disrespect for lawfulness, the outrageous violence, and the overt stereotyping. But why is it that sex is what makes parents want to take the game away from their kids? Read this with me: Mature:17+...strong sexual content. The parents obviously don't even bother reading the label. It should have not been a surprise that there were sexual scenes in the game somewhere that their kid was eventually going to see.
I was reading the cheats on one website to get a better idea of what the game was about and I found these activities that you could play out in the game:*To enable the Ak-47, Tec-9, Sawn-Off Shotgun, and Molotov Cocktails to spawn in the Johnson's Family Home complete all 100 tags in Los Santos.
*To start the pimping mission, enter a broadway (low-rider vehicle) and press R3. Drive the prostitutes to their destinations for big cash. After the tenth "trick" prostitutes PAY you rather than you paying them.
*Enter the building and walk to the shower room. You'll find a sex toy that can be used as a melee weapon.
Oh yeah, now this game is starting to sound interesting! A dildo melee!
Here's the problem with this whole mess. Many of the kids playing this game are younger than the rating. The scenes that are in the game don't just pop up, those kids have to go looking for a code to get to them. The game even warns that there is Strong Sexual Content so it shouldn't have been a big mystery. So who is to blame that these kids are seeing this stuff that the parents don't want them to see? Well, it certainly isn't the video game makers.
Parents need to take more responsibility in raising their children and quit demanding that this country put padded bumpers on everything so that their children aren't exposed to bad things. They also need to take a close look at their categorization of good and bad. How is violence OK, yet sex is not? That's a very confusing message to be sending children. Apparently in this country we feel that is is better to make war than love.
Damn straight sister!
July 10, 2005 9:30 PM
darn. I thought this was going to be a steamy story about you and SSB.
but this isn't that kind of blog, huh? :)
I HATE it when parents refuse to take responsibility for their kids. Christ almighty....shut OFF the TV, unPLUG the playstation, and do WHATEVER IT IS you nutzo people believe is a wholesome and pure activit. stamp collecting, or sumthin'. and leave the rest of us sex-loving perverts to our own business.
July 11, 2005 12:13 AM
Say, Sylvana, do you have those codes? Because I'm stuck in the crack house with a sawed off tube of KY jelly and I can't figure out how to get to the next level.
July 11, 2005 2:15 AM
Having just finished raising a teenager I can confidently say that no matter what the parents say or do, the teens will find a way to do/say/go where they want. I'm afraid the only real answer is to cut it off at the source, the manufacturers. I agree that there is way too much sex and violence these days and it is really perverting our children.
July 11, 2005 2:59 AM
I'm not a parent and I am not a "game junkie". My bouyfriend baught the game when it fell in price and I played it for a short while. I agree with what you wrote about parents getting scared over the SEX and not the VIOLENCE or DRUG ABUSE.
July 11, 2005 7:22 AM
Feather123- welcome, and thanks!
ESC- sorry for getting your hopes up. See, sex sells!
Dr. Max- You always make me laugh, hard. I actually was looking for the codes, but couldn't find them. I can't go out onto any street corner and but weed either. I guess you have to be a teenager for that.
Old Roses- although I agree that you can't keep your kids from everything that you don't want them to have, I do not feel that keeping it away from everyone is the answer. Maybe kids will just have to get into things they shouldn't have every once in awhile. like their single mom's condoms and sex novels (which is something that me and my friend did and we turned out ok, more or less;) My huge issue with this is that people are OK with violence but freak out when you throw sex in.
July 11, 2005 7:27 AM
I would just like to add for those not savy with the video game market that these days video games are being played in a major way by those in their 20s and 30s so these games aren't even necessarily supposed to be for kids!
July 11, 2005 7:30 AM
Well i think your right that those of us who are parents should really look at what we buy our kids.
June
July 11, 2005 9:54 AM
amen.....and thats all.....
July 11, 2005 11:48 AM
I agree totally. Most responsibility is needed as well as more parenting. It is ok to be firm with your kids as well as their friend.
July 12, 2005 8:22 AM
Curly Girl- oops, you just snuck right in there! Welcome! I also saw a part in there where you can use a chainsaw as a weapon. Gruesome! ...or was it an S&M dildo...
June- I know too many parents that parent their children based on what other parents are doing, because they are too afraid of looking strange. Problem with just doing what others do is that you are not basing your decisions on reason. You risk becoming just a lemming following the others off the cliff.
Randi- I see I'm preaching to the choir.
Jennifer- I have had a lot of parents suggest, or just outright tell me, that I am too strict with my son. I am doing what I need to be a PARENT which is my job. Like I told my parents, "If you want to raise a child, get your own. This one's mine."
July 12, 2005 10:20 AM
Syl,
Nicely said! I totally agree. there have been many times where I notice a parent buying anything for their kid just to get them to stop sceraming (ie, my brothers) and they never even look at the rating. That may not always be the case but in the end, the responsibility liese with the parent/gaurdian.
July 13, 2005 4:56 PM
Kari- I so despise that buying-to-get-them-to-shut-up technique. It only teaches children that if they throw a big enough fit, they can get whatever they want. I personally never put up with that nonsense. My son tried to throw fits, but I would just ignore him. If everyone in the store was looking at me- well, that's their problem, I'm dealing with mine. I have also dragged him (literally) along behind me when he tried the passive resistance ploys with me. I am the one in charge and I intend to stay in charge. You know, he only tried throwing a fit maybe a dozen times before he got the message that I wasn't falling for it and resigned to behaving himself.
July 14, 2005 9:34 AM