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AIBU?

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Original poster

to feel scared for our girls when kicking prostitutes in a video game

345 replies

Duckierub · 13/05/2014 12:54

gets you more points.

Did anyone see the program about women's roles in video games? I was utterly horrified when I saw the imagery of how women are portrayed as sexual objects and kicking female prostitutes to get your money back earned you points. I was also shocked that the teen girls interviewed said it was normal for them to be molested by boys.

AIBU to think that we should be campaigning against some of this stuff?

OP posts:
unrealhousewife · 13/05/2014 18:53

We had Rolf Harris in our day though Grin (which is worse?)

SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 13/05/2014 18:58

JCDenton That's good to hear! And it does tally with my experience: most men do not have a problem with women in gaming.

PitchSlapped You're lucky, and quite unusual. And, women don't get flack because they seek attention or broadcast their gender. They get flack because some men thinks it's okay to treat them like that.

donnie · 13/05/2014 18:58

So......to the parents who have bought 18 rated games for their much younger children: I assume you'll be getting them a load of porn in as well?

SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 13/05/2014 19:01

Unreal and Jimmy Savile - and he was prime time on a Saturday evening. What were they thinking ...

SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 13/05/2014 19:03

"So......to the parents who have bought 18 rated games for their much younger children: I assume you'll be getting them a load of porn in as well?"

Aarf :) And a bottle of gin and packet of B&H. And maybe a copy of Hostel to watch at bedtime.

donnie · 13/05/2014 19:22

well , quite Saskia. I am assuming parents who are happy to allow their underage kids to watch 18 rated violent games would also be happy to get them onto porn, fags, gambling, etc......why the fuck not ? what is the difference? is there one?

I couldn't care less about the pathetic lame excuses; it's neglectful and abusive IMO.

Original poster
Duckierub · 13/05/2014 19:25

Back online, thank you for all the enlightened posts.

Especially the gamers.

I think it is definitely important that people are educated to the content of these games. I would have no idea except for watching that documentary.

OP posts:
parentalunit · 13/05/2014 19:32

Wow this is shocking. I had no idea this was in video games.

I get a bit Mary Whitehouse about video games and also regular videos/movies. Is there really a need for violence at all? Bollocks to artistic expression...who needs to watch someone kill another person? How can that possibly not affect mental health in some way?

Eminorsustained · 13/05/2014 19:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PitchSlapped · 13/05/2014 20:01

Ah well I reckon that my experience over 5 or 6 years of online gaming, my experience isnt that unusual. There were upwards of 30 women (about 100 men) in my alliance who I spoke to reguarly and there was only one male player who was what I would call abusive - you'd be talking to him on msn and he'd suddenly send you pictures of his massive dick. Then there was the girl who would post pictures of herself in her underwear posing suggestively on a bed on our forums when we were sharing "what we look like" pictures.

The vast majority of male gamers are normal blokes, not sex pests.

gotnotimeforthat · 13/05/2014 20:20

eminor

level 5 judgy knickers brilliant Grin

NinjaLeprechaun · 13/05/2014 20:26

How can that possibly not affect mental health in some way?
Interesting observation on my part, by no means intended as anything but anecdotal: When my daughter gets ragey over something - whether it's PMS, boyfriend breaking up with her, or general bad day, whatever - she goes and plays a 'killing something' video game until she calms down. It's a way to take out anger or frustration without actually hurting anybody or anything, including herself which is what she used to do. I can't see how that's a bad thing.

gotnotimeforthat · 13/05/2014 20:29

Pants even

gotnotimeforthat · 13/05/2014 20:31

ninja

When my daughter gets ragey over something - whether it's PMS, boyfriend breaking up with her, or general bad day, whatever - she goes and plays a 'killing something' video game until she calms down. It's a way to take out anger or frustration without actually hurting anybody or anything, including herself which is what she used to do.

I do this too. If my partner pisses me off it's either hit him. Hit the wall or shoot him a couple of times in the nuts on a computer game.

I prefer the latter, I have great aim.

parentalunit · 13/05/2014 20:57

Hmm interesting, I still can't wrap my head around that being a good outlet! I do believe you though :)

There are definitely benefits of gaming generally eg www.bcs.rochester.edu/games4good/GameWellBeingAttention_ExecSum_021213.pdf but the violence is just so gruesome.

I will deal with this when I have to but if my boys decide they are going to kick a prostitute to get their money back I think I might have a heart attack!

TillyTellTale · 13/05/2014 21:02

I think it depends on the community. There was a superhero game I used to play which was really nice. I hardly ever had to report anyone and when I did, the mods were shit hot on it. And so were the players: a known prat got blacklisted from the biggest guild-thingummybob for a combination of harassing a female player (strike 1) and making fun of disabilities (strike 2). I think games aimed at people who want to be superheroes must attract nice people.

These days, I occasionally play a free-to-play WoW type of game. You know the kind, loads of elves in skimpy armour. I haven't noticed much of an issue with sexism, but oh my goodness, the racism and xenophobia! The mods do nothing, and the same people are typing away loathsome stuff night after night.

enderwoman · 13/05/2014 21:08

I've noticed homophobia and ageism on some online games. "I bet you're a 13 year old gay boy" sort of thing.

I think MMO seems to be the most friendly and least sexist genre. I've met lots of normal friendly people who happily help noobs.

60sname · 13/05/2014 21:12

This GTA debate has been going for more than 15 years. I am 31 and most likely far from the youngest person on this thread. When GTA came out I was 14. I managed to get through my teens untraumatised by this game. I can't be the only one.

unrealhousewife · 13/05/2014 21:21

Parentalunit you are right there is bound to be an effect on mental health but it's not really been examined. Girls will be normalising this stuff, as will boys. It's grooming and desensitising on a massive scale. It doesn't really affect adults, we know what we can accept and what we will object to, but if you've been exposed to this stuff from the age of 10 then you really won't be able to make any kind of judgment alone and are likely to accept a lot of it as normal behaviour unless you've got strong peers who guide you in the right direction.

But as usual, big business is far more important than the health and wellbeing of our children.

unrealhousewife · 13/05/2014 21:23

60sname - you are a perfect example - you are not traumatised because you have normalised it. That's not a criticism, just the way that the human brain deals with repeated trauma.

NinjaLeprechaun · 13/05/2014 21:26

unreal if video games are what cause violence and misogyny, then what video games were they playing in the Middle Ages?

theselegswermad · 13/05/2014 21:36

My husband is in the games Industry and these types of games are his bread and butter.
I can tell you that there are plenty of females who he works with who have hands on experience with the content of the game design, characters, environment etc.
Its a multi billion $ industry that sells a fantasy, the whole point of these games is that you can lose yourself and do everything that you cant do in real life its a GAME !!!

We have 2 pre teens and they are not allowed to play this game full stop, and any other over 18's games, we have a big collection.

Its the feckless parents responsibility to stay No to these games, all my sons friends have GTA, COD etc, and the parents really don't have a clue about the contents and to be honest some don't care.

unrealhousewife · 13/05/2014 21:36

Oh dear.

unrealhousewife · 13/05/2014 21:38

That was @Ninja.

Theselegs - what happens when your teens go to their friends houses?

kali110 · 13/05/2014 21:42

I don't think its normal to go around running people over or killing people. I understand its a game. Im not sure what age i was when gta came out.im 28 now.i only started playing it when i went to university though.
I agree with others that parents should be taking more responsibility. I don't see why some think that its not ok to let kids what adults films yet are quite happy to let them play adult games.