Sex criminal Ryan Chinnery, whose multiple failed attempts at rape were blamed on Grand Theft Auto, has been jailed today, and it has brought the subject of violent videogames back to the British media.
To celebrate, the BBC’s South Eastern news programme just ran a call-in asking viewers if they think violent games should be banned, and has spoken to a number of “experts,” including wannabe game-legislator Julian Brazier. The Conservative MP has a particular axe to grind with Rockstar, and is using some rather presumptuous logic. He has just put forth the argument that life indeed imitates art. You’ll have to forgive if the quotes aren’t exactly word-for-word, as they were typed once I’d heard them.
“I think there is evidence that nature sometimes follows art,” Brazier explained to the BBC. “After an episode of Casualty was aired that featured a character attempting to commit suicide with pills, there was a 17% increase in people self-harming with illegal substances.”
Yeah … pretty conclusive, right? But there’s more. Brazier naturally couldn’t resist bringing up Manhunt 2, where he claimed this: “Manhunt 2 features sustained sadism against women.”
As far as I remember, all your enemies in the game are actually male. Certainly nothing “sustained” about that. As for the call-in, a few comments were read out, including one that claims: “If just one teenager is affected by violent games and goes on to commit a crime, then they should absolutely be banned. Government should ban them all.”
Wow. What a sad and blind society we’ve carved for ourselves.
