MSNBC's Ed Schultz calls parents who allow there kids and 18+ to play GTA V lousy

[Mike Richards]

Hey, if you think your kid can handle it then by all means do it. I mean we say that it comes down to parents when it comes to these things. I played Mortal Kombat here and there when I was a kid and I didn't try to rip spines out on the playground.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. A kid has no business "handling it" at all. No child has any business playing a game like this.

I played and watched things that some people would consider inappropriate for my age at the time because my parents were confident that I could understand the content and react to it intelligently and rationally. It wasn't something they did carelessly or at random, they would research or watch whatever it was and make the judgement for themselves, and more often then not there wasn't a problem.

You can't draw a solid line across what all kids are capable of handling responsibly, not only will it be wildly inaccurate but it isn't your job, nor the job of any single individual. Ratings are important to give parents the tools they need to analyze a game or a movie or a show, but they shouldn't be treated like absolute laws because that's just as lazy as letting your kids do whatever they want. It's better of course, it is more responsible, but its still lazy because no real understanding has been reached. As other people above have noted, not all M rated games are created equal.

Parents need to be capable of making their own informed, rational decisions without letting others do their job for them. And everyone needs to recognize that each individual child has their own tolerances for what they are and are not ready for yet.

 

[Tony2077]

i wish i could just face palm but since that would be a low content post i will add the rest of this just to be safe

 

[verdant monkai]

This Ed is right.

If you buy a GTA game without any research and then give it to an under age kid you are a shitty parent.

He is right about giving GTA V to kids, but he was wrong about 18 year olds and over.

Oh good lord is that what he meant? I thought it was a typo in the title.

I dont think parents have much to with what people 18+ buy. So I dont think Ed or anyone else need worry about adults buying GTA V.

 

[Berny Marcus]

This Ed is right.

If you buy a GTA game without any research and then give it to an under age kid you are a shitty parent.

He is right about giving GTA V to kids, but he was wrong about 18 year olds and over.

Oh good lord is that what he meant? I thought it was a typo in the title.

I dont think parents have much to with what people 18+ buy. So I dont think Ed or anyone else need worry about adults buying GTA V.

I agree, so it's obvious Ed doesn't know what he is talking about. And there is no typo, it's based off of what Ed said when he went on in his rant.

 

[CriticalMiss]

Unmarried sex, contraception, touching a member of the opposite sex below the neck, losers that drive too slow, maniacs that drive too fast, asking for a receipt, singing in the shower, masturbation, thinking about masturbation, David Hasselhoff, chunky peanut butter, video game piracy, Somalia, rechargeable batteries, text messages, CAPS LOCK, heavy breathing, lustful eye contact, and the oxford comma.

I don't know what the oxford comma is, but I know it is to blame! Ban the oxford comma!

I kind of agree that kids shouldn't be playing games that are rated above their age. Though I'm a total hypocrite since I played the original GTA when I was a wee lass. I fail to see what GTA V had to do with some loon going gun crazy at work though, other than the media using it as another example of THE EVILS OF VIDEOGAMES! *dun dun duuuuun*

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

This Ed is right.

If you buy a GTA game without any research and then give it to an under age kid you are a shitty parent.

And if the parent in question has researched the game, and thinks their kid is old enough to handle it, what then? Even a game like GTA, there's no reason to necessarily limit it to 17/18 and up. I've known plenty of 15 year olds over the years who could handle something like it just fine. Plenty of them who handled worse in the form of movies, in fact.

Even if you're looking at a 10 year old, it's something that's up to the parent, and their understanding of their own child. It's hard to imagine a 10 year old for whom GTA V would be appropriate, but GTA V is on the extreme end of the M rating. Most M rated games would rank a PG-13 if they were movies, and I'd be hard pressed to find a PG-13 movie and a 10 year old I didn't think could handle it.

This neo-puritanism I see in the game community is both sickening and hypocritical, unless every last one of you want to tell me you never played an M-rated/would have been M if the ESRB had existed (Doom, Wolfenstein 3D, etc.) game as a kid. The ratings are guidelines, and not laws, for a reason. Or at least they are in the US. I find it the height of offensiveness that it's actually backed up by law in other countries.

 

[Carpenter]

First of all "predictably" is a bit of an overstatement when you consider how old that cliche is by now. Nobody in the mainstream is making the case that video games make you violent yet people argue against it as if that argument has already been made.

Well, yes and no. On the one hand, that is often implied rather heavily, if rarely actually stated.

OTOH, it is a very tiresome strawman used during attempts at a more serious discussion about the effects of games.

I wish people could get this angry about something that actually matters.

Yeah, there's very much an element of that. Similarly, gets tiresome when people say that Australia has a terrible society/government because of the problems with video games classifications.

Implied? When? How?

How does the news "imply" something without outright saying it?

"A man was seen fleeing the scene. I'm not saying either way, but perhaps he had something to do with the robbery, but maybe not who knows."

The news usually doesn't "imply" anything.

Yeah it's very tiresome (the use of strawman arguments) because I happen to believe that video games, books, movies, music, and any other art you consume can affect you. I am not saying you play a game and do what you did on the game, just that it can influence you in some unseen way.

I mean people try to argue against it and end up proving my point with that old quote, btw how pathetic is it that people usually can't debate without relying on the same old quotes for their argument?
"Oh so video games make people violent, I guess we should ban the bible because it caused so much violence"

So yeah, first of all nobody said video games caused violence, just that it can be a factor. Second, the person just proved my point with the quote by pointing out that a book has been known to influence human behavior in a MAJOR way so it's not such a stretch to think that a video game or movie could do even more since it can use a lot more than just words on paper to convince you.
Third, I so often get that quote as an argument but not once have I ever supported or suggested the censorship of video games. It would be like getting hostile towards anyone that believes cigarettes are dangerous and accusing them of trying to take away your cigs.

I am off on a tangent I guess but it all has to do with that original point, I am sick of "gamers" being so sensitive that we are simply not allowed to discuss the idea fully or intelligently, so much as implying that video games might have been a factor with columbine will have you labeled as an ignorant, bible thumping, censorship loving, free speech hater.

 

[Kyogissun]

>Adults who buy M rated games 'like' GTA V for their kids are lousy

That's good!

>Anyone over the age of 18 who plays this game is lousy

That's bad...

Seriously, GTA V has no connections to that shooting and it's sad seeing that guy do it when he has a GOOD message in the other part of his statement. Maybe like, 16/17 and up I can see a parent buying it for their kid but still, if you're under 17 you probably shouldn't be playing it.

Other M Rated games not so much but still, I do believe GTA V is an exception because of some kids inability to understand the context of the game and get what is comedic/dramatic satire and what is real.

 

[Carpenter]

Whatever, there's a reason I don't watch MSNBC.

That said, I love how he's waving the game in front of the screen yelling "you see this? Right here? Don't but this. Can you see it properly? It's called Grand Theft Auto FIVE. The new one, not four. Five. Don't buy it at you local Gamestop or Target. Grand Theft Auto."

Rock Star execs are crying their way to the bank, I'm sure.

I agree completely, I think this was a very creative but dishonest advertising scheme.

I think it was way more obvious when bioware and fox news did it with mass effect (one of the pundits even says "now I'm buying this game") but of course people still love to talk about that as if it was big mean fox beating up poor little bioware.

Bottom line, Fox and MSNBC are the same exact thing just telling a slightly different story. They are both corporate false news but they are owned by a different collection of companies and therefore have slightly different "views" that they present.

Rockstar and Bioware could have both sued some of these news organizations at some point for outright lying about their games (Glenn beck when he was on CNN claimed that GTA 4 would let you chop hookers in half with a chain saw) but they didn't, why? Because of moral reasons? Hell no, it's because it was an ad campaign. If Rockstar had said the things Beck had said or if the Bioware team had said the things Fox pundits were saying about the game, it would be flat out false advertising and not in some debatable ME3 type of way.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees this all the time. Too many women in my life watch daytime network tv and just consume it but act like I'm crazy because I think it's hilarious when Anderson Cooper on his little show is acting like he "found" this product and wants to share it while he and his guest try as hard as they can to explain away the fact that it only half cooked their fish.
Advertising is far more subversive and manipulative than a majority of people realize.

 

[Carpenter]

I am so sick of people using the "free speech" argument on ignorant little issues like this, especially when they talk about how vital that right is while at the same time starting to argue that we need to somehow limit what people are allowed to say in public regarding our precious video games.

If you can't enjoy GTA after seeing a guy on the news say it's bad, you were probably too immature or mentally unstable to handle it right anyways.

No, the point is they have the constitutional right to yell, scream, and lie as long as it doesn't cross the line into libel (and that's difficult in the US). So they have cart blanche to do this. They're actively hurting public discourse while wanting to censor other people.

But who is trying to censor the people?

Your entire comment there just seemed nonsensical, no offense but I couldn't follow what you were talking about in the slightest.

Yes they have the right to yell and scream about whatever they want but that means other people also have the right to yell and scream about your yelling and screaming.

Rockstar has the right to make a game that lets you simulate spree shootings and MSNBC has the right to tell you that your lousy for playing it or letting kids play it, then we have the right to shout about that.

I don't see anyone in this scenario trying to "silence the people" in any way.

 

[Sellon88]

I have to agree with the part of don't buy game for kid who aren't ready for M rated stuff (this is a bit of the problem with COD and it's labeled fans) on them but linking it to the shooting? You can't prove that.

 

[Carpenter]

Unmarried sex, contraception, touching a member of the opposite sex below the neck, losers that drive too slow, maniacs that drive too fast, asking for a receipt, singing in the shower, masturbation, thinking about masturbation, David Hasselhoff, chunky peanut butter, video game piracy, Somalia, rechargeable batteries, text messages, CAPS LOCK, heavy breathing, lustful eye contact, and the oxford comma.

I don't know what the oxford comma is, but I know it is to blame! Ban the oxford comma!

I kind of agree that kids shouldn't be playing games that are rated above their age. Though I'm a total hypocrite since I played the original GTA when I was a wee lass. I fail to see what GTA V had to do with some loon going gun crazy at work though, other than the media using it as another example of THE EVILS OF VIDEOGAMES! *dun dun duuuuun*

Ok let's talk about this instead of just skirting around and avoiding the issue.

What is this media crusade against video games that's apparently still going on?
Are you aware of what "media" even is? Are you aware that it's pushing video games as the solution to your depressing lives far more than it's demonizing them as catalysts for violence?

I can see one recent news story with adult video games being discussed in a negative light. I have seen countless other stories putting video games on pedestal. Hey some studies that we would rather not give you the specifics of has "shown" that video games can help kids learn.
Gamers gobble it up and love it. Tell those same people that a game could help a kid learn to shoot, and people will call you a nut and without looking at the research will tell you that it wasn't done scientifically and that it's not even a real study.


I am sick of all this "sides" BS, I just want to see the whole picture here and I would love if we could discuss it rather than pretending that video games are good 100 percent of the time and that anyone who says otherwise is just some evil "media" person.

 

[Lunar Templar]

I totally agree that any parent buying M rated games for kids are part of the problem.

I don't however agree that anyone 18+ playing GTA is part of the problem, and in that, this guy can really just go fuck him self :3

 

[BarbaricGoose]

If you buy a game for a kid, especially a small one, yes you are an awful parent. There is literally no censorship in GTA V, even the strippers don't have any censorship anymore. Its full nudity.

Who the hell buys their 10 year old a nudie mag? A 60$ nudie mag at that?

GTA isn't the "friendly" franchise it was in the past. Its effectively trying to be a gritty crime movie at this point. For 18+ adults. Even the comedy went from wiener and ball jokes to satire on politics.

Nudity? That's your issue with GTA V? Nudity? Okay.

Let me try to put this into perspective... most kids have a some sort of smartphone by the time they're 12 or so--probably earlier. The higher the parent's income, the more likely this is to be. And if one kid doesn't, they probably know another who does. So, seeing nudity for them is as simple as doing a Google image image for nudity.

Kids are sneaky. They'll find a way to see nudity if they wanna see nudity. When did you first see nudity? For me--10. If you somehow managed to get to 18 without seeing any nudity, I don't know whether or congratulate or pity you.

I'm not saying parents SHOULD get their kids GTA, but there are worse things. I probably wouldn't get it for any child under 13, but after that, every kid is different. They mature at different rates, and are ready for different things at different times; it's not a "One size fits all" kind of situation. I'm not talking specifically about GTA V here; I've not played GTA V yet, so I don't really know how bad it is. It's the games that present violence in a dark, realistic manner that, I feel, are the bad ones for children. Games like Heavy Rain, The Last of Us, Max Payne 3. There really aren't that many of them, but maybe GTA V will join their ranks. It's games with over-the-top violence like GoW, Halo, Dead Space I guess, or Mortal Kombat I wouldn't care about. They're gory and violent sure, but they're completely separated from reality for one reason or another.

 

[Thyunda]

I actually agree with him. Its rated 17 and 18+ for a reason. We all know a ton of parents use video games as babysitters.

My mother stood over me while I was watching a Franklin cutscene. She laughed at the language and pointed out that a friend of hers had called it a 'kids game' and bought it for a ten year old. In direct contrast to my father, my mother doesn't believe games are always for kids, and wouldn't buy me the earlier games as a kid. I had to play them with my less morally constrained uncle instead.

A healthy experience if you ask me, knowing the game wasn't for me and that I shouldn't quote or play pretend from it EVER.

Also GTA V caused my mother to call me a '***** ass nigga'. And that is not on.

 

[Xenite]

If you are letting your kids play it then yes you are a bad parent. Anyone over 18 though is an adult and can make their own choices. We have a ratings system for a reason.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

4. He was advocating some form of censorship, and you don't think people like him don't hold any sway with the politicians in congress? He does.

Not unless he has millions of dollars sitting around to bribe them with, he doesn't. "Lobbying" (aka bribery) is a billion-dollar business nowadays, and nobody even bothers to hide it anymore, so I'm pretty sure any company or organization that's involved in it has a lot more control over how politicians vote than some random frothing madman on television.

 

[Berny Marcus]

4. He was advocating some form of censorship, and you don't think people like him don't hold any sway with the politicians in congress? He does.

Not unless he has millions of dollars sitting around to bribe them with, he doesn't. "Lobbying" (aka bribery) is a billion-dollar business nowadays, and nobody even bothers to hide it anymore, so I'm pretty sure any company or organization that's involved in it has a lot more control over how politicians vote than some random frothing madman on television.

Ed Schultz isn't a lobbyist correct, but what I meant is that his voice still holds influence in liberal leaning circles. He has a big audience and his radio show has over 30 million listeners. It's with comparison with Rush Limbaugh and his influence in the conservative movement.

 

[Belaam]

Ah, the good old days of Star Wars: Rebellion. It was not uncommon for me to use a Death Star to destroy planets, killing billions of people solely to save myself the trouble of ground combat on Rebel strongholds. There weren't any plot reasons for me to kill those countless billions over the years I played that game, but I did it all the time.

I like to think that this mass genocide is what helped make me the loving husband, doting father, committed educator, and Kiwanis member I am today.

And if I could get that old CD to work on my current rig, I'd do it all again today, if only for nostalgia's sake.

 

[evilneko]

Ed Schultz is an ass. I never did like him or his show. MSNBC really oughta give him the boot, and give Ezra Klein a show. Ezra Klein is awesome.

Even given how much an ass Schultz is, I had to go to the source, just to make sure the clip hadn't been strategically edited. It just seemed too over the top, even for Ed Schultz. Nope. There it was right there on the Ed Show's own website. He said it just like that. What an ass.

BTW folks, write your congresscritters. It's not that hard. Just politely let them know that "violent video games cause violence" is bullshit.

Ed Schultz wasn't the only one attacking video games, but he was more direct. Morning Joke, Al Sharptan, Chris Hayes, and Maddow all went after them. What a joke of a news network, same as Fox and CNN

Maddow didn't say anything about video games.