Portal 2 Controversy?

[darkfire613]

Potential Portal 2 spoilers, if you haven't played yet.

http://kotaku.com/5802908/portal-2-finds-a-way-to-offend

Basically, a father of an adopted kid is angry with Portal 2 for the insults from GLaDOS and Wheatley towards Chell about being adopted. He'd been playing the game with his adopted daughter. Note the daughter doesn't seem to care at all. What are your thoughts? Is the dad overreacting, or does he have a legitimate complaint?

I think he's overreacting. It's just one line clearly meant as a joke, and his daughter doesn't even seem to care about it.

 

[DasDestroyer]

At least his daughter understands that it's a joke...

 

[dakorok]

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

 

[Roganzar]

At least his daughter understands that it's a joke...

And there you have it. Its a joke. Controversy over. Thank you for playing.
Seriously, (to the dad in question) your daughter doesn't care and understands whats going on. If you don't like it, don't play it.

 

[StellarViking]

He's overreacting. I love it when parents find something like supporting same-sex relationships and adoption jokes offensive in a game when the primary object of the game is to swing a sword into somebody's face/fill them with bullets/escape an AI that's trying to murder you horribly and has already killed everyone else there. Doesn't she also make fun of Chell, calling her fat and a "dangerous, mute lunatic"?

 

[Danceofmasks]

Eh, I would have thought the fat joke is more offensive.

 

[Nova Helix]

Haters gonna hate. There is literally nothing you can do that won't "offend" someone.

You can't please everyone so you got to please yourself. (and millions of valve fans)

 

[Brother-Link]

I can see how the Dad might take it literally...

...but it's a motherfucking joke, it's like the end of Yatzhee's 50 Cent review. It's a joke, it's funny, it isn't meant to insult or harm anyone.

But my question is, could this hold up in a court of law if the father so chooses?

I think a court would find -him- a joke for trying to sue over this.

It's not like Chell broke down and cried after the insults were thrown. No, the making fun of is just the villain's way to try and break down the hero, which obviously didn't work. And good for the daughter for not caring, she seems secure enough to know her adoptive parents love her. And in the end that's all that should matter.

 

[ryo02]

its aimed at the character chell not his kid sheesh ... would you rather adopted people are left out of stories?.

 

[Romidude]

I like how they don't explain the joke and cut it at the point where it's turned as an ironic joke. They have several sticks up their asses.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I find these kinds of people offensive! Let's over react and start controversy over it!

 

[PlasmaFrog]

Oh look, it's the news media making mountains out of anthills, again.

 

[Giantpanda602]

Those ignorant news reporters pissed me the hell off. I love it near the end when they think Sony is just dodging the blame when they said that the news team had to contact Valve.

 

[nima55]

wow and the news story completely took the line out of context. way to go for good reporting. idiots

 

[SovietSecrets]

I laughed at the E for everyone, except orphans part. Or something like that.

 

[lozfoe444]

I can understand why it might be a bit uncomfortalbe having the subject thrown into the room like that, but I can't see it being any better if they had said adoption is awesome. Really, I just want to hear VALVe's word on all this.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Quick, someone tell me how to post those Star Trek pictures of "The Face Palm" thing! I've always wanted to do that. Or the Pony one.

I was waiting for this. I knew, KNEW, because the game was so popular and yet didn't have anything people normally object to, some parent somewhere was going to find something in the game and blow it way out of context simply because it's popular. Next step, demand an apology from the company--usually in the form of a crazy amount of money--and when that doesn't work, either start a "Ban this game" petition or threaten to sue for damaging your child's young mind.

 

[Charlie Emerson]

I like how the reporter has some trouble explaining how one "gets out of each room."

 

[Lightning Delight]

Tee hee. This reminds me of the "Offensisensitivity" skit they did on Loading Ready Run. He's getting upset on behalf of someone who isn't even offended by whats going on. Some people just need to take a step back and relax.