After the Supreme Court rules on Schwarzenegger v. EMA later (presumably) this year, if the law is upheld, what could that mean for the regulation of other types of media, such as violent theme park attractions for example?
This is the tack a Technology Liberation Front story takes, applying the argument to, funny enough, a Universal Studios attraction based on Terminator 2, which author took his eight and five year old on. He describes the entertainment:
... it was a surprisingly intense and seriously violent experience. The show features cinematic action combined with real-life actors who run throughout the arena firing shotguns at cybernetic robots that come out of the walls or floors. During some segments of the show, water sprays the audience, smoke fills the chamber, and the seats and floors vibrate violently as battles take place on stage and on-screen. The actor hosting the show is also choked to death by a cyborg!
The Governator himself filmed scenes for Terminator 2: 3D, to which kids are admitted “without restriction,” causing the author to ask:
If Gov. Schwarzenegger — or any other lawmaker for that matter — would regulate “violent” video games on the grounds that the experience is too intense and damaging for kids psychologically, then why not regulate theme park attractions on similar grounds?
He sums up:
In my opinion, it is up to parents — not the government — to determine what games, movies, music, books, magazines, and theme park attractions that kids get to see, hear, and experience.
The author's kids “loved” the Terminator 2: 3D experience by the way, and he reports that they have yet to become “murderous thugs or social degenerates” after the experience.
Comments
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Its amazing how Californians and Americans in general are blaming the Dems for bankrupting the state. I'm not very familiar with the situation so I will not elaborate further. HOWEVER The GOP governor, who has made a career off R rated movies as someone has pointed out earlier is wasting tax dollars to have this unconstitutional law approved when the state is supposedly broke. Nobody has anything to say about that. Typical. Also this fool shows what is wrong with America: He brings his 5 an 8yo kids to a ride/show based on a R rated film and complains that its inappropriate for children. Sadly this has become the rule, not the exception.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Exactly. He's the Republican Party gov, not the conservitive gov.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Did you RTFA?
Did you read the part where it says "The author's kids “loved” the Terminator 2: 3D experience by the way, and he reports that they have yet to become “murderous thugs or social degenerates” after the experience."?
It's right above the part where you clicked the Post New Comment button.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
As I've said before, if a Porn Star made enough money to run for Governor, and then, once in power, went on a rampage against porn that wasn't making their 'mates' any money, no-one would struggle to see the double-standards.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Yet not too many people are giving hell to a current Governor who made a living off of making R-Rated violent Action films, who is fighting for a law against violent video games.... who is funnily enough featured in the mentioned 3D ride in the article :D
(EDIT: Nevermind, looks like EA is railing against Governator
)
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Arnold would argue that its based on a movie so its ok and its not based on an evil devilish video game.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Maybe someone should tell Arnold how 2 movies could've cause real-life incident like:
-Ronald Reagan assasination attempt: John Hinckley jr after he tried to kill Reagan because he claim that Taxi Driver made him do it. Hinckley had obesseion with Jody Foster. Yet, I don't hear people want this movie ban or I didn't see Martin Scorcese getting arrested for reckless endangerment and facilitating a murder involving a person with high political power.
-Three Mile Island incident: This was a event when there was a nuclear meltdown at a nuclear power plant at Three Mile Island. Did you know a movie came out 12 day before this happen, the movie called The China Syndrome showed what would happen if nuclear meltdown happened and my goodness the film is very much what happen at TMI. Was this a coincidence or did one worker became obssessed with the movie that he "trained" on it and wanted to imitate art. Even a physicist says that the China Syndrome would render "an area the size of Pennsylvania" (where Three Mile Island incident happened) permanently uninhabitable. After this incident happened, I didn't see any criminal charges brought upon the crew and the cast of the movie (neither did the movie production team). No terrorism charges has ever brought upon on the cast or crew to this day.
So you see if we're going to start regulating video game, we have to do the same thing to movies because you saw what 2 movie did to 2 real-life incident (if this was to be true).
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
The Three Mile Island connection has a whiff of conspiracy theory to it, but Taxi Driver has always been a favorite example of mine when people bring up game censorship. The movie is a brilliant piece of art and an American classic, and you won't find a whole lot of people seriously claiming that movies like that shouldn't be made just because one crazy person saw it and did something crazy.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Based off a movie that Arnold starred in...
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
I'm just amazed he thought it was a good idea to take a five-year-old to a theme park attraction based on a violent, R-rated action movie and was then shocked, shocked to find violence.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
I don't think he is saying he was shocked at the content of the ride, but at the idea that people are in an uproar about game content but nothing else.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Hrmmm interesting.
I agree with the author on quite a few notes there. You can't just regulate one media and leave the others alone. That is why the US 1st Ammendment is worded the way it is.
" In my opinion, it is up to parents — not the government — to determine what games, movies, music, books, magazines, and theme park attractions that kids get to see, hear, and experience "
Best damned common sense quote I have heard in awhile from a parent in the media :)
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
What the author isn't taking into account is that the age of responsibility, parental or otherwise, has come to an end. One could argue that the people are giving up their responsibility and the government is simply moving in to take up the "slack".
I'm no fan of government control over content for anything from TV to themeparks, but if more and more people refuse to take responsibility for their own (and their children) media consumption, who steps in to do it for them?
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
If we're talking about criminal negligence, then CPS should step in and take their kids away.
If, however, we're talking about letting a 6-year-old play GTA, then I might frown on that, but it's not my business, it's not yours, and it's not Yee's.
To borrow what Frank Zappa said about music 25 years ago: 6-year-olds aren't just going into the store and throwing down $60 for a game all by themselves. If they're playing it, it's because an adult bought it. (Or at least somebody who has a job and some degree of autonomy. Around these parts, you typically have to be 16 to get full-time employment -- and M-rated games are recommended for people 17 and older, so it's hard for me to believe that one year makes a world of difference.)
It's not the state's job to make that kind of decision for a parent, even if it's a decision you and I wouldn't make in the same situation.
Re: Forget Violent Games, What About Violent Theme Park ...
Simple. No one.
Andrew Eisen