Jimquisition: Desensitized to Violence

[Rad Party God]

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.

 

[Grahav]

I skipped the thing. And I like Berserk and Mortal Kombat a lot.

Wasn't expecting this.

Thanks for the lesson about myself Jim. Good video.

 

[f2MkLvOR6AdKcZaMUKQy]

EDIT: delete.

 

[Fappy]

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.

 

[TeaT1me]

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.

 

[Aaron Sylvester]

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.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

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.

 

[Yopaz]

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.

 

[Gaboris]

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.

 

[theultimateend]

Do you reckon you could edit it what the graphic content is in the description so people know what it is?

Can someone explain to me what the purpose of what happened in the content was? As in why the person did it?

I explain in the video intro what the content is, which I think does the job. As for background on Dwyer himself, you can get all the info from the usual place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Budd_Dwyer

That last bit really hits me in the gut on the Wikipedia page.

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.

 

[Darth Pope]

I didn't so much as flinch as the suicide footage. Wasn't bothered in the slightest. That probably says something bad about me.

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

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.

 

[Ledan]

I just saw the last 2 seconds of that clip. Goddamn.... that is disturbing as hell.
And i laughed at the bloody perk in fallout the first time i used it.
Damn fine episode

 

[NinjaDC]

"Any sane civilian would be terrified of guns"

I'm sorry Jim, but you sound like a child. No, not because you dislike guns, thats your choice. But the way you implied every gun owner is insane to own a gun is just pathetically ignorant.
Its incredibly distracting in a otherwise very serious discussion.

I'm 22, a CCW holder, and not afraid of my guns including the XD9sc hidden under my belt while typing this message.
Do I respect their power, yes.
In the same way I respect a cars when driving by ignoring or turning off my phone.
I don't goof off when using a gun or car, but I'm not terrified to use them.

 

[skywolfblue]

Amen to the bit at the end.

The media gets off on violence, they print billions of dollars every time a new psychopathic killer comes along.

Yet somehow the media has the gall to try and blame video games or guns, and completely ignores the most important thing: -That the guy was bat-shit insane-.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I hate age checks.
Oh for fucks sake, that. Yea, I don't need to see that. I know what happens, thanks for the warning.

I think the message is clear to people here. The question is how do you let parents, religious (and other) groups, and the news media know that We know that when they try to blame something like games and music that they're really just saying "please don't blame me."
Or do you need to. Nobody ever really takes them too seriously and I think it's because everybody knows how pathetic it is.

As for violence; I like shooters & hacker/slashers but my favorite quick bit of game violence would have to be the Burnout Crash Junction. It doesn't have any blood or people even. You send a car into an intersection to deliberately try and cause the biggest pileup possible. Of course I would be horrified if I were to witness a real life enactment of any of those crashes.

 

[PhiMed]

I agree with most of this video, with the exception of one very carefully crafted statement by Jim.

"Any sane civilian would be terrified by guns."

False.

The problem I have with this statement is twofold:

First, it implies that any civilian who is not terrified by guns is insane. I grew up with guns. I hunted (don't anymore), and used it to defend livestock from predators. I am not scared of them in the least, unless someone is pointing it at me with intent. I respect them, because I know what they can do, but scared? No.

Second, it implies that this blanket statement regarding fear of guns is suddenly swept away if someone is paid by the state as a police officer or a soldier. Now, why does this suddenly make a lack of fear of guns okay? Does changing roles change their genetic make-up?

Come on, Jim. I know you're a firm believer in the benevolent mommy state in all situations except the ability to rant on the internet and the meaningless, empty free speech, but I know you can't really believe that.

 

[Smertnik]

I don't see what's the big deal is, it's just a grainy old video of someone shooting himself, I've seen far worse stuff. But, eh, maybe I'm just desensitised. Not by video games, of course, but by internet in general.

Off topic: What's the game shown at around 3:10 and again at 4:02?

 

[GonzoGamer]

I find the movie sad but it didn't shock or really disturb me...I'm wondering if I should be worried about that.

No.
If you got a hard-on like I did, then you should probably get some help. I'm just wondering if I should call the nearest psychiatric facility in my HMO or if I should just go right ahead and call 911.

....

I'm just kidding of course.

....

I'm not turning myself in.

 

[Drauger]

mmmmmmmhhhhhhhhh.................. i know the video is real but, even knowing it my first impresion was "it looks fake" well, i totally agree with the thing about the news giving the publicity to violence, but im more desapointed at myself for my reaction