Star Jones Has Gaming Bypass Surgery On Live TV
From the moment she fake-apologizes for fake-playing a game on what looks like some kind of Blackberry, Star Jones' weird-ass body language says "I have no idea what I'm talking about, do I?" But despite the same basic ignorance we see in just about everyone discussing games on television these days, Star doesn't do an absolutely wretched job of it.
Of course, she's got a Columbine survivor on air, which can only garner fear-based support for such bass-ackward ideas as:
"Most young people like more the action games...where you can't appreciate that what's happening on the screen is not real life!"
And:
"In preparation for today, I...I...looked at some of those video games, and I'm telling you, it's a horror movie that you're able to participate in!"
So clearly, Star knows her stuff. But she's pulled together a somewhat balanced show, and there is a voice of reason in the form of attorney Katherine Fallow, who reminds Star that the courts have found nine out of nine proposed anti-gaming laws to violate the First Amendment, to be unconstitutional and to be dangerously broad. The responsibility, Fallow asserts, should reside first and foremost in the parents.
From there, the discussion devolves, although Star actually does a decent job of allowing both sides to get their voice in. California Senator Leland Yee tries his best to scare us into censorship, but Fallow's cool-headed support of voluntary ratings and retain-enforcement ultimately win the day. Star even ends the segment with an appeal to parents as the ultimate protectors of their own children.
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, Miscellany on 25 August 2007
· Comments (15)
Other stuff like this: anti-game laws, katherine fallow, legislation, leland yee, star jones
I'm impressed and surprised that Star made such a point of making sure both sides had a say. I really am. I hope that more of these "soccer mom" types watch her show and actually listen.
What we need on "our side" is somebody who can communicate to the types of people who normally don't listen to "gamer types".
I like the Resident Evil footage.
She seemed to ignore the Columbine guy when the actual discussion started.
Judging from Fallow's performance in this clip, the gaming industry has a pretty good representative to deal with claims like this. I enjoyed when she mentioned that the social sciences haven't shown any links between games and violence, and the Senator chimes right back in with "Nuuuuuuu-uhhhhh!"
Seeing as the Senator's training is apparently in child psychology, the phrase "Correlation does not imply causation" should be familiar to him.
I loved Star's question that was basically "How do we ignore the first amendment and circumvent the constitution?" That was grand. Also, all the suggestions that people who aren't for censorship are inhuman and without hearts, not to mention her basically outright saying that the video game industry is all for giving children violent video games if it lines their pockets.
Still, it was pretty nice and balanced, moreso than we usually see anyway.
Better than Fair and Balanced then.
this is gonna come off as me being a jerk, but if his sister is anything like him, id shoot her too.
Yeah, you're right: you came off as a jerk.
That's what I was thinking, BoT.
The problem with people who have these horrible, traumatizing things happen to them is that they become [obviously, and not necessarily without merit] excessively biased. It all comes down to making big, blanketed statements about something based on one [horrible, tragically] bad experience. You can't do that.
Having a conversation about violent video games and bring out someone from Columbine? Real classy Star, real classy.
Now I have to bring this up front they just showed the GTA:VC footage over and over again from the main trailer not actual game play...... anyway IT'S THE PARENTS FAULT FOR NOT BEING THEIR FOR THEIR CHILDREN EMOTIONALLY NOT TO MENTION CHECK UNDER THEIR BED FOR A GUN OR TWO WHILE THE KIDS OUT
anyway that was kind of jerk-ish you don't shoot some one for being annoying Vodka and Reb(the nick names of the Tench Coat mafia members) where idotic for shooting up the school in the first place they should have just signed up for the marines and waited until late 2002 probably would have made good soldiers and could have won the war by themselves and found Bin Laden. Anyway games like Doom PROMOTE GOD if you notice your slaying DEMONS not angels and little children.Anyone notice GTA gives you choices you want to beat a hooker do it I do it for the money so I can buy all the house i can in the game, dosen't mean I'll do it in real life, also in GTA you notice THEIR IS NO SINGLE PERSON in all of GTA that looks visibly under the age of 16(the non hooker white girls in SA do look 16)
ok, ok. I wont shoot him, or her. How about I just punch them once? When they attack the things i hold most dear (such as media) I get a bit protective and aggressive, like a lion to his baby lion.
If you watch the video, his organization is fighting freedom of speech and the media. He might as well tear down michelangelos paintings.
Katherine Fallow is my new hero.
Anyways, I agree with some things, such as violence on Media does make murder seem more normal and we don't care as much as we used to (News Plays a big part in this as well) it is not going to turn normal people like you and I into mass murder machines.
The Most important thing to do is be a good parent and have control over your children. (Too many Parents lack this today)
Those Columbine kids were fucked from the start, video games or not, it was still going to happen. (We would just find something else to blame)
Star it horrible and just cutting these people off, they are trying to talk about issues and she diverts to another point without the viewer (In my personal opinion) being satisfied with the content which each guest has brought up.
For example I would like to know what the major's point about their next attack will involve as well as the attorney's information on the situation. And also the Columbine survivor's point that those individuals were lamenting over the violence they were watching wasn't explored to my satisfaction.
I am not putting blame on Star as I'm sure this had to fit into a small segment but I think this issue really needs to be explored more on national TV for all to see and understand.
P.S. I'm glad that the Attorney brought up the point of parental controls, and as a teenager I also know that I have been denied a M game without a parent, so I must say this self regulation is working
I laughed so hard when they first showed RE footage! It was just so damn hilarious!!
Cough, I skipped reading comments because some of them gave me a headache with the wannabe humanitarian stuff.
Parents are not to fully blame, but usually have a huge chuck of the fault all over their backs.
I'm off to try to "convert" the guy right next to me~