Just when I thought the British media couldn't get more pathetic, a newspaper finds some way to both surprise and sicken me. A national paper is offering "hundreds of pounds" in exchange for stories from the public about how videogames turned them to a life of crime. This is the full advert. as it appears on a "talent" Web site for actors and actresses:
"A national newspaper wants your story and will pay hundreds of pounds to the right person.
Write a few lines about how computer games turned you to crime and if it's something we like, we'll call you straight back."
Tanya Byron said we need to stop blaming videogames. That is what she said. She suggested we need to stop the mass panic that surrounds games and actually get people educated, but she got ignored because that's not news. Instead, her report has been used as an excuse to not educate, but actively propagate the exact kind of scaremongering she wanted to see ended. If I were Byron, I'd be feeling pretty sick right about now, since all her hard work has been perverted by a bunch of braindamaged, subhuman parasites to promote the opposite of what she'd intended.
Actually, I don't have to be Byron to feel sick at this. Anybody with a shred of integrity would be disgusted by this grotesque little move. Offering actors money to claim that videogames turned them into criminals is possibly the most harmful and nasty scheme I've seen cooked up by the media yet. They say videogames encourage violence? What is this paper doing, if not that?
And the worst thing is, the paper will get its little story, and yet more people will completely ignore the intentions of the Byron Report. I can't even work up the bile for this anymore ... I'm simply ashamed to live in the same country as these scumbags.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
8:47 AM on 03.31.2008
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I just showed this to my editor and he's just as disgusted and doesn't give a fuck about games.
No, it's not funny at all.
This is the link to the ad.
Pathetic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Mass_Media
I wonder what stories they'll get out of it... Hopefully at least all of the stories will suck and the paper won't print them.
Podcastle rant pls.
You could make up some bullshit story that videogames drove you to a life of drugs and hookers which caused your mother to disown you, then blame it on something the writers would have no clue about like “Majoras Mask” which “trains you to take on multiple personalities and realize that no matter what you do your life can be reset like a clock”. You get paid a few hundred pounds and the paper makes a dick of itself while you come out looking like a Goddam hero. Sounds like a sweet deal to me!
The ad is real but it doesn't say who wrote it so there could be a small chance that it's a hoax. For all we know the national newspaper bit could be a complete lie and it's just tag line to get more attention. I know I'm probably being naively optimistic but I just don't want to believe this.
Or maybe they're stealing from you?
Hey Jim, I know you are disgusted to live in a country with these scumbags, but at least you don't live in a country that goes to war with other nations based upon lies...whoops did I say that out loud?
I've lost count of how many people's heads I have jumped on only to find squishy pink stuff instead of coins, games are lying bastards.
Playing space giraffe might make me wanna hurt people. (sound of Jim powering up for a rage-fest)
Also, I agree with Wardrox, Podcastle Rant pl0x.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogging
Hey, if he can double-post, I sure as hell can.
Thanks for giving yourself up, FatBologna. I love how people like you are never subtle.
So yeah, stfu. Ban please.
=(
But I still won't read your blog.
Another (or possibly the same) UK paper was recently outed for advertising similar payoffs to people with obviously tabloid-friendly stories (specifically immigration-related in the examples I've seen), so this technique isn't new. It's just plain weird to see games targeted directly.
for fear of being called a troll, or getting the condescending wikipedia "blog" definition link, I'll probably not write in this forum again (no big loss to any of you) but I'll be sitting back waiting for the day when someone else calls Jim out on the lame-ass self righteous "journalist" that he is. Then I'll get in touch with that person and much glad-handing will occur!
You'll rue the day, JIM STERLING!! '
Thank you, and good night/morning....
Jack Thompson is clearly in the wrong country. Can we deport him?