Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Love in 2D.... I mean, rape in 2D?
So last semester I found youtube videos of a computer game where you could rape different women using various techniques. This article, and the media hype it is getting accentuates the bizarre "dating" and otherwise sexual encounters of new generations that rely more and more on the internet. I was especially concerned with the "revenge rape" feature of one of these video games. Is this natural? normal? good/bad? A manifestation of some greater societal trend (Chatroulette, online dating, SIMs)?
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7 comments:
THIS MAKES ME SO ANGRY.
ARGHHHHH!
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE ARE SO FUCKING TERRIBLE SOMETIMES. Grr.
Read this and don't cry (I don't think that it is possible):
http://www.somethingawful.com/d/hentai-game-reviews/rapelay.php
Not really that surprising, though is it?
This article offers a more in-depth description and exploration of the game as it stands in society.
http://www.slate.com/id/2213073/pagenum/all/#p2
Another point made by commenters is how public reaction would change if it was a man raping a man. How would that situation change the game and its reception?
This fucked-up video game still somehow situates itself in normativity, in my mind.
Also, hate to say it, but "boo hoo"...this critique of violent and immoral video games (and music and movies) serves to distract people from the realities these games mirror.
Take a look at the torture, murder, and rape that has gone on in Bagram, Abu Ghraib, and Guantanamo, for starters.
That being said, I'm glad most people discussing this game and others like it recognize its utter ridiculousness.
This is a powerful topic, and definitely not a clear cut response to be had. I always think you have to think about why something exists, before you immediately say that it shouldn't. So
I think the first key is to actually try to understand why people are so terrible sometimes. They are, and they're also good sometimes. People are very complex. But there is no getting around the depressing fact that people as creatures are violent and exploitative, as individuals and as nations. Games like this, for better or worse, reflect parts of human nature. That is a plain fact. That said, you do have to ask yourself? What's the lesser of two evils? Rape in a video game or in real life? Does the video game act potentially as a pressure release from people committing sex crimes in real life, or does it foster and promote more real life crime? People have argued for a long time this same question as regards prostitution in the red light district in Amsterdam and the resulting social effects vis a vis sex crimes.
The British couple interviewed in the cnn video that Julie initially posted seem pretty reasonable and level-headed to me. They're curious about the game as one might expect. I think they present a decent take because they're not overcome by a purely emotional response.
I guess that there are video games where you can kill someone--and isn't taking a life worse than rape? That said, rape is more sadistic and tortuous than merely firing a shot from a gun. Furthermore, these games only involve raping women, which normalizes the world-wide abuse that women already receive.
Killing people is worse than rape, but it is also more removed from our daily life-- and especially the Japanese's--they don't even have an army. Rape, verbal and physical abuse is a part of everyday life, especially if you are a woman. This "outlet" just makes abuse more natural and practiced.
Surprised, ok not really, But I am disappointed. I wish that women could stop being sexual objects and start getting some respect. Whatever those "normal" british people say, being able to rape a girl does make you respect her or her gender more. I think that this is an example of a computer company indulging in cowardly people's erotic fantasies--rape involves consequences, but this game is so easy that rape becomes guilt-free. Why couldn't this be a sex game where you just remove clothing? Why does it have to involve the girls crying?
What's next? Rape young children? Is there a line, should there be a line, will there be a line?
Clearly an important and serious conversation to have here. Following the discussion we had in 180 on Thursday re: art and morality, this really gives you a lot of things to consider.
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