Was that a singing, dancing Willem Dafoe flower? Why was it dancing? (quite funny though, Jim.)
Jimquisition: Desensitized to Violence
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
- Start date
It's my belief that people (mostly men) are attracted to violent media not because they want to enact violence, but because violent media is the one place where it's ok for a man to show emotions without restraint (the one other place is within a romantic relationship and that's a whole other story). Be it sadness over noble deaths and other acts of chivalry or basic rage, violence in media is an outlet for that. I don't think for a second that that media is harming it's viewers in any way. On the contrary, it's giving them some breathing space and is preventing them from doing something stupid (by which I'm not implying a killing spree). The problem, if there is one, lies in a society that thinks it's ok to police people's emotions.
We can apply Jim's logic about violence in video games to everything in video games right? Sexism in games is ok because its not really like "real" sexism, same with racism, not really "real" so its ok right? I doesn't affect people the same way right? Or are we splitting hairs?
Don't get me wrong I'm not condemning any video games for anything they contain, they are a free art form, you cant blame them for murders, those are done out of a persons free will. I did like the use of the video clip, had nothing to do with video game violence, hell was not even violent but +10 for shock and awe , maybe some people need to see real death to have more respect for it because if video games had real violence in them a lot of people couldn't handle them.
P.S.- Blaming video games makes about as much logical sense as blaming guns right?
Don't get me wrong I'm not condemning any video games for anything they contain, they are a free art form, you cant blame them for murders, those are done out of a persons free will. I did like the use of the video clip, had nothing to do with video game violence, hell was not even violent but +10 for shock and awe , maybe some people need to see real death to have more respect for it because if video games had real violence in them a lot of people couldn't handle them.
P.S.- Blaming video games makes about as much logical sense as blaming guns right?
As a police officer and someone who has had to take a life in the line of duty. I have made this EXACT argument to people. Those who are adamant that video games make for violent people do not want to hear it though.
What makes someone lose their humanity and become a mass murderer cannot be blamed on any one factor. The fact that media and people try to do that boggles the mind.
What makes someone lose their humanity and become a mass murderer cannot be blamed on any one factor. The fact that media and people try to do that boggles the mind.
Can't say i like this episode, in fact I feel sick just commenting on it for how much I dislike it... and it's because of that unease that I say thanks Jim, no irony intended. I have never once seen a piece of media that has portrayed an actual death in real time. I could have looked hard if I wanted to find one, but the thought never came to my mind, and so I never looked. Although I'm not very happy or comfortable with the video, it did induce a reaction, and gave me seriously tangible, personal proof in regards to real- world violence and video games. I actually wrote a research paper on this topic; I've read Ferguson's articles in regards to school shootings and video games (The article makes the claim that there is no connection between media violence and real world violence, and provides great substantial and circumstantial evidence), Anderson's Meta-analysis (Most researchers who claim violent media leads to violence site this meta-analysis or other pieces of Anderson's work), Anderson's General Aggression Model, as well as a wealth of other papers from both sides of the argument. Despite all the work I had to do, there was always one piece I felt I missed, and I felt like you were able to fill that gap. It's a gruesome piece of information that has made me very uncomfortable, but with it I feel that my personal argument as in regards to violent content and tangible violence has been effectively completed.
This video allowed me to walk away more informed than any of the hundreds of rants I have seen elsewhere. For that I am thankful. Keep up the good work.
This video allowed me to walk away more informed than any of the hundreds of rants I have seen elsewhere. For that I am thankful. Keep up the good work.
compared to allot of things on the internet, and allot of the real life atrocities that are committed by real people every year games are exactly that, games. there's nothing else to be said.. you might upset someone if you kill their avatar in a game but so what?
it's not the same as creeping up on someone in the dark and ramming a blade through them and enjoying how the serrations catch on their ribs and coating themselves in the warm sticky blood to get some kind of thrill from it
heck, allot of soldiers sent to real wars come back totally mindf* by what they've seen when real violence
kicks off.. what's an average gamer going to do? break down and cry i'd bet
such a good point jim.
it's not the same as creeping up on someone in the dark and ramming a blade through them and enjoying how the serrations catch on their ribs and coating themselves in the warm sticky blood to get some kind of thrill from it
heck, allot of soldiers sent to real wars come back totally mindf* by what they've seen when real violence
kicks off.. what's an average gamer going to do? break down and cry i'd bet
such a good point jim.
Second time I've seen that clip and it still disturbed the shit out of me! I gotta think that's a good thing.
I am 24 with a lot of gaming experience, and i wasn't shocked or disturbed all that much by this sight. But i don't this is because of games. 7 years ago I am sure i would have been very shocked, and that would be after my most intense gaming period. At that age i was very sensitive to violence and felt sorry for every single bug i ever accidentally stepped on. The two most personaly disturbing things i have experience were: t he cerbral accident of my grandmother and the death of a kitten the next day after i rescued him.
The thing that disturbed me the most i a game was the time when i got hooked up with a bunch of pirates in Eve Online and joined their gang, and once intentional befriended a player to loore him into a trap where the gang ambushed him and took most of his in game posessions, he quit the game after that. After this i had a dirty conscience and several nightmarish nights. As a result i quit pirating and the game soon after that. But still i think that Eve Online was the best game i ever played.
The thing that disturbed me the most i a game was the time when i got hooked up with a bunch of pirates in Eve Online and joined their gang, and once intentional befriended a player to loore him into a trap where the gang ambushed him and took most of his in game posessions, he quit the game after that. After this i had a dirty conscience and several nightmarish nights. As a result i quit pirating and the game soon after that. But still i think that Eve Online was the best game i ever played.
It's been said so many times already, but I skipped the footage, I switched to a blank tab and just listened to the audio. I couldn't bring myself to actually watch it. I've never felt that way playing a video game before. Thank you Jim for presenting such a strong argument. This is your best video yet. Thank you Escapist staff for letting him show it.
It is saddens me though that you needed to show this footage to get the point across, and it's even sadder that the people who need to know probably won't listen.
It is saddens me though that you needed to show this footage to get the point across, and it's even sadder that the people who need to know probably won't listen.
Excellent video and a very well made point.
As to those who don't feel all that fazed by the video, I'd say that's differences in human empathy. Some of us are very emphatic and thus react strongly to other people whilst others are not and thus show much less of a reaction.
The main point is though you (should) still feel something on seeing the suicide video, whether it's outright shock and horror or just a minor sadness, our empathy kicks in and in some part attunes our own emotions to the real people we're seeing.
When you're seeing a video game this simply doesn't happen unless a great deal of characarization has been put into the character being killed. Our empathy 'knows' it isn't real and thus doesn't react, we simply don't feel anything.
I'd say it's downright impossible for video games to ever cross that line. The moment they theoretically do any sense of fun would cease to exist and they wouldn't be games any more.
As to those who don't feel all that fazed by the video, I'd say that's differences in human empathy. Some of us are very emphatic and thus react strongly to other people whilst others are not and thus show much less of a reaction.
The main point is though you (should) still feel something on seeing the suicide video, whether it's outright shock and horror or just a minor sadness, our empathy kicks in and in some part attunes our own emotions to the real people we're seeing.
When you're seeing a video game this simply doesn't happen unless a great deal of characarization has been put into the character being killed. Our empathy 'knows' it isn't real and thus doesn't react, we simply don't feel anything.
I'd say it's downright impossible for video games to ever cross that line. The moment they theoretically do any sense of fun would cease to exist and they wouldn't be games any more.
I skipped the video because I find some gore too much. Even phantasy's gore. Sadly I saw the last few second. Perhaps exhadderate the end time stamp to avoid this.
Pretty much what was said is the same as Penn and Teller and Charlie Brooker. I agree. I hate the media.
Pretty much what was said is the same as Penn and Teller and Charlie Brooker. I agree. I hate the media.
Yesterday, when I saw Django Unchained, the scenes when Django would shoot down 3 or so men were so ridiculous that they couldn't reasonably be considered real. The way he pulls out a six-shooter and shoots 3 men in their hearts before they get to shoot a single bullet is almost magical. Then blood flies everywhere in Tarantino's signature style, and Django makes the man he hated most of the gang blow up.
That is not real violence. Django is a mythical character, like Hercules or the guy who saved Broomhilda.
That is not real violence. Django is a mythical character, like Hercules or the guy who saved Broomhilda.
I'll be perfectly honest with everybody, When I heard the scream, I thought it came from the guy. That was more uncomfortable then the image (Until that dreaded closeup). I have no problem with Two Girls, One Cup, or any of its parody/knockoffs. I find that stuff to be quite funny in most cases. I have maintained as a gamer that the one thing I would never be privy to is watching murder, which is why I find the dnepropetrovsk maniacs video to be the one I will never watch, ever. This video was another story, but the maniacs stuff I can't get myself to even try and watch.
Video games have allowed me and many others to do brutal things in some oddly clever ways sometimes, but murdering somebody is the one thing I have an aversion to, despite being a guy that sort of kind of likes the Manhunt game (All my praises stems from the Piggsy Level).
Many people like to maintain that games encourage violence, but I've always carried the flag of "Games Don't encourage violence" and many others, because despite all the awful things I can do in games, watching someone die is something I have too much of a moral compass to be involved with. It may be preaching to the choir in many cases, but sometimes it's all people need to be convinced of something. You have no disagreement with me, Jim. Whether I skipped the video or not, we are in the same camp as far as I'm concerned.
Video games have allowed me and many others to do brutal things in some oddly clever ways sometimes, but murdering somebody is the one thing I have an aversion to, despite being a guy that sort of kind of likes the Manhunt game (All my praises stems from the Piggsy Level).
Many people like to maintain that games encourage violence, but I've always carried the flag of "Games Don't encourage violence" and many others, because despite all the awful things I can do in games, watching someone die is something I have too much of a moral compass to be involved with. It may be preaching to the choir in many cases, but sometimes it's all people need to be convinced of something. You have no disagreement with me, Jim. Whether I skipped the video or not, we are in the same camp as far as I'm concerned.
It's kind of strange. I didn't react when I saw it. I just sort of froze. I guess, maybe it didn't feel very real? I mean, I know it happened, but it was nothing like what I thought it would be. It was so fast. He didn't even hesitate. He just put it in his mouth, pulled the trigger, and fell right down. And there was blood coming out of the back of his head.
And then it was over. Maybe it's because I wasn't there myself, but it didn't HORRIFY me, just sort of... I don't know, shocked me? Did anyone else have that reaction?
And then it was over. Maybe it's because I wasn't there myself, but it didn't HORRIFY me, just sort of... I don't know, shocked me? Did anyone else have that reaction?
Ninja Gaiden 3 for the Wii-U. I thought it looked awesome too, so imagine my disappointment when I found that out.Roofstone said:
OT: Eurgh. Yeah, real gruesome violence is always more disturbing than video game violence. Hell, even in movies or television shows it's usually simple things like surgeries or big, ugly cuts in a medical drama that get me more than over-the-top shooting and stabbing in action films. Because it's just that much closer to reality, and reality can be disturbing.
Coming out of lurk mode to thank both Jim and the Escapist for going ahead with publishing this. To a degree, it is preaching to the choir, but in my opinion people can't be enlightened enough about the state of our mass media. Even if 100% of the people here were aware that video game violence is a caricature, if just one person became aware of the level of real violence shoved in their face as entertainment, and the genuine glorification that goes on, then this was truly a victory.
I don't think I've been desensitized by violence in video games, or at least not as much as by the media.
For years the media and news agencies have been bombarding my brain with gruesome images that no game would ever show (or no tasteful game). Images like Auschwitz, the mass graves in Bosnia, the Jack The Ripper victims, Syria and much more.
Seriously, there is nothing that desensitizes more than seeing those images constantly appear on your TV.
So, if you think you can handle it, open this spoiler tab and follow the links.
These are the images that the mainstream media constantly throws into our faces and were just watch them, processing them as information. How can that not desensitize a person?
In the age where the ability to watch a human being get hanged is one youtube search away, the media constantly showing blown apart bodies to illustrate violent deeds in foreign countries, where mass murdering douche bags get more media coverage then actual worthwhile human beings it's strange to point at video games and blame them.
They constantly give these murderous human beings the complete attention that they want and then wonder why suddenly more of them show up. Surely it has nothing to do with giving them complete attention and getting their name in the history books, no, it must be video games...
Bunch of ....
For years the media and news agencies have been bombarding my brain with gruesome images that no game would ever show (or no tasteful game). Images like Auschwitz, the mass graves in Bosnia, the Jack The Ripper victims, Syria and much more.
Seriously, there is nothing that desensitizes more than seeing those images constantly appear on your TV.
So, if you think you can handle it, open this spoiler tab and follow the links.
Bosnia
http://cdn.girlsjustwannahaveguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bosnia-masacar.jpg
http://www.deondernemer.nl/UserFiles/Image/2011/201105/20110526/mladic srebrenica massagraf EPA.jpg
Jack The Ripper
http://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/thumb_a3c980812b.jpg
http://im.glogster.com/media/5/23/93/61/23936168.jpg
Syria
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dcej6Fz7C.../5cvOMEQKTI0/s1600/syria_children_victims.jpg
Auschwitz
http://sassywire.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/auschwitz1.jpg
http://www.dangerouscreation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/auschwitz.jpg
http://cdn.girlsjustwannahaveguns.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bosnia-masacar.jpg
http://www.deondernemer.nl/UserFiles/Image/2011/201105/20110526/mladic srebrenica massagraf EPA.jpg
Jack The Ripper
http://www.awesomestories.com/images/user/thumb_a3c980812b.jpg
http://im.glogster.com/media/5/23/93/61/23936168.jpg
Syria
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dcej6Fz7C.../5cvOMEQKTI0/s1600/syria_children_victims.jpg
Auschwitz
http://sassywire.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/auschwitz1.jpg
http://www.dangerouscreation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/auschwitz.jpg
These are the images that the mainstream media constantly throws into our faces and were just watch them, processing them as information. How can that not desensitize a person?
In the age where the ability to watch a human being get hanged is one youtube search away, the media constantly showing blown apart bodies to illustrate violent deeds in foreign countries, where mass murdering douche bags get more media coverage then actual worthwhile human beings it's strange to point at video games and blame them.
They constantly give these murderous human beings the complete attention that they want and then wonder why suddenly more of them show up. Surely it has nothing to do with giving them complete attention and getting their name in the history books, no, it must be video games...
Bunch of ....