American.
Fuck censorship. I think extreme violence or porn in games, books, television or any other media is fine. If one doesn't wish to read, watch, or listen to it, then they don't have the right to stop the rest of us from doing it.
As a "master" of manipulation, Ted Bundy is hardly someone you would want to rely on, but what if he is telling the truth? Should we risk letting people consume things such as pornography even if it would mean another Ted? If he is telling just an ounce of truth, and censoring or even banning "adult content" could stop just one person from becoming a sick murderer, would you promote censorship? Is creative freedom worth human lives?
Because this is utterly without scientific basis. If you want our children to not become murders, rapists, or drug dealers, then give them an adequate healthcare, food, shelter, and education. Lead does, in fact, cause children to grow up and do these things. GTA does not. Learn what actually causes these behaviors instead of letting the dumb cows who think nipples, cussing, and too much blood will make their children follow a literal freaking devil.
Remember when Rock and Roll and D&D had the same bullshit said about it?
It's about as dumb as saying video games make people sexist.
Porn is good - keeps you free from women
Seriously, I have no idea what the censorship laws in my country are, because noone follows them anyway; in fact in my country most laws are just for show
As for games - well, there's nothing wrong with there being games with more sexual and gore elements as long as it is somehow specified and one can avoid such games if he/she so desires.
For me, personally - I'm a compartmentalization kind of guy, I like my things in nice boxes. When I want porn, I'll watch porn, when I want gore, I'll watch a horror; however I don't want sex or gore in my fantasy-themed books/movies/games; fantasy is for dreaming and high ideals as far as I'm concerned.
Honestly I think that censorship is unnecessary, if you don't want your kids to see violence/sexual things/etc then stop them, don't complain to the media or whatever about it.
Your kids WILL be exposed to these things at some point anyway, the sooner they see it the better as far as I'm concerned because then they're desensitized to it, meaning they won't be like the whiny parents of this generation (or the last)
Aaaaand now I get to be that guy that everybody hates.
I have nothing against creative freedom so long as it doesn't trample on the rights of others. It is true that people have the right to choose how they express themselves; however, I believe it is equally true that people have a right to avoid that content it if it makes them uncomfortable. To say, "Well then don't look!" is an overly simplistic statement. Ratings systems are censorship, but they let me know where the stuff that I don't want to see is... so then I can avoid it. But if you give a person the freedom to put anything up anywhere they wanted, they have severely limited my right to avoid it.
I'm a parent, and I agree that it is my sole responsibility to look after my kids. Part of that is making sure that I limit their contact with content that I deem inappropriate. For example, I have yet to take the Savage Strike or Devastating Blow perks... I think it's a bit over the top on the violence scale. One day they'll be all on their own, but I've got 18 years to prep them for that. My wife and I address the things that we know our kids will be in contact with... but we still want to limit that contact. Children are impulsive and impressionable; anyone who says otherwise has forgotten their childhood.
The suggestion that desensitizing children to violence is a good thing scares me, and is possibly the worst argument against censorship a person could make. And to suggest that children will become desensitized to pornography if we expose them to it early is somewhat naive. Studies on addictive behaviors don't support that claim.
Look. I'm certain that Ted Bundy was going to be Ted Bundy regardless of pornography (but I certainly don't think it helped matters). What concerns me about pornography isn't just the content. The industry, itself, is abusive and victimizes many of the individuals who start off thinking it'll just be a couple of nude shots. That's one of the better case scenarios. In the worst case scenarios, little or no choice is given to the victims (let's be honest... if you're forced to do it you are a victim). If people feel so inclined, they can watch children who haven't even hit the double digits being victimized. It's illegal in the United States. I have trouble apologizing for that kind of censorship.
It's easy to say that censorship sucks, but to say a free-for-all is the answer is irresponsible. Yes, regulation and censorship may mean you have to make a concerted effort to get what you want (or not... in some cases it might take, perhaps, an extra two or three clicks on the computer), but I don't think that buffer is unrealistic... or unfair.
This is a bit of an interesting one and I’m going to release a wild deer here. (Same as a curve ball; it’s really erratic and goes off line).
Bringing this back to the Blog and The Story Corner with good reason in that I do take time with everyone’s stories and blog posts. There have been blog posts with content which I have censored for one reason or another. Sometimes it’s the level of violence is beyond what I think necessary to get the point across while other times content is of a sexual in nature and is too graphical for what is needed.
Censorship is needed whether it’s in games; gaming sites films or even stories. There has to that level of what is acceptable and what isn’t, bear in mind it comes down to numerous things such as the age group the media is set out for and whether its applicable in that situation. In regards to does it fit the film, story, game.
I’m going to use my story as an example here as I know the inside and out of it and it’s easy for me to relate to.
Everyone knows in my story Sotek and Aela have sex. It’s no surprise. The first time though readers know they are heading to that conclusion several chapters back. When it happens it fits the scene least I hope it does. If they started getting sexual with each other during a dragon fight then it has no right to be there. There is no need for it at that time.
This is one such time when censorship does play a part. Does this game have to be so violent here? Do scenes of such heinous events have to be portrayed so graphically or could it be toned down so the event still holds such relevance without burning the eyes of the viewer?
There are a few questions people should ask themselves when they make such pieces whether it’s a game, film, story or whatever.
What is the point I’m trying to get across?
Do I need to take it this far to get the point across?
Do I need to get this point across?
If someone asked themselves this and answered truthfully then maybe censorship wouldn’t be the level it is.
I personally dislike censorship quite a bit, but I don't think completely abolishing it is the answer.
When I think of censorship, I don't necessarily think of gore and pornography. Actually, the first thing I think about is how "censorship" can be twisted and bent to mean anything to anyone, for example...
This was censored in the UK because it depicts two female characters being romantic. I'm obviously a biased source, but I find this to be one of the many disgusting misuses of copyright. If copyright can be used cull out progress of struggling groups, what's the point in having it at all?
But on the other hoof, there is the seriously messed up stuff that shows up in media. Necrophilla, pedophilla, etc. These kind of things I believe should be censored. If they are vital to the story of something, they can be insinuated, but I think that showing it is a bit...much. These games (Or movies or whatever) could get into the hands of children, and they definitely don't need to be exposed to that dark shit until they are older.
But as for general violence or pornography, I think as long as it is labeled as so, that it is fine. At some point in all of our lives we see sex and violence in person, so why keep it completely out of media?
You are right in saying there are two different types of censorship. One being what is acceptible from an opinion regarding people and who they are which is something I find to be wrong; to what people as a whole should be subject to.
Ignorance is a poor excuse to use something like censorship and twist it into a weapon because someone don't agree with someone else.