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Media and Gamers.
Did you know if you, as an adult, play Animal Crossing, you're a pedophile?
by spleendingo
I'm a little out of sorts after reading this article from ABC News 17 in Missouri. Out of sorts may be the tamer way of saying that I'm PISSED off at the media and it's treatment of gamers.
According to THIS ARTICLE "There is no reason an adult should have this game," says Andy Anderson, Mid-Missouri Internet Crimes Task Force. So, apparently, if you play "Animal Crossing", you're a pedophile! Boy, won't my mom be happy to hear that! I was so outraged I felt compelled to write a letter to the station. If you feel the same, click the link above and at the bottom of the page is a "contact" button. Click it and choose "general comments". Then list the url of the article and let them know what you think. Below is the exact letter I sent them. Tell me what your thoughts are to this!
Anderson says adults playing "animal crossing" and similar games are likely doing it for the wrong reasons."
"In regards to your "news" story http://www.kmiz.com/news/story .php?id=13725.
I sincerely hope I'm not the first to say that Andy Anderson needs to get his head out of his a**. He seriously suggests, and you print, ANY adult who plays an "Animal Crossing" video game is a pedophile.Or at least must have those tendencies. Not only is this kind of "reporting" an insult to true news organizations, but Mr. Anderson's blanket statement is libelous at best.
When does the line between "reporting" the news through extensive research and finding of the facts, and simply printing anything as fact due to laziness and ignorance, cross?"
"As a gamer, and frequent blogger in the video game community forums, I will insist those like minded send a similar letter of concern to you.
"Your station and website should be ashamed to even put yourselves in the highly recognized and respected field of journalism.
This article needs to be retracted and an apology issued to video game players everywhere immediately. Our image, due to a hobby we love and enjoy, has been disparaged due to the ignorance of people like Mr. Anderson and your station and website for printing it as fact without a regard for an alternating opinion. You know, it's that whole "reporting" thing I'm sure some of you went to Community College for."
For the record, I'm a 45 year old male gamer. My roommate is a 50 year old female gamer. We have both enjoyed playing "Animal Crossing" since the Gamecube days and have a hand held version as well as the current incarnation on the Wii platform. Neither of us are pedophiles. But thanks for letting others view us in that way now."
Comments
Well stated. I think you could have expanded that a little further, but leaving it like that was good, too. No gamer wants to put a foot in their mouth when taking on the Media in any way, shape, or form, these days. If you herald games, you're not a [quote] normal [end quote] person. If you don't play games, you're a pure human being. And if you sometimes play games (less than 20 hours a week) you're a Casual Gamer.
This sickens me sometimes how we're labeled in the Media. They, themselves, are always spouting nonsensical views and spreading rumors. On top of that, they're always covering their asses so that they don't get raped in the end.
I think the thing that gets me the most is the fact that people take a few random cases of sex and violence and make a spectacle of it. Although I agree that this is [quote] News [end quote], it only plants the seeds for agendas to get rid of the First Amendment rights of both developers, and consumers, alike. There are a lot more worse things going on in the world than someone who plays video games in their spare time.
No matter how much a person is a "Gamer" there will always be forms of oppression. This has been true with select target groups and organizations for many, many, years and will continue until the end of our species' reign over this planet.
This is off topic:
For some strange reason I think that, in the future, there will be another Civil War in America. History repeats itself more often than not; simply because nobody learns from past mistakes made, in general. I'm not saying that Gamers will be fighting in this battle, but I do think it will be like another Cold War. The only difference this time is that it will be solely on our soil. Wow! Conspiracy theory, much!
This is well written, and certainly deserved. Just another example of "mainstream" media trying to keep their audiences afraid of everyone and everything.
Please make sure you post what, if any, response you get from the station!
Here is the email I received today:
Thanks for commenting on the story. I think it's a bit of a stretch to think Det. Anderson was calling all adults who play this game pedophiles. That said, we could have been more discerning in what we used from him. Thanks again.
Curtis Varns
News Director
ABC 17/FOX 38/MyZou 32/Stormtrack 24/7
curtisv@kmiz.com
If that was the best they can do for an apology, then they need to work on their "people" skills.
@QMarc80 and Sean: Thanks for the kudos. I really wanted to expand my letter. However, if I did so, it would have turned into a profanity filled rant against the news media lol! The thing that got me angry was the blanket statement by Mr. Anderson that did, indeed, imply that as an adult, you had a tendency towards pedophilia if you play this game or others like it.
I think that response email was the definition of a "Fuck off email."
That was a weak response. Well, what else could I expect from a corporate PR spokesperson?
HA! What a crappy response!
That's what we call a "non-response" response.