Songwriter M.I.A. Thinks Videogames Make Violence Easier

[Enigma6667]

If I remember correctly, her video "Born Free" showcased a child getting shot in the head.

She's talking shit about violence being shown on computer screens, but in my computer screen, I see violence from her own music videos as well. Pretty hypocritical if you ask me.

I always hate it when people denounce violence in only video games, when the same can be said for music videos, film, television, etc.

 

[RobCoxxy]

I'll lend her kids Condemned then, see what they think of bludgeoning nutters with lead pipes.

 

[The Lost Big Boss]

I seriously doubt that anyone playing Call of Duty thinks they're going to be wielding dual shotguns in Afghanistan. >

You'd be surprised. I've known morons who thought like that.

Ya, my brother is 22 and thinks that he is going to be the next special forces legend because he destroys people in CoD. It is kinda scary cause he says shit like "I'm gona join the Green Barrays and be so bad ass. That and he watches to much Black Hawk Down.

 

[ramox]

I completely agree with her. It's both good and bad that a lot of young kids aren't exposed to real violence. Video games give a very strange impression on a lot of phenomena.

This isn't about telling real from game, it's about understanding the implications (especially the mental ones) of conflict.

Lot's of people either didn't read to OP, or need to take their heads out of their asses and stop jugding people. I only partially like her music and even though I understand her texts to be satirical, I still don't like the majority of them. What she says has nothing to do with what I think about her music.

I don't even know her but it doesn't really matter either way.
What ticks me off time after time is the habit of turning against anyone saying something even remotely anti-videogame (which she actually doesn't, i can't find a "ban violent games" statement) everyone feels inclined to disagree just for the sake of it and throwing back insults at said person (mostly unrelated to what they think about videogames).

Now, i don't even agree with her that much. But that's no reason to dismiss her opinion by default and throw insults around.

 

[SextusMaximus]

So basically... violence is bad, lets get high like planes?

 

[ProfessorLayton]

Student Abedeus thinks M.I.A. is an unknown idiot starved for attention.

I'm with you on this one... she did one song that got popular because it was in the Pineapple Express trailer and then she never did anything else... sounds to me like she's trying to prolong her 15 minutes, you know?

 

[Danpascooch]

This whole idea of "People forgot what pain really is, pinch them hard and they'll remember that violence hurts, and stop" is idiotic and naive.

It's not the videogames, we all know hitting people and bullets and such hurts. A lot.

 

[Danpascooch]

So basically... violence is bad, lets get high like planes?

Wait, she did that song? Because there was gunshot noises in that song.

Hypocrite

 

[Carnagath]

Yes, violent video games do desensitize children to violence and that often makes them behave...erratically. I used to spend a lot of time in internet cafe's in the past few years, and I have seen more kids than I can count playing CoD and behaving like lunatics after a death, enough to sometimes get some of them kicked out by the owner. Granted, the videogame is not the ONLY cause of this behavior, but it is still largely responsible. And this is being enabled by both a) bad parenting and b) the fucktard net cafe owner who lets 12 year olds use the computers. It's a clear case of a product reaching the wrong audience. Complaining about the product is not the right way to go. Violent videogames are not intended for 12 year olds, neither is alcohol or anything else that adults frequently use, and if you have to blame someone that needs to be these children's parents and the government inspectors who are too lazy to do their jobs or get paid off.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Russian School Graduate Thinks M.I.A. Is A Ridiculously Stupid Name That Invalidates Her Point Completely.
Oh, and, as for her main point, yeah, it makes no sense.
But I still find the name horrible. At first I though "Songwriter Missing In Action", then something related to Man In Black.

Student Abedeus thinks M.I.A. is an unknown idiot starved for attention.

Oh, damn, I thought I was actually original with my first sentence.
You ninja.

 

[Trogdor1138]

Oh look, another tard who can't teach kids the easy difference between reality and fiction. *throws her opinion onto giant pile in the corner of room*

 

[Terramax]

I agree with her.

And not just to do with violence in war either.

But to say it's only videogames is a bit harsh. Films, television and music also play their part. I think it's when you add it all together to the point where you can't escape it is where the problem lies.

 

[Jared]

Student Abedeus thinks M.I.A. is an unknown idiot starved for attention.

Agreed...If they had some figures and studies then fair enough, otherwise...

 

[SturmDolch]

Oh god my ears!

It's just some person's opinion. Let her have it, despite studies showing the opposite. Of course, since she's... famous? Wait, she's famous? Really? I haven't heard of this woman till right now. I haven't even heard that song which is apparently "famous" as well.

Gah! Just this song combined with the vuvuzelas playing from the soccer game is very very annoying and I can't think of a proper response to the question of violence.

 

[Good morning blues]

I think people in this thread are willfully misinterpreting her statement. She's not saying that video games make people violent; she's saying that when your only exposure to violence is through video games, you end up with a severely inaccurate and deranged mental model of violence. Does anyone here actually disagree with that?

Sorry, but what does she know? She's probably just diverting the attention away from herself by blaming things she doesn't fully understand. Someone should shoot her in the face with a railspike gun! That'll prove her wrong.

What does she know? Welp, she grew up moving back and forth between Sri Lanka and an Indian diaspora while her father, the founder of the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students, a Tamil secessionist revolutionary group, fought a civil war; she was at various points subject to reprisals. I'd say she knows quite a bit about violence!

I don't think someone who was unknown until Pineapple Express came along has anything worthwhile to say.

Really? MIA was a huge underground figure for a couple of years before Pineapple Express came along ? just because she only had one mainstream-friendly hit doesn't mean her opinions are worthless. I mean, who are you going to take more seriously, a woman who grew up at the very centre of a civil war, or Justin Bieber?

"All I want to do is BANG BANG BANG BANG!
And KA-CHING!
And take your money"

"Some, some, some I, some I murder
Some, I some I let go
Some, some, some I, some I murder
Some, I some I let go"

And considering some of the lyrics in her songs^ she doesn't think they maybe encourage violence and what not. Hypocrite.

It's pretty ridiculous to claim that Paper Planes promotes violence placed in the context of her other music.

I think her credablitity was launched our of the country with a cannon on the matter when she said "Paper airplanes cause violence."

You just don't know how to read apparently

This whole idea of "People forgot what pain really is, pinch them hard and they'll remember that violence hurts, and stop" is idiotic and naive.

It's not the videogames, we all know hitting people and bullets and such hurts. A lot.

You're right! Something like Call of Duty, Halo, or Splinter Cell totally does not sanitize or excuse violence (particularly political violence) in the slightest, and even if it did, everyone playing such games has enough real-world experience to be able to identify exactly where and how these depictions are inaccurate.

 

[DustyDrB]

I really like her music, but she often exhibits the maturity of an MTV reality show contestant.

 

[Jackalb]

It's pretty ridiculous to claim that Paper Planes promotes violence placed in the context of her other music.

Meh then let it be ridiculous I haven't heard any of her other music nor do I intend to seek it out, I only heard paper planes in a porno anyway If I hadn't liked the song and googled it I wouldn't even know her name.