"Law & Order" Goes Mental in Its Portrayal of Gamers

[Snowden's Secret]

As for the episode, it's just the same thing CSI (I think it was them) did with Furries. Generalizations up the arse.

Hu-whah?! How exactly did that fit in with the CSI team's regular hijinks?

OT:I can only really assume that, as others have put it, that this is an attempt to pander the said "gamer" characters off as instantly "unlikeable" to the show's actual target audience. I'm not really all that personally annoyed, but it is a seriously lazy portrayal of gamers regardless.

 

[The_Echo]

My only problem is with the way the game looked, and how it was described.

That was not the kind of game with a "level 20". If anything, it was an RPG or an MMO (a poorly rendered one, at that). Other than the portrayal of the game itself, the characters are certainly feasible, and such people almost certainly exist.

Beside the point, it's Law & Order. Do you really think they're going to portray the criminals in any good light at all? Of course they're actions as gamers are ridiculous. It makes their persona as the bad guy more bolstered.

 

[Brazilianpeanutwar]

Law and order SVU is damn good,I watch it all the time on sky +
But they do seem a little dated in terms of games (mind you some of the game episodes go back as far as 2001 i think,don't quote me on that)

 

[The Austin]

That's a shame. I used to watch Law and Order. Too bad I'm no longer watching it.

 

[Mechsoap]

shit...that's bad, that's horribly cheesy and bad...

so their portrayal of a gamer is a fat groaning guy/gal who do not clean up and cant take any kind of responsibility, and who choose mates solely on the appearance off their avatar?

 

[mental_looney]

Watched the whole episode other than that 4 minute bit at the start there is no more mention of that couple other than the woman got hit by a bus and it messed up her brain that's why she neglected the child it was nothing to do with the video game, but yeah it's all sensationalist drama and there is far worse is the episode than that couple at the start.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I guess I'm not missing out on anything when it comes to non-animated TV.

Anyway, I don't know if anyone who watches that kind of show would take it seriously. I've definitely seen worse smearing. I think I'll get back to my own little world in Isshu now though if you don't mind.

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

Now, I'm not going to make any assumptions - this might be a joke, might be satire and I have never seen Law & Order before.

But, this... is ridiculous.


Did you catch that? What do you think was the intent behind this episode? How could anyone have taken this seriously? How could they greenlight this?

If this is a joke, it's a damn good one. If not, we're doomed.

[Source: Kotaku [http://www.kotaku.com.au/2010/09/law-and-order-handles-video-game-fuelled-child-neglect-badly]]

they did it to furries too. gamers are not the only ones.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Wait a second, Law and Order, pause the game!

2D Xbox WoW with levels?

Can I haz it? =P

 

[imnot]

Calumon: That game looked terrible.

i agree,
OT: That was a bit far fetched I think

Of topic: On my bus I was sat between a guy called Jack and a guy called calumon!

 

[spartan231490]

It's law and order, it's sensationalized for entertainment value to the detriment of all kinds of things, that video game is on this list doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[solidstatemind]

Hey... oh, look at that: television shows engage in hyperbole.

The truth is that many (most) TV shows use subtle and not-so-subtle exaggeration of stereotypes and behaviors in order to get their points through the thick skulls of their average audience members. If gamers want to be enraged by this tactic, y'all can feel free to get in line behind black people, Jewish people, gays, Italians, Catholics, etc. etc. etc.

Or you know, just laugh about how absurd of a characterization it is and move along. That'd probably be more productive.

--

Totally off-topic: Furburt, that's a cool song quote.

 

[Snowden's Secret]

As for the episode, it's just the same thing CSI (I think it was them) did with Furries. Generalizations up the arse.

Hu-whah?! How exactly did that fit in with the CSI team's regular hijinks?

You tell me!


I think that's it anyway, I didn't watch the episode itself.

Well, I've given up on trying to explain that. One thing I can say though is that the guy with the glasses & anthropologist outlook annoyed me. Alot.
Also, the name of the episode is apparently "Fur & Loathing". Bad puns ho!

 

[Altorin]

I know the episode is "inspired" by real instances of people becoming so addicted to games that they forgot about things like they're children, but this just shows how little respect there really is for the gaming industry.
"This is level 20!! This is the kingdom of Galgamar!!!" Whoever wrote this has obviously never actually played a game in their life and is writing this based on what little they've heard about them.

I can't watch it right now, as there are noise restrictions (people sleeping right next to me), but it SOUNDS as bad as Tom Hanks's freakout sessions in Mazes and Monsters

 

[nuba km]

snip

the writer is called Daniel truly I say we find his/hers address and write a letter of discontent and tell him/her that he/she has offended use and is using stereotypes to write about people that enjoy games in a way that makes use feel offended and hurt. I think that will show him/her that he/she has done he wrong thing and should apologise.

 

[GrinningManiac]

The co-producers name is Speed Weed?

That is the best drug-dealer name I've ever heard. He needs to change careers.

As for the episode, it's just the same thing CSI (I think it was them) did with Furries. Generalizations up the arse. Remember though, we are not this shows target audience, not by a long shot.

Having said that, I remember an arc in CSI:New York that had a Second Life-esque online community having real-life bars and clubs where they could meet (styled as the Star Wars canteena with that music and everything), was played by all the most important, high-ranking officials in the city AS WELL as your average portrayal of the looser junkie gamer

Guess why CSI got involved in this? There was a person in this "second life" who was a (I sh*t you not) green-haired, japanophile Kill Bill-type assassain who was taking contracts THROUGH "second life" and carrying them out in real life.

That series never got any more batsh*t insane than THAT, I can tell you

Awesome story, though

OT: Meh. Haters b' Hatin'. They're older than us. Soon they'll all be dead, and the Geek shall inheret the earth

Badum-tish

 

[Snotnarok]

Games are bad, but movie references to people understanding a condition is good?

Way to educate yourselves Law and Order, your show sucks anyway.

 

[The Youth Counselor]

This was the show I previously brought up:


Skip to 6:03 Where the kid is boasting about how he learned how to cover up evidence and commit crimes through the GTA clone.

: They're on a computer 18 hours a day. They're committing murder, mayhem, rape, did it ever occur to you that this may have an effect on them? HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU! Do you think that's okay? Oh I see a car, I think I'll just steal that. Somebody pisses me off, I'll just stomp him into the ground. If a cop intervenes I'll just blow him away!

Chi Mc Bride: ...He's egotistical, he can't accept criticism, he's socially isolated, obsessive, withdrawn.

Video Game Producer: You've just described them all. Plus every action game addict in the country. There are five million of them, take your pick.

Detective: Guy spends more than a year playing a murder simulator. It's not just a game. Now you pull that plug, he's ruined. Jonesin so bad he plays for real.

Unlike the L&0 episode the gamers aren't excused by mental illness and their characters aren't said to be extreme addictions, every gamer is a deviant.

Life is like a video game Ray. Everybody's gotta die sometime.

 

[DarkBlaze6]

Wait, didn't law and order do an episode where a gamer killed drove a friend to suicide, and the team was trying to prove that the game wasn't responsible? Or am I just imagining things?