Bill O’Reilly Talks About Video Games and Violence and Ends Up Being Somewhat Reasona

[claud3]

Bill O’Reilly Talks About Video Games and Violence and Ends Up Being Somewhat Reasonable About It All

Owen Good

Bill O'Reilly has made a great living as Fox News Channel's national scold for the past 15 years, with video games among many targets in his campaign of cultural warfare. So at the beginning of this segment on his program last night, when he smugly diagnoses Adam Lanza, the Newtown, Conn. shooter, as a violent video game addict—"How did I know that? One look at the guy,"—most folks would think they know where he's headed.
Except he doesn't go there, really. An academic comes on to talk about whatever the latest studies are saying about children, violent video games and aggressive behavior, and scenes fromCall of Duty: Black Ops II and Assassin's Creed III play on the screen, and O'Reilly plays the skeptic, of all things.
"I know lots of kids who play these games, they're good kids," O'Reilly says. "They're normal, they don't act out, they don't do anything destructive, but they love the games. And the reason they love the games is because it empowers the children. Children are in control. Children are killing the bad guys. The thrill of the kill is right there in front of their face. But then they go out and they're kind, loving children. So I don't think everybody who plays these games are adversely affected by them. Would that be true?"
It gets the on-air expert to admit "violent and aggressive behavior is determined by many factors. Exposure to violent media is only one."
It's not entirely an about-face but, by the standard to which O'Reilly is often held anyway, it's a balanced discussion. Not everyone who plays these games does so to indulge or surpress a desire to commit murder. Behind every child with access to violent content is often a parent who lets it happen. Good parenting is a responsibility but not something that can be legislated.
We've written earlier that a fixation on video games as a cultural influencer of violent crime is unproven and often politically motivated. It may still be here, as O'Reilly's segment pulls a consistent thread of personal responsibility, which would seem to argue that dangerous weapons in the hands of well adjusted people who had good upbringings are no more dangerous than fake guns fired by any apple-cheeked kid with a twin-analog controller. The two situations really are not at all comparable.

Still, if the far right is going to hang the Newtown shootings on social decay tied solely to video games, O'Reilly—who has given that segment a megaphone for the better part of two decades—doesn't sound like he's going to give that much of an endorsement. That's a big step as the country tries to sort out its real problems over the noise of special interest groups.

this has to be a joke

Video on the site
http://kotaku.com/5970312/bill-oreil...e-about-it-all

[Morganator]

There's a reason why he was more cordial than usual. It's because unlike his other audiences, gamers and hackers would make his life unpleasant to say the least. We're the only segment of the population and viewership, that doesn't take unwarranted attacks on us as a whole, lying down like little bitches. He had no choice but to be cordial or Anonymous would have ripped him a new one.

[robvandam111]

Kratos needs to show this guy no mercy...

[zex494]

who the hell watches Bill O'Reilly??

[claud3]

You be surprised that some actually believe to be the seconding coming.. Others like me

Thinks he is just a guy in a room, trying to get out

[Equinoqs]

It's true, videogames cause violence, Congress said so! No, wait, I think they said it was heavy-metal music. No, marijuana. Or maybe it was sex? OH! Got it! It was Elvis Presley! That's right! Or was it EC horror comics?...

[*goo]

In other news, thought causes violence. Governments around the world are poised to ban thought of any kind. Thought is dangerous. Don't think. You'll only hurt yourself, and others.

For god's sake, think about the children! No, don't! That's what got us here in the first place! Aaaargh!

tl;dr - Sarcastic response to pot shot at an easy target for the ignorant.

[claud3]

Sarcasm will get you far

[DeviousOne]

O'reilly is a dack lacka! I can't stand that guy this whole blame video games escape goat is ridiculous already blame the parents!

[billm0066]

Video games are not the problem unless the person has a mental disorder. I've been playing violent video games for a very long time and I wouldn't commit an act of violence, because I have the common sense not to. People with mental disorders or taking medication for a mental issue should not be allowed to do play violent games, buy guns, or many other things. They need to make a national list for people with mental disorders or taking those medications that is can be viewed by anyone.

[claud3]

O'Reilly is a flip flopper on some issues we know for a fact, he knows nothing about.

But on this yes he makes some sense, but come on gamers know better

[PS3-The Ultimate Machine]

The funniest part of this whole Newtown incident is the NRA blaming games like CoD and Bulletstorm for gun violence. The NRA itself gives it's guns for replication in games, but hypocrisy is something that is expected of them so no surprise there. It's hilarious how 'games+crazy person = mass murderer' and never 'access to guns+crazy person = mass murderer'. I guess reason isn't as good for viewership as some good ol' fashioned sensationalism.

[claud3]

As I have stated in the elementary shooting thread, that the NRA have an influence beyond anyone can imagine