Grumpy Pundit: Men Play Too Many Dang Videogames

[Mortuorum]

Hmm... 46 years old, got a job (corporate officer in my firm, BTW), got a kid, got an Xbox 360. I'm sure I play more than some "12- to 17-year old boys", but they have more homework than I do so.

Like so many have pointed out, there aren't a lot of jobs out there and the ones the government has "created" are great if you're a paid-up union member with several years' experience in construction. Or if you want to grope airlines travelers in America's fastest-growing job sector, the paranoia industry.

The reality is that if students want to study, they will. If they want to slack off, they'll do that too. When I was in high school, the scapegoat was MTV. (And drugs. It was the '80s. Drugs were big.) When my dad was in high school it was "devil rock and roll music". Now its the Internet and videogames.

 

[Jaebird]

I get this enough from my drunk of a brother (minus the abortion of babies).

I have a job and I play games. I may not be within the "support family" range of pay, but I help my mother enough with the bills.

 

[Ralphfromdk]

The rest of the world is going to love us gamers when aliens and / or zombies attack.

Just you wait.

Also, on a more serious note, this is just an old fart who can't handle that the world is changing around him. "Oh noes, women are getting better at things, we must do something".

Really? Does it matter who's in charge as long as they are the best for the job?

 

[SidingWithTheEnemy]

Hmmm, tough call, in order to help Mr. Benett's resources to have any valid claim I was thinking to give up my job and dump my girlfriend. Only to help his statics whe he probably found in the dustbin.
But since I don't live there I can gladly keep my social life, my work and my gaming habits all together and working out pretty well for me anyway...

It's "nice" to know that people proposing abortions based on the racial background can be elected. That's reasuring... not.

 

[-Samurai-]

Meh. I have 3 jobs. So that's one for me, and two of my unemployed gaming brethren covered.

Team work!

 

[twm1709]

I don't know anything about political groups in the US, but the conservatives always come across as cartoonishly old fashioned and ignorant whenever they're brought up.

 

[Zakarath]

What america needs is for stodgy old morons to realize that games aren't just something for children.

 

[Leg End]

We need to respond to this culture that sends confusing signals to young men, a culture that is agnostic about what it wants men to be, with a clear and achievable notion of manhood.

He clearly does not know what a man actually is.

I suggest directing him to /eastwood/.

Brofist to anyone that knows what I am saying.

EDIT: Also, he comes across as sexist.

statingtheobvious.jpg

 

[RicoGrey]

I have a wife, I have 2 kids, and I have a stable job. I also play an S load of video games. Not as many as I once did, I used to play games at least 3 hours daily, more on the weekends.

I am smart enough, that I could have received a PhD in just about anything that interested me. Instead I went to college for one semester, and dropped out.

I can't say exactly why I dropped out, the best answer I can give is "I just did not care".

So, the question becomes, what caused my lack of interest, why would I want to play video games more than go to college. I enjoy learning, I spend hours most days reading scientific articles, but I just did not care enough to get a degree.

In short, do I play so many games because I am depressed, or did the games cause my depression. Personally, I think I was already depressed from some other cause, such as chemical imbalance, and video games just filled that hole.

 

[Versuvius]

Bennett has a face like a plate of spam and eggs. He should be doing the insurance adds, not Churchill.

 

[dimensional]

accept their responsibility to stop enjoying life. "We may need to say to a number of our twenty-something men, 'Get off the video games five hours a day, get yourself together, get a challenging job and get married,'" says Bennett.

Thankyou O great leader you are a guiding light in these dark times. gotta love that quote though "accept their responsibility to stop enjoying life" now that is a keeper finally the meaning of life explained to have as little fun as possible. You enjoying yourself? yes? then your living your life wrong.

Also like how he then goes onto explain how we accept this responsibility ok chaps hes my recipe for how to lead a proper responsible miserable life first stop playing video games second get a challenging job thirdly get married and voila you will be old and miserable in no time but you must take action asap in order to be as miserable as long as possible.

Then there is the ambiguity inherent in the quote "we may need to say" yeah just `may` not sure yet, if it turns out wrong dont look at me but if it turns out good remember it was my idea to say.

"to our twenty-something men" ok by context he is on about age but I like to think the speech is directed at just twenty something men (probably because he ran out of fingers and toes to count them).

"get off the video games five hours a day" what the hell does that mean I have to play them 19 hours a day well your the boss mr outspoken miserable guy.

Jeez I bet hes great fun at partys looking at him I am reminded of the joker quote in dark knight `why so serious? you need to smile more` also I still think Rudyard Kiplings `if` poem is more clued up on how to be a man than this guy wonder if he has ever read it?

Ok im off to get myself a challenging job I hate and an ugly annoying wife so I can fulfill my responsibility to be miserable and dead inside oh and to burn my games as well nasty filthy heathen things.

 

[Speakercone]

... and proposing to abort all African-American babies, ...

Boogita-woogita-wha? This man is clearly some kind of super-racist. Where's Ultra-Luther-King when you need him?

 

[esperandote]

I'm employed, self-employed and I have my own bussines, so take that ignorant old man.

 

[ckam]

So who's this guy again? I don't think anyone from the HW era is really important or cared for nowadays...

 

[Stilt-Man]

I saw the headline, and thought it was a new series on The Escapist. I'm... kind of disappointed.

This is just business as usual. Government bloke poo-poos games, gamer blokes get upset. Move along, nothing to see here.

 

[Dastardly]

Grumpy Pundit: Men Play Too Many Dang Videogames

Anything that involves imagination will invariably be viewed as "childish." That is why it is acceptable for a 30-something man to have an unhealthy fixation with golfing, at the expense of relationships and responsibility... but another 30-something man who meets all of his obligations, but plays with action figures, would be seen as a freak.

It isn't the shirking of responsibility that they're focusing on. It's the fact that it's a pastime that involves some amount of imagination. As a result, we're losing imagination as a critical thinking skill. That is not a good thing.

Now, too much gaming? Sure, that can be a problem. But that's true of all things. No need to single one out. How about just a general, "Get your shit together, get your work done, care for your family, and then play games/golf/Monopoly/whatever."

 

[thelonewolf266]

Cue generic gamer outrage.

This guy sounds like an arse anyway, even without the gaming related stuff.

...

I really hate to sound all trying-too-hard-to-be-edgy-and-cynical, but I get the impression the Escapist posts these kind of "Entity X says games are bad" articles just because they know it's guaranteed to produce traffic.

I'm sorry but its a site about gaming why would they not post gaming related articles.

 

[Turing]

As crazy as the angry old man sounds, he does have a point about mens role in society. Chuck Palahniuk said it better, though.

 

[intheweeds]

"For the first time in history, women are better educated, more ambitious and arguably more successful than men," writes Bennett. "Man's response has been pathetic."

Wow. I didn't realize this was a contest! When does it end and we get to declare an official winner?

Men and women are not in some kind of battle for supremacy. This is the silliest thing I have heard today. Granted it's still early.

Edit: I choose to ignore the 'gay marriage' and 'African-American babies' comments. Everyone else has handled that rather well I think.

 

[direkiller]

... and proposing to abort all African-American babies, ...

Boogita-woogita-wha? This man is clearly some kind of super-racist. Where's Ultra-Luther-King when you need him?

in his secret identity
AL Sharpten