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Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is quickly gaining pre-release notoriety as a center of controversy. First, there was the "No dedicated servers for PC users" flap (although, truth be told, that's more of an inside-gamer thing, not likely to be of interest to the larger culture), then the leaked video that showed that, for at least one level, you inhabit the body of someone taking part in a terroristic bloodbath in an airport. Today, there's a "viral" style promo video for Modern Warfare 2 that is, at best, in questionable taste.
The video was posted on YouTube over the weekend and stars a digitized version of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels delivering a mock-PSA about "grenade spam." The ad ends with the phrase "random grenades are for p*ssies." It is followed with a credit message saying the PSA was brought to you by "Fight Against Grenade Spam." You can figure out why the fake organization's name is offensive for yourself.
Infinity Ward pulled the video, and community Manager Robert Bowling tweeted that the ad was "more of a social commentary joke of that stereotype than it was a fist-bump of acceptance to it." Right. So Infinity Ward says it was just mocking the people who hold homophobic views as opposed to actually being homophobic... except I've seen the video, and there's nothing in it to indicate this is the case.
Usually, I leave the soapbox to Adam Sessler, but this time, I'm going to weigh in by pointing out that I spent the weekend playing The Ballad of Gay Tony and was pleased and surprised by the positive relationship between Luis Lopez and Gay Tony, and the respect shown to the homosexual community as a whole in that game, so this Modern Warfare 2 thing is doubly disappointing in contrast -- shouldn't we be past this kind of casual, backyard slur in the game community? If not from the players, at least from the professionals? Judging from the discourse on public channels of the last COD, Infinity Ward should are the last people who should be encouraging slurs against gay people; there's enough of it without the company's tacit approval. Besides, isn't that a violation of their own Terms of Service?
Sessler and I have much the same views on this kind of thing; check it out:
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TyRamos
I'm sorry Sessler, but I honestly think you're over reacting, just because you use those kind of words doesn't mean you're a racist or a bigot. Get over yourself! I say every single racial slur in the book, but you know what? I have never used a racial slur against someone that the slur is meant for. I'm not racist or a bigot, I do not think that just because I'm white I'm better than anyone else (I'm a 1/4 Hispanic). I have Hispanic, Asian, Black, ect friends. And I don't look don't on anyone of them.
People need to stop thinking that just because you use racial slurs that automatically you're racist, because that's not always the case. Just like that crock of bull people say "Oh you don't like Obama because he's black", No I don't like Obama because he's a bloody moron.
I don't give a flying rats ass about what color his skin is. I don't care what color skin you have. I have the same expectations from a dark skinned person compared the the light skinned person. They're equal, we're all equal from the get go. The only thing that separates people is what we do with our potential. If we start judging people by the color of their skin, then we might as well start judging people by the color of hair they have, and I'm not talking about just blond jokes.
I really think all of you people who are flipping out about about little things like this promo video, and the whole Airport video, really need to get the hell over yourselves. You're all a bunch of pansies that are way too sensitive. Learn how to take jokes and understand the depth of things before you start having a cow over such stupid and insignificant things.
Oh and by the way, if you're so sick of hearing little 10 year-olds talk in you're mic, make a push for stricter limits on the ratings so little kids like them get kicked off of M rated games, or at least make it where they can't use mics so we don't have to hear them!
Finally, words are just words, remember the little saying we had when we were kids? "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me?" Try using that little phrase sometimes, all of you.
crimznbro
i know these 10yr old kids and sadly they just dont understand. i personally try never to swear but it still happens. who dosnt like talkin trash but seriously you know when it goes too far. dont be surprised if you get banned. it happened to my friend
legendofalex
Not to mention the irony of people who were offended by black zombies in RE5. Don't you think they'd be more offended if the zombies in Africa were white or asian? They'd complain that the game SHOULD have black zombies because it takes place in Africa.
We truly are a schizophrenic society. The sad part is, Martin Luther King said that in the 60s. I wonder what he'd say about today's America.
legendofalex
Not to mention all the stereotypes seen on G4 programming. The most obvious is the slant of all the programs and commentaries for nerds, gamers, geeks, etc. The premise of the channel is to skew to this demographic, yet it isn't "hurtful" to do this.
Second, the RROD vid from AOTS with the stereotyped death metal band.
Third, stereotyping Kanye West after his outburst.
Fourth, zombie stereotypes.
Fifth, stereotyping video game store workers as being predominantly male with the "Girl at the Video Store" music video. Not to mention the dozens of male fantasies protrayed in that video.
Get over it. All of it. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Not every person falls into their stereotypes, but all stereotypes do exist. Potheads get the munchies and lazy, but there are functional smokers too. Frat boys provide YouTube with hours of content, but there are frat boys who study hard and learn.
If we can't laugh about these types of things, when appropriate, we'll never move past them.
legendofalex
This guy is stupid. He thinks that the word "f*g" can only be derogatory towards gays. It's not the N-word, which is used only against blacks and carries that kind of racial weight with it. F*g is a universal slur.
And, the vid is tongue-in-cheek. Why is it that he can laugh at the whole thing, but the acronym F*GS must be taken seriously? That's the problem with all these oversensitive people. Yes, sometimes there are words that are used hurtfully and hatefully. And sometimes it's just a joke that we can laugh at.
jvince
I've recently just seen that commercial too, and I actually got a laugh out of it. The reason why is because of the people in COD4 who randomly toss up a grenade and somehow manages to hit you. I believe Infinity Ward could have expressed that those people are jerks in a different way. The F-word is really offensive to some people; it's almost like the N-word. However, most people today use the F-word as another way of calling someone an "a-hole". I think we can all agree that the F-word is more commonly used towards "a-holes"/"people who piss us off" rather than actual homosexuals. I believe that the majority of people who use that word don't mean to insult homosexuals, but that does not mean that there are no people who use that word to segregate homosexuals. The dictionary definition of that word is, "in homophobic usage, a slang term of abuse denoting (in general) a gay man... Because that is the definition of the f-word, people must be educated on what it actually means and learn how offensive it can be.
To Sessler,
I agree with you completely that the gaming community is being ruined by these fowl mouthed people. Everyday I log into X-Box live, I hear vulgar terms that are indeed offensive. I've been called the N-word, and I'm not even African-American. Something should be done to control this, the thing is; can something be done? The First Amendment protects a person's right to speech no matter how filthy one speaks, which is why I don't think legal action should be taken to ban offensive words. I think when our forefathers made the Bill Of Rights; they did not expect people to sink down to such a level to use vulgar language to offend others. I hope overtime people will see this as a problem and work together to discourage it. It really is depressing that some people are trying to ruin gaming for others.
justinlars
Whoa....i think Sessler just ripped gaming new one O.O......WOOOO!!!! WAY TO GO ADAM UR MY HERO!!!
pirul83
lol... i certainly do have an american xpress... and im not rich... i work real hard for what i have, i have to pay the creditcards... and i'm 25... not that old, but i think i've done well for myself considering the local economy... but again this isnt about me, or you... do you really believe that what i've described as my xboxlive experience isnt just racism?? come on... and i dont whine about it... i still play my games, i was just commenting on the video's topic... my point its just that its a shame that becouse of racism i cant enjoy the "xbox live experience" at its fullest
pirul83
please!!! i live in Mazatlan... we get american tourists all year around here... US citizens dont try to learn any language... if they go to italy they get frustrated if there arent any english signs (believe me, i've seen it).
And When i go to the US, i speak english... when i play on xbox live, i speak english.. but of course i have an accent... not heavy one, but its certainly there... (and believe me, im more fluent in english than 99% of the american tourist that i see here are on spanish...) so i get crap becouse of my accent... thats racism...
asudevil2
Oh so i am racist now? You are the one who called those people retarded, does that mean you are bigoted to mentally challenged people? Why are you a hypocrite little lying pu.ssy?
And by american express you mean your over the limit visa? Yeah you are not rich you are a poor little child probably no older than 14
pirul83
well... i actually gets old when you cant play the game becouse your team-mates start sticking plasma granades on your head, saying... "go back to mexico beaner" (even tho i live in mazatlan) ... and then leave the game, and you have to start an other one...
so becouse of your racism, i cant enjoy xbox live on its fullest... i have to play with my mic off... and actually its kinda sad, becouse i think its an xboxlive thing... when i go to the US people dont treat you like that... at least not on your face when your flipping your american xpress at the mall...
asudevil2
I love how the only man in mexico who speaks english has the audacity to attack the US because we dont bother to learn other languages. Guess what you come to america you speak english, you go to CHina you speak chinese, you go to Germany you speak german. How hard is that to understand for lazy people like you?
asudevil2
Oh i get it you cant make fun you but you can make fun of him and all mentally challenged people? HYPOCRITE
Oh and learn what the word literate means, oh and next time you attack people who do not bother learning another language attack the 99% of the mexican population let alone every country in the world that is just like that. Try to attack my roommate who is a doctor and yet only speaks english, he is much much much more literate than you
jdawghatesyou
I dont care about the whole Modern Warfare 2 thing right now, I just wanted to say to Adam about his bigots rant BRA-blanking-VO! That was awesome and I 108909806876% agree! I cant play halo anymore it has gotten so bad, and actually any xbox live game for that fact and if I play online I play PS3 now because it is not even remotely as bad. It is terrible and that is not why I play online I play to have fun not listen to 6 year olds saying words they cant spell. Things need to change or good bye xbox, I'm better off without you
asudevil2
Oh yeah i really believe a guy who gets offended by beaner is a business owner, i graduated from college and now have my masters degree all paying for it by myself and guess what? You are just a tool with no understanding of the real world.
pirul83
@asudevil2
i live in MEXICO... and dont come to me with the real world, i built a business with first world pressence from third world economy... you probably are just a little boy on college, living on his momma-is-paying-for-school bubble.
And yes, i get annoyed when some retard, that has never been outside his country, and that is not literate enough to speak more than one language (wich he doesnt even speak propperly), comes and tries talk down on me...
asudevil2
Just remember everyone, making fun of fat people is okay, making fun of gays is not. That is the as.s backward logic of G4
asudevil2
Oh sad little pirul83. God grow a f'n spine, this is what is wrong with america, everyone is so f'n fragile you cant critize anyone, everyone special you cant dare offend people. Man you guys are going to get eaten up when you start living in the real world. Go to college for one week and i bet you hear the F word more times then you might in your entire life.
pirul83
totally agree... i've had to face that behavior myself, being mexican, although i live and work here in mexico, i have only been on the US for vacation with my family...
i constantly get called bean_er, wet_back (aparently US residents think that we dont have broadband over here) ... i usually play halo3 and CoD4 with my mic off, becouse i know if i say something with an accent, or something in spanish to someone that has a spanish gamertag, i probably going to get all that beaner load... or even start to get betrayed by my team-mates... or they just leave the game. So i usually keep it to myself
asudevil2
See in G4s mind it is okay to have a game called GRAND THEFT AUTO, but it is wrong to make fun of gays.
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