A National Group of whiney bitchy hippy mothers who are hell bent to take all the fun out of toys announced their list of the top 12 worst "AKA violent" Toys for kids this year.
The dumb asses included Grand Theft Auto: Vice City despite the game being made by, marketed to, sold and bought by adults.
Real Life Comics had a damn good take on this.
Also Wired had a good article on how Wal-mart demands censorship of games.
25% of all videogame sales are at Wal-mart!?!? Damn!!
But to Wal-mart's defense it is good that one can walk into any of the 9 billion Wal-marts in the world and show your ID and buy a copy of GTA Vice City. There was a rumor of a cleaned up Wal-mart version of GTA3 but that never happened thank god.
Update from Jake:There are two different forces behind censorship. There is religious social political censorship like Joe Lieberman, Tipper Gore and Pat Robertson. Then there is profit driven economic censorship that is driven by the dollar sign. WalMart asks the some changes be made to the software and music they carry because of the economic ramifactation of consumer protest in parts of the country. I don't think they are trying to enforce a political agenda but they are out to make money. Alot of it.
But when you succumb to market pressures of a political agenda you also enforce that agenda.
For example WalMart is the biggest pharmacist in the country but they do not carry the morning after pills because the threat of protest is a greater to their profits than the sale of the drug.
I think that censored versions are ok as long as they are clearly marked as such. So I can go get the REAL version from Target.
Has the world realy sunk to a point where a Lego set can be considered violent?
When I got the lego catalog, I didn't realize the Galidor line was violent. I still wasn't over the fact that Legos are no longer anything but movie and tv show ties ins. Sad, very sad.
Anything with weapons will be considered violent by these feminazis (pardon my term). I understand them wanting to say "Hey, be careful of these toys." But it's getting to the point where even a nerf football is going to be considered a violent toy. "My son Sammy was hurt by this beastly toy ... I demand they be pulled from the shelves so nobody else can play with them too! After all, if I don't think MY child should have them, then why should anybody else's child?" Sickening.
I am not sure about the term "Feminazi" being applicable here. I am not sure what group of pissed off soccer moms are more rabid media censors. The moms on the radical left or the moms on the radical right. Both Liz Dole and Tipper Gore scare the hell out of me when they talk about making the media "Safe" for the "Family"
How about "mommanazi"?
How about Soccer momadomimatrix.?
These are hippie moms that want to emasculate thier sons. None of these gifts are for girls. When I was a kid my mom tried this classic mistake with me by taking away all of my toy guns.
i went out and carved them out of wood so it didnt matter. This is why you need a masculine figure in the house for boys. I believe it is very important. I dont care if it is a couple of lesbians...one of them better be masculine and show the boy how to pee standing up or there will be developmental problems. These women make me sick. How can a boy grow up with any sense of masculinity without playing cowboys and indians, Army and football. It is just wierd. Maybe these ladies kids will go out into the woods and carve swords and guns out of branches too....i sure hope so.
Well Pete I think a good thing to point out is that I don't see Barbie the queen of eating disorders, plastic surgery and hyper-consumerism listed on here. I think that little Jane Doe is screwing up her head with thinking Barbie and Brittney Spears is a positive role model for her to emulate. than Little Johnny Doe with his GI Joe Command center.. I mean look at me I played with GI Joes and now I have a good job working for the military industrial complex.
Let's not get into parrenting rolls.
My mom shut off MTV growing up and now I listen to techno instead of EMEMEMEMEN
Also this makes me want to go out into the woods and get primal. I want to shoot a deer, track it, slit its throat, drink its still warm blood (as a sign of respect and reverence for taking its life) and skin and gut it. Then I want to eat every damn bit of it. Every tasty morsel. You hear that moms of America?!! I want to teach your son to do the very same. I want your sons to go out into the world and not take any crap from anyone. I want them to leave the toilet seat UP. I want them to NOT call a girl they have met until at least SIX DAYS after meeting her. Moms of America you are wrong about this....GIRLS DO NOT LIKE NICE TIMID GUYS....they like guys who have brass BALLS!!!! MUHAAAHAAAHAHAAAA.......................................................what the hell was that about? .....sorry guys.....switching to decaf again. "back away from the mountain dew code red and put the mouse down!"
Um... excuse me. But I'm a feminist - I believe in EQUAL rights for women as men under the law.
And I don't believe in censorship. In fact, I own and play Grand Theft Auto 3.
In fact, I think it's terrible that Wal-Mart is forcing smaller video game companies to be censored. The only reason Wal-Mart couldn't force censor GTA3 is because the game is too popular to ban - they'd lose money, and Rockstar Games is probably big enough to know that.
But that won't be like that for long. Once there's nowhere else to buy a video game, they'll be able to tell every manufacturer what you, the consumer, can and cannot see, and what you can and cannot play, in a video game.
Well Chloe there are two different forces behind censorship. There is religious social political censorship like Joe Lieberman and Tipper Gore. And then there is profit driven economic censorship that is driven by the dollar sign. WalMart asks the some changes be made to the software and music they carry because of the economic ramifactation of consumer protest in parts of the country. I don't think they are trying to enforce a political agenda but they are out to make money. Alot of it.
But when you succumb to market pressures of a political agenda you also enforce that agenda.
For example WalMart is the biggest pharmacist in the country but they do not carry the morning after pills because the threat of protest is a greater to their profits than the sale of the drug.
I think that censored versions are ok as long as they are clearly marked as such. So I can go get the REAL version from Target.
And yes I am a feminist and I do believe in equal rights and pay. It is quotas where I disagree with the party line.
Jake: "momadomimatrix"... I like that! That's my new title... ;o)
Pete: "GIRLS DO NOT LIKE NICE TIMID GUYS....they like guys who have brass BALLS!!!!"... Exactly! ;o)
But what happens when there isn't even a Target left? That's what I wonder about. What happens when even Target can't post a competitive price to Wal-Mart's?
Then do you really have a choice where you buy it and what version? Not if you're on a tight budget & you really want the game. Not if there is no more competition.
I think the issue is a little more complex than you paint it.
I think Wal-Mart has a symbiotic relationship with religious/political groups... well, as long as they have some actual governmental power, of course.
Of course I know that Wal-Mart would probably scramble stop dealing with Communist Human Rights Violating China, if, say for instance, a lot of Amnesty International kind of politicians were suddenly in power. If NOW suddenly had a big influx of money and got a real NOW gung-ho candidates in offices... Wal-Mart would be scrambling to stock day-after pills.
But then, I guess if a bunch of militant pro-union environmentalist Amnesty International types got into government offices... Wal-Mart would likely be shit out of luck. ;o) They'd go bust, there'd be no way for them to recover. ;)
I don't tow any 'major party' line. Far too right-wing, conservative, and religious for me. The Democratic Party, that is. ;) heh-heh.
Did I mention I play GTA3?
Did I mention I'm against gun banning, or making more gun laws?
heh-heh.
Oh WalMart is big but they are not invincable. and as far as price goes a copy of Grand Theft Auto III costs $49.96 at WalMart and $49.99 at Target. So they beat Target by a wopping 3 cents.
WalMart has a big videogame market share because of their large part of the total US retail market not because of their prices or selection.
Q: You know why so many people shop at WalMart?
A: Because so many people shop at WalMart!
Of course I live outside of Seattle where one third of all jobs here have to do with trade with Communist Human Rights Violating China.
And every time I fill my gas tank I do buisness with Human Rights Violating Saudi Arabia,
"WalMart has a big videogame market share because of their large part of the total US retail market not because of their prices or selection."
Um... Okay, I'm going to assume you don't know...
How do you think they got to be such a large part of the total US retail market? Do some research - believe me this is the well-known story of Wal-Mart. They did it by offering such rock bottom prices, they drove smaller businesses out of business, because the smaller stores in areas just couldn't compete with a company that's getting poverty labour in Red China.
As for Human Rights Violating Saudi Arabia...
Before this recent election, they had a 11th district PA congress candidate debate. The Republican & Reform candidates, when asked about the situation in the middle east... both said they were concerned with finding alternatives to middle east oil dependency. The Democratic incumbant candidate (who won the election, btw), said he was concerned with keeping the middle east situation in check so as to ensure the continuation of oil from the middle east.
It's not about political party lines. It's about me, doing what I can, when I can, not to support what I don't like or agree with.
Obviously that's not always possible.
But when it is, I do so... particularly if it's glaringly obvious, and fairly simple to do so.
BTW: The nearest Target to me is 40-45 minutes drive away from my home. And I think the next nearest is an hour & 45 minutes drive away, I believe.
The nearest Wal-Mart? There are at least 4 within an hour drive of my home - 2 of those within a 20 minute drive of my home.
Lucky for me, I live 10 minutes from a Kmart. Sadly, I lived a little less from an Ames. How much longer will Kmart be around?
They're trying to put a target in the city that's nearest to me... mysteriously, the certain city officials keep blocking it for reasons nobody understands, and have never seemed clear. Conspiracy has been suggested in the local papers.
Yes I know that WalMart is big and evil and I roughly know the details as to how they came to power and the social impact that they have. But I admit that I went there yesterday to get my oil changed on my car and I picked up a Kung Fu DVD for cheap. It was something that I couldn't get anywhere else locally but I do have a choice and so I tend to buy very little at Walmart mostly because the quality of the stuff that they carry tends to be crap. I have a Target, Fred Meyers and Kmart all close bye. Well have you contacted the local city officials and let them know your longing to a closer alternative to Walmart?
OMG. I just noticed the note about "no aol-kiddie-speak" here, and I've been using BTW constantly. WTF! LOL.
heh-heh.
Sorry. ;)
Nah I just added that because some of my game review get alot of 13 year olds who say.
rom DLZ PLZ ASL/ I OW3NZ J00zz!!!
BRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRBBRB BRB I like Pie
all i'm gonna say is...i love Target...:-P
Ok I just have to say that i am not a feminist....but i must say.....g*damn.....judie and chloe absolutely kick ass! you girls are awesome! Why cant there be more women as inquisitive and thoughtful as you around? I think that wal mart ROCKS though. I love it but i dont like thier policies on video games. I will keep this in mind while shopping. Remember to vote with your wallet. Always. FREE MARKET KICKS ASS!!!!
P.S. chloe: your right about the gun laws. Drugs are ilegal and all you have to do is pick up a phone and dial....you can get whatever you want and your not even a GANG MEMBER!!! imagine that!!! What our country needs is more independent thinkers like you. Al Gore didnt win though. America is not a democracy. It is a democratic republic. We have a representative government based on elected representatives that make up an electorate. The electoral vote counts because some very smart people set it up like that. I still like you though. I happen to be somewhat of a constitutional scholar.
I have to disagreee with you Jake. There are not 2 forces behind censorship. They are far too intertwined to be separate. If you take a look at the forces behind Wal-Mart's push for censorship, it's religious/political crap with a whole bunch of dollars stuffed inside. But don't make the mistake that they are separate. It's merely coated over so that all we see is the poli-religious bullshit. The consumer protests that you use as an example of economic driven censorship are more than likely religiously/politically based. Whenever you talk about an economic push for something, it's politically motivated. Someone is ending up with fatter pockets. I also don't think that it's valid to use the morning after pill as an example of your point. Comparing "violent" toys and a birth control option is like comparing apples and oranges, there isn't enough of a connection between the 2 to make a valid argument. I don't think we will ever reach a point when there isn't competition for Wal-Mart. Enough people are anti Wal-Mart, in that they don't like the political/religious crap that they are forced to accept by shopping there, that there will always be another option.