Hit the *****: A Domestic Violence Videogame

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Hit the *****: A Domestic Violence Videogame


A Danish support group for victims of domestic violence has released Hit the ***** [http://www.hitthebitch.dk/], a Flash game that teaches people about the evils of beating the crap out of women by letting them beat the crap out of women.

Ever see Children Exposed to Violence at Home [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066921/], in which players use their mouse (or their own hands, if they're webcam-equipped) to smack around a woman.

As the beating continues, the player's rating will move from "100 percent pussy" to "100 percent gangsta," at which point the game ends. I wasn't able to try it myself (currently, only users from Denmark can actually play) but screenshots indicate that the woman's face will grow increasingly banged up as the game continues. When it finally comes to a finish, with the woman crumpled tearfully on the floor, the game calls players a "100 percent idiot" and issues a "scolding in Danish."

Despite its negative portrayal of domestic violence, Jezebel.com [http://jezebel.com/5406721/hit-the-*****-the-worst-anti+violence-campaign-ever] criticized the game for its "inescapable sexualization" of abuse. "This game is saturated with the sexy-violence meme, from the woman's cute clubbing outfit (complete with a short leather skirt) to the post-hit pouty face she makes (before her face is completely bruised that is)," the site said. "The project is way too glamorized and stylized to have the impact the organization hoped. Instead, the project ends up reinforcing the idea that violence is sexy, while allowing their ultimate message to fall to the wayside."

Furthermore, according to AdFreak [http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2009/11/antiviolence-site-urges-you-to-hit-the-*****.html], it also falls short by imposing relatively light consequences, even in a gaming sense, for pummeling a woman senseless. "Getting called a '100% idiot' at the end doesn't feel like much of a rebuke," it said. "Perhaps you're supposed to feel guilty, like a real-life abuser might, for continuing to hit the woman just to see what happens next?"

No matter how sternly it ends, I just can't see this as a good idea. Some people will find Hit the ***** disturbing while others, sadly, will be momentarily amused by it, but as an educational tool it's value is very near zero. Games can be fantastic teaching tools but they're all about positive reinforcement, something entirely inappropriate for a subject like domestic violence.

via: GamePolitics [http://gamepolitics.com/2009/11/19/anti-violence-flash-game-lets-users-beat-woman]


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Hamster at Dawn

It's Hazard Time!
Mar 19, 2008
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Come on guys, it's only a game... right? You have to admit the pussy/gangsta scale is pretty funny.
 

Teh_Doomage

New member
Jan 11, 2009
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Well doesn't seem like a flash game that will get people up in arms...

100% Gansta, that's hilarious.
 

scotth266

Wait when did I get a sub
Jan 10, 2009
5,202
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Roommate played it. We didn't understand what was going on though, thanks to a lack of the ability to speak Danish.
 

Armored Prayer

New member
Mar 10, 2009
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Wow.....

Seriously who honestly thought this was a good idea, let alone a good way to educate people about domestic violence?
 

Woodsey

New member
Aug 9, 2009
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Yes, I can see this working...

All this will do is bring unnecessary attention (if some journalist who can't get their facts straight finds out). Not much, but its still stupid.
 

Jon Etheridge

Appsro Animation
Apr 28, 2009
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Well... apparently you can only hit a ***** in Denmark. It wouldn't let me play due to a traffic increase.
 

thiosk

New member
Sep 18, 2008
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Wheres "Operation Auschwitz: Mengele Fun?" Germany, you are falling behind in the horrific games race!
 

Canadamus Prime

Robot in Disguise
Jun 17, 2009
14,334
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This seems counter-productive to me. Also if they're going for something like in A Clockwork Orange, they need to introduce some harsher consequence for hitting the uh, "*****". Something like giving the player a little electrical shock through the mouse maybe.
 

historybuff

New member
Feb 15, 2009
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.....that's awful.

I can't believe there are self-respecting men in the world who would play th--oh wait, yes I can. Who am I kidding?