From MK to GTA

Kevin Drum asks (and answers):

What effect has the videogame "Grand Theft Auto" had on actual thefts of autos? "The national carjacking rate has dropped substantially," reports Steven Johnson in the LA Times today.
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It strikes me as a bit degrading, actually, that Hillary has to pretend to oppose violent videogames as a means of gaining heartland social values cred, but I suppose that's the world we live in. If I were running for president I might do the same. And I guess the upside is that a few speeches denouncing the evils of "Grand Theft Auto" is unlikely to do any real damage.

True 'nuff. But then, what effect will Hillary Clinton denouncing GTA have on "Grand Theft Auto"? My hunch is none whatsoever. Indeed, it may create an uptick in sales thanks to the added publicity. That's why I can never get bent out of shape about this stuff. If parents wary of a violent, sexualized culture want politicians to recognize their fears, then politicians should do that. The denunciations of Mortal Kombat sure didn't harm that series longevity at all (interesting note: the first time I ever used the internet was to look up early pictures of Mortal Kombat 3), and I've little doubt that exposing GTA's misogyny, violence, and sexuality will lead to any different an outcome.

Should politicians censor games? Of course not! But what's Hillary calling for? A study to assess the impacts of video games on youth. Funny, I could've sworn commissioning studies was what politicians did when they wanted to publicly acknowledge a problem but didn't want to do anything about it. A law fining video game retailers who sell "Mature" or "Adult Only" (as rated by the ESRB) games to kids. Well, fine, that's kinda the point of a ratings system, to ensure some content can only be accessed with parental permission.

We shouldn't be afraid of this. It's not a slippery slope. We've watched pop culture get denounced for decades, but in that time it's only gotten breast implants, larger weapons, more blood, and hotter sex. We always say parents should be responsible for determining what their kids can play. This law is part of that. Parents can't be around 24/7, and the disc bought while mom is at work can be hid from her when she comes home. Clinton is smart for recognizing and addressing that. If she ever tries censorship, we can take to the ramparts and fight to the death. Until then, barring minors from buying what their parents wouldn't want them to have is perfectly sensical and damn good politics.

And let the flaming begin!

Update: Whoops, what I meant by this was Hillary Clinton should roast in the hottest furnaces of hell for abandoning us coastal elites and our digitized killing sprees and simulated rapes. Manhattan's Upper West Side will never, ever forgive her.

Her days as a Democrat are over.