Dear American Media: I Do Hate You So!

An American’s Response to Bulletstorm ‘Media Attack’

by exterminat

©2011 Nicholas Laborde

Before you even begin to read this article, I’ll start off by saying that I am an American; I’m not an angry foreigner pissing on America as per the norm.

We often have been accused of being quite narrow-minded, and in no way do I deny these allegations. But what I will freely express as a sort of excuse is the fact that our media is just terrible.

I like to call myself a good journalist. Sure, if I were really good, maybe I’d be getting paid a large salary and possibly driving a Lamborghini; that’s aside from the point.

If I present an argument, I back it up. Otherwise, my words have no substance and the fiends of the internet will attack my loopholes viciously.

What FoxNews have done yet again is unforgivable, amateur reporting aimed at turning the less-aware conservative soccer moms of America against something they have no reason to truly care about.

Update:

• Tammy Schachter, VP of Public Relations for EA, spoke with Game Informer,

“As you know, Bulletstorm is a work of entertainment fiction that takes place in the 26th century on the abandoned fictitious paradise planet Stygia, where our heroes fight mutants, monsters, flesh-eating plants and gigantic dinosaurs.

Epic, People Can Fly and EA are avid supporters of the ESA and believe in the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating system. We believe in and abide by the policies put in place by the ESRB.

“Bulletstorm is rated M for Mature for blood and gore, intense violence, partial nudity, sexual themes, strong language and use of alcohol.

The game and its marketing adhere to all guidelines set forth by the ESRB; both are designed for people 17+. Never is the game marketed to children.

“Epic, People Can Fly and EA support the right of artists to create works of entertainment fiction for consumers of all ages, including adults who enjoy action adventures like Bulletstorm.

Much like Tarantino’s Kill Bill or Rodriguez’s Sin City, this game is an expression of creative entertainment for adults.”

A Recap and Analysis

It all started here, with FoxNews attacking something they don’t understand (as usual).

The game Bulletstorm was not only superficially critiqued, but they brought in some of the most laughable “experts” available.

It featured the typical “THIS VIDEO GAME IS BAD. IT FEATURES VIOLENCE. IT WILL DESTROY OUR YOUTH,” but it also contained “arguments” and” theories” that evoked some of the most genuine laughter I’ve had all day.

Like this:

And with kids as young as 9 playing such games, the experts FoxNews.com spoke with were nearly universally worried that video game violence may be reaching a fever pitch.

“If a younger kid experiences Bulletstorm’s explicit language and violence, the damage could be significant,” Dr. Jerry Weichman, a clinical psychologist at the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Southern California, told FoxNews.com.

First off, let’s analyze that first part. Kids as young as nine years old playing the game? I’m sorry, FoxNews, but if you have such a problem with that, then give a parenting lesson on your crappy network; you already sucker in enough idiots, so that should be a snap. If a child that young plays it, it’s the parents’ fault for not monitoring him.

The ESRB exists to provide people with information regarding video game content. Numerous times throughout the article they state that the system doesn’t work. Well, I propose a similar story: the nutrition labels on all American food items.

America has an obesity problem, but do we look at the labels and/or care about what is in items we buy? No. We [most of us] simply eat the item and never think about what it could do to us.

It’s the same exact situation here, and they need to cope with the fact that some people simply don’t care enough about themselves or people around them to look at these things.

• Continuing off of the second part of that statement:

Violent video games like Bulletstorm have the potential to send the message that violence and insults with sexual innuendos are the way to handle disputes and problems,” Weichman said.

Carol Lieberman, a psychologist and book author, told FoxNews.com that sexual situations and acts in video games — highlighted so well in Bulletstorm — have led to real-world sexual violence.

“The increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of [sexual] scenes in video games,” she said.

[I'd like to add that by this point in the article I was literally falling out of my chair with laughter, but then my anger started to kick in that people will actually believe this exaggerated BS]

I like how in the next part, they point out “book author.” What else does author imply, idiots?

Whoever Carol Lieberman is, she obviously watches child movies and absorbs media meant for the younger population. After all, she is a book author.

There has never been any proof that acts in a video game lead to similar acts in the real world. Where is your evidence, Fox?

Oh yeah, there is none. It has never been proven and will never be proven. There is no link, no demonic hypnosis inside of games that tells people to do these things.

Have a good time with a hooker in GTA, then kill her? That totally means you would do it in real life.

The other “experts” along with Fox basically imply that games such as these should not be available to be sold, and further criticize the ESRB.

What does it all come down to?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

That’s the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and the first part of our Bill of Rights.

Bulletstorm is an expression of speech, and by calling for it to not be sold it is curbing the liberties of those who have poured their hearts and minds into making the title.

FoxNews, are you telling me we can’t have free speech? I’m exercising my First Amendment protections simply by writing this.

No, FoxNews, let me tell you something: while some media may not always be acceptable to what you personally think, it’s going to come along.

It’s going to be released.

And people are going to like it.

Stop with your usual scaremongering and open your eyes to the fact that not everyone agrees with your views on a ‘perfect society’.

If my child wanted to play Bulletstorm, I would tell them no.

Parents of America need to inform themselves of what their children of playing. If they don’t and continue to buy titles for their young kids such as this, then it’s not the fault of the evil video game corporations that make these titles; it’s the parents’ fault.

What’s even more depressing about the situation is that Bulletstorm may even turn out to be extremely average, and may gain greater sales due to the shitstorm created by FoxNews and their ilk: it’ll be just like the Medal of Honor “controversy.”

©2011 Nicholas Laborde

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Filed under: 3rd Party Games, Blogbanter, Console gaming, Editorial, GameBanter, New Xbox 360 Games, Parental Gaming, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 3rd Party Games, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | arol Lieberman, Bulletstorm, Carol Lieberman, Dr. Jerry Weichman, Entertainment Software Rating Board, ESRB, Fox News Channel, FoxNews, Hoag Neurosciences Institute, Lamborghini, medal of honor controversy, Southern California, Tammy Schachter, Video game, Video game controversy