With Grand Theft Auto IV right around the corner, leave it to Fox News to try and throw a spanner in the works. Using the recent focus on violence and of course, those precious children as its "in," Fox News questioned the appearance of adverts for GTA IV on buses and trains in the city.
With so much focus on kids and violence these days, we wondered why ads for a violent video game have begun popping up again on CTA buses and train stations.
Yes ... I'm sure you guys wondered, and I'm certain you were OH so concerned. Disappointingly, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) boss Ron Huberman caved in and had the advertisements (which portrayed no violence and weren't offensive in any way) from his buses.
Transport ads for GTA have upset certain citizens (people I commonly refer to as "pussies") in Chicago in the past, as well as Boston, Denver and Portland, Oregon. In addition, I have written several times in the past how videogame ads have been banned by the ASA in London following a small number of complaints.
I think this is a pretty pathetic move on the part of the CTA, simply folding under the slightest bit of pressure and removing a very inoffensive advert. As GamePolitics asserts, it's selective censorship, and it makes Ron Huber look like a rather weak, spineless individual. I'd be interested to see how many R-Rated movies he allows to be advertised though, so I can add "hypocrite" to the list of what Huber is.
Oh well -- GTA IV is going to sell millions upon of millions of copies no matter how bus ads get pulled. The likes of Fox cannot keep the games industry down, no matter how many times it pathetically attempts to.
Contest:
3:49 PM on 04.21.2008
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Overreacting? Probably. Maybe we need to get these kids inside and get a controller in their hands instead of a gun.
Unfortunately, the first amendment only gives us lame rights (like freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom of religion, etc.) and misses out on the cool rights we'd rather have (right to have our videogame ads on buses, right to have AO games at Wal-Mart, etc.)
Why? Why do you mock us, founding fathers?
"Oh noes, that Lite Brite is a bomb!" Morons.
I mean fucking seriously, CONTROL THE FUCKING GUNS YOU FUCKING MORONS. video games are keeping kids inside away from real bullets.
RAAAAAAAAAAAGE
"I mean fucking seriously, CONTROL THE FUCKING GUNS YOU FUCKING MORONS. video games are keeping kids inside away from real bullets."
This is true, if only people would realize that. However, tighter gun control laws will not curb gun violence. Criminals will always, always, always find a way to get guns no matter what restrictions are in place, the same is true of drugs. Washington DC has had a handgun ban for quite some time, and the gun violence there has not dropped, in fact I believe its one of the more violent cities in the country.
When you get outside the political triangle near downtown DC, it's the most dangerous city in the US. Moreso than New York or LA.
Kind of ironic, considering the entire American Government is more or less based out of there.
You're probably right, although I'd still say that the gov't should not be held to a higher standard than a private group in that regard (even though in fact that may not be the case).
But, addressing that case you linked -- it's easy to imagine "Go to our church" or "Change our laws" as a certain viewpoint and as protected speech. Harder to imagine "Buy our game" garnering all the same protections. ;)
You know what really causes violence? War. And yet you never cease to see Army ads.
It's a real shame, too. I remember the first time I saw a bus ad for Vice City (in Chicago, mind). I thought "wow, video games have really arrived." I wonder when they left?
However, in response to this article itself, I don't remember seeing any R rated movies on the trains/buses/platforms, unless if War is R. Internets sleuthing is beyond me right now.
Wait, I'm sorry.
I'm sure RockStar is heart broken over the CTA's pussy move.
How will they ever get the GTA name known? I'm sure am glad that FOX (Married... with Children, Method & Red, Stacked, Women in Prison, Killer Instinct, etc) has high morals and will break them to get the story out.
It was a 32 person shooting spree, not killing spree.
CNN hates video games! Oh noes!
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/07/29/uk.manhunt/index.html
I can see why the cities officials would pull the ads. Because they're afraid they would get wacked GTA style. By all the Crypts & Bloods.
@ DryvBy
Nice name! : P
BTW I still love me some CNN.
Surprisingly, the shootings weren't 4/20 related. They took place between Friday night and Sunday morning. And we don't really have Crips and Bloods. It's mostly Kings and GDs. Bloods and Crips is more of a West Coast thing.
*spends too much time on Wikipedia*
I'm from Janesville, WI originally. Latin Kings & Ganstah Disciples, ahh I remember the days of my tender high school years now.
I didn't go south with all that shit till arizona.
( MM13 & Blood & the Crypts )
I don't get what the big deal is. Sorry to bust your fat bubble (excuse the pun) but Faux News isn't the only people[sic] bashing video games. Oh, it's the entire media.
Wow, hell of a pun there. Somebody tell Ralph Malph not to quit his gig at Arnold's. This is actually the one section of your entire post that has some merit, in that Fox News AREN'T the only ONES discriminating against the video game community. And as such, Jim has reported on them as well, from Mtv to the BBC, and many points between.
Good way to boost up your hits.. ya know, posting the same recycled garbage daily about how wrong it is to be against video games.
The story was posted on a Fox local affiliate yesterday. Also, in order to recycle a story, shouldn't it require, oh, I don't know, a previous write up of AN IDENTICAL STORY? Use your search bar, or ask a fucking adult to help you.
You see, Jim, in this great (and not-so-great) country we live in, we have freedom of speech. I know you Brits like it one way, but we have multiple views. The great thing about this country is I can have my opinion (unless it's religious) and they can have theirs
Where to begin? You criticize someone for giving an opinion on a subject, by showing him the importance of not criticizing people for their opinions? Is that a double-negative thought? How do you exist on this plane?
Also, freedom of speech does not exclude one from criticism of it(I think I heard that on Fox News).
[i]I don't care if an ad was pulled. Just don't ban the game, like most Europe countries tend to do.
CNN hates video games! Oh noes![/i]
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/07/29/uk.manhunt/index.html
Uh oh, here comes the smoking gun! A four year old story about the original Manhunt on CNN.com! Stop the presses, this was breaking news!
Internet Mattlockery at its finest. Or is it douche-baggery? I report, you decide.
well said.
i was just about to flip a shit after seeing this on the "news," but this weekend was utterly insane. crazy ass shooting spree. worst part of it all? the people doing the shootings missed their intended targets. all the people that died or were shot were innocent bystanders.
and so, bullshit news goes and blames all this violence, not on gun control, not on parenting (which i'm sure is a huge issue in all of it too), but on completely non-violent ads for a video game. how true Fox, how true. Non-violent ads for video games must be a direct cause of violence for the violence this weekend because they're advertising a violent game. that makes perfect sense! Artards.
next time there's an election, there's no way I'm gonna vote for Mr. I-spend-money-to-submit-bills-that-are-unconstitutional-anyway Blaglablablah (fuck spelling his name right. he doesn't deserve it.)