Stick with the ratings and warnings

Well this was fun (not) writing a blog about the glamorization of sexuality and violence has opened my eyes and (hopefully) opened the eyes of my readers about these problems. Throughout the blog there is a recurring warning, RESPECT THE RATINGS!!!!

In video games, the box of the CD usually has at the back some information to sell you the game, the requirements (if the game is for PC) and the rating of the game. Too many a time I have heard "No one reads those" "Their not important" and worse of all "What ratings?" (yes I have actually heard that before). Well this is to tell you that YES they ARE important, there is a rating for a reason. There have been studies that violent video games do in fact affect people, no matter what their age. Those ratings are the result of those studies, so buying Skyrim of CoD for a five year old is a bad idea, and in my opinion bad parenting. This isn't to change everyone's way of thinking, it's so that next time you're about to buy a game 14+ for you eight year old nephew, just stop and think "Is this right?"

In movies, the ratings are also just as important, for a movie like The Hangover, which is 18+, it's not the best idea to bring a 10 year old because all that's going to make is "DUDE drinking + roofies = AWESOME!" (by the way the first one is perfect the second is a copy, not worth watching). This brings up the second point, the warnings. When it says vulgar language, sexual content, extreme violence, etc; not the best idea to ignore that. Again, those are there for a reason, to make you think if it is appropriate for younglings.


Over all, watch out for the media, sure it's great, but look out for the subliminal messages of violence and sexuality. Also, make sure things are age appropriate for the young ones. When you start thinking "I wish I could nuke him/sword him/or quick scope (or her)" It's best to take a break from those games for a bit, loose that influence.

The simpsons/Family Guy/South Park

On television there are A LOT of shows that influence people and their actions. The Simpsons, Family Guy and South Park being the most popular and biggest ones to influence society.

Let's start off with The Simpsons, in this show we have a family of 5, the dad is completely dumb and abusive, the older boy is disrespectful and a delinquent, the middle girl is smarter, one baby, and the mom who tries to live a normal life. "65% [of parents] say that shows like The Simpsons and Married... With Children encourage kids to disrespect parents." (Parents television council, Facts and TV statistics) There has been a survey and 65% of parents say that they have realized that their children have been more disrespectful than before they watched the Simpsons. That or they saw the message from the Simpsons. This show also shows that the children are smarter than the parents because in this show the two kids are smarter than their dad. The Simpsons show a huge lack of respect to elders and give wrong messages out to real kids.

Family guy is usually for an older audience than the Simpsons, yet still a relatively young audience. This show sends mostly sexual and vanity messages. The Dad usually has a lot of sexual references and the entire family is fixated on what they look like and what others think of them. For example, Stewie has a fit when people don't see him as evil, the teenage girl cries when she doesn't get the attention she wants, the dad has liposuction to be in a special group at one point. This show makes a lot of emphasis into vanity and they "social status" as if it's all that matters in the world.

Finally South Park, the most vulgar of all three. This show is EXTREMELY violent and gory, and again it's for a relatively young/teenage age. This is a show where one of the five main character, Kenny, dies nearly every episode. There are knives, guns and killings all over the board in this show. It sends out the message that violence solves EVERY problem you have in the world, when it actually only creates more problems. There is also another part in this show, lying, ever show they lie and get away with it, showing that lying makes what you did wrong better, even though it never does. This show is extremely violent and vulgar and a lot of young people watch it, they may not know it, but it does influence them.

These are only three of the thousands of shows out there that influence society. Even if you watch it and say: "Wow that dumb, I'll never do THAT" media influences everyone subconsciously, there's no way to get around it. Well there's one, get cut from the media, but that's hardly ever going to happen now is it.

18, age, and a U.S. youth will. "Sex, Violence, and Profanity in the Media Fact Sheet, TV Statistics - Parents Television Council." Parents Television Council - Because Our Children Are Watching. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2012. <http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/facts/mediafacts.asp>.

Skyrim played by 3 year olds?!

Skyrim the most popular RPG game at the moment is a great game. If you've never heard of Skyrim you're either one of the following. 1. You're not a gamer 2. If you are a gamer, you live under a rock, which is quite possibly WoW.

Skyrim has great graphics with blood and gore extremely well-done, and it's so easy to get side tracked. Like once I had to join one of the two main armies, but decided not to and ... (record scratch) sorry, well see what I mean? It's well made. Yet, this doesn't mean that its OK for three years old to play this game! This game isn't rated M for no reason, Blood and Gore everywhere, decapitation cut-scenes, etc. The excuse "we are a family of gamers, and the exposure to some imagery is inevitable," (Carl Douglas) is NOT a valid excuse to let your child hack and slash whatever they want.



Although the little girl does realize that "People don't want to be sword," after the town guards come and kill her character, she still ended up killing a harmless, innocent NPC. NPC's obviously not real people, but growing up with a "gamer family" she will most likely keep playing violent video games. She's going to learn not to "sword people" maybe, but she might easily start to think that violence solves all your problems, which is far from true.


I have nothing against Skyrim, it is an awesome game, but remember to keep the games to your child's level of age. A young girl like that should be playing those games with virtual dogs or something, not hunting Dragons and Elves!


"The Escapist : News : Adorable 3 Year-Old Experiences Harsh Justice in Skyrim." The Escapist. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. <http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114317-Adorable-3-Year-Old-Experiences-Harsh-Justice-in-Skyrim>.

S.O.P.A

For the past two weeks there were some people/congressmen who have been trying to pass a bill named Stop Online Piracy Act, otherwise known as SOPA. This bill will give the U.S. government power over the internet, you know the international one that the entire world uses and that you're reading this blog off of, yeah that one. SOPA will stop any plagiarism going online or "the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products," (Lamar Smith). The lead sponsor representative says this as if they put everything on the net and that others steal everything off that, which is OBVIOUSLY not true.


If this bill passes it would mean that the U.S. government will be free to block out anything on the net and will be able to do whatever they want. With that type of censorship, the subliminal messages about sexuality and violence will skyrocket. "████ this ███████████ how █████ your ███████ internet ██ will ███████ be ██████ with █████████ SOPA ███████████" (Escapist Magazine) Now if this is what happens who knows what kind of message they could make out of these, like "join the army," "the states are great," "big brother is watching you". With SOPA there will be no end to the U.S. government can do, and this won't just be on their websites, it will be all over. They will probably block out this blog if this bill passes through. We've all heard that the media influences the world, well what about the net? Usually when you need to do research you do it on the net. If SOPA goes there will be the same kind of messages as the media and much easier to do, and those researches will be subjective to the State's side because you have no other information.


For now Sopa has been postponed "indefinitely", but this does not mean it is gone, so watch out for SOPA and fight against it for the internet to stay free. (Escapist Magazine)


" Facebook - The Escapist." Facebook. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. <http://www.facebook.com/EscapistMag>.

"The Escapist : News : SOPA Postponed "Indefinitely"." The Escapist. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2012. <http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115384-SOPA-Postponed-Indefinitely>. 

Rap

Ok so this is either going to inrage some people or some will completly agree with me. In any case since this neerly made a riot in my French class im going for it. So here it goes.

Music is an integral part of culture and every society, and those songs usually leave an impact on society, wether good or bad. The songs that only say vulgar things leave a MAJOR impact on society. We must also consider that there were always vulgar songs, except that since 2000 it seems like too many artists said: "why have discretion?". Most rappers began writing songs which every third word is a vulgar one, every line they say is an insult of some kind and their only inspiration is the women they slep with the night before! In the playgrounds of elementary schools, there are kids who make "rap battles" but these battles are only insults to each other, but they have to do it with a beat, that's the only rule. Preschoolers have started swearing to other kids and teachers as well. When you ask them where they heard those words, it's no longer from mommy or daddy, but from SONGS the other family members listen to. How is it plausible that the world listens to the songs so vulgar? "If listeners hear it several times and they taste it more, they are attached to them and they will want to listen more." (Turning Into classical music popularity contest, npc, Andsnes) The music industry tends to take any artist with talent and imagination limited. They force us to listen to the media until they are listening to our own will or not listening at all! (Music Industry failing, jimi777).

UPDATE: In this Blog, Rap is an example of the vulgar songs out there "We must also consider that there were always vulgar songs..."(line 9) Songs being any music and type that there is.


"Turning Classical Music Into A Popularity Contest (Really!) : Deceptive Cadence : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2011/05/20/136462662/classical-music-as-a-popularity-contest-really>.

jimi777. "music industry failing . lack of talent real reason." jimi777 on HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://jimi777.hubpages.com/hub/music-industry-failing-lack-of-talent-real-reason>.