Dr Phil blames video games for Virginia slaughter

[CptStern]

ok Jack thompson has already said the same but he's an idiot (not that Dr phil isnt an idiot) and doesnt have much of an audience ..not so with Dr Phil who has a huge audience of soccor moms who are very good at affecting change and influencing those in power:

Dr Phil on Larry King:

DR. PHIL: Well, Larry, every situation is different? The question really is can we spot them. And the problem is we are programming these people as a society. You cannot tell me - common sense tells you that if these kids are playing video games, where they?re on a mass killing spree in a video game, it?s glamorized on the big screen, it?s become part of the fiber of our society. You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or someone suffering from mental illness and add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is too high.

And we?re going to have to start dealing with that. We?re going to have to start addressing those issues and recognizing that the mass murders of tomorrow are the children of today that are being programmed with this massive violence overdose.

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/04/17/dr-phil-blames-video-games-for-virginia-tech-massacre/


....expect senate hearings, crackdown on retailers, anti-gaming legislation etc ..cant help but feel that this will have a trickle down effect for the rest of us non-americans ...you guys really need to get your shit in order ..it's up to you, the american gamer, to stand up against these ****ing idiots who havent a ****ing clue ..the rest of us are counting on you, dont disappoint us by doing absolutely nothing like you usually do. Enough is a ****ing enough, for far too long we are scapegoats for every single ill of society. Do somethiong, dont allow the Dr Phils of this world decide what we can or cant play/watch/read

 

[Deleted member 56031]

Wow...no one expected this </sarcasm>

 

[CptStern]

but this is mainstream now ..before it was just fringe groups and a few high profile voices ..now everyone will be looking towards video games as the culprit

 

[Cormeh]

Y'know, they'll search this kids computer and find one game, leisure suite Larry. Went mental because college wasn't quite like what it is in video games!

EDIT: I apologise. It's in poor taste to joke about yesterday.

 

[brink's]

We might want to wait until we figure out who the hell CHo Seung Hui actually was before we start pointing fingers...

I blame the democrats. the jews and Castro.

 

[<RJMC>]

I dont want to offend but to me this "superiors" are just lazy,off course they will go to make a antivideogames law,is easier that investigate psicologic profiles and stuff like that

 

[Tyguy]

ill be more annoyed when its anyone BUT dr. phil

 

[Ennui]

moved per request

 

[xcellerate]

it drives me nuts how the EXTREME minority is used to represent the majority in this case.

HEY! Let's use the .0001% of people who are really influenced by video games as the measuring stick for all video game players!

Driver's kill more people than 'video gamers'. Why don't they try and requiring stricter tests for licensing? Clearly a large percent of the population isn't smart enough to properly and safely drive a vehicle.

 

[Tyguy]

personally, i think video games take the urge to do anything away. When you watch a war movie whats the first thing you do after usually? Play counter-strike or some other FPS. Am i wrong? If i didnt have a computer, maybe id be out buying a rifle, who knows....

 

[CptStern]

I readily admit I love blasting people with guns in game ..Stalker's double barreled shotgun to the face is very enjoyable ..but no one would ever say i'm pro-gun ...I can distinguish between fantasy and reality, I suspect the overwhelming majority of gamers feel the same

 

[Dynasty]

And youre now saying that the Oscars are political? Oh ***k off, say it isnt so!

 

[Smoke]

I still blame Tetris.

I never liked that game.

 

[Dalamari]

Daikatana drove me to shitting in game boxes and having people pay full-price for it

 

[Beerdude26]

I'm addicted to yellow pills because Pacman made me do it

 

[Krynn72]

"You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or someone suffering from mental illness and add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is too high."

So the problem is video games, and not that we have psychopaths, sociopaths and other such aggressive people with messed up minds walking around and able to buy weapons?

 

[Tyguy]

the internet is more to blame....get rid of it

 

[mortiz]

I blame the Crazy Frog, that f****** thing is more likely to drive you nuts than any video game.

 

[Remus]

The people are to blame, get rid of them!

 

[Bulletbrain]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it possible and legal in Virginia for a 16 year old to walk into a gun store and buy a handgun and no one would bat a f***ing eyelid?

And this Dr.Phil is blaming Games?!?

Whoever the gun lobbyists seem to be very busy handing out little gifts in neatly packed stacks to some people...

 

[Tyguy]

right, but he cant attack gun laws becuase he wont get any backing. Attacking games will get him support from all the morons out there, namely hillary clinton

 

[CptStern]

he's from texas I'm sure he has a locker full of guns

 

[Spoonoop]

Violence has existed long before video games and TV. Why now does everyone blame them? Keep the violent games away from the kiddies I don't care. Don't stop the adults and mature people from having their fun!

 

[X-FacToR]

I really think it comes down to teletubies, I mean seriously WHY GOD WHY!!!

 

[PvtRyan]

Of course, why these people lose all touch with reality is not important. No, finding a scapegoat is where the priority is at. Even if the guy was influenced by games, it's only because he was already fucked up.

But I doubt he was, Asians only play RTS and MMOs.

 

[X-FacToR]

Of course, why these people lose all touch with reality is not important. No, finding a scapegoat is where the priority is at. Even if the guy was influenced by games, it's only because he was already fucked up.

But I doubt he was, Asians only play RTS and MMOs.

In that case, Ill bet he was a starcraft fanatic, finnally a culprit!!!

 

[Lucid]

Bleh, I don't care anymore.

Let them blame video games.

They can't eliminate the entire industry right?
They'll probably just put M rated games in adult stores so that those of you that aren't 18 or older won't be able to buy them.

 

[Krynn72]

Violence has existed long before video games and TV. Why now does everyone blame them? Keep the violent games away from the kiddies I don't care. Don't stop the adults and mature people from having their fun!

These things come in like fads. Violence is usually blamed on music, tv/cinema, and their newest scapegoat, video games.

 

[Tyguy]

Bleh, I don't care anymore.

Let them blame video games.

They can't eliminate the entire industry right?
They'll probably just put M rated games in adult stores so that those of you that aren't 18 or older won't be able to buy them.

that will be pointless....ebay, torrents, older brothers....

 

[Lucid]

that will be pointless....ebay, torrents, older brothers....

Pointless, yes... but that's probably how it'll be handled.

They can't just put a complete ban on games with violent content.

 

[CptStern]

Bleh, I don't care anymore.

Let them blame video games.

They can't eliminate the entire industry right?

sure they can ..they destroyed the comic book industry pretty much ensuring the american comic book industry would never mature out of it's "men in tights" phase ..50 years later it's still in the "men in tights" phase


what they can do is pressure publishers/devlopers to self censor before a game even comes out simply by forcing retailers to abide by decency laws

 

[i am HOLLYWOOD]

Sweet lord, i'm sooooo tired of this crap. . . like the other guy said. . .do you have any idea how many ppl play video games and DON'T kill people?

 

[CyberPitz]

Honestly, I say that todays gamers NEED to act on this. We need to march. I know that sounds like alot of work and shit, but if every gamer that has never committed a serious crime marches on DC, I bet that will stir attention. Us saying it's not the games fault parents give rated M games to their 13 year old. It's not the games fault, it's user error.

 

[<RJMC>]

more info regarding the shooter

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/chi-070417vtech-shootings,0,4843160.story

neighbor Abdul Shash said of the gunman. Shash said the gunman spent a lot of his free time playing basketball, and wouldn't respond if someone greeted him. He described the family as quiet.

"activist" against everything: omfg gta trained him how to....basketball? omfg there is basketball in gta cuz basketball is a street sport played by black people! ban videogames!

 

[falconwind]

"You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath or someone suffering from mental illness and add in a dose of rage, the suggestibility is too high."

So the problem is video games, and not that we have psychopaths, sociopaths and other such aggressive people with messed up minds walking around and able to buy weapons?

Any God-fearing true American (eg. the NRA, Republicans, etc) will tell you that psychopaths with guns, given the proper safety education, are completely harmless and trustworthy. It's the video games and movies that drive them to kill. Having more firepower than the USS Missouri at his disposal has nothing to do with it.

Remember, it's completely legal, nay, expected that you give them the means and training to kill. Just as long as you don't tell them what to do afterwards.

 

[mindless_moder]

he actually does have a point. this is by far the only argument on this subject that actually has any reasonable bearing. he isnt talking about normal everyday people he's talking about the influence of games on sociopaths. ofcourse theres nothing we can or should do about it because sociopaths can be influenced by any number of things .. history ,religion , literature , movies , society (environmental factors) etc. ofcourse i dont agree with the whole idea that gaming brings out this kind of behavior which is a connection he makes but he has a point about sociopaths.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Perhaps just certain people are succeptable to this "gta copy cat" thing.

 

[CptStern]

he actually does have a point. this is by far the only argument on this subject that actually has any reasonable bearing. he isnt talking about normal everyday people he's talking about the influence of games on sociopaths. ofcourse theres nothing we can or should do about it because sociopaths can be influenced by any number of things .. history ,religion , literature , movies , society (environmental factors) etc. ofcourse i dont agree with the whole idea that gaming brings out this kind of behavior which is a connection he makes but he has a point about sociopaths.

yes however he's ambigious as to who he's referring to a few times ..specifically here:

And we?re going to have to start dealing with that. We?re going to have to start addressing those issues and recognizing that the mass murders of tomorrow are the children of today that are being programmed with this massive violence overdose.

a sociopath is a sociopath regardless of what he's influenced by ..a person is just as capable of going on a shooting spree after watching Natural Born killers as they are in playing a game ..the moie/game is never the deciding factor ..it may be at most the catalyst but any other number of incidents could be factored in ...bottom line it's is irresponsible for Dr Phil to condense this to a sound bite that to the layman seems like he's advocating doing something about violent video games before they train a generation of killing machines ...it's an appeal to fear

 

[Geogaddi]

ZERG RUSH MOTHERFRUCKERS!!!!!


KEKEKEKEKE*pow**pow**pow*KEKEKEKEKEKEEKEKKEKE*pow**pow*KEKEKEEKKE*pow*KEK

 

[Solaris]

We should totally go Cho Seung-hui on Dr.Phils ass.