Apple Rejects HappyPlayTime Sex-Ed Game

[tehroc]

This is the weirdest idea for a game ive ever seen. What if a kid saw this?

Harping on 'What about the children?' is just another step to fascism and a threat to personal freedom.

Captcha: ad for Sarasota County. Um be smart ad company, I live in coastal Florida. Why would I go to Sarasota for beaches when Sanibel is 20 minutes away?

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

On the one hand, Apple has a pissweak attitude to classification in the App Store.

On the other, using cartoon mascots to teach sex ed usually ends up being either creepy or condescending.

 

[MisterM2402]

One last question: Is there actually a stigma attached to female masturbation? I'm genuinely not aware of one, but I usually don't ask and kind of eschew gender and sexuality in general.

Yeah, same here, I had no idea this was a thing. Don't doubt it at all, just never heard of it. Can anyone shed some light?

 

[Kinitawowi]

Kinitawowi received a warning for this post.

Oh, fine.

"The subject matter and content of this topic are beyond my ability to comprehend. My reaction is thus one of sheer disbelief and bewilderment."

Happy, mods?

(No, seriously, what the hell is this? Who thought they could put up a talking vulva next to a sign that says "Love Your Vagina" and thought that it would be immediately acceptable? Just... what?!)

 

[Strazdas]

Not news. Apple does not accept anything that does not fit their bland hipster stnadard coting bullshit reasons. it happens all the time.

I get it, sex ed isn't always up to the task of letting young people feel comfortable with their sexuality, but I don't think I'd feel any more comfortable about letting a game like this teach kids than just telling them myself.

by the time your kids get interested in games like this you should have already told them already.

This is the weirdest idea for a game ive ever seen. What if a kid saw this?

thats the idea - kids are supposed to see this.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

If it had manipulative microtransactions that Apple were getting a cut of then it'd probably be accepted in a heartbeat. Maybe she could change it to a match-3 game called Clit Crush Saga?

How about "African Tribal Coming of Age Simulator"? That has pretty much the same meaning.

That's in such poor taste.

I love it.

OP: Good, kids have it too easy anyways. I had to discover masterbation via word of mouth from my cousin and sleeping in a dorm room with three other boys at age 11. Had to do it damn careful too, but now I can fap it anywhere quite as a cockroach.

Anyways, would this actually help anyone? I get the feeling that playing this would feel patronizing at best and downright creepy at worst.

 

[Nikolaz72]

One last question: Is there actually a stigma attached to female masturbation? I'm genuinely not aware of one, but I usually don't ask and kind of eschew gender and sexuality in general.

Yeah, same here, I had no idea this was a thing. Don't doubt it at all, just never heard of it. Can anyone shed some light?

I think its an imagined stigma. Sure it's not actually a topic that's often out in public debate- but It's not as if people talk about Male Masturbation more than Female Masturbation... And unlike actual sex, the chance of someone getting an STD or becoming Pregnant from the lack of education on the matter is quite low, making the importance of school-ed on the matter a bit less important.. Besides, usually I reckon kids have an easy enough time figuring out the know-hows on their own and that's fine.

Only exception I could see is the religious zealots going about in the Middleeast/United States or what have you try to guilt-trip their kids into feeling like Hitler for touching their genitals, but I doubt those are going to let their kids get their hands on this game in the first place so it can't be marketed towards them either. Really I'm just a bit confused as to whom the game is meant for.

Doesn't mean I'm against it appearing in the app-store, there are much worse things with far less reasons to be there.

 

[Idsertian]

This is the weirdest idea for a game ive ever seen. What if a kid saw this?

OMG! They might get a healthy education! WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!

Spoiler

OT: Apple gonna Apple, I suppose. We all know how mind-numbingly dumb they can be when it comes to their marketplace. All I can say to Ms. Gong is convert it to Android and see what Google say.

Just a brief reminder that Rack Stare, the "adults only!" game about leering at hot, luscious tits without getting caught by the life support systems they're attached to, remains available for purchase in the App Store.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rack-stare/id385786751?mt=8 [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rack-stare/id385786751?mt=8]

Wuh... why the hell does this exist?

 

[FPLOON]

Just a brief reminder that Rack Stare, the "adults only!" game about leering at hot, luscious tits without getting caught by the life support systems they're attached to, remains available for purchase in the App Store.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rack-stare/id385786751?mt=8 [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rack-stare/id385786751?mt=8]

Apparently, it's not "pornographic" if it only has "strong sexual innuendo" overtones instead of "openly non-pornographic" undertones... *shrugs*

OT: Huh... Even as a dude, that game sounds like it could have been really fun to play... and, on top of being educational too?

Apple, what do you have against learning games for [growing] adults, huh?

 

[soren7550]

I'm kinda on Apple's side here, if not by much. With the cartoony lady bits, it (at a brief glance) appears to be more geared towards children, and a game/app about masturbating really shouldn't be aimed at kids. Teenagers, maybe, but the game/app in question is still a bit of a touchy subject.

While the creator's intent is to be educational, it's still kinda pornographic. And Apple does have a right to deny such things approval from their app store.

But, I do stand behind Miss Gong in creating such a thing to better educate women about masturbation, as I'm sure that many women (such as myself) were led to believe that the only sexual pleasure to be had is the penis entering the vagina kind, and nothing else. (if that sentence was too graphic, please tell me and I'll fix it)

And let's face it, Sex Ed is terrible and awkward. Having an educational app would do a lot of good, and not only that, it'd probably be better for squeamish people to go to the app than to search the internet.

 

[Vegosiux]

I'm kinda on Apple's side here, if not by much. With the cartoony lady bits, it (at a brief glance) appears to be more geared towards children, and a game/app about masturbating really shouldn't be aimed at kids. Teenagers, maybe, but the game/app in question is still a bit of a touchy subject.

I, uh disagree. No really, the sooner we get over this entire "You'll understand when you're older" shtick, the better. Kids are way smarter than we give them credit for, seriously. And one mistake we're making especially often is thinking that just because we tell them "Not til you're older", they're just going to go "Oh, okay, I'll just forget it for half a decade".

What they're going to do is what's pretentiously called "explore sexuality". When I was younger we simply called it "fooling around". It's fun, it's exciting, and it doesn't have to be made up as if it's some kind of a profound learning experience. Now all that's left to do is tell 'em how to go about it in a responsible way.

And let's face it, Sex Ed is terrible and awkward.

No it isn't. Hell, I've had "the talk" with my parents when I was like, eight. It was all very technical, none of that "birds and bees" nonsense. Then we had sex-ed a few years later in school and I was baffled as to how pretty much only me in the entire class seemed to know anything about it.

It's only terrible and awkward if you're terribly awkward at explaining it.

Now, as for Apple...

-snip-

Wait, what? Ooooookay. Well, I rest my case...

 

[soren7550]

I'm kinda on Apple's side here, if not by much. With the cartoony lady bits, it (at a brief glance) appears to be more geared towards children, and a game/app about masturbating really shouldn't be aimed at kids. Teenagers, maybe, but the game/app in question is still a bit of a touchy subject.

I, uh disagree. No really, the sooner we get over this entire "You'll understand when you're older" shtick, the better. Kids are way smarter than we give them credit for, seriously. And one mistake we're making especially often is thinking that just because we tell them "Not til you're older", they're just going to go "Oh, okay, I'll just forget it for half a decade".

What they're going to do is what's pretentiously called "explore sexuality". When I was younger we simply called it "fooling around". It's fun, it's exciting, and it doesn't have to be made up as if it's some kind of a profound learning experience. Now all that's left to do is tell 'em how to go about it in a responsible way.

And let's face it, Sex Ed is terrible and awkward.

No it isn't. Hell, I've had "the talk" with my parents when I was like, eight. It was all very technical, none of that "birds and bees" nonsense. Then we had sex-ed a few years later in school and I was baffled as to how pretty much only me in the entire class seemed to know anything about it.

It's only terrible and awkward if you're terribly awkward at explaining it.

Now, as for Apple...

-snip-

Wait, what? Ooooookay. Well, I rest my case...

While that may be true, a lot of people have problems with little kids being even aware of sex. I'm kinda on both sides of that. Yes, it'd be good if people were well educated while young so that it's second nature when they're older, but then again, a five year old should be far more concerned about Pokemon than proper masturbation and safe sex.
And there's the whole possible shitstorm of parents losing their shits over an app trying to peddle sex to little kids (even if it isn't).

And while the idea behind Sex Ed is all well and fine, the practice isn't as much. The one year I had the class, the teacher wasn't really qualified to teach it, and she more often than not showed movies that barely, if at all related to the subject. (we were once made to watch a movie about Wal*Mart) And from what I've heard/been led to believe, my situation is hardly unique.
Add to the fact that there are government funded abstinence only Sex Ed classes, and there's probably a lot of parents that just don't tell their kids anything because they're delusional enough to believe that if they don't mention it ever, then their kid will never do anything.