Grand Theft Auto - sex games for boys

[FeminismInSchools]

Just found out yesterday that popular boys video game Grand Theft Auto promotes use of strippers and prostitutes and rewards players for buying lap dances. This is sold by Smyths Toys - A Toy Shop!!
Degrading objectification of women. Favourite game of man who is charged with stabbing to death Natalie McNally in Northern Ireland before Christmas.
Do we want our sons playing this 'game'?

twitter.com/charlottecarso1/status/1621874738397052931?s=20&t=4BDQaHLSiCrMPqgwJ6is9A

post edited by MNHQ to avoid prejudicing any legal proceedings.

Right... You have just learnt yesterday adult games for adults exist?
It's called Grand Theft Auto and is about being a low ranking mobster, what did you think the subject matter would be about?

That’s why it has an 18 rating. Smyths Toys sell a lot of video game consoles and accessories. I’m sure there’s objectionable content in a lot of them.

I don’t remember getting points for getting lap dances in the game but it’s been a while since I played.

this isn’t news and, for what it’s worth, I loathe it. My son (9) has unfortunately seen it while visiting a friend who shares a console with his teenaged brother.

I’d love to remove all media that did not portray women respectfully and as equal to men; trying to raise my son properly with 1,000,000 little conversations is like trying to clean a sewer with a toilet brush!

It’s not a “boys game”. It’s an adults game. It’s also really fun.

It's been around since last last century!

But thank you for bringing this important issue to our attention

Kind of see the point that Smyths is a toy shop.

But they aren't just a toy shop. They also sell electronics and games. They sell FIFA. They also sell call of duty and GTA.

It's not like children are now being exposed to nudity, violence and prostitution because they stock GTA behind a glass cabinet. Should be the exact same limitations by age as anywhere else like Game.

It's an 18 certificate for adults!

You only just learned this?

You’re late to the party OP, honestly it’s an age restricted game so if kids get hold of it you can blame their parents.

OP I didn’t know you got rewards. I mean what does that say, regardless of the age of the player…

@Idontmeanto it must feel like that but I think those conversations will stick. I think the difference between the thought process of your son and a child that hasn’t had those conversations would probably be quite stark (I mean in terms of the game). Hope that doesn’t sound patronising.

In the original 1990s game occasionally you'd see a procession of Hare Krishna devotees all walking along in a line and singing.

If you mowed them all down in your car in one go, you'd get a bonus and 'GOURANGA' would pop up on screen in big animated letters.

I know. And it's being sold in Smyths Toys. That's my point.

It’s age restricted though, I really can’t take your problem seriously. It will be sold in all supermarkets with an electronics section and other high street retailers. I’m sorry I think you’re overreacting 🤦🏼‍♀️🙄

Duke Nukem did this 20 years ago... nothing new.

Not sure why you are getting so much flack op. It’s an absolutely abhorrent game and even though it’s an 18 many teenagers boys below that age end up playing it and thinking it’s cool. DS’s friend age 12 regularly talks about playing it.

That's down to bad parenting, not to being sold as a restricted item in a toy store

Grand Theft Auto was doing it 20 years ago. The series is about 25 or 26 years old.
It's aimed and sold to adults and while I don't like the content it's not beging forced on or marketed at me or my kids.

Apparently you can use a hooker then run her over to get your money back 😡

I see your point, op. No-one’s saying Smyth’s are going to sell 18 games to 8 year olds, but they’re not ‘top shelf’ items in brown paper bags. They are advertised and sold in full view of any child who walks into the store.

When things are normalised in this way and everyone becomes familiar with the names and packaging of these adult games in a toy shop, children and, maybe more significantly, their parents, are inevitably going to become de-sensitised and will start to regard them as just another game and probably innocuous in view of the fact that they are in close proximity to goods aimed mainly at young children.

It’s a weird juxtaposition and blurs what should be a clear line between kids’ and adult games.

And what’s with all the ‘have you only just found out about this??!!’ comments? People aren’t born with an innate knowledge of GTA and COD etc. You only know about them if they’re on your radar - e.g. having children the right/wrong age, or playing them yourself.

They can't sell it to under 18s.

We know.

I know you know! No idea what the OP knows as this all seems to be news to her. She may not realise that 18 rated games can't be sold to under 18s, may just think they are advisary ratings or something.

That's why it's an 18 🙄

Other than the principle of it, don't get what's so terrible about them selling it in their store. They sell it in supermarkets too and it's a lot more visible there than it is at smyths

There is a lot more things to get het up about than this