Sunday, January 16, 2011

Controversy Sells.

In class Friday we had a discussion about violent video games. I am not much of a gamer. The only games system my family owns is a Nintendo Wii, and the most violent game we have is Lego Star Wars. I personally don't believe that my daughters will become violent if they are exposed to violent video games. My husband and I do our best to raise them to know right from wrong, we hope that someday they will be responsible adults that can make the right decisions on there own. I don't believe a video game, a book, a movie, or music can turn you into something your not. However I do believe that everyone is entitled to an opinion and every adult has the right to make decisions for themselves. The government should not have the power to tell us what we can read, listen to, watch, or play. The government should never tell us that something is not good for us and there for should be banned. The best way to sell a video game, a book, music, or a movie is for the government or anyone else to tell us that it is bad for us. As adults we have the right to make that decision on our own. In being told that we can't be trusted to make that decision and that we will not be able to buy something because its banned makes that object so much more appealing. For example look at the popularity of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. I personally probably would have never picked up the first Harry Potter book, The Sorcerers Stone, if a mother of one of my daughters classmates would have never asked me to sign a petition to ban the books from the school library. Instead of signing the petition I went out and bought the book. I finished reading it in a week and went out and bought the second and third books in the series. Now I own all of the books and have read them a few times, all because I was asked to sign a petition to ban them. The people who put so much effort into trying to ban the Harry Potter books are the ones who made them so popular. I believe its the same for video games, movies, and music.

4 comments:

  1. I completely agree with you. It always seems when an issue arises with something, it gains more popularity. I remember the news once discussing a new movie released in theaters titled "Tropic Thunder". A mother was outraged that the word "retarded" was said numberous times and she complained so much it caught the news' attention! I had to go see what all the fuss was about, even though the protester was urging people not to see the movie. My take: the movie was hilarious. The movie was a satire and completely made fun of Hollywood, not anyone with mental disabilities. Looking back, I wonder how well the movie did in theaters? Probably better due to all of the controversy. Even with a label saying whether something is good or bad, it is us who ultimately decides.

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  2. People are suet happy sometimes. This is wrong. People are just not willing to face the consequences. That is the whole issue and problem.

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  3. Yes but then again it's not always an adult making the decision. I think it's a little too easy for kids to get there hands on bad stuff. I think we as a society have a problem with rebeling against our government and rules. lol

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  4. Thumbs up. I just believe that it is the responsibility of the one purchasing the game, and for them to have the whole understanding of what the game is about. IF they were reading the rating.

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