Jimquisition: Desensitized to Violence
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
- Start date
I remember back during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Nordar Kumaritashvilli died one day before the Olympics began in a training accident. NBC, being the geniuses that they are, showed the footage of the accident multiple times and in slow motion on the night of the opening ceremony. People were thoroughly upset by that and the next day NBC decided not to show it again.
It's worth noting that the footage didn't show any blood or visible injuries.
It's worth noting that the footage didn't show any blood or visible injuries.
For those who are worried because the video didn't shock you, don't. I highly doubt it was just because video games desensitized you. And I doubt even more that it makes you a monster. There are people in this world that could watch an autopsy while munching on a ham sandwich. There are others that will get queasy just by reading that sentence. There are a lot of factors that can go into it, only one of which can be media violence. And just because you can watch a video of a suicide without being shocked, that does not mean you could just as easily commit violence against another person with the same dispassion.
Me, I think I could shoot someone if I had to. I might even not vomit afterwards. But that's a test I never want to make. My brother shot at a person that fully intended on killing him. Even though he missed, the very idea of it messed him up for years. This is a man that knew full well how to use a gun, and was enjoys all manner of violent movies. But the act of actually pointing a gun at a person and pulling the trigger still makes him shake when he thinks about it.
So again, don't worry too much on things. You're not a terrible person for not flinching.
Me, I think I could shoot someone if I had to. I might even not vomit afterwards. But that's a test I never want to make. My brother shot at a person that fully intended on killing him. Even though he missed, the very idea of it messed him up for years. This is a man that knew full well how to use a gun, and was enjoys all manner of violent movies. But the act of actually pointing a gun at a person and pulling the trigger still makes him shake when he thinks about it.
So again, don't worry too much on things. You're not a terrible person for not flinching.
This might be just me but I'm getting a weird glitch in the video at 2:53 the video audio cuts and the frame stops (on the car blowing up) and the timer keeps going but sped up. Eventually the video pauses and when I press play again the same speed up occurs
I know this isn't a poll, so I doubt anyone is interested in my response here, but: I watched the video, and I was saddened by it, but not really shocked. One ought to bear in mind that I work in palliative care, though, and watching people die is what I do for a living. I've built up a barricade against it.
As to the contents of the video itself, I can only say, with no irony whatsoever (well, beyond the inherent irony of my atheism), thank god for you, Mr. Sterling.
As to the contents of the video itself, I can only say, with no irony whatsoever (well, beyond the inherent irony of my atheism), thank god for you, Mr. Sterling.
The whole "games desensitive you to violence" argument has always been one to piss me off, because I personally can't even stand to watch gore in film. I can play Gears of War and chainsaw Locust in half, but films like Hostel give me screaming night terrors. In both I know they aren't real, but in film/television your mind still struggles with "well, that is what it COULD look like." While in movies you know not a single part of it is real. It's just pixels and polygons.
That footage did disturbed me quite a lot and I'm kind of happy, in a way, it did.
Games is not comparable to real violence and most gaming people know this I do find however the news could have a dosage of age recommendations like games I don't think many news media would get a rating less than 18+.....
The warnings were very good, many and big enough, it were disturbing footage but very good prof of what Jim is after.
Might even use it as in argument about games and violence, after warnings though.
Games is not comparable to real violence and most gaming people know this I do find however the news could have a dosage of age recommendations like games I don't think many news media would get a rating less than 18+.....
The warnings were very good, many and big enough, it were disturbing footage but very good prof of what Jim is after.
Might even use it as in argument about games and violence, after warnings though.
It didn't disturb me in the literal sense of the word, but I did felt incredibly uncomfortable after watching it.
This was exactly my thought on violent videogames, they're not real, simple as that and as you said, it's exactly like watching a Tom & Jerry cartoon but with "red water" splashing the screen. I seriously try to explain that to my mom (she got stuck with the "Mortal Kombat is bad for your kids!"), especially after the local news media glorifying the death of a local singer and her telenovelas containing pretty realistic depictions of beatings and such.
In a non sarcastic and serious way, truly, thank God for you Jim.
This was exactly my thought on violent videogames, they're not real, simple as that and as you said, it's exactly like watching a Tom & Jerry cartoon but with "red water" splashing the screen. I seriously try to explain that to my mom (she got stuck with the "Mortal Kombat is bad for your kids!"), especially after the local news media glorifying the death of a local singer and her telenovelas containing pretty realistic depictions of beatings and such.
In a non sarcastic and serious way, truly, thank God for you Jim.
First time I saw this clip was in a college journalism course. Everyone in the class was speechless and dead behind the eyes for a full thirty seconds.
I skipped to the very end of the clip this time (thinking I had clicked in the right place to skip the whole thing), but still caught the moment the camera zooms in post-suicide. It never gets easy to watch.
Great episode Jim and gods bless you.
I skipped to the very end of the clip this time (thinking I had clicked in the right place to skip the whole thing), but still caught the moment the camera zooms in post-suicide. It never gets easy to watch.
Great episode Jim and gods bless you.
I've been a regular reader of the escapist for a while now but have never felt compelled to comment in the forums before. A powerful point well made, the sense of unease this footage creates says it all. To show an event such as this without it seeming distasteful is quite a feat. The best jimquisition I've seen, well done.
Bad example using the Budd Dwyer video, frankly I wasn't shocked at all because Jim drilled us with 3 minutes of warnings saying "you have been warned!!" and when I actually saw it the first thing I thought was "...huh. So that's it."
Now hear me out. If I had actually been present at the scene and witnessed Budd doing it, I would have been shocked out of my fucking mind. The image would have scarred for the rest of my life, someone blowing their brains out right in front of me.
But unfortunately it was a video, a video on my monitor. And after ~10 years of surfing the internet, my brain has basically come to the conclusion that nothing shown on my monitor is truly going to shock me (other than maybe Amnesia, or Condemned). So watching Budd Dwyer blowing his brains out automatically registered as a scene on any other action movie, a rather poorly done black & white scene where the loud bang and splashy effects were missing. It looked less "real" to me than the movies/games, because I've only maybe seen an actual person getting killed on video one or two other times! This was back in high school when Muslim jihad demonstrations were on everyone's phones, the pure reality of the gory violence was actually being shared by the teens because it was taboo lol. Isn't that strange? I hope people understand where I'm getting at.
For another example, a shotgun is one of my favorite weapons in video games. It nice to use up close, it sounds like God slamming someone's face with a car door, it makes big holes into everything you point it at, etc etc.
...and then I had the experience of going clay shooting, using an actual 12 gauge pump-action shotgun. Holy CRAAAAAAAAP. I'm not exactly a small guy, but the first shot threw me back and I was hearing bells in my ears for the next 5 minutes. (I also completely missed the clay pigeon
). I don't enjoy the aspect of firing that weapon repeatedly, never ever.
Now hear me out. If I had actually been present at the scene and witnessed Budd doing it, I would have been shocked out of my fucking mind. The image would have scarred for the rest of my life, someone blowing their brains out right in front of me.
But unfortunately it was a video, a video on my monitor. And after ~10 years of surfing the internet, my brain has basically come to the conclusion that nothing shown on my monitor is truly going to shock me (other than maybe Amnesia, or Condemned). So watching Budd Dwyer blowing his brains out automatically registered as a scene on any other action movie, a rather poorly done black & white scene where the loud bang and splashy effects were missing. It looked less "real" to me than the movies/games, because I've only maybe seen an actual person getting killed on video one or two other times! This was back in high school when Muslim jihad demonstrations were on everyone's phones, the pure reality of the gory violence was actually being shared by the teens because it was taboo lol. Isn't that strange? I hope people understand where I'm getting at.
For another example, a shotgun is one of my favorite weapons in video games. It nice to use up close, it sounds like God slamming someone's face with a car door, it makes big holes into everything you point it at, etc etc.
...and then I had the experience of going clay shooting, using an actual 12 gauge pump-action shotgun. Holy CRAAAAAAAAP. I'm not exactly a small guy, but the first shot threw me back and I was hearing bells in my ears for the next 5 minutes. (I also completely missed the clay pigeon
). I don't enjoy the aspect of firing that weapon repeatedly, never ever.
This is the best and most important episode of Jimquisition in my opinion.
And now I have something embarrassing to admit. I find blood splatters from headshots and ragdolls in Counter Strike: Source extremely disturbing. Just the way players collapse immediately after being shot. Also that sound effect when bots die like they've been shot in the neck. I can't stand it. Valve got too close to reality for me with that one. But that's just me.
And now I have something embarrassing to admit. I find blood splatters from headshots and ragdolls in Counter Strike: Source extremely disturbing. Just the way players collapse immediately after being shot. Also that sound effect when bots die like they've been shot in the neck. I can't stand it. Valve got too close to reality for me with that one. But that's just me.
I didn't watch the clip, the thought of doing so disturbed me. As much as I can laugh with glee at seeing exploding heads in games seeing an actual person committing suicide sickens me. I am glad there was a warning before the clip, I did not want to see it.
As for the rest of the video I agree. It's easy to blame movies or games, but it's no explanation.
As for the rest of the video I agree. It's easy to blame movies or games, but it's no explanation.
Well... I got to say that I got shocked by the footage and because of that I feel kinda calmer.
I play a lot of games as well and although when I have a choice I go for the goody two shoes solution I have no problem with any type of killing in games. I also had some troubled thoughts about if that is normal or not and after being left silent for several minutes after the shot I'm relieved that I am.
So thank you Mr Sterling for showing this with the appropriate warnings of course, I am still a bit disturbed, but I know that that's a good sign. Keep up the great work.
I play a lot of games as well and although when I have a choice I go for the goody two shoes solution I have no problem with any type of killing in games. I also had some troubled thoughts about if that is normal or not and after being left silent for several minutes after the shot I'm relieved that I am.
So thank you Mr Sterling for showing this with the appropriate warnings of course, I am still a bit disturbed, but I know that that's a good sign. Keep up the great work.
That last bit really hits me in the gut on the Wikipedia page.Jimothy Sterling said:
The guy may have actually been innocent :/.
All I know is that I've been playing violent video games my whole life and I have progressively become more and more of a pacifist in real life.
These days I get really uncomfortable when actual violence happens, it seems so unnecessary and terrible.
I'm a game master for a WWII flying game and some players were ranting about how great guns are and how they protect them and how the game was proof. I asked them how many times they've died in the game.
Each of them, dozens (a few hundreds) of times. I think people forget that in a real life violent situation you'll probably die, it won't be pretty, it won't be noble, it won't be fun, it'll be painful and sad and then it is all over.
I didn't so much as flinch as the suicide footage. Wasn't bothered in the slightest. That probably says something bad about me.
That wasn't that disturbing to me, but I gauge that as I've actually seen people die in real life. 2 to be exact.
One was my grandmother and the other was a car crash victim. Both times I saw the eyes of those who died and the "light" that disappeared. THAT is truly disturbing.
Now then, on the topic of games desensitizing to violence. One good argument against it, as someone who has watched people die before is the scene from Spec Ops: The Line. It's gruesome, horrifying, and slaps you in the face of what violence amounts to.
Video games have (aside from the above) never come close to showing the true outcome of violence, and does not prepare one for the shock of what it is actually like, and I'm confident in saying that they never will reach the full shock of it.
True Death is something that entertainment needs to shy away from since it's never glorious. It's cold, unfeeling, and discriminates to none.
True death is serious business.
Entertainment death is, well... Entertainment.
One was my grandmother and the other was a car crash victim. Both times I saw the eyes of those who died and the "light" that disappeared. THAT is truly disturbing.
Now then, on the topic of games desensitizing to violence. One good argument against it, as someone who has watched people die before is the scene from Spec Ops: The Line. It's gruesome, horrifying, and slaps you in the face of what violence amounts to.
Video games have (aside from the above) never come close to showing the true outcome of violence, and does not prepare one for the shock of what it is actually like, and I'm confident in saying that they never will reach the full shock of it.
True Death is something that entertainment needs to shy away from since it's never glorious. It's cold, unfeeling, and discriminates to none.
True death is serious business.
Entertainment death is, well... Entertainment.