In UK, Bully: Scholarship Edition TV Ad Escapes Censure
In UK, Bully: Scholarship Edition TV Ad Escapes Censure
July 9, 2008
As reported by vnunet, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has declined to take action against a commercial for Rockstar's Bully: Scholarship Edition.
The ASA received 31 complaints about the ad:
The game's main character is seen in the ad destroying property, firing a catapult and shielding himself from a burning substance in a science classroom. Two other characters are shown lifting another student by his underpants...
Several viewers, some of whom had experienced bullying, described it as 'offensive and distasteful'.
Others said that it 'glorified, trivialised and encouraged bullying and violence', and that it was scheduled inappropriately because it could be seen by children.
Take Two argued that the ad was comedic in nature and that sensationalized media coverage of Bully: Scholarship Edition probably led to some of the complaints.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: In photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
JDKJ: BREAKING: In photo-finish at the wire, House passes health care reform bill. Relatedly, in fit of pique, Austin Lewis kicks innocent dog.
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
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Comments
So basically, people are still whining about Bully?
-Gray17
Does a crate count as property?
Wait, so this stuff is bad, but the horror movies can show much worse in their ads at all times of the day? What a double standard.
I was often the victim of bullies when I was growing up, up until the time I fought back, then it was much better. Parents and teachers need to learn that walking the kid from class to class doesn't fix things, it makes things worse. They can't do anything to stop bullying, the only person that can is the person being bullied, usually by making it clear that either it is not worth bullying them, or by making it no longer "cool" to bully them. Parents and teachers really can't do anything for that.
> Wait, so this stuff is bad, but the horror movies can show much worse in their ads at all times of the day?
HUh? Last I checked horror movies are shown after the watershed (9pm).
Oh lord, people are /still/ complaning about Bully? Argh, well, good for the ASA for not taking any action. Ugh, I swear though, people are stupid.
...shielding himself from a burning substance in a science classroom.
apparently the UK has a screwy view about safety.
岩「…Ace beats Jack」
That was my thought as well. I certainly wouldn't put my face over a tank of water whilst dropping sodium into it during Chemistry, for example.
Damn strange thing to find offense at...
So... My question is "How can something glorify and trivialize something at the same time?" I mean, honestly, aren't the two kinda mutually exclusive?
Hmm, hasn't any of the complainers read the Beano before? Much worse things happen to the Bash Street Kids or Dennis the Menace.
It's just plain stupid, seeing as how one of the things you must do in the game is fight bullies.
31 complaints? People have too much time on their hands.
You know, I was bullied somewhat viciously throughout elementary and junior high school (moreso the former) and this is one of my favorite games ever. Because I can recognize the wit and satire, not to mention the gameplay is engrossing and fun.
I think I speak for everyone here when I say that if you got a wedgie in your life and were then disturbed when you saw one reinacted in a videogame to the point where you came out and made a public comment about it being "offensive and distastefull"...that you deserved it, and should probably get another wedgie in the near future, for good measure.
Well said. I agree.
I am a little confused by this story and the YouTube link.
I thought that technically, there was no such game as "Bully" released in the U.K. I thought the game in question was re-titled to the fictional school's motto (something like"Canus Canem Edit" -- "dog eat dog" in Latin maybe?), because back before the PS2 edition even launched there was already enough concern about hypersensitive, whiny Brits who would claim offense at even having to read the word "Bully." Or something like that.
In any case, I think the YouTube link is a North American ad, with the ESRB rating and all -- I can't believe it's exactly the same one this story is about.
"shielding himself from a burning substance in a science classroom."
....Wait. So does this mean that the UK is against chemistry?
how emotionally damaged are you when a cartoon of somebody giving you a wedgie causes you to write a letter to station?
perhaps these people should find some kind of artificial womb to cower inside for the rest of their lives.
I was in a car accident several years ago, and I always flinch and get dizzy every time I see a car accident occur in a movie, or on T.V.. I'm pretty sure I've yet to stand up and complain on how fictional car accidents make me feel uncomfortable.
Put short- grow some balls- THIS was the reason you were probably picked on.
Wait...this looks just like the commercial I could've swore I have seen in the past couple weeks on our US television airwaves...
...does that mean....?....*gasp*....
...ah nevermind, too tired, I'll leave you to fill in the gaps. Ciao
31 complaints to the ASA isn't that much. Ads get hundreds of complaints from people all the time, but the ASA are usually pretty good about upholding or dismissing them. I'm pretty sure there's people around who just spend their time complaining to the ASA about adverts they don't like ^^
35 complaints? big deal, even this mention of the ad alone has 19 comments - and the entire united states only brought up 35 complaints?