Connecticut State Senator Gayle Slossberg (D) is eager to do something about the rape scene in Grand Theft Auto IV, she told the New Haven Advocate.
But she faces a major hurdle: There is no rape scene in the controversial game.
From the newspaper story:
[Sen. Slossberg] wants confirmation of the rumored rape scene in Grand Theft Auto IV—but she can't reach that level of the game. The Milford state senator's never played GTA, but she fears it's corrupting the youth and thinks a law requiring better warning labels might be the fix. She told the Nose as much at a Capitol press conference last week...
Slossberg hints she'll... introduce legislation next session calling for clearer labeling of depraved video games like Grand Theft Auto... Slossberg's a bit unsure of how the warning labels might read: "I mean what would it say? 'This game will make you a sociopath'?"
Comments
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Since I live in the Senator's district, here's the letter I'm sending her.
Dear Senator Slossberg,
I write to you today, ad a long time resident of your constituency, concerning the article I read in the New Haven Advocate, as well as other online sources such as gamepolitics.com, concerning your intent to introduce a bill to stop video game violence. I have found that there are three major areas that are flawed in any bill such as this.
First, you mention a rape scene in Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA4). There is no such scene in this game, or any other of the GTA series. I dare you, or anyone else, to find such a scene. Is there heavily implied sexual scenes, yes. But no rape scene.
Second, where does parental responsibility fit in here? Where aren't children's parents stopping them from viewing what they consider to be objectionable material? Has our country become such a nanny state that parent's are now relieved of any responsibility whatsoever?
Third, as I hope you are aware of Senator, there have been bills concerning this one passed in other states. And yet every single one has been ruled, or is about to be ruled, unconstitutional. Are you prepared to waste hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions of dollars on something that the Supreme Court will overturn?
Senator, I urge you to abandon this issue. It will bring nothing but wasted money here. There are better places to spend the taxpayer's money on issues that need it, such as after school programs in Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford.
Attack_Gypsy
Milford, CT
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Please let us know how she responds
-Loudspeaker
"Volume helps to get a point across but sharp teeth are better."
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
You might consider doing some editing before you send that off. You've got a couple misspellings, word usage problems, and punctuation errors in there. You might also consider signing your real name.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Did that already. That was the rough draft.
And yes, I signed my name. Just don't want to post it here.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
I know it's great to poke fun at ignorant government, but really, could one of her constituants that reads the PLEASE contact her and let her know there isn't any rape, which is why she can't reach that "level".
Seriously, reporting their mistakes is one thing, but can Game Politics try and help them out a little? You, being a quasi-political blog, might have more pull if you let her knwo that she is selling elephant repellant.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Fuck that! Why should we help them when they can be exposed as the ignorant ass-hats they are? Which they should be. Let their constituants know these are people who should not be in power.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
*head explodes*
When did politicians ever let the truth get in their way?
Re: When did politicians ever let the truth get in their way?
Would people stop using Obama's surname as an affront to his background?
Surnames are not always a good indicator of who they actually are. Just look at Noureen DeWulf, one Indian actress hawtie who is in no way Dutch or Christian.
Re: When did politicians ever let the truth get in their way?
Can you even touch your computer without praising Obama/denouncing his detractors? Seriously? And Obama's pastor is Christian in the same way that the Ayatollahs are. He's so far removed from the good book it's astounding.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
How about "Warning! Hearing this game's name makes you succeptible to being punked with bogus info."
Seriously, it's just like those gel wristbands, and parent groups got themselves in a twitter imagining all the depraved acts each one stood for. Each new act getting more "descriptive" than the last... almost like they were slipping into some kind of wierd fantasy world imagining things...
-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
This "OMG GTA has rape!" thing is a favorite of ignorant politicians and groups that have "family" or "children" in their name (an I mean ignorant literally as in they are ignorant of the videogames). I've mentioned the fact that there is no rape in GTA on my blog several times and my logs tell me that I get at least 3-4 hits a week from people searching for things like 'gta rape' or 'rape videogame.' Nowperhaps these are perverts hoping to find it but I think it is more likely that they are people who have heard the rumor that this is true.
http://www.popularculturegaming.com
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
The game should be named "Grand Theft Politicians´ Brains", because I wonder if these people even have some meat inside their skulls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Actually, about 70% the human brain is made of fat, not meat. That means it's okay to call these politicians 'fatheads', because it's TRUE!
/yay technicalities!
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
this politician is rated IS for ignorance and stupidity
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Well, the MPAA went through a number of rating changes through the years as one can see on Wikipedia.
So I guess a new rating in the ESRB is warranted.
New ESRB Rating: PA
Political Agenda.
Age Rated: Protect The Children!
Has only ONE Content Descriptor to be used with it:
Contains: Whatever the Hell any given politician wants to make up, whether it exists or not.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Nightwng2000 has also updated his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/nightwing2000 Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Let's take a gander at the available ESRB content descriptors, shall we? Oh, here's a good one:
Sexual Violence - Depictions of rape or other violent sexual acts
Now let's look at the content descriptors on the back of the GTA IV box... Nope, not there. I'd say there's a pretty good chance that there's no rape in the game.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
You forgot, of course, that the ESRB is a puppet branch of the game industry, and can't be trusted.
(Sarcasm, in case someone can't tell.)
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Dont even joke about that, you're giving fox news ideas.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Honestly, I was a sociopath well before playing GTAIV.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Can we get some kind of labeling for depraved politicians like State Senator Slossberg here?
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
I wish. How would *that* label read?
RATING I: IDIOT ENCLOSED. For blind pursuit of objective with no basis in reality. Not suitable for impressionable individuals.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Perhaps Cooper Lawrence was able to reach the rape level in GTA4...Only on Sexbox!
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Wow. Well, I suppose it's good that she's at least trying to find out if the scene actually exists, but... that's about all I can say. I honestly don't even know how to respond to her own question about what the warning label would read.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
It would read:
ESRB Rating: JT Offensive
-Purchase, usage and/or thinking about this game will condemn you to eternal damnation
-Corrupts 'our' young people
-Evil
-Users in apocalypse
-Brainwashing simulators that transforms innocence into stone cold killers
-Did this warning mention evil?
-Satans love child/anti-christ
-Evil
Yeah I think that about sums it up. ^_^
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
wow... another politician trying to get their name out by jumping on the band wagon (which is pretty much broke) of the GTA VI Bash and kicking a dead horse. I mean seriously: "It is outrageous! I cant believe this type of game is out here...no...I’ve never played it and they cant show me anywhere in the game that depicts rape...but that doesn’t matter, I’m screaming about out children and violence, obviously my claims must be right...I’m with the government!" Ten Bucks says JT sent her some emails (btw I’m hoping he posts on this entry...its always fun to laugh at him ^_^)
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
did she just say GTA4 would make you a sociapath?
wtf....
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
No, that was the author being sarcastic, the whole article is worth a read, it's making it quite clear the senator has no clue what she's talking about.
...Or would be, if it were true. Nothing's certain (the Nose couldn't reach the alleged rape scene either) but four out of five gamer geeks in the blogosphere appear to agree: There is no rape scene. It's all the stuff of rumors.
Congrats dear author on trying something the senator obviously didn't, use google!
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
It was put in quotes though. How many news article writers put their own words in quotes in an article talking about another person? Either the person who wrote that did something stupid and dishonest, or those are actually the Senator's words.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
It was single quotes (') not ("). Meaning that is a quote of what the label would say if it existed. If there was a quote from the crazy lady in " " and than that part was in ' ', that would mean she said it.
For example, the senator said "what would they put on the label? 'this game will make you a sociopath'?"
Versus
What would they put on the label? 'This game will make you a sociopath'?
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Try reading; those single quotes are between a pair of double quotes, meaning she did indeed say it.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Wow! The powerful brains of this countries leaders are astounding...
Aren't you supposed to check that there actually IS a problem before looking for ways to solve it?
Sounds to me like she just wanted an excuse to play GTA for hours on end.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
If it ain't broke... you better make sure it is.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
"Aren't you supposed to check that there actually IS a problem before looking for ways to solve it?"
If politicians used that logic, we wouldn't be stuck in Iraq right now.
---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Indeed, if they thought that way they would realize it was a just cause to remove Sadam from power and STFU.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
How many Iraqis did Saddam kill? Because we've managed 700,000 and rising.
So what's just cause for that.. oil?
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
if we had gone there for oil we would have it and i wouldn't be paying $4.50+ a galleon right now
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Yeah your right, you should be getting it for free, since it costs nothing to drill and ship. And lets just all forget about the economic factors… wow learn a little
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Stop complaining. We pay $8 a gallon here in sweden.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
You can thank the Chinese for the price of oil. As everyone knows, the more demand you have for a thing, the more they can ask for it and get away with it. You did it for oil, but it blew up in your face, and now you're stuck in a Vietnam-like situation where you damned if you stay and damned if you pack up and go home.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Actually the cost of oil is partly down to the weak US economy making the dollar so weak on the markets and speculators driving up the cost. Once people stop paying huge amounts for barrels of oil, the speculators will rush to get out of the market and the price will start to go down. Usually with a speculative market there will be a crash, but I don't think it will go much below $100 a barrel even after the current spike. The days of cheap fuel are gone, China or no China.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Any chance you have any evidence of this number killed by US troops and/or contractors?
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
That comment flew way over your head didn't it? 700,000 Iraqis killed doesn't equal 700,000 dead by U.S. fire.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Infact, I believe it's around 400,000 now, but only a small portion of it is directly caused by US troops.
The reality though is that if US did not invade Iraq, those 400,000 may very well be alive today, and the 5+ million Iraqi refugees who are causing a global issue would have been living in their homes right this moment, and I would have been in my freaking home in Baghdad playing Playstation 2/3 until the first rays of the next morning, but thanks to US I had to leave my whole life behind and move to a foreign country, otherwise that number would have been 400,001 by now.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
If us USers were the cow, then we would be getting the oil for free.
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
OMG. It's a there is a freaking rape scene in the game. I mean it doesn't exist, but since it is GTA, it must exist!!!!!!!
Re: Connecticut State Senator Alarmed Over (non-existent) Rape
Maybe somebody could tell her about the hidden cop-killer level of Super Mario Bros. while we're at it.