GTA-like Board Game by Guv's Son Prompts Call for Investigation
GTA-like Board Game by Guv's Son Prompts Call for Investigation
February 24, 2008
Last month GamePolitics reported on Don't Drop the Soap, a GTA-like board game set in a fictitious prison (some game pieces are seen at left).The interesting thing about Don't Drop the Soap is that it was created by John Sebelius, the 23-year-old son of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D), and is being marketed in part from the Guv's official residence.
The really interesting thing is that in 2006 Gov. Sebelius backed an attempt to legislate video games in Kansas, proclaiming, "Video games and music lyrics promote violence…"
GP: So, Guv, violent video games are bad, but violent board games are okay? Especially when your son gets into the business?
The Kansas City Star now reports that a Republican legislator has demanded an investigation of John Sebelius' game:
Sen. Tim Huelskamp... [is] asking for at least three different state agencies to take action. He calls the game "racist, obscene and degrading" for its sophomoric mentions of prison rape, drug abuse, gang violence and all the other lovely aspects of our correctional system.
In a letter sent last week to Kansas' attorney general, Huelskamp wrote:
We have uncovered evidence [that the governor's mansion] is and/or was the warehouse [for Don't Drop the Soap].
Deliberate misuse of state property is potentially criminal and I call upon the Kansas Attorney General to investigate this matter quickly.
Huelskamp also asked the Kansas Ethics Commission to investigate whether any rules may have been violated. Finally, he's requested that the Dept. of Corrections issue a report on prison rape and distance themselves from the game.
GP: We love this story because it simply oozes governmental hypocrisy - on both sides of the aisle. How is the Department of Corrections supposed to "distance" itself from a small-time board game? Prison rape may be a suitable topic for study, but why in relation to a game?
A brief video report on the Don't Drop the Soap controversy can be found here...
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Posted 07/04/09 at 09:24pm
PHX Corp: For those that want to know what i watching it's called man vs cartoon(a.k.a fixing Wile E. coyote's Mistakes one trap at a time by EMERTEC)
PHX Corp: For those that want to know what i watching it's called man vs cartoon(a.k.a fixing Wile E. coyote's Mistakes one trap at a time by EMERTEC)
Posted 07/04/09 at 08:20pm
GoodRobotUs: Went out for my Mum's 65th Birthday, which is the only relevance 4/7 has in the UK for me ;)
GoodRobotUs: Went out for my Mum's 65th Birthday, which is the only relevance 4/7 has in the UK for me ;)
Posted 07/04/09 at 08:18pm
Andrew Eisen: Beach + fireworks + root beer + strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whipped topping, and pound cake = my Fourth of July!
Andrew Eisen: Beach + fireworks + root beer + strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whipped topping, and pound cake = my Fourth of July!
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:58pm
GoodRobotUs: Which seems to be the only point Jack proved, that some people find some games offensive. i.e. Nothing.
GoodRobotUs: Which seems to be the only point Jack proved, that some people find some games offensive. i.e. Nothing.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:57pm
GoodRobotUs: The discussion was supposed to be whether games were dangerous not 'Do you find some games offensive'...
GoodRobotUs: The discussion was supposed to be whether games were dangerous not 'Do you find some games offensive'...
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: Some agreed, some didn't, but it was their choice to make, not the governments.
GoodRobotUs: Some agreed, some didn't, but it was their choice to make, not the governments.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: By asking the audience their opinion, he more or less proved that it's a matter of personal choice
GoodRobotUs: By asking the audience their opinion, he more or less proved that it's a matter of personal choice
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: Meh, he ended proving Mark's point for him
GoodRobotUs: Meh, he ended proving Mark's point for him
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:26pm
Erik: Jack if you are reading this you are a LIAR. There is no legal weight to the MPAA's ratings.
Erik: Jack if you are reading this you are a LIAR. There is no legal weight to the MPAA's ratings.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:24pm
JDKJ: I still think my buddy the midget who rides a unicycle backwards while juggling four bowling pins would have been a much bigger hit with that crowd. And he can make up statistics and misinterpret studies, too.
JDKJ: I still think my buddy the midget who rides a unicycle backwards while juggling four bowling pins would have been a much bigger hit with that crowd. And he can make up statistics and misinterpret studies, too.
Posted 07/04/09 at 06:33pm
Alyric: Of course, Mark falls into the common trap about Columbine, which had nothing to do with bullying, etc. See: http://slate.msn.com/id/2099203/?GT1=3256 for a more thorough explanation.
Alyric: Of course, Mark falls into the common trap about Columbine, which had nothing to do with bullying, etc. See: http://slate.msn.com/id/2099203/?GT1=3256 for a more thorough explanation.
Posted 07/04/09 at 06:32pm
PHX Corp: Read this http://www.destructoid.com/sgc-09-liveblogging-the-jack-thompson-debate-138502.phtml#ext
PHX Corp: Read this http://www.destructoid.com/sgc-09-liveblogging-the-jack-thompson-debate-138502.phtml#ext
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:54pm
PHX Corp: JT is afraid of such ban then advocates it That's what i call a total Hypocrite
PHX Corp: JT is afraid of such ban then advocates it That's what i call a total Hypocrite
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:50pm
PHX Corp: AE: JT is a -Bleeping- Jackass
PHX Corp: AE: JT is a -Bleeping- Jackass
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:07pm
Andrew Eisen: JT "knew it would be a good audience." Not what he said on Tuesday.
Andrew Eisen: JT "knew it would be a good audience." Not what he said on Tuesday.
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:01pm
Andrew Eisen: VG cause violent behavior. VG companies influence behavior to get sales. Yeah, that makes sense. (To be fair, the Twitter feed makes deciphering JT's point pretty tough.)
Andrew Eisen: VG cause violent behavior. VG companies influence behavior to get sales. Yeah, that makes sense. (To be fair, the Twitter feed makes deciphering JT's point pretty tough.)
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:52pm
Andrew Eisen: Yes, it's been proposed but as far as I know it has not been passed. Big difference.
Andrew Eisen: Yes, it's been proposed but as far as I know it has not been passed. Big difference.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:50pm
Cheater87: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm
Cheater87: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:49pm
Andrew Eisen: Far as I know, Germany has not banned all violent video games.
Andrew Eisen: Far as I know, Germany has not banned all violent video games.
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:44pm
Cheater87: Jack wants the US to follow Germany's total video game ban.
Cheater87: Jack wants the US to follow Germany's total video game ban.
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Comments
It is funny that these politicians want to avoid bringing real problems to light. They are trying to get the department of corrections to distance themselves from the events presented in this game. To bad that is impossible.
I hope that all goes well for the boy's freedom of expression and the investigation.
@ Matt
The Governor's mansion is government property. You cannot run any personal business out of government property. As a contractor for the federal government, I can't even email my coworkers information on sales my wife is having on her Mary Kay business.
To be fair though, Im not sure the governor should be using state property for manufacturing things that can gain any type of revenue, aside from books and other things of that nature.
However, a big part of me perceives that he is using the fact that the board game is being manufactured in the governor mansion so he can shut the project down. This makes his arguement against the game seem to be reasonable and his case against it to be enforceable.
In short, if the son were to be making the game anywhere else then he would have no ammo and his attempt to remove himself from obscurity would be short and ineffective.
I have to say bad timely to try to make yourself known in the world of American politics what with the election going on.
This just sound like complete bs to me.
Ah, politics, how I despise thee.
So, Ban it!!
But it brings to light real problems that can't be solved without real work,so it HAS to be bad.
right? Right!?!?
attention d.o.c. we ask that you distance yourself from something you have probably never heard of before
thank you for your time
If the public expects people to move into State houses for security as well as tradition and status reasons then it should clearly be exempt from such bull shit. I wonder how Arnold deals with his Hollywood friends and "talks" when they visit his home.
That said... I find the whole situation rather funny. Especially since they are going after the mother and not the on. Guilt by association I guess.
I'm not particularly interested in it, but I hope it's actually a good game. /shrug