Jimquisition: Desensitized to Violence

[GamemasterAnthony]

This. Just...this.

This entire episode pretty much sums up what needs to be said about so-called "violence" in media, regardless whether it's in movies, games, or television. Rather good point bringing up how the Sandy Hook incident was used to sell news stories as well.

This, plus a call to get people to focus more on the PEOPLE responsible rather than what they do for fun or how they get the hardware, and I can only hope there would be a lot less REAL killing out there...

 

[sideshow]

the most disturbing part of the video was the cameraman zooming in post-suicide.

 

[Jetsetneo]

Hey Jim, I couldnt watch the whole clip (having never seen it before) once I realized what was going to happen, I scrolled down so I didn't see the action but heard the audio. I was scrolling up only to catch the man's lifeless face with blood pouring from it. Yeah, that was enough for me. Add 1 more to that tally of gamers who can't take real violence but play violent video games all the time.

 

[dontlooknow]

Jim, I usually find myself agreeing with you on this show, and this episode is one of your best... You know, good argument, eloquently said, yahda yahda well done etc.


But in light of what you said about struggling to get the Escapist team to let you show the suicide footage, I'd just light to voice support for what must have been a hard decision, and a hard pitch - so nice one Jim, it can't have been an easy episode to get published, and well done Escapist, it's mature and unflinching arguments like this that have me visiting this site more than IGN etc.

 

[natster43]

That clip actually seemed more disturbing to me the second time I saw it.

 

[T3hSource]

Do you reckon you could edit it what the graphic content is in the description so people know what it is?

Can someone explain to me what the purpose of what happened in the content was? As in why the person did it?

He mentioned his name,just look it up...

Anyway,yes,that was disturbing,the only true violent game is Spec Ops.Howeve it's not through gameplay,it is just like every other shooter:you pop heads like tomatoes(even in slow mo),bodies fly off from explosives and sand kills your enemies,it's the given narrative context which makes it truly violent and in turn very harrowing.

With that aside I immediately wondered what was the game with the woman with the double blades slash dancing around the screen,thought it might be the Ninja Gaiden 3 or something...

EDIT: Looked it up,it's Ayane,who has also made appearances in other Team Ninja games.

 

[RC1138]

Speaking as someone who, through military deployments, has been aparty to and responsible for Jim's quote en quote "real violence," I have a comment I've held for awhile now about desensitization to violence from media in general. I does and it doesn't. It doesn't prepare or desensitize you to what you see when it's right there in front of you. In the same regard to a flight sim trainer for pilots. I doesn't, and isn't trying, to make the action of ACTUALLY flying the plane indistinguishable from the flight sim, but it makes the fear, apprehension, and hesitation from getting into a real cockpit less fearful. Violence in media is the same thing. I don't care how many SAW's you've seen or other gore flicks, when you see a real head blown off someone, it gets to you. But what seeing those movies or playing games like them DOES do is make you far less likely to recoil BEFORE you see it.

Granted it's anecdotal but I have to go on my own experience, I saw this in action in my own unit. I had a guy that was from the classic, SUPER classic "Brady bunch" family who didnt watch TV growing up, never had video games, didnt read or see violent things. Sheltered in all regards. Then you had me, growing up playing anything and everything, watching everything and anything, doing anything and everything, and "desensitized" to violence in a manner of speaking. When we both, on our first deployment, came across our fist bodies torn by bullets, we both recoiled at the sight. The difference was I didn't hesitate to walk over to look, it took coaxing to get him to come over. I was, more or less, just as bothered by it (but not as long as he was which I'm sure is another factor) but I more readily approached it. That's something I am sure that violent media does do. It takes the COMPLETELY unknown, and gives a person a toehold. Is that inherently a bad thing? No, I don't suppose it is, but does take SOME mystery away from the air of true violence and by definition that would desensitize the fear away from it (fear stemming from the unknown).

 

[bandit0802]

I actually struggled with the thought of watching the content in question. "Should I try to stomach it and face the reality, or just accept that it will distub me." The fact that I'm at work made my decision for me, but I am actually scared of the idea of going home and watching it this afternoon.

On your last note Jim, 100% agree. And that just seems to be the nature of the mainstream celebrity: "It's everyone's fault but mine."

 

[Casual Shinji]

Thanks for the heads up warning there, Jim. I myself am a gamer whose not too fond of watching real people die, despite my love for disemboweling centaurs in God of War 3. So yeah, I skipped it.

Heck, I have a hard time with cetain parts of nature documentaries. Oddly enough, there, real genuine violence is very much glorified; Showing great white sharks snatch up seals in super slow motion, and watching a snow geese chick breathe its last breath on a whimpering squeek as its being crushed between the jaws of an arctic fox. ...In slow motion. But as it's nature it's apparently okay not just to show it, but to glorify the shit out of it with high speed cameras and a violin score.

 

[daxterx2005]

Age verification before a Jim video....
This is going to be scary.

 

[leviadragon99]

Well... that sight is gonna stick with me.

And yeah, insightfull logic to arrive at an obvious conclusion that so many somehow don't seem to get...

 

[CyborgGinger]

The video clip of the suicide was very unpleasant to watch. Part of me was hoping someone would jump in from the side and get the gun off him before he pulled the trigger, no but no.

The thing is though, the video wasn't really violent; it was sad, a man at the end of his tether ending it all.

A video of an angry mob stoning people to death, or a man screaming and with hatred burning in his eyes as he hacks the head from his prisoner with a sword - that's violence. That's truely terrifying. I wish I could say it was difficult to find, but it's not. That is the sort of thing I most definitely recoil away from - I've never been able to bring myself to watch that sort of content when it occasionally drifts by.

I think all this "the youth of today are desensitized to violence" thing is ludicrous. Never has there been in a time in history when we are so out-and-out against violence. Think back 100, 200, 300 years... not that long ago really, but violence would have a way of life to a good many.

Rule of law and (relatively) peaceful gives (give or take a World War or two) have led to us being pretty soft I think, in comparison.

 

[Ickabod]

It's a great argument made in the episode, I just worry about how a media outlet like FOX could turn the point of this around and turn it into, "Gamers looking to up their desire for violence, a video gaming site shows a person actually killing themselves."

Because they'd never do that would they?

That being said, good episode.

 

[snagli]

I find the movie sad but it didn't shock or really disturb me...I'm wondering if I should be worried about that.

I had the same reaction. I know it was awful and disturbing, I just didn't have the same emotional and physical reaction to it I once might have had. Now, this doesn't mean either of us is "desensitized" the way the media puts it. I for one know these things are disturbing and bad, and I would never ever do something like that or wish it upon someone else, but I don't feel the need to connect any emotion to it. It's bad and I felt bad, but being disturbed by it won't make it better.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Let's also not forget that the news media has a reason to try and beat up on video games. Video Games are competition to them. These news corporations also own major film studios and many people are opting to play games instead of watch movies, or so the film studios believe, so they intentionally make a fuss about video games because they're trying to wipe out what they see as competition.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Jim, I was hoping you'd do the gag with the brown paper bag at the end again.

That was a condition of me being allowed to show the footage, although in fairness, I wasn't interested in doing that bit again. I felt it more helpful to just stay on point this time.

You made the right choice.

Well, "real" news may be crap, but with people like you and the ones who run the Escapist.
I don't think we need them anyway. Again, thank you Jim.

(Also, the dance at the end helped lighten the mood. Thanks.)

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I didn't really find it all that disturbing or shocking, mostly because your warning played it up so much that I was expecting something much more graphic. You're right though, video game violence is far removed from real life violence. I recall once seeing a old black and white photograph of a war torn region that featured a child horribly burned by napalm on a road with a tank behind. Now that disturbed me.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

I will never forget a fellow movie maker cite that clip as an example of how to do a "realistic headshot" for a movie. Even reality is not reality to some people Jim, and I respect the point you are making even though you had to show that horrible event.

 

[Jimothy Sterling]

I didn't really find it all that disturbing or shocking, mostly because your warning played it up so much that I was expecting something much more graphic.

I was worried about this. I underplayed it last time for that very reason and people got upset at me, so I figured it far more prudent to err on the side of playing it up than playing it down. For most, it still seems to have retained its effect, so I'm happy with the decision.