After six years at the helm, Ireland's chief media classifier John Kelleher has stepped down from his post.
As Director of the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO), the 65-year old Kelleher banned only one videogame out of the 8,000 submitted during his reign, Manhunt 2. The IFCO typically does not rate videogames however, only doing so if they are deemed prohibitable, otherwise rating chores are handled by Pan American Game Information (PEGI).
Speaking to the Irish Times, Kelleher said that his biggest achievement was changing the name of his office from the Irish Film Censor’s Office to its current designation as the Irish Film Classification Office. The change was made to better reflect the actual work of the office.
Kelleher stated:
I don’t believe in film censoring for adults, I believe in film classification for minors. I hope that people realised that I was trying to ensure that adults could look after themselves, that it was the welfare of children which was paramount.
Current IFCO Deputy Director Ger Connolly will take over for Kelleher on an interim basis.
Comments
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
"Pan American"?
/b
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
Furdian slip? Or hangover?
Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy! Stop supporting big media and furthering the criminalization of consumers!! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/what-is-cigital-disobedience/
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
One can not classfiy media by banning it........
Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy! Stop supporting big media and furthering the criminalization of consumers!! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/what-is-cigital-disobedience/
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
"As Director of the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO), the 65-year old Kelleher banned only one videogame out of the 8,000 submitted during his reign, Manhunt 2."
Which, in my mind, makes him a failure. Especially in light of what he's qoted as saying at the end of the article.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
Not really- he says he doesn't want film censorship- he doesn't say anything about games... ;P
/b
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
You noticed that, too?
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He was dead when I got here.
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
"The IFCO typically does not rate videogames however, only doing so if they are deemed prohibitable"
Prohibitable as in by law. That's not the Boards fault, that's the Irish governments if they have law that makes Manhunt 2's content illegal. It's not the same as in the UK where the BBFC can refuse a classification and have the law on their side, the Irish board have to classify according to the law instead.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
Doesn't make it any less wrong in my mind.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
So you'd blame a policeman for enforcing a law you don't agree with too?
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
In a heartbeat.
A couple of years ago, NC joined the Powerball lottery.
To encourage people to play the NC lottery, the state formally made it public that they were going to outlaw playing the video casino machines and outlaw operating such businesses (there has been a bit of slacking in such legislation, but in the beginning, it was harshly designed).
Local law enforcement leaders started openly referring to EVERYONE who played the video game casino machines as "criminals". Painting them as all forms of evil and implying that just playing the machines meant that the players were most likely into other forms of crime.
Yet, despite the fact that the lottery is just as much gambling as the video machines, and even has warnings and links to gambler's anonymous on the main website, law enforcement had no negative opinions about those who played the state sanctioned gambling system, the lottery.
To me, this makes the law enforcement agencies look like "mob enforcement" for the state. Criminalize one form of gambling and push out those in the video casino business, while sanctioning another form of gambling that is promoted by the state itself.
In addition to that example, I also condemn the law enforcement support for things such as "sovereign immunity" which has been used to protect various Board of Education systems from prosecution for their covering up of various abuses against children in various public schools.
While law enforcement should enforce the law in general, there are clearly times when it puts the government ahead of the best interest of the citizens which they are, supposedly, sworn to protect.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
http://www.facebook.com/nightwing2000
Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
Blame? No, I'm not placing blame. I'm saying this guy failed to live up to what he believes in. I understand why he failed, but the why doesn't change anything when the result is the same.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
So what was the ban's motivation? Seeing as how you say he failed, I'm sure you can explain why the ban was incorrect given his beliefs.
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
In my book, banning a video game automatically makes you a failure. Doubly so when you purport to not believe in censorship for adults but do believe in classification for children. Of course, in the quote I'm referencing, he's referring to film, not video games but he still banned at least one film so he's still a failure in my mind.
Then again, maybe all the banning happened before he developed his stated belief. Maybe the parameters of his job left him with no choice other than to ban at least one film and one game.
Doesn't matter to me. At the end of the day, the man banned a film and a game. That should never happen. I don't care if it's the law. I don't care if it's your job. Do that, and in my mind you're a failure. Just my opinion.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
So you don't give a damn about why people do something, if you disagree with what they do their motivation is irrelevant. Check.
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
It depends on what it is that that person did.
Andrew Eisen
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
Well, Andrew, in this particular case, it's OBEYING THE LAW.
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He was dead when I got here.
Re: Irish Censor Steps Down
And as I've already stated, I don't care. Banning a game or movie is wrong*, even if the law forces you to do it.
Andrew Eisen
*Barring some incredibly far fetched extenuating circumstances.