Hey,

They had a debate on the radio today, about violent computer games. The DJ was talking about this game, "Manhunt", which is being blamed for a schoolboy killing. The DJ wanted to know what people thought about computer games with violence in getting into the hands of children. The whole section had me cursing at the radio like a lunatic guy with Tourettes.

I think my anger has two themes. Firstly, the whole topic is endemic of a current social attitude where people want someone else to take the blame for something, and have an outsider make decisions for them. Whether it is diet, drinking, smoking or the media and entertainment, the same idea is repeated: what are the government going to do about this terrible threat to our cosy little civilised world? On "Who Knew", Eminem raps "Don't blame me when little Eric falls off of the terrace/You should have been watching him, apparently you ain't parents". I think this sums up nicely my attitude. A kid playing a game judged suitable for people over the age of 18 is entirely the parents fault. They should make the decision whether the game is suitable. If they decide wrongly, then they shoulder the blame. If they don't decide at all, they are not suitable to have children. Would you let a child decide on the best time to cross a busy road? The same idea holds.

I got really annoyed when the DJ said "some games feature murder and prostitution. That's just sick. Surely they should be banned altogether". You know, so do some films, but I see no-one blaming (currently) films for murder. These are "adult themes". They are also a facet of real life. I think computer games are by their nature escpasism, and also that blurring the lines between good and evil is a compelling concept. Put the two together, and games like Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto are the result. I refuse to believe they have any influence over the way people think. If anything, I would imagine they would reduce violence because they give a non-harmful outlet to some of the nastier sides of human nature. Adults make their own decisions, and then deal with the consequences. Blaming a computer game or a heavy metal band or wrestling or any form of non-traditional entertainment for tragedies shows as much contempt for human life than the murders themselves.

Well, I think I'm done with a few days of solid ranting. There are plenty more things and people I'd love to talk about, but I don't want to get into a habit. There will be new material soon.

Craig