Those live action Modern Warfare 3 commercials featuring Jonah Hill and Sam Worthington may be lighthearted nonsense to us regular folk, but US Army Special Operations Command paratrooper D.B. Grady thinks they're crass, hideous, and trivializing.
"The advertisement trivializes combat and sanitizes war," he argued in an article. "If this were September 10, 2001, maybe it wouldn't be quite so bad. Those who are too young to remember Vietnam might indulge in combat fantasies of resting heart rates while rocket-propelled grenades whiz by, and of flinty glares while emptying a magazine into the enemy.
"But after ten years of constant war, of thousands of amputees and flag-draped coffins, of hundreds of grief-stricken communities, did nobody involved in this commercial raise a hand and say, 'You know, this is probably a little crass. Maybe we could just show footage from the game.'"
While I don't doubt that the commercials trivialize war, all I can say in return is ... welcome to Western culture. The American military -- and the resulting fetish regular people have for it -- has been exploited up and down for the past decade. While there's definitely a case against those ads, I don't think it's the "new low" Grady says they are.
At least Infinity Ward's not cynically shouting "THE TROOPS" for cheap applause at rock concerts.
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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I guess the game does treat the combat somewhat desperately. I remember people screaming what to do, sprinting out of fire, breathing heavy and crying out in pain. That's at least somewhat serious.
Oh, shit. The media trivializing 'x'. When has that ever happened?
Especially around the Modern Warfare series! This is unheard of.
Really, all this has done is play right into Activision's marketing strategy for MW as a series. This isn't a new low - this is the same 'low' that Western media has promoted since its major commercialization.
Look I love the military, most do I feel. Still it's a game. Stop looking to be offended. Sure he's probably sensitive to the subject, I get it. Yet, that doesn't mean he has to vilify anyone or raise a stink about it. When did people decide that anything they don't like has to be taken away from people who do. If you don't like it, don't partake in it. If you don't like the message dont call for censorship, put out your competing one.
Hell, how many people will enter honorable and noble service because of games like this. It's good and bad, just like everything else.
The man makes good points. I agree that american culture does glorify violence and the military a little too much, but I did find the commercials a bit entertaining as most regular Americans would.
I'm an Army veteran and the game and commercials don't bother me at all. If Modern Warfare isn't your thing, you don't have to play it. It would be dangerous for us to censor things because it offends a few people.
I don't think so. Although the consequences in MW are in no way realistic, there are still some consequences to war: death, destruction, social upheaval, etc. These commercials are just selling the multiplayer which lacks any kind of context at all.
Glamorizing war works as a military recruitment ad which I say is a good thing. If nobody is joining the army then I will get drafted and I wont have time to play Call of Duty.
The only problem I have with the commercial is that it implies there are people new to the CODMW series.
also I can't believe he used that "b4 9/11 crap" should nation at peace should only show war to prepare the masses for the inevitable, and a nation at war is only allowed to show sunsets and puppy dogs so we forget the brave few and live in blissful ignorance?
How would using footage of the game, as he suggests, cheapen war any less than the commercial? A lot of the game is every bit as absurd as the commercial. I don't think he really knows what he's asking for, despite a valid point.
Stop fetishizing September 11th. It was a horrible thing that sparked countless more deaths and just the ones that happened that day. However it has been TEN FUCKING YEARS. Yes the war is horrible, THAT is an issue. 9/11 is not. 9/11 is history and we need to move the fuck on from it. Take our lessons we learned, and MOVE THE FUCK ON.
Things as nearly bad as 9/11 have happened all over the world in the last 10 years but no other country but the USA has made SUCH a big deal about a domestic terrorist attack and held onto it like it was some sort of trophy.
Sorry but the advert is way too played for cheap laughs and thrills to be considered to actually be about any genuine wars right now. it's just fulfilling male fantasies about being a kick ass soldier/mercenary and as an advert in succeeds in that.
Plus the advert displays an entirely fictional war, not the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
@Spite You wouldn't get drafted. They can't bring back the draft now. They wouldn't want to bring back the draft. Drafted soldiers are less likely to kill anyone than voluntary soldiers. This is why voluntary armies make better armies.
yet you see videos of soldiers playing COD all the time. during breaks in combat.
you think this guy was standing behind those guys.. "aww come on guys. it trivializes war. stop playing that game and suit up. lets go shoot some bad guys in the faces"
In a culture of infinite distraction, the only way to get many to buy into a real world cause is present that cause as a distraction in and of itself.
Activision sells a video game based on a notion of war we all agree is completely false. What is the U.S. Marine Corp. selling when a marine climbs a mountain and fights a dragon in his dress blues with Godsmack (the lowest possible denominator) belting out a heavy "fuck yeah" style riff?
I agree with the man's sentiment, I disagree with where the bottom is.
I never really understood the stance many people have toward the American military in the first place.
On the one hand, they are the heroes fighting for democracy, but on the other, they're fighting a war that should never have been fought and they should be brought home as soon as possible.
So what are they? Heroes, bad guys, victims?
I'm sorry, but that just doesn't quite compute to me.
Well, if 10 years ago a certain President hadn't used war as a cynical way of cementing their power then we wouldn't have so many veterans complaining about things like this.
Because it's obviously trying to recruit people into the military with its realistic take on war, and is in no way meant to advertise a fun, arcadey shooter. I get it's trivializing war, but I don't see a problem with it because it's an obvious fantastical situation with no regard for realism, much like a videogame.
Is it bad that military shooters have become something to have fun in, to just be silly and have fun from something that is very serious? You know where you have real people who are actually in them military and risk their lives. I mean just seems like that is played off as not serious with how it is all over in games. How it seems if anyone tries to spoof a game it tends to be a military shooter, I think of Freddie Wong, how it seems most of his videos are military shooters.
I'm no FPS fan, but I think the commercial was pretty funny. Yes, it didn't show any gameplay, but it sure felt like they were selling a game, not selling war. He frickin' respawns after a Bouncing Betty takes him out.
Jesus. Really, people? Does this guy know how many US military servicemen and women actually play this game and others in the series? My nephew played MW2 with his Sargent while stationed in Afghanistan. I don't think any of them bitched about how it trivialized their work, because they know its a game. So yeah, AMERICA!!! WOOO! 9/11! THE TROOPS!
As a combat veteran, I'd like to tell this guy to shut the fuck up. It sends an awful message to our youth alright, that it's ok to use the term "noob". Call of Duty games are awful to me, but I doubt the impact this commercial has on our youth, given that there's literally thousands of types of media which do the same thing.
Ah, glad to see Triple C addressed what I was thinking in the very first comment. I find the idea of taking issue with the commercials having this attitude to be trivial compared to the way the GAME itself popularizes the "Wartime as an exciting, fun, thrill-ride" perspective.
i gotta say, as a veteran, i've found these "realistic" shooters somewhat crass. it really does trivialize warfare, as killed soldiers simply disappear, lives are relived, and children never lose their fathers. in reality, the places where these horrible acts take place carry the foul stench of oxidized blood, the tears and cries of lamenting loved ones, and the long term scars of battle damaged neighborhoods. i, personally, don't really get into these titles because that reality is not lost on me.
i'm not saying i don't play shooting games, but i prefer to enjoy games that are placed in locations of pure fantasy. how bout a XIII sequel with online? i think everyone can agree that shooting cartoons is a less offensive situation. : D
it just hit me, i think one could even make an argument that the current obsession with shooting games has everything to do with the post 911, rally up the troops fer sum killin, george dubya type propaganda machine. that's a sobering thought...
I don't like the argument that Vietnam Vets should be okay with this kind of thing because it has been so long..
Nobody in the last American war was FORCED to go and get shot, shoot people, or watch their friends die. They choose to go off and fight a war that nobody except the pigs in Washington wanted. Now you deal with the consequences. If you enforce the will of the man by choice, I have ZERO sympathy for you.
Being the sibling of a veteran I feel compelled to say, this guy just wants attention. The commercial depicts two people "inside the game" which has sanitized violence for mass market appeal; not two people at war who are jovial in their murderous actions. If the commercial depicted extremely realistic depictions of war, this guy would be pissed off that it sent him into a ptsd fit.
I get what this guy thinks but for many people these games are just paintball where you don't have to go outside and get welts.
The commercial in question is nothing that hasn't been done in John Wayne movies decades ago or any contemporary movie, show, book, or game.
I totally get that these games, among other media, can be a trigger for vets or they can be like another commenter said, where the games are played and enjoyed by troops. I think this is more because it is about team work, tactics, and blowing off steam than it is about training for tomorrow. So it really is person by person.
If someone thinks that warfare is action-packed or lighthearted and not just sitting around and hoping you don't come across an IED, then that is their sad mistake.
I think that most people will realize that modern warfare is more along the lines of Restrepo than cod or battlefield; a whole lot of boredom and then, in a flash, your friend dies horribly. Most smart people can discern between entertainment and a waking nightmare and still be respectful.
I will admit that it is curious that games have adopted plausible settings and scenarios. EMPs and suitcase nukes COULD be detonated... I would think we would all want a bit more escapism. When a game has a scene where someone gets executed or is about to be executed in front of a camera, it is kind of fuckef up because "this can and does happen and it's monstrous." I don't get why we want "ripped from the headlines" stuff.
This guy needs to get off his post 9/11 patriotic horse. Guess what? We really dont care about the war anymore! I dont think i speak for myself when i say that im sick of my tax dollars being used to shoot innocent people and protect the afghan drug industry.
So the commercial entertains me, and i scoff at a 'true amerikan hero' telling me otherwise. How many children you killed hero?
Dick Cheney was handed control of NORAD weeks prior to the day, and was responsible for sending most of our fighter pilots to Canada and other areas so the real military couldn't respond to the attack.
They also just so happened to be running DRILLS on that day which included planes flying into buildings. The good people in the military and on the inside didn't know it was a "real world" event until it was too late.
The elite always run drills parallel to the real attack. Same thing occurred in the London bombings as well.
So, it's not like everyone in the government or military is in on these false flag events. It is a relatively small and powerful group that has the ability to pull it off.
All wars since 9/11 are pointless for America as a whole, because Al-CIA-da gets it's orders from the pentagon. Until you wake up to this difficult paradigm, you will continue to live in fantasy land. All the good men and woman of the military need to take away the power from the banker supported power that is using America to kill itself.
As usual, I'm surprised by the amount of people commenting to this article who sincerely believe this man is trying to take away their freedoms. That being said, I'm even more surprised by the suggestion that if the veteran doesn't like it, he can and should simply opt out of western culture.
"If this were September 10, 2001, maybe it wouldn't be quite so bad. Those who are too young to remember Vietnam might indulge in combat fantasies of resting heart rates while rocket-propelled grenades whiz by, and of flinty glares while emptying a magazine into the enemy."
I don't see what proximity to actual wartime has to do with this. It's okay to fantasize about Vietnam, but not anything relevant to our generation? Vietnam was pretty damn brutal. I don't understand this guy. If anything, this game makes kids idolize and look up to military personnel. And apparently war games are only okay if there's not one going on? Welcome to the current global scene brother. There's always military conflict somewhere, sometime. Just to make sure we don't hurt anyone's feelings ever, let's all only play Tetris.
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Contest:
9:00 AM on 01.03.2012 | 
Especially around the Modern Warfare series! This is unheard of.
Really, all this has done is play right into Activision's marketing strategy for MW as a series. This isn't a new low - this is the same 'low' that Western media has promoted since its major commercialization.
But I agree with his points as well.
Hell, how many people will enter honorable and noble service because of games like this. It's good and bad, just like everything else.
I don't think so. Although the consequences in MW are in no way realistic, there are still some consequences to war: death, destruction, social upheaval, etc. These commercials are just selling the multiplayer which lacks any kind of context at all.
also I can't believe he used that "b4 9/11 crap" should nation at peace should only show war to prepare the masses for the inevitable, and a nation at war is only allowed to show sunsets and puppy dogs so we forget the brave few and live in blissful ignorance?
Things as nearly bad as 9/11 have happened all over the world in the last 10 years but no other country but the USA has made SUCH a big deal about a domestic terrorist attack and held onto it like it was some sort of trophy.
Plus the advert displays an entirely fictional war, not the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
And that plays itself.
you think this guy was standing behind those guys.. "aww come on guys. it trivializes war. stop playing that game and suit up. lets go shoot some bad guys in the faces"
Activision sells a video game based on a notion of war we all agree is completely false. What is the U.S. Marine Corp. selling when a marine climbs a mountain and fights a dragon in his dress blues with Godsmack (the lowest possible denominator) belting out a heavy "fuck yeah" style riff?
I agree with the man's sentiment, I disagree with where the bottom is.
On the one hand, they are the heroes fighting for democracy, but on the other, they're fighting a war that should never have been fought and they should be brought home as soon as possible.
So what are they? Heroes, bad guys, victims?
I'm sorry, but that just doesn't quite compute to me.
Eh I dunno if I even made sense but oh well.
i'm not saying i don't play shooting games, but i prefer to enjoy games that are placed in locations of pure fantasy. how bout a XIII sequel with online? i think everyone can agree that shooting cartoons is a less offensive situation. : D
it just hit me, i think one could even make an argument that the current obsession with shooting games has everything to do with the post 911, rally up the troops fer sum killin, george dubya type propaganda machine. that's a sobering thought...
I don't like the argument that Vietnam Vets should be okay with this kind of thing because it has been so long..
Nobody in the last American war was FORCED to go and get shot, shoot people, or watch their friends die. They choose to go off and fight a war that nobody except the pigs in Washington wanted. Now you deal with the consequences. If you enforce the will of the man by choice, I have ZERO sympathy for you.
The commercial in question is nothing that hasn't been done in John Wayne movies decades ago or any contemporary movie, show, book, or game.
I totally get that these games, among other media, can be a trigger for vets or they can be like another commenter said, where the games are played and enjoyed by troops. I think this is more because it is about team work, tactics, and blowing off steam than it is about training for tomorrow. So it really is person by person.
If someone thinks that warfare is action-packed or lighthearted and not just sitting around and hoping you don't come across an IED, then that is their sad mistake.
I think that most people will realize that modern warfare is more along the lines of Restrepo than cod or battlefield; a whole lot of boredom and then, in a flash, your friend dies horribly. Most smart people can discern between entertainment and a waking nightmare and still be respectful.
I will admit that it is curious that games have adopted plausible settings and scenarios. EMPs and suitcase nukes COULD be detonated... I would think we would all want a bit more escapism. When a game has a scene where someone gets executed or is about to be executed in front of a camera, it is kind of fuckef up because "this can and does happen and it's monstrous." I don't get why we want "ripped from the headlines" stuff.
So the commercial entertains me, and i scoff at a 'true amerikan hero' telling me otherwise. How many children you killed hero?
Dick Cheney was handed control of NORAD weeks prior to the day, and was responsible for sending most of our fighter pilots to Canada and other areas so the real military couldn't respond to the attack.
They also just so happened to be running DRILLS on that day which included planes flying into buildings. The good people in the military and on the inside didn't know it was a "real world" event until it was too late.
The elite always run drills parallel to the real attack. Same thing occurred in the London bombings as well.
So, it's not like everyone in the government or military is in on these false flag events. It is a relatively small and powerful group that has the ability to pull it off.
All wars since 9/11 are pointless for America as a whole, because Al-CIA-da gets it's orders from the pentagon. Until you wake up to this difficult paradigm, you will continue to live in fantasy land. All the good men and woman of the military need to take away the power from the banker supported power that is using America to kill itself.
I don't see what proximity to actual wartime has to do with this. It's okay to fantasize about Vietnam, but not anything relevant to our generation? Vietnam was pretty damn brutal. I don't understand this guy. If anything, this game makes kids idolize and look up to military personnel. And apparently war games are only okay if there's not one going on? Welcome to the current global scene brother. There's always military conflict somewhere, sometime. Just to make sure we don't hurt anyone's feelings ever, let's all only play Tetris.
Please excuse the rant because THE TROOPS!