Portal 2 Controversy?

[MoosieMann]

Their intent was to show GLados as a robot; as a robot she does not understand the complexities of insults. Hence, the best things she can come up with are your slow test times, your weight, and adoption. She does not realize that someone as fit as Chell will not be offended by weight jokes; she believes simply because Chell is a woman, she will be offended by them. Same thing with adoption; no sane person is going to be overly offended of being accused of being adopted. Being adopted says nothing about your character. However, Glados is a computer and does not understand this. She believes that calling you a fat, adopted kid is demeaning.

Glados: You are adopted and that's terrible, but work with me.

Can you comprehend how that would be offensive to somebody? Are you adopted? I'm not saying you don't make a valid point btw. What I am saying is, it's not like I can't understand why the man's up in arms.

hmm. well, here goes nothing: when GLaDOS becomes caroline, she starts to become more empathetic towards chell. in the beginning where there is the potatoe experiments, on the one that grew into a tree you can see 'by chell' written in tiny letters on the bottom. these were for TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO WORK DAY. maybe caroline was chell's mom? and subconciously knows this and wants to act motherly by defending her, but GLaDOS doesn't want to look weak, so throws that line in there to make it seem like she still hates her. maybe she knew all along and wanted to make adoption jokes because she didnt want to deal with the fact that she is the parent of the person who killed her. as for wheatly, he just blindly follows the insults GlaDOS did (fat and adoption jokes) because he is incapable of making his own. well, thats my 2 cents, excuse errors i am very tired.

 

[rabidmidget]

It's not like the game glorified making fun of adopted children, hell, those lines where in there to show just how childishly spiteful Glados was.

 

[Charli]

Hahaha the silly man feels insulted by a make believe scenario in a make believe universe inside a video game. That is funny. You need a hobby sir. Or at least need to put your values in some serious perspective.

I've had real people, really insult me for traits I possess and made less of a fuss.

 

[default]

Good LORD.

Are people REALLY this sensitive? I mean, of course adoption and being orphaned is not funny, in the slightest sense, but to take it so personally? Did he even LISTEN to the deeply satirical tone that is so clearly prevalent the rest of the game?

IT'S A JOKE. And those self-righteous 'news' readers speaking in such a shocked tone, like they're gossiping about what someone's child did in church, makes me want to facepalm myself out cold.

And Portal is NOT educational.

 

[Abengoshis]

At one point glados even defends being adopted (she takes it back after but it still counts ).

 

[Exocet]

Wait,at the end of the news section,they said they contacted Sony and seem somewhat surprised that Sony told them to ask Valve. Why would anyone ask Sony about a game they did not make,hell,didn't even publish?

Also,it doesn't make fun of adopted children, it's taunting you using any means possible.
The news crew didn't even edit the video to make it seem like the game is making fun of orphans,they're playing the segment and saying outright it's a taunt! You can't freaking taunt someone by telling them how nice they are,in what dimension are they currently residing?

 

[lord canti]

Actually when she says what's wrong with being adopted she whispers to you"oh by the way you are adopted and that terrible but go with me on this". Just saying using that line to defend the game is pointless.

 

[brunothepig]

Oh no, the antagonists of a game poke fun at the protagonist, who just so happens to be in the same demographic as my daughter!
Actually, Tim Minchin said this better than I can.
"I'm outraged, I'm gonna write a shit letter to a bad newspaper!"

 

[teebeeohh]

...
it's fucking Portal, you have to take that into context and the kid probably wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't made a big fuss about it.
Besides that you have to give the guy credit for not parking his kids in front of the TV but spending time with them.
and kudos to the kid, portal would have frustrated the shot out of me at age 10

 

[distortedreality]

I know one little girl who won't be getting into physics when she grows up....

Actually, maybe she should just skip science altogether...

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

EDIT 2: Also, it's not a fucking kids' game, people. And it was never marketed as educational.

Yes it is. It's E for Everyone.

Actually is E 10 and if Pokemon has taught us anything that is adulthood.

OT: It is a joke, this man is being overly sensitive. All the dad has to say is "no that isn't true, the giant evil robot is just a giant evil robot".

 

[Mandalore_15]

I think it's great that he loves his kid that much that he gets so worked up over this (he's clearly a good parent, and we need more of those), but he's taking his complaint too far really. It's a harmless joke, and she doesn't seem too bothered about it, so just let it go.

 

[RandallJohn]

Wow. When I was playing it, I thought to myself "Y'know what would be funny? If someone actually got offended by the adoption jokes."

I then promptly forgot about it. Because that is freaking stupid.

 

[BadPublicity]

You can't be serious. This is for real? This is actually making it to news headlines? There are people out there who really take offense at that? The game is pointing fun at the player for being adopted? God some people are dumb.

 

[Android2137]

How far is political correctness going to go? Is there going to be a point in time where we can't express anything at all?

Hey, Dad, you want an explanation for your daughter? How's this? They're VILLAINOUS CHARACTERS! They're there to act against the PROTAGONIST! They say horrible things in an attempt to get to her! Valve isn't making fun of adoption! They're characterizing their villains as horrible people! Good sir, your reaction is the equivalent to dog owners everywhere complaining to media outlets about how a game or a movie features the villain kicking a dog!

 

[Sejs Cube]

I for one am shocked at how an antagonistic character is insulting towards the protagonist! Clearly this is unacceptable. My god, children could play this game and get the impression that people who are constantly insulting you and trying to have you killed aren't actually nice! That they're actually kind of jerks.

I mean is that really the message we want to send our kids?

 

[TheRealCJ]

The guy is overreacting, and being an idiot.
[/thread]

Yes, how dare this man try to spare his daughter's feelings in some small way. Why don't you try to see things from someone else point of view for once before you throwaround petty insults. Makes you look like less of a jerk

 

[willsham45]

I think they over reacted a bit. OK i can see where they are coming from but still.
Does this family avoid all films and tv shows featuring orphans. Its quite hard to get away from.

 

[Anonymoustache]

I definitely think he's overreacting.
Especially considering the girl understands it's a joke and/or just doesn't care.

You would have a hard time avoiding all references to adoption in the media, and considering it's a joke supposedly made by a vengeful psychotic AI it has to be taken with a grain of salt. She also made fat jokes about Chell, but it's sort of understood that she's only saying it out of spite.

 

[distortedreality]

Yes, how dare this man try to spare his daughter's feelings in some small way.

But, kids being kids, this whole episode will probably spell out to more ridicule, teasing and bullying for the girl in the video from her schoolmates.

Yep, he obviously thought that through.