[Credit for some information: PSXExtreme.com and GamesFirst.com]
OK, as I'm sure a lot of people are aware, BMX XXX is coming out this fall for the PS2, GameCube and X-Box. The title (while stopping short of showing actual coitus) does show plenty of nudity, contains a bunch of foul-mouthed people, yadda yadda... but it doesn't seem to contain any actual violence. It is an M-rated game, but if it had shown intercourse, it would be considered an AO-rated game.
Yet, three retailers (Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us and K-B Toys) are refusing to carry the title. The question must be asked, fellow citizens: Whassupwidat?
Wal-Mart's policy of political correctness has been well-documented. This is the same store, after all, that refused to carry Al Snow action figures several years back because it contained a “Head” mannequin head. “Violence towards women should never be implied by a toy,” Wal-Mart said. “Can't allow that on our store shelves.” Yet, as Mick Foley has pointed out on numerous occasions, Wal-Mart sells guns. You know, those weapons that can be used to kill people. Not to mention hunting knives.
I might be able to understand why Toys “R” Us and K-B Toys refuse to carry the game-- if it weren't for the fact that they proudly display games such as Grand Theft Auto III, Resident Evil, Soul Reaver 2, Mark of Kri and other games containing graphic displays of violence. Hell, some of those games feature decapitations and dismemberments. All of them contain massive amounts of blood and violence.
Yet blood and violence is considered to be more acceptable than sex? Last I heard, sex (most of the time) doesn't involve killing people (unless your name is Xenia Onatopp). Sex is actually considered to be, well, something that all mammals need to do in order to continue the species.
And for that matter, why do customers at my Blockbuster store routinely rent thrasher-hacker movies for their kids while renting movies containing sex “only for mommy and daddy”?
What kind of twisted society do we live in, anyway?
“I've been waiting long for one of us to say, ‘Save the darkness, and let it never fade away.’” --a-ha, “The Living Daylights”, theme from The Living Daylights
Two-Time, Two-Time Randomly Selected Wiener of the Day, 5/27/02 and 7/3/02
Originally posted by El PescadoWe live in an American society. For some reason sex and nudity is a lot worse than violence. It always has been and always will be, it seems.
This is what we get for living in a country founded by a bunch of Puritans and other religious/moralistic yahoo/extremists. I love action shows but I do have a hard time trying to figure out why it's OK to have someone put a gun to someone's head and pull the trigger, but it's NOT ok to show a beautiful piece of nature like a Stacy Keibler keister.
It goes way back to the beginning. We were always a country with violence from back in the Indian fighting frontier days, to the wars with Britain to our own civil war and wild wild west. But sex and the naked female form has been considered "dirty". I mean, Lucy couldn't even say she was "pregnant". Or NYPD Blue shows a little boob back in '94 and people flip out. Short of real answers or solutions, I'd just say we are one wacked country when it comes to attitudes about sex and violence.
"As long as humans can make the distinction between reality and fantasy, we're gonna be fine. If you don't want your kid exposed to it -- don't get it for him. It's that simple. I think it's funny in this country that we get freaked out about sex, but violence is OK. You can cut a breast off -- you just can't kiss it." - Bruce Cambell
Originally posted by El PescadoWe live in an American society. For some reason sex and nudity is a lot worse than violence. It always has been and always will be, it seems.
This is what we get for living in a country founded by a bunch of Puritans and other religious/moralistic yahoo/extremists. I love action shows but I do have a hard time trying to figure out why it's OK to have someone put a gun to someone's head and pull the trigger, but it's NOT ok to show a beautiful piece of nature like a Stacy Keibler keister.
It goes way back to the beginning. We were always a country with violence from back in the Indian fighting frontier days, to the wars with Britain to our own civil war and wild wild west. But sex and the naked female form has been considered "dirty". I mean, Lucy couldn't even say she was "pregnant". Or NYPD Blue shows a little boob back in '94 and people flip out. Short of real answers or solutions, I'd just say we are one wacked country when it comes to attitudes about sex and violence.
This country may have been founded "by a bunch of Puritans and other religious...extremists" as you put it, but it was eventually taken over by bitter knotheads who love to make stupid, grossly over-generalized statements about religion.
You know, there are plenty of us "religious extremists" in the U.S. who don't take the stance you outlined in your post. Many of us believe in Christ and are church members but don't go around being "extreme" and bashing people for their views.
I'm not a Puritan, either. But when it comes down to it, the thought of my infant son being unduly exposed to sex or violence at an early age disturbs me, and that would be my view whether I was a religious extremist or not. I don't want him going into Toys R Us, picking up the box to this game and saying, "What does this mean, da-da?"
But I know why people like Bizzle Izzle love to make statements against religion like this: because it's *edgy~! and *cool~! to diss religion these days.
Grow up.
"Oh, i'll never understand this emptiness...but I'll never really try and understand, I guess." - Whiskeytown, Sit and Listen to the Rain
The games cover box will be no more explicit that say...the cover art for Tomb Raider or Fear Effect though. How much do want to bet that Toy's R Us will carry the new Mortal Kombat though? How will a toddler picking that up be different from a toddler picking up a game that is no worse than "Porky's" on the sex scale? The game is more humorous than amorous. I'm not saying it won't be racy, but in all honesty, if forced to choose between having my 7 or 8 year old play XXX BMX or GTA: Vice City, I would EASILY choose the one with boobies over the one with drive-bys.
(edited by astrobstrd on 17.10.02 1345) "Words to memorize. Words hypnotize. Words make my mouth exercise. Words all fail the magic prize. Nothing I can say when I'm in your thighs."
Originally posted by astrobstrdThe games cover box will be no more explicit that say...the cover art for Tomb Raider or Fear Effect though. How much do want to bet that Toy's R Us will carry the new Mortal Kombat though? How will a toddler picking that up be different from a toddler picking up a game that is no worse than "Porky's" on the sex scale? The game is more humorous than amorous. I'm not saying it won't be racy, but in all honesty, if forced to choose between having my 7 or 8 year old play XXX BMX or GTA: Vice City, I would EASILY choose the one with boobies over the one with drive-bys.
(edited by astrobstrd on 17.10.02 1345)
Funny you should mention Vice City...
Yesterday I was in EB picking up TimeSplitters 2 when I noticed a conversation going on between a mother and her "not old enough to buy mature rated games" son. He needed her help prebuying Dead of Alive Volleyball and GTA Vice City.
Guess which one she told him he couldn't get. I'll give you a hint. He wasn't allowed to get the game that has the girls in bikini's playing volleyball...
I mean, really, what kind of idiocy is this. "I'm sorry son, you can't look at girls in bikini's playing volleyball. I'll let you get the game where you can kill innocent people for no reason and repeatedly run over their corpses and then kill the ambulance driver who comes to help them." The kid was probably about 15 years old and he's not allowed to get a volleyball game with bikini clad women? Wassupwitdat!?
I, on the other hand, can't wait for DoA Volleyball ^_^
"You won't see that on Everybody Loves Raymond!" -J.R. after Trish gets pasted with a chair
Parts, even though Bizzle put it in kind of an iflamitory way, he still has a point. The people who founded this country, and those who held power for the last two centuries were religious to some degree or another. And in a lot of religions Sex is a sin in some form or another. The most easily spotted is the fact that many Christians believe, or were at least taught, that Masturbation is a sin. And what purpose do the Bikini-clad models of DOA: Beach Volleyball serve except to arouse you? And buying a game to play so you can be aroused is akin to masturbation. So in the traditional view where men and women are supposed to be chaste until they are married under God, then games, and movies, and such that have any sort of 'sex' involved are going against religion.
So yes, Religion is the dominant force that keeps Sex taboo in our culture.
Just my 2 cents.
-Jag
I don't know if I said that right at all. Oh well.
With poison running through your veins, and death marching solemnly towards you, heroic acts become more of a necessity as you see your time dwindling.
Vanquishing your enemies, making amends to those you have wronged, and leaving words of love and kindness for those around you become second nature as your own mortality looms
However, true strength lies not in these last desperate acts, but in the actions of one who has to get out of bed the next day and face the consequences of doing that which you believe is right.
Maybe I'm not hip and with-it enough, but why exactly do we need nudity and cursing in a video game for kids? What is the reason?
DMC
(edited by DMC on 17.10.02 1229) "No thanks...last time I smoked that stuff they found me on top of the Sears Tower trying to build a nest." -Robin Williams, Club Paradise
But how do we get away from being a society that showcases our weapons in guncases located in the living room, while the porn tapes are in a closet or under the bed?
I personally find it funny when people don't seem to make too much of a fuss when they find out I have a hand gun permit but think I'm off for carrying a subscription to Playboy.
If thou continuest to take delight in idle argumentation thou mayest be qualified to combat with the sophists, but will never know how to live with men. -- Socrates
Last time I checked, Murder and Violence were sins too...
Can I ask this though: Is anybody REALLY REALLY clamboring for a Xtreme Biking game with virtual titties? I mean REALLY?
I'm not against the game because it shows nudity, I'm against the game because it sounds really fucking dumb.
Since everyone else is doing it (ok, not EVERYONE, but...)
Vikings (1-4) - A win is a win. Badgers (5-2) - Indiana? INDIANA?!?! *sigh* Twins (OUT) - Oh well, if we're still around next year... Buffy 7.3 earns a 8.04 Out of 10 for being the funny, but throwing out enough plot contrivances to last us the whole damn season. Anya however = Hillarious.
Originally posted by DMCMaybe I'm not hip and with-it enough, but why exactly do we need nudity and cursing in a video game for kids?
DMC
That's exactly my point.
And Jaguar - I just hate how religion almost always gets bashed, as if those of us who are Christian are either stupid, misled, controlling or corrupting society. It really makes me mad when blanket statements are made about ALL people in a religion. Maybe religion isn't the problem - just factions of stupid people within a religion. Some of us, I like to think, are Christian and tolerant AT THE SAME TIME. What a concept.
(edited by Parts Unknown on 17.10.02 1434) "Oh, i'll never understand this emptiness...but I'll never really try and understand, I guess." - Whiskeytown, Sit and Listen to the Rain
Originally posted by Excalibur05Last time I checked, Murder and Violence were sins too...
Can I ask this though: Is anybody REALLY REALLY clamboring for a Xtreme Biking game with virtual titties? I mean REALLY?
I'm not against the game because it shows nudity, I'm against the game because it sounds really fucking dumb.
That's exactly my point. I agree that a lot of young kids aren't mature enough to be looking at virtual titties, but I also think it's really hypocritical to be against this game and not ones that contain graphic violence.
As for Parts, if you felt I was attacking Religion, or Christianity, I'm sorry, that's not how I meant to come across. I was just trying to point out the roots that I see this coming from. And the fact that it's hypocritical isn't the fault of the religion, it's the fault of the people who make these decisions. Because yes, most religions believe that Murder and Violence are sins as well, yet these things are treated with less hostility in our culture. It's just kind of crazy.
-Jag
edited to add stuff
(edited by Jaguar on 17.10.02 1543) With poison running through your veins, and death marching solemnly towards you, heroic acts become more of a necessity as you see your time dwindling.
Vanquishing your enemies, making amends to those you have wronged, and leaving words of love and kindness for those around you become second nature as your own mortality looms
However, true strength lies not in these last desperate acts, but in the actions of one who has to get out of bed the next day and face the consequences of doing that which you believe is right.
"while I agree that a lot of young kids aren't mature enough to be looking at virtual titties, I also think it's really hypocritical to be against this game and not ones that contain graphic violence."
Who says we aren't? Personally, a game like GTA crosses the line of what I would allow my child to do/see. It goes beyond "good guy vs. bad guy" kind of stuff and I have spoken out on it before. Unfortunately the one kid I personally have influence over is simply my nephew, so I can tell him something but the decisions for what he can and can't do ultimately rest with his mother.
I guess it is just up to the discerning person to decide what amount of graphic violence crosses the line. But it's not like nobody has ever complained about graphic video game violence in general, you know.
DMC
"No thanks...last time I smoked that stuff they found me on top of the Sears Tower trying to build a nest." -Robin Williams, Club Paradise
Well, I'd rather have you being a positive influence on your nephew, or his mother taking an active role in his life and what he chooses to buy rather than leaving it in the hands of Wal-Mart, Toys 'R Us, and KB Toys. Now I realize that I can go somewhere else to buy this game, but I feel that these companies are being hypocritcal by stocking the GTA games, but not this one. Why not stock it and keep it under the same 'protection' (no one under 18 can buy it) as the GTA games?
Maybe it's the fact that Grand Theft Auto 3 was the top selling game in the world last year, but this game probably won't sell as well. So they can keep it out and stay on their moral high horse, while still raking in the GTA sales??
-Jag
With poison running through your veins, and death marching solemnly towards you, heroic acts become more of a necessity as you see your time dwindling.
Vanquishing your enemies, making amends to those you have wronged, and leaving words of love and kindness for those around you become second nature as your own mortality looms
However, true strength lies not in these last desperate acts, but in the actions of one who has to get out of bed the next day and face the consequences of doing that which you believe is right.
Hey I wasn't attacking anyone or anything. I was just saying that this country was founded by puritans and a lot of puritanical attitudes towards sex and women still exist in society. Next thing, someone is gonna accuse me of being a liberal
it's religion in america that created those ideas, not religion in general. there are millions and millions of christians in Europe and they don't have any issues with some naughty bits displayed on tv. I guess it's the reverse over there: they have lots of nudity but little violence on tv.
Maybe I'm naive, but didn't God create man in His image? If so, what's wrong with the nude human form?
What's wrong with showing naked people in games or movies? I'll agree that naked chicks riding BMX bikes seems a little gratuitous simply because I doubt anyone would ride bike like that in real life. But in other cases what's wrong with it?
Look, there is a DAMN good reason not to buy this game, and it's right on the cover.
The word "Acclaim."
Acclaim has _never_ developed a decent game. NEVER. About the only games they've PUBLISHED that have been worth the cost of their raw materials were a handful of Bust-a-Move ports. MAYBE Darius Gaiden on the Saturn, as no Darius game is all bad. (Caveat: I haven't played Burnout, the only Acclaim game in years that I've heard any kind of positive buzz about.)
Say it with me: the Acclaim logo on the box is the International Sign of Danger.
"No society has managed to invest more time and energy in the perpetuation of the fiction that it is _moral, sane and wholesome_ than our current crop of _Modern Americans_." -- Frank Zappa
Originally posted by vspLook, there is a DAMN good reason not to buy this game, and it's right on the cover.
The word "Acclaim."
Acclaim has _never_ developed a decent game. NEVER. About the only games they've PUBLISHED that have been worth the cost of their raw materials were a handful of Bust-a-Move ports. MAYBE Darius Gaiden on the Saturn, as no Darius game is all bad. (Caveat: I haven't played Burnout, the only Acclaim game in years that I've heard any kind of positive buzz about.)
Say it with me: the Acclaim logo on the box is the International Sign of Danger.
BLASPHEMY! What about Pitfall and River Raid?
"Oh, i'll never understand this emptiness...but I'll never really try and understand, I guess." - Whiskeytown, Sit and Listen to the Rain
1) DMC - This is not a video game for kids. It is a video game for adults. Don't mistate what it is - that's what the M rating is for. As a 28 year old male, I should be able to buy it if I want to. Don't forget - the 18-31 male demographic includes exactly ZERO children.
"1) DMC - This is not a video game for kids. It is a video game for adults. Don't mistate what it is - that's what the M rating is for. As a 28 year old male, I should be able to buy it if I want to. Don't forget - the 18-31 male demographic includes exactly ZERO children."
Then my next query would involve how stringently these video game ratings are applied in the stores and if younger childern are ever allowed to buy an "M" rated game. Is it anything like how kids of any stripe are seemingly let in to just about any R rated movie they want to see?
Your help is needed. And maybe you'll be on TV. Well, basic cable. But still... It looks like our show is going to depend heavily on our viewers, at least as we're getting started (I'm not the producer, so I couldn't say for sure).