Play Meter

THE LAST WORD Is it time for Big Brother? w Christopher Caire Features Editor PLAY METER hile in Los Angeles for the IAAPA pact on young, impressionable minds," show, I had a chance to read my wrote Lungren. favorite newspaper, The Los Angeles At the news conference he said he Times. I know fans of The New York was "issuing a strong warning to the Times believe it's the best daily in parents of California," though, thankAmerica, but I think this is the one fully, he didn't propose censorship or area where L.A. can claim superiori- some type of legal crackdown. It's time to stop paying lip-service to ty over its East Coast rival. Anyway, in the Nov. 17 edition of The this problem and do something about Los Angeles Times, I ran across an item it. The manufacturers say the kids of particular interest. The state's attor- want-even demand-healthy doses of ney general, Dan Lungren, called a violence in their video games. Well, I news conference on wanted to drink beer and watch porno Nov. 16 to discuss a to- movies when I was 13. Did anyone let pic on everyone's mind: m e? Of course not. A 13-year-old vio lence. He told the doesn't need exposure to those things; gathering of reporters neither should he be allowed to revel that t his nation has in images of bloody decapitation. I know what some of you are thinkexperienced a sharp jump in crime by chil- ing: "Caire, you 're full of it. Kids can dren. There's been a 119 differentiate between make-believe percent increase in viole nce and the real thing. Get off juvenile murder arrests your moral high hQrse. " I can underbetween 1986 and 1991; stand that; in fact , I use d to believe it California has exp eri- myself. But the more I think about this enced a 135 percent subject the more I believe that violent increase durin g this video games, along with violent movies and violent TV shows, can't h e lp but period. Did Lungren cite influen ce kids negative ly. (Put it this these chilling statistics way: they don't m ake children want to as a prelude to an at- attend Sunday School.) And even if the tack on easily available handguns? games are harmless, a lot of governHow about the op e ning salvo on a m ental bodies and parents think othertirade against irresponsible parents wise. Isn't that enough reason to take who let their children run wild in the action? A bar in New Orleans called Hog's streets? No friends, this news conference was devoted to one thing: violent Breath Saloon has a motto: "I'd rather have hog's bre ath than no breath at video games. Lungren has sent a letter of com- all." P erhaps. But surely this industry's plaint to 12 game companies, including leaders don't believe that bad press is Ninte ndo, Sega, and Capcom. "Con- better than no press at all. Get enough tinual exposure to violent images and bad press and the governme nt will themes in various entertainment may eventually start sniffing around- and not be the direct cause of these atro- maybe even fee l compe lled to ste p in cious acts ," h e said in the letter. But and r egulate. Need I remind you of its games that "promote" viole nce "do track record? D h ave a dead ening, d esen s itizing im162 JANUARY 1994