Guest Don Draper Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 My parents bought Game Boys for my brother and me, and we mostly stuck to the Mario Bros. franchise. They outlawed 8-bit (right? 8-bit?) Mortal Kombat, even. If I have children they're getting chalkboards, Legos, and Playskool kitchenettes. I'm also embarrassed to admit that the few times I've tried to play first-person shooter games I haven't been able to master the controls, which is primarily why I never got I to them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 This type of talk goes beyond using your finger or stick to play guns. Yeah, but it's still just make believe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 One of my friends told me a tale of his boyhood about this once. He and his buddies were playing imaginary battle games around the house. His dad started asking him why, what was cool about war etc. He was only 10 so he explained that it's cool to shoot the bad guys. His dad (a Nam vet) tried to explain how horrific war is and realized he couldn't find the words. So he sat his kid down and made him watch Apocalypse Now. Basically saying "You see this shit, it's terrifying and awful. Nothing cool about it." My friend said he remembered it being kind of traumatizing but he values the experience. I think the biggest problem is a PG-13 depiction of war, is not a real depiction of war. We live in a society with people that have enough of a moral compass to reject war for what it really is, but they've been coddled to avoid its actual reality. If it's not kiddos with army games, it's adults with very thoughtless "support our troops" platitudes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Don Draper Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Yeah, but it's still just make believe.So are schizophrenic delusions. "Make believe" is equal to neither healthy nor acceptable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 "Make believe" is equal to neither healthy nor acceptable.It's a critical part of childhood and it's what drives adults to create artwork and write songs, movies and poems. It's perfectly healthy and acceptable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twoshedsjackson Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 It's a critical part of childhood and it's what drives adults to create artwork and write songs, movies and poems. It's perfectly healthy and acceptable.It also drives people to fly planes into buildings. Glorifying violence and war is not a good thing. Ever. We should have learned from experience and evolved beyond it by now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beltmann Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I think the biggest problem is a PG-13 depiction of war, is not a real depiction of war. I'm reminded of what Pauline Kael once said: "Is violence without blood really preferable?" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Don Draper Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 It's a critical part of childhood and it's what drives adults to create artwork and write songs, movies and poems. It's perfectly healthy and acceptable.There's good make believe and bad make believe. I'm of the opinion that make-believe shooting people isn't required in order to lead a fulfilling and rich life. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 dont forget Barrel of Monkeys and Pick 'Em Up Sticks... If I have children they're getting chalkboards, Legos, and Playskool kitchenettes. One of my friends told me a tale of his boyhood about this once. He and his buddies were playing imaginary battle games around the house. His dad started asking him why, what was cool about war etc. He was only 10 so he explained that it's cool to shoot the bad guys. His dad (a Nam vet) tried to explain how horrific war is and realized he couldn't find the words. So he sat his kid down and made him watch Apocalypse Now. Basically saying "You see this shit, it's terrifying and awful. Nothing cool about it." My friend said he remembered it being kind of traumatizing but he values the experience.. My Dad took me to see Apocalypse Now when it came out. It remains my favorite film to this day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Don Draper Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 dont forget Barrel of Monkeys and Pick 'Em Up Sticks... Barrel of Monkeys doesn't sit well with me from an animal welfare standpoint. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I'm of the opinion that make-believe shooting people isn't required in order to lead a fulfilling and rich life.I'm of the opinion that it does little harm, if any. I like to look at the human species as just another form of animal, and I think that boys wrestling and playing war is no different than puppies play-fighting and cats toying with small rodents: it's how they/we learn to survive and protect ourselves and our offspring. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 I actually agree that some level of "warrior play" is going to come out of little boys. My problem is (as the original poster pointed out) all of the media that channels that instinct into an obsession with an unrealistic depiction of war. I really feel that most violence in a PG-13 film is worse because it depicts violence without consequence. It would be better for kids to see a guy get shot and sit there, moan and lose blood while his buddy cries, then to watch a guy get shot and fall away and then he's off camera from there out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 It also drives people to fly planes into buildings. Glorifying violence and war is not a good thing. Ever. We should have learned from experience and evolved beyond it by now. Really don't think the Saudis who piloted those planes spent a lot of time playing Call of Duty. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Kids will naturally make weapons out of sticks and shit around the yard/house and shoot at each other or duel with swords or whatever(at least ,my 4 boys did/do),regardless of parental dissuasion/acceptance. These video games are seriously fucked up in their reality/depiction/glorification of war, though. Whole different deal with the graphic games. I always think it kind of fucked up when parents let their kids play that crap. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 When my boy was a toddler, he was making pistols out of pieces of bread. Shocked the hell out of my wife. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Don Draper Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Really don't think the Saudis who piloted those planes spent a lot of time playing Call of Duty.But they did not simply fall into their vocation by chance either. Propaganda that works is intended to be engaging, not only to get people on board with the cause but to make the endeavor exciting and not just palatable. So no, they didn't play Call of Duty but they also weren't handed visas right after a game of stickball. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Kids will naturally make weapons out of sticks and shit around the yard/house and shoot at each other or duel with swords or whatever(at least ,my 4 boys did/do),regardless of parental dissuasion/acceptance. These video games are seriously f*cked up in their reality/depiction/glorification of war, though. Whole different deal with the graphic games. I always think it kind of f*cked up when parents let their kids play that crap. Its a constant battle with my son now........ALL his friends (he's 12 by the way) are allowed to play Mature rated video war games.....and he cant because we dont allow it. Oh, the gnashing of teeth and wailing within my home.... I gotta wonder if those parents have holes in their heads or are just willfully ignorant as to whats going on in their house. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 I gotta wonder if those parents have holes in their heads or are just willfully ignorant as to whats going on in their house.Perhaps they know their kids well enough that they aren't worried that they're going to bayonet Viet Cong, run over hookers or slay dragons in the real world. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twoshedsjackson Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Really don't think the Saudis who piloted those planes spent a lot of time playing Call of Duty.Sorry, that's not what I meant. My point was that not all "make-believe" play is healthy. I'm sure serial killers and mass murderers indulge in their fair share. Those pilots, by the way, were most definitely brought up in a culture that glorifies violence & martyrdom, and there's more than a little unhealthy make-believe involved in believing you're going to be rewarded with virgins in some afterlife for killing innocents. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Don Draper Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 The first eight minutes of the Today Show covered four stories about white gunman or suspected gunman. I'm not sure what to make of that except that I found it very unsettling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hixter Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 The first eight minutes of the Today Show covered four stories about white gunman or suspected gunman. I'm not sure what to make of that except that I found it very unsettling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 The first eight minutes of the Today Show covered four stories about white gunman or suspected gunman. I'm not sure what to make of that except that I found it very unsettling. I simply find it unsettling to watch the Today Show. I was pretty sure they stopped doing in the news about 5 years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Don Draper Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I simply find it unsettling to watch the Today Show. I was pretty sure they stopped doing in the news about 5 years ago.Yeah, that too. I have one of those seasonal affective disorder lights that I use in the mornings during the winter, and I turn on the news around 6:50 to catch the weather. The exploding skydivers reeled me in, and then there was nothing but guns. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Perhaps they know their kids well enough that they aren't worried that they're going to bayonet Viet Cong, run over hookers or slay dragons in the real world. Perhaps they're assholes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 One of my personal favorite eBay purchases was the complete set of original Squad Leader games, gamettes and supplemental boards and other material (in used but good condition) for like $200. Playing war is fun, but actually being in one sucks major choad. I imagine it's like the worst campout ever combined with the opening scenes of "Saving Private Ryan." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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