Boondocks on video game violence.

MacGruder is always on point. The gun people have a hella strong lobby, so noone can touch them. The videogame industry doesnt have any lobbyists, so they get attacked.
 
Dunno why everyone is championing this thing so much (since this was on Digg) outside of the obvious fist-pumping "YEAH SUCK IT NON-GAMERS" rhetoric.

Huey's point is that we need more gun control, which is a divisive idea in and of itself, since people argue about it endlessly. So that's out.

Riley's point doesn't really hold a lot of water since he goes on the assumption that a guy with a lot of guns is more likely to kill you than a nerd. I find that odd since all the shootings lately at campuses seem to be pulled off by scraggly little pale dudes with a lot of pent up rage. Yeah, the guy with the AK-47s has the pure equipment there, but until he gets the motive and/or suffers some other breakdown in his head telling him to haul off and kick some ass, he's not necessarily more dangerous.

I've asked some people (on this board, actually) why they - as members of the NRA - thought that banning assault rifles was a dumb idea, and their response was always the same. Basically, that NRA members are worried about safety and nutjobs with guns just as much as everyone else, and that the guns being available are to be used responsibly. Besides, it doesn't help that someone wanting to get their hands on one is going to get one some way or another, so I didn't think it was a bad argument in and of itself.

I'm over-analyzing, but let's not latch onto any little comment proclaiming videogames aren't evil just because we're all gamers. You still need to be saying something smart to begin with.
 
When the Columbine shootings happened, the Senate Committee that was investigating it basically hung the video game industry out to dry. One of the sole media studies people (my undergrad field) who defended the industry as a whole was Henry Jenkins head of MIT's Comparative Media Department. The thing that seperates him from most media studies people is that he actually plays, and enjoys video games. If you haven't read his statement to the committee, then [URL="http://www.mit.edu/people/cshiley/Content/NotMine/jenkins.html]check it out[/URL]

My favorite lines from his statement are:

Adult fears of new technologies. The Washington Post reported that 82 percent of Americans cite the Internet as a potential cause for the shootings. The Internet is no more to blame for the Colombine shootings than the telephone is to blame for the Lindbergh kidnappings. Such statistics suggest adult anxiety about the current rate of technological change. Many adults see computers as necessary tools for educational and professional development. But many also perceive their children's on-line time as socially isolating. However, for many "outcasts," the on-line world offers an alternative support network, helping them find someone out there somewhere who doesn't think they are a geek.

and

We are afraid of our children. We are afraid of their reactions to digital media. And we suddenly can't avoid either. Thee factors may shape the policies that emerge from this committee but if they do, they will lead us down the wrong path. Banning black trenchcoats or abolishing violent video games doesn't get us anywhere. These are the symbols of youth alienation and rage -- not the causes.
 
[quote name='Strell']Dunno why everyone is championing this thing so much (since this was on Digg) outside of the obvious fist-pumping "YEAH SUCK IT NON-GAMERS" rhetoric.

Huey's point is that we need more gun control, which is a divisive idea in and of itself, since people argue about it endlessly. So that's out.

Riley's point doesn't really hold a lot of water since he goes on the assumption that a guy with a lot of guns is more likely to kill you than a nerd. I find that odd since all the shootings lately at campuses seem to be pulled off by scraggly little pale dudes with a lot of pent up rage. Yeah, the guy with the AK-47s has the pure equipment there, but until he gets the motive and/or suffers some other breakdown in his head telling him to haul off and kick some ass, he's not necessarily more dangerous.

I've asked some people (on this board, actually) why they - as members of the NRA - thought that banning assault rifles was a dumb idea, and their response was always the same. Basically, that NRA members are worried about safety and nutjobs with guns just as much as everyone else, and that the guns being available are to be used responsibly. Besides, it doesn't help that someone wanting to get their hands on one is going to get one some way or another, so I didn't think it was a bad argument in and of itself.

I'm over-analyzing, but let's not latch onto any little comment proclaiming videogames aren't evil just because we're all gamers. You still need to be saying something smart to begin with.[/quote]

I agree with Strell here. That comic was really more about Gun Control, which is flawed idea. I mean if somebody is willing to Kill or a Mame another person, what makes you think they won't illegally buy a gun? However if there is strict gun control laws, it makes it more difficult for those who ARE trying to obey the law and they just want a gun for self-protection or sport.

Also as Strell said, just because you own guns, doesn't mean you are just waiting for the right time to kill someone.
 
[quote name='Strell']Riley's point doesn't really hold a lot of water since he goes on the assumption that a guy with a lot of guns is more likely to kill you than a nerd. I find that odd since all the shootings lately at campuses seem to be pulled off by scraggly little pale dudes with a lot of pent up rage. Yeah, the guy with the AK-47s has the pure equipment there, but until he gets the motive and/or suffers some other breakdown in his head telling him to haul off and kick some ass, he's not necessarily more dangerous.[/quote]

Analyzing a joke is like dissecting a frog; you can find out how it works, but you have to kill it in the process.
- Mark Twain

I thought it was a cute comic.

Anyway - Strell claimed that "all the shootings lately at campuses seem to be pulled off by scraggly little pale dudes with a lot of pent up rage"

However the shootings he is referring to are a vast minority of the shootings occuring out there in the real world.

Sure, if you watch nothing but mainstream media TV it may seem that the only kids picking up guns are alienated college kids who think the Matrix is a documentary. But the reason mainstream media focuses on university shootings is precisely because they are so "man bites dog" unusual.

By way of example, I googled "DC shootings" and found this account of a brazen driveby recently.

A 17-year-old Southeast Washington youth accused of shooting four students near Ballou High School opened fire from the sunroof of a passing car, according to charging papers filed yesterday.
Deidrick Johnson and others in the car had been seen a short time earlier driving near the school and shouting "Oy-Oy!" at people on the street, authorities said. "Oy" is a code word for the Barry Farm housing complex, where Johnson lived, the charging papers say.
Johnson is charged as an adult with assault with intent to kill in the Jan. 22 shooting outside Ballou. He is also charged as an adult in a drive-by attack Jan. 11 that injured five young people in Southeast Washington.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021202580.html

Now if this had happened in, say, Georgetown under different circumstances then Fox news would be running 24/7 news updates on the situation.
 
Just so everyone knows, both the VA Tech shooter and this latest shooter all bought their guns legally. They also bought their guns from the same online dealer. They passed background checks completely.

So in this case, if we'd had stricter gun control laws, it would have at least slowed these guys down. Of course if they hadn't gone to a dealer, better laws would have done no good, but they didn't. Most all of these people aren't buying their guns from the trunk of some black market gun dealer, they're buying them from a licensed dealer.
 
[quote name='camoor']
However the shootings he is referring to are a vast minority of the shootings occuring out there in the real world.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but the ones everyone starts screaming about video games are the ones where it's the nerdy types coming out to play, which is what this comic is criticizing.

It's just another buzzword to the media at this point. If it's a high school or college kid, the investigation (egged on by the media) always includes a "Did the shooter play video games?" angle.

Kind of like how if a shooter tomorrow ended up being a Muslim-sounding name (or actually was a Muslim), the media would actually be sort of excited about it, aye? We'd never hear the end of it. Hell, Fox News would probably try to sell t-shirts commemorating it.

It's all these scapegoats people are so quickly willing to shoot into the spotlight and cast worry and fear upon.

For the record, Twain is awesome. He's beyond awesome. And I guess he no longer has to envy the dead.

Also, the only reason I wrote that post is because I've seen this thing posted elsewhere, and it got a volley of lulz lulz replies there too. Gamers and nerds online are just so quick to latch onto anything that supports their side/opinion that they generally don't think much (if any) about who is saying it, how they are saying, and what they are really saying.
 
has anyone heard anythign about those 2 episodes of boondocks that got cut? will they ever be on and if not is there a place to see them online?
 
[quote name='Strell']Yeah, but the ones everyone starts screaming about video games are the ones where it's the nerdy types coming out to play, which is what this comic is criticizing.[/quote]

You make a good point.

I'd just like to point out that the comic is Boondocks, not VGCats. So when they talk about a "guy with a warehouse full of AK-47s" they're probably not talking about a squeaky clean licensed dealer of hunting parephenalia, or a lawyer for the NRA.

IMO the Boondocks comic is talking about the gun dealers who use legal loopholes (such as no background checks at gun shows) to sell military-purpose weapons to street thugs and gang members. That results in real problems for real people - typically in depressed urban areas. However instead of tackling these real issues of gun control and distribution, politicians and pundits only get involved in the relatively rare cases where a mentally-ill student shoots up his university - because in these sensational cases the politicians can bring out a soft target such as videogames to use as a whipping-boy.
 
[quote name='lordwow']When the Columbine shootings happened, the Senate Committee that was investigating it basically hung the video game industry out to dry. One of the sole media studies people (my undergrad field) who defended the industry as a whole was Henry Jenkins head of MIT's Comparative Media Department. The thing that seperates him from most media studies people is that he actually plays, and enjoys video games. If you haven't read his statement to the committee, then [URL="http://www.mit.edu/people/cshiley/Content/NotMine/jenkins.html]check it out[/URL]

My favorite lines from his statement are:



and[/QUOTE]

Jenkins is an excellent media critic (we're talkin' the older one, right?).

He's also a big fan of pro wrestling. just wanted to point that out.
 
[quote name='JolietJake']Just so everyone knows, both the VA Tech shooter and this latest shooter all bought their guns legally. They also bought their guns from the same online dealer. They passed background checks completely.

So in this case, if we'd had stricter gun control laws, it would have at least slowed these guys down. Of course if they hadn't gone to a dealer, better laws would have done no good, but they didn't. Most all of these people aren't buying their guns from the trunk of some black market gun dealer, they're buying them from a licensed dealer.[/QUOTE]

Yup. Japan has outlawed firearms for the public and shootings- as well as random violence on others- are relatively rare there. Unfortunately most pro-gun people don't seem to get that.
 
[quote name='mykevermin']Jenkins is an excellent media critic (we're talkin' the older one, right?).

He's also a big fan of pro wrestling. just wanted to point that out.[/QUOTE]

Yes the older one. He's one of the few media critics who considers himself an "Aca/Fan" which is an academic who writes about what they are a fan of, and more specifically fan culture (like cult TV shows, fanfic, and spoiling Survivor). But he often ends up looking like an apologist because so many media effects academics are writing trying to prove the links between media and sex/violence.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Yup. Japan has outlawed firearms for the public and shootings- as well as random violence on others- are relatively rare there. Unfortunately most pro-gun people don't seem to get that.[/QUOTE]

I agree that if we had a law system like Japan there would be far less shootings here (though probably more stabbings/etc), but since the country is so strongly for gun ownership, I couldn't see it happening. Short of a banning of guns... guns like drugs would be easily obtained through a black market system. Does it take longer? Yep. But do you think these people who shoot up schools are willing to wait a few days extra or pay a few dollars more? Sure.
 
[quote name='lordwow']I agree that if we had a law system like Japan there would be far less shootings here (though probably more stabbings/etc), but since the country is so strongly for gun ownership, I couldn't see it happening. Short of a banning of guns... guns like drugs would be easily obtained through a black market system. Does it take longer? Yep. But do you think these people who shoot up schools are willing to wait a few days extra or pay a few dollars more? Sure.[/quote]Considering most of these school shooters are "nerdy," i don't think they'd know where to get a gun illegally. Hell, i wouldn't myself, aside form maybe a gun show, those aren't permanent shops though.

It's true that if criminals want guns, they'll find them some how. Most of these recent shooters aren't criminals though, at least before the shooting anyway. That means they don't need to buy from some shady dealer, they can walk into any gun shop and buy them legally like anyone else would.

It's the "starter criminal" that i worry about, the ones who can pass a background check. The only way to stop these people is to have stricter gun laws.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Yup. Japan has outlawed firearms for the public and shootings- as well as random violence on others- are relatively rare there. Unfortunately most pro-gun people don't seem to get that.[/quote]

Less random violence in Japan could also have something to do with the 99% conviction rate. ;)
 
[quote name='JolietJake']Considering most of these school shooters are "nerdy," i don't think they'd know where to get a gun illegally. Hell, i wouldn't myself, aside form maybe a gun show, those aren't permanent shops though.

It's true that if criminals want guns, they'll find them some how. Most of these recent shooters aren't criminals though, at least before the shooting anyway. That means they don't need to buy from some shady dealer, they can walk into any gun shop and buy them legally like anyone else would.

It's the "starter criminal" that i worry about, the ones who can pass a background check. The only way to stop these people is to have stricter gun laws.[/QUOTE]

Most people who are nerdy enough to play video games or whatnot, are nerdy enough to know how to do a Google search. If you're looking for something, you can find it easily enough.
 
[quote name='lordwow']Most people who are nerdy enough to play video games or whatnot, are nerdy enough to know how to do a Google search. If you're looking for something, you can find it easily enough.[/quote]
I don't think you understood my argument. I doubt there is an ad online for the guy who sells guns out of his van. This gun dealer however, was an licensed online gun dealer.
 
[quote name='JolietJake']I don't think you understood my argument. I doubt there is an ad online for the guy who sells guns out of his van. This gun dealer however, was an licensed online gun dealer.[/QUOTE]

Ya, I guess. But for example, drugs are illegal, but anyone who's reasonable intelligent (or even not so) can acquire them. The same thing would happen if guns were difficult to come by.
 
[quote name='lordwow']Ya, I guess. But for example, drugs are illegal, but anyone who's reasonable intelligent (or even not so) can acquire them. The same thing would happen if guns were difficult to come by.[/quote]
I doubt everyone would have a friend who sells dime bags of 9mm shells.
 
[quote name='JolietJake']I doubt everyone would have a friend who sells dime bags of 9mm shells.[/QUOTE]

Again, it's not like everyone would have guns, just like not everyone has drugs, or everyone knows a prostitute right now. But if you want something like this, you can find it.
 
[quote name='lokizz']has anyone heard anythign about those 2 episodes of boondocks that got cut? will they ever be on and if not is there a place to see them online?[/QUOTE]

I heard they may be released on the season set on DVD...
 
Anybody remember the strip where Riley tells Huey that it's "the lack of videogames which cause violence" and then goes out to beat people over a PS2?

That strip was superb.
 
[quote name='lokizz']has anyone heard anythign about those 2 episodes of boondocks that got cut? will they ever be on and if not is there a place to see them online?[/QUOTE]

You can see the trailer for them on YouTube once in a while but they get pulled fast. I really want to see "The Uncle Ruckus Reality Show" episode. I guess our only chance is it being on the Season 2 DVD set and someone posting it online like someone posted the Uncle Ruckus' Scarecrow deleted scene from the Season 1 DVD set.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Yup. Japan has outlawed firearms for the public and shootings- as well as random violence on others- are relatively rare there. Unfortunately most pro-gun people don't seem to get that.[/quote]

I wanted to point that out.

In all honesty, I don't understand needing guns for self defense. If every idiot in America didn't have a gun *I'm not saying ALL gun owners are idiots, but I won't lie here, most of the people locally to me who own guns are fucking stupid ass jackasses. I'm talking the get drunk and see how fast they can drive a truck down the road at 2 AM. No, I'm not joking.* we wouldn't need guns to protect ourselves, from ourselves. Protection isn't much of a reason to own a gun. Guns are made to kill things. Thats the extent of it. Thing is, in our society people don't care. They look at what makes *them* happy and don't think of any consequences. No long-term effects.

If anyone makes a comment about us being invaded and needing guns then, I highly doubt a bunch of gun owners could stop a military force.
 
[quote name='georox']If anyone makes a comment about us being invaded and needing guns then, I highly doubt a bunch of gun owners could stop a military force.[/quote]

Let's see, approximately 235 years ago...
 
[quote name='neocisco']Let's see, approximately 235 years ago...[/quote]

When we didn't have much of an organized military, and back when wars where fought on our soil. The weaponry legal to own isn't exactly stuff thats going to stand up well against any form of organized military that would attack us.
 
[quote name='georox']When we didn't have much of an organized military, and back when wars where fought on our soil. The weaponry legal to own isn't exactly stuff thats going to stand up well against any form of organized military that would attack us.[/quote]

Your point has more substance now that you've given an explanation with it. However, I don't really agree with you. Tactics are more important than weaponry, at least to a point. Examples: The American Revolution, the French resistance in WWII, Al Qaeda in Iraq, etc.
 
bread's done
Back
Top