Jimquisition: Rape vs. Murder

[Jimothy Sterling]

Rape vs. Murder

Why is it so much better to take a life than to rape somebody in fiction? Why can videogames allow us to get away with killing thousands of our fellow humans with swords and guns, yet a game like Rapelay drowns in scorn before finding its sales restricted? Is it hypocritical for games to approve murder and shun rape?



It's a topic that comes up with some frequency, and naturally The Jimquisition has all the correct answers ... even if they're probably terribly wrong.



Watch Video

 

[yunabomb]

Good points about the victim issue in the case of rape vs. murder.

 

[Suicidejim]

You don't rape in self-defense.

So that's why I got kicked out of that self-defence class . . .

 

[pluizig]

*stands up*

*starts slow clap*

Bravo, Jim. Bravo.

It really is something to see a politically-incorrect-on-purpose persona take such a hard stance for a good cause. Bravo.


EDIT: And, of course, thank god for you.

 

[Varya]

Thank you! I've been driven mad by people claming they don't see harm in rape-jokes when murder-jokes are OK. What's been making me livid is the fact that I haven't been able to express why they are not only wrong, but the implications of making rape-jokes OK are kinda scary. So thank you Jim, and thank God for you!

 

[Sis]

Well, only because you said "please", Jim.

 

[The Cheshire]

Um... yes, I agree with your points Jim, but you are missing a part: what about a game that features rape story wise but is not about that? Should that be taboo too? For example, the first quest in Game of Thrones involves chasing a rapist (he raped another dude) and killing him. No problem there, in my book. A rape attempt happens in Heavy Rain too, I don't think it's crossing the line either (well, I didn't fail that QTE).

Of course, a game about raping women is something different to all of that.

 

[templar1138a]

Huh. I wasn't aware this was being discussed. But I'm not surprised.

But you've articulated your points very well and I agree completely. Rape should only exist as a carefully-used plot device, not a central game mechanic.

 

[portal_cat]

I think you brought up some good points. Where killing a bad guys most people pay more attention to being a hero then how many people they kill. Where rape is you are the bad guy. Murder can be justified, rape cannot.

 

[wizzy555]

Thank you! I've been driven mad by people claming they don't see harm in rape-jokes when murder-jokes are OK. What's been making me livid is the fact that I haven't been able to express why they are not only wrong, but the implications of making rape-jokes OK are kinda scary. So thank you Jim, and thank God for you!

Well Jim has highlighted some of the cultural and emotional difference between the two things. I don't think he's necessarily proven that one is OK and the other is wrong.

 

[Alterego-X]

The first point is kinda invalid by there being lots of games that allow murdering a bunch of unarmed civilians in unnecessarily cruel ways.

But otherwise I agree.

 

[5ilver]

I disagree. If you ban rape and rape discussions and somehow remove it from life entirely, why not do the same for dentistry, dentists, everything to do with teeth? I mean, it's pretty traumatic, painful, everybody hates it... Or paper-cuts. Man, those hurt.
Death on the other hand is a final full stop, a big ending, there is nothing (as far as I know) beyond death. There are no chances to heal yourself emotionally and physically.

Tl;dr: Death-end, rape-pain, thus saying rape is NONO while death is ok is hypocrisy.

 

[Jimothy Sterling]

Please bear in mind that my video's intent is not to discuss the right/lack of right of any of these games to exist, at least outside of the throwaway comment near the end. I'm talking about *why* the two subjects are handled differently, not the right/wrong in *how* they are handled. While I may discuss that subject in a future video, it would be too much to discuss it in the same video as this one.

Just wanted to draw the distinction before we get too many more folks trying justifying the use of a rape in a game. In interesting discussion with a LOT of complex and dangerous arguments, and one I may indeed cover later.

When I drink enough to get the nerve!

 

[DiMono]

The other thing that you didn't touch on is that in a video game, killing someone is generally very fast. You shoot them in the head, and down they go. You cut off their limbs, down they go. You fight with someone, maybe tussle with them, snap their neck and down they go. You do it quickly, and then it's over. Rape is a prolonged event. Murder in video games can be easily discarded as irrelevant because it's done and over with very quickly, but rape is something you'd have to stay focused on and actively continue to do. I'll be honest, if I was playing a game that required me to rape someone in order to progress the plot, I'd snap the disc in half and throw it out. Not only is it something I'm not prepared to do, but I don't want anyone else to have to do it either.

Same thing in multiplayer games. If I'm playing Diablo and someone kills me, I restart in town and carry on. I entered the game knowing that I might get killed, and it happened, and yes it kind of sucks but in the end it's not really that bad. If I'm playing a game and another character actually rapes me, it means the other player has to actively continue doing things to me, and I have to sit there and watch it happen, or else try to resist. Again, being killed is pretty much the way of things and it's fast, but being raped is almost exactly the opposite of that.

The irony, of course, is that the word rape has been firmly ensconced in the gamer vernacular for quite some time. Offensive or not, it's there, and odds are it always will be. And that only makes the conversation all the more confusing and awkward.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

More perverse in rape. Its attacking innocent people, which in games you dont do. Rape has to many anti civilised things against it. Also i dont want to have to rape a girl or guy to continue a game. I can kill tons because its mostly the enemy or in GTA its shoot a guy. Its dead. Rape is more so, there is more emotional reasons to it and control and everything else. Its horrible and in a game, we can easily shoot a granny than rape them.

We had killing stuff for years, way back to centipede on the atari. Its BANG points regardless if its 3D. Rape is to much negativity emotionality. Unless your a rapess, we cant identify with them. Its more so mentally than killing a pixalated character.

Yes, a villian can do it. Make you hate him and kill him. But i wouldnt want to do it in a game. Its socially abhorrent.

 

[ldgoodpobad]

I think another important difference is how killing is shown vs rape in games like rapeply (sp?) in rape games there seems to be an intent that ones gets off to rape while that is not quit the same thing with murder. I don't think I am supposed to be sexually excised by killing a bunch of people in a game. I think George R.R. Martin dose a good job drawing that line. His rape scenes are always horrible, and never containing any detail that could be considered erotic.

 

[Jimothy Sterling]

The first point is kinda invalid by there being lots of games that allow murdering a bunch of unarmed civilians in unnecessarily cruel ways.

But otherwise I agree.

That subject is brought up a little later in the video, though.

My point wasn't to say that in-game killing is ALWAYS justified, more to say that, unlike rape, it at least CAN be justified within the fiction. I was simply drawing a distinction between the two concepts rather than presenting that first point as an absolute.

 

[Stripes]

The one issue with this otherwise fine video is the complaint that whilst theres plenty of advice for women on how not to get raped theres little telling men not to. Its kinda like saying theres plenty self defence advise but nothing telling people not to kill each other, we dont really need to be told and if you were to tell men specifically not to rape, as if they were children or didnt know right from wrong, then it feels like your treating men as if they would rape without being told not to. Ive seen people make the same complaint and it feels a bit like characterizing all men for the actions of few.

Thank god for Jim