The Usual Idiocy

There's this computer game called "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" that's been in the news a lot lately. The game involves going on "simulated crime sprees", but there's also a hack which apparently allows the characters in the game to go on simulated sex sprees. Which sounds kind of cool, actually.

Naturally, the authorities are offended, on behalf of the nation's children. The most notable hypocrite to emerge so far is Senator Hillary Clinton:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is calling on federal regulators to investigate the latest version of Grand Theft Auto, a popular video game series that allows players to go on simulated crime sprees.

In a letter she is sending Thursday to the Federal Trade Commission, the New York Democrat expresses concern over reports that anyone who uses a free code downloaded over the Internet can unlock sexually graphic images hidden inside the game, called "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

Clinton isn't the only one, of course. Part of the issue with this hack is the question of whether the game was rated incorrectly: the current rating is "M" for "mature"--should that be bumped up to "adults only"?

It should be fairly obvious what I'm getting at here: as long as the game only contained simulated violence and crime, people may frown upon it a bit, but as soon as it turns into something pornographic, well, now we have a real problem. Because, as everyone knows, fucking is far more dangerous than stealing cars or shooting people.

[edit] I also found a nice, sensible op-ed piece about this very issue. The author states it much better than I do:

Senator Clinton is now calling on federal regulators to investigate the game for this modification, which Rockstar Games still claims wasn't created by themselves. Either way, take a step back and realize what's going on here. The point of the game is for the main character to be involved in all sorts of criminal activity, involving carjacking, murder and creating general mayhem. However, you add in a bit of consensual sex? Suddenly it's a federal issue! Honestly, the game has already been rated M, meaning that it's for people over the age of 17. The only higher rating would be A, which means it's only for people over the age of 18. Apparently, these politicians are worried that 17-year-olds playing a game whose entire point is criminal activity will be horribly scarred by discovering a sex scene, which sounds like it's probably the tamest part of the entire game. Aren't there more important issues for the federal government to be focused on right now?

But this sort of stupidity is typical of Senators, especially, I am sad to say, Democratic Senators who somehow feel that the Democratic party lacks credibility on "family values" issues, and the only way to address this "problem" is by out-Republicaning the Republicans. Needless to say, I disagree. The way to address this problem is to address the issue of whether "family values" is actually an issue in the first place. I suppose I am living in a dreamworld by thinking that, though.