[quote name='bmulligan']Sometimes the plot IS the sex and violence, just like some movies, TV shows, books, or comics. It doesn't need to have a purpose or artistic merit, it sometimes IS the purpose. There's nothing wrong with gratuitous sex and violence for it's own sake, if that's what you want to watch.
Unreal tourney and the like is just basically a slaughterfest with cool explosions. You really can't get more gratuitous than that, and I don't have a problem with any of it. It's pretty insulting when someone calls something I like indecent and wants to deprive me of the right to be entertained by it because of their perverted sense of moral superiority. Censorship sucks, period. In a free society, you have to tolerate the tastelessness of others to savor the flavor of freedom.[/quote]
That's true, and again, I don't have a problem with that--when I play Quake or Unreal or The Suffering [haven't yet, but will], I know I'm in for extreme violence. I also won't play those around my son, or let him play them yet.
My easiest-to-remember example of gratuitous sex was in the movie 'Nightfall', loosely based on a classic Isaac Asimov short story. The story was incredible, the movie sucked, *and* added in gratuitous sex scenes that added nothing to the plot or characters. However, in A Clockwork Orange, one of my favorite movies, the sex and violence is inherent necessary, and provides a pivotal function in the film.
I also agree that the decision should be mine and my family's as to what to watch/play etc, but I believe the company producing it also has a right to decide what they want to produce, based on their perception of their audience. That doesn't ocnstitute censorship, technically. I also wouldn't mind seeing some sort law enforcing the ratings of movies, games, and music [be consistent], because I'd rather see that than 8 year old kids buying GTA or Manhunt. I don't understand how that's a 'free speech' issue, but i do believe that the ESRB ratings are basically voluntary [or at least third party, non-governmental], so that might have something to do with it.