No, this does not belong in gaming discussion.
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It occurs to me, as I watch this whole Rapeplay issue unfold, that the flipside of a rape game is not where a woman runs around hunting rapists, because in the a rape game ALL women are potential targets, and in a rapist hunt the targets are specific people, not an entire demographic class. A flipside game with real parity would be a woman running around, not killing, but irreparably mutilating men, any and all men, at will.
The nature of rape is not aggression, but hate and dominance. It is a rage crime, a hate crime, and like most hate crimes, it is used to enforce power hierarchy. That's why straight men rape other men in prison.
So given that this game, in which you seek to act out hate crimes against women over and over, is OK, if someone were to create a game in which the player drove around lynching people of color? Or gay-bashing? What about a Kristallnacht [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht] game? You could get some interesting gameplay out of that.
--melee attack Window--
[Achievement unlocked: 50 storefront windows broken]
--melee attack Jew--
[Jew runs away in fear]
--melee attack--
[You are too far away]
--ranged attack--
[Your target is dead]
[Skill in Firearms increased to 136]
--right clicks on mouth for Tooth Check--
[You receive loot: 12 Gold]
Do you think a game like this would encourage anti-Semitism?
According to an FBI study, 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. I can guarantee you that if you know more than 10 women, you know one woman who has been raped. But lets go back to that 1-in-4. People accuse that of being exaggerated. OK, let's push it out 50% and make it 1-in-6.
--Your wife or girlfriend
--Your daughter
--Your mother
--Your grandmother
--Your sister
--Your friend
Pick one.
OK, now explain to this woman who you love, who has been invaded, overthrown, and vandalized as a human being at the most intimate level, explain to her why you don't think this game is a problem.
Keep in mind that, if it's your wife or girlfriend, every time you have sex, that rapist is in the bed with you, for just a second maybe, but he's there. Imagine her reading this thread. Keep in mind that there are some days when she cannot stop remembering it. Keep in mind there are nights where it happens all over again in her dreams. Keep in mind that there are certain smells, a cologne maybe, or a certain combination of beer, cigarette smoke, and sweat, that make her run to the bathroom and vomit.
Keep in mind that, for her, this will never really stop happening to her, ever.
I'm not saying there aren't arguments to be made against banning these games, legitimate ones. I just want you to make them to her.
-----
It occurs to me, as I watch this whole Rapeplay issue unfold, that the flipside of a rape game is not where a woman runs around hunting rapists, because in the a rape game ALL women are potential targets, and in a rapist hunt the targets are specific people, not an entire demographic class. A flipside game with real parity would be a woman running around, not killing, but irreparably mutilating men, any and all men, at will.
The nature of rape is not aggression, but hate and dominance. It is a rage crime, a hate crime, and like most hate crimes, it is used to enforce power hierarchy. That's why straight men rape other men in prison.
So given that this game, in which you seek to act out hate crimes against women over and over, is OK, if someone were to create a game in which the player drove around lynching people of color? Or gay-bashing? What about a Kristallnacht [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht] game? You could get some interesting gameplay out of that.
--melee attack Window--
[Achievement unlocked: 50 storefront windows broken]
--melee attack Jew--
[Jew runs away in fear]
--melee attack--
[You are too far away]
--ranged attack--
[Your target is dead]
[Skill in Firearms increased to 136]
--right clicks on mouth for Tooth Check--
[You receive loot: 12 Gold]
Do you think a game like this would encourage anti-Semitism?
According to an FBI study, 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. I can guarantee you that if you know more than 10 women, you know one woman who has been raped. But lets go back to that 1-in-4. People accuse that of being exaggerated. OK, let's push it out 50% and make it 1-in-6.
--Your wife or girlfriend
--Your daughter
--Your mother
--Your grandmother
--Your sister
--Your friend
Pick one.
OK, now explain to this woman who you love, who has been invaded, overthrown, and vandalized as a human being at the most intimate level, explain to her why you don't think this game is a problem.
Keep in mind that, if it's your wife or girlfriend, every time you have sex, that rapist is in the bed with you, for just a second maybe, but he's there. Imagine her reading this thread. Keep in mind that there are some days when she cannot stop remembering it. Keep in mind there are nights where it happens all over again in her dreams. Keep in mind that there are certain smells, a cologne maybe, or a certain combination of beer, cigarette smoke, and sweat, that make her run to the bathroom and vomit.
Keep in mind that, for her, this will never really stop happening to her, ever.
I'm not saying there aren't arguments to be made against banning these games, legitimate ones. I just want you to make them to her.
