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.
A PUBLICATION OF THE ECA
SUBSCRIBE
LOGINGamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 11/23/09 at 10:08am
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: http://tinyurl.com/ye6x9nv
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: http://tinyurl.com/ye6x9nv
Posted 11/23/09 at 10:08am
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: The very definition of "Lucky Shot":
Rodrigo Ybáñez García: The very definition of "Lucky Shot":
Posted 11/23/09 at 07:56am
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yl2vfw6 Here's the link, good for conspiracy theories.
DarkSaber: http://tinyurl.com/yl2vfw6 Here's the link, good for conspiracy theories.
Posted 11/23/09 at 07:42am
JDKJ: Leaders never follow. Followers never lead.
JDKJ: Leaders never follow. Followers never lead.
Posted 11/23/09 at 06:48am
DarkSaber: Anyone been following this Hadley Climatic Research Centre server hack story?
DarkSaber: Anyone been following this Hadley Climatic Research Centre server hack story?
Posted 11/22/09 at 11:48pm
ZippyDSMlee: AE:they feeding you well? I am enjoying win7 and heading to bed...uhg I need to get up early and start back to cleaning/painting blahg >< need tog et stuff done befor thanksgiving....
ZippyDSMlee: AE:they feeding you well? I am enjoying win7 and heading to bed...uhg I need to get up early and start back to cleaning/painting blahg >< need tog et stuff done befor thanksgiving....
Posted 11/22/09 at 11:41pm
Andrew Eisen: Just got home from an eight hour recording session at Capitol Records. A lot of fun but damn exhausting.
Andrew Eisen: Just got home from an eight hour recording session at Capitol Records. A lot of fun but damn exhausting.
Posted 11/22/09 at 08:44pm
BearDogg-X: 10 N. O. Who Dat?
BearDogg-X: 10 N. O. Who Dat?
Posted 11/22/09 at 09:45am
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
Posted 11/22/09 at 12:06am
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:57pm
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:42pm
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:44pm
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:41pm
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:38pm
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
Copyright © 2007 ECA. All rights reserved.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
Game Politics and Game Politics logo are trademarks of the ECA.
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?