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Ron Jeremy, who's known for a Mario imitation on occasion, was putting his hate on about violent video games at CES 2010. He complains that they're warping our children's minds.

Jeremy claims that allowing children to play violent video game titles like the God of War series is worse than letting them watch porn (which he's also opposed to). A former school teacher, he also blasted the internet, which he says is "evil".  (Source: Chapter Cheats)
Technology is warping our children's minds, suggests Jeremy

Ron Jeremy enjoys notoriety as being one of the world's most recognizable adult entertainers.  At age 56, "the Hedgehog", as he is nicknamed, still has sizable celebrity appeal.  This year he decided to stop at the 2010 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, rather than merely his typical show -- the Adult Entertainment Expo.

Mr. Jeremy was seen at CES peddling custom filters which he says are essential for blocking children from viewing mature materials online.  At the show he delivered one of the more controversial speeches, launching into a tirade about the evils of technology.

He first attacked the internet, stating, "The internet has allowed a lot of crooks, thieves and squatters to become millionaires. Normally, they wouldn't get a job washing dishes. I have a lot of problems with the internet and with identity theft. It has happened to me twice with my bank account, so I am not a big fan. People can download stuff for free these days, so why the heck are they going to buy it? The only ones making money out of porn are the novelty companies. I just hate the internet in general."

Before appearing in over 2,000 adult films, Mr. Jeremy was a school teacher, with a masters degree in special education and two bachelor of arts degrees in education and theater.  He says that as a former educator, another thing that disturbs him is video game violence.

He states, "Studies have found that violent video games are a much bigger negative influence on kids [than pornography]."

As to whether his own work is a negative influence, he points the finger at parents, instead.  He gripes, "Parents can block this stuff and need to stop blaming porn for a bad case of parenting.  Parents should watch what their kids are doing online and take some responsibility. Don't blame us. We have disclaimers, age notifications and software blockers. We are doing our bit."

Mr. Jeremy isn't against all video games, though.  In fact, he has been known to dress up as the Nintendo character Mario on occasion.

Jim Sterling of gaming news blog Destructoid.com was quick to blast Mr. Jeremy's comments, calling them indicative of "ignorance".  He writes, "It's rather hypocritical behavior and it doesn't speak up for pornography's merits by merely saying 'something else is worse, don't look at us.'  Very disappointing behavior from a man who should know better."

Despite Mr. Jeremy's claims, recent studies have been split on whether video game violence has anything to do with juvenile crime or psychological problems.  In fact, some studies have even suggested that gaming may have positive effects on children.  The biggest concern with gaming today is perhaps not the violence, but the lower health of the average gamer, according to some recent studies.

Mr. Jeremy is not alone in blaming violent video games, though, for the problems of our nation's children.  Infamous former lawyer Jack Thompson became a celebrity for his campaign against the gaming industry.  And across the country many fundamentalist churches of several religions, including Islam and Christianity have decried the evils of gaming.  Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez also recently moved to try to ban violent video games.


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Hate to admit it...
By Marlin1975 on 1/14/2010 8:04:47 AM , Rating: 5
but a lot of what he says is true.

If I had the internet when I was really young, I probable be a different person. Heck I was making fireworks/bombs with what little information I got from BBS's.

And the most true thing is, kids come out good or bad based on parents. If you let them run wild and do ANYTHING then don;t be surprised at what happens.




RE: Hate to admit it...
By tlbj6142 on 1/14/2010 8:14:04 AM , Rating: 5
At least you got outside...

Like many kids now, you probably wouldn't have gone outside to even make bombs if you had the Internet, just watched videos of other idiots doing the same on youtube.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Modeverything on 1/14/2010 10:51:20 AM , Rating: 5
Another issue is outside today isn't what it was when I was a kid. When I was young, we used to ride motorcycles down dirt roads and get to a place where we could play on our bikes. This place had jumps and all other kinds of stuff that was fun. We also used to climb trees, go in the woods and make forts and all kinds of other stuff.

Today, there are no woods for kids to play in, kids can't ride their motorcycle down the road and play in a closed off area. The place I used to ride is gone and has been replaced by some sort of business building (I can't remember what it is), and no other place was created for people to play.

I think the problem is businesses can keep buying land and building on it with nothing to regulate it, and all the places for kids to play outside has been taken away. Most people where I live now have a house on a .25 or .5 acre lot. That's not enough space for kids to go out and have fun. People even get trees in their yards removed, then kids have no trees to climb.

It doesn't surprise me that all kids to is stay inside and play video games and surf the internet; we've taken everything else away from them so what else do they have? (rhetorical question)

Since I'm older, I don't mind as much living in this kind of environment, but if I were younger, I would hate it. I would want to go out and play and do things, however there would be nothing outside for me.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Reclaimer77 on 1/14/2010 10:58:19 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
Today, there are no woods for kids to play in


BS

quote:
kids can't ride their motorcycle down the road and play in a closed off area.


Should "kids" be riding motorcycles in the first place ? Probably not.

quote:
I think the problem is businesses can keep buying land and building on it with nothing to regulate it


This is a joke right ? You go run a business and try to expand, you'll find plenty of regulations standing in your way.

quote:
It doesn't surprise me that all kids to is stay inside and play video games and surf the internet; we've taken everything else away from them so what else do they have? (rhetorical question)


Again, are you serious ? We've "taken" the outside from the kids ? Please give me a break, that is nonsense. The vast majority of land in this country is rural. Urban areas are FULL of parks and mandatory greenways. And claiming that nobody has a front or backyard is just nonsense. ANYONE can grab a bicycle and go ride. What about skateboard parks etc etc ?

quote:
but if I were younger, I would hate it. I would want to go out and play and do things, however there would be nothing outside for me.


No, if you were young you would use that as an excuse so you could stay inside and play on the Internet or your console games.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Modeverything on 1/14/2010 11:27:28 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
quote:
quote: Today, there are no woods for kids to play in
BS


Of course I wasn't speaking for 100% of the entire world. It's a generalization based off of the area I live in and places I travel. I travel to many places in the US for my job, so I've seen many environments. I didn't think someone would read this part and think I meant everywhere that exists.

quote:
quote:
quote: kids can't ride their motorcycle down the road and play in a closed off area. Should "kids" be riding motorcycles in the first place ?
Probably not.


Yes, I think kids should be riding motorcycles. Why not? I got my first automatic transmission motorcycle when I was 4 and I've been riding ever since. Kids should be able to do a lot of things that people don't let them do. They should be able to ride motorcycles and fall off, pick theirselves back up and keep going. They should be able to climb trees, then slip and fall out. They should ride bicycles without all that damn safety gear; let them hit the ground. Kids today get pampered too much.

quote:
quote:
quote: I think the problem is businesses can keep buying land and building on it with nothing to regulate it
This is a joke right ? You go run a business and try to expand, you'll find plenty of regulations standing in your way.


No, it's not a joke. Maybe my terms were incorrect, but the idea is what I was getting at. Are there places in every major city that are easily accessible by kids where businesses are not allowed to tear them down regardless of how much money they want to spend? Probably not. Places like that are not protected.

quote:
quote:
quote: It doesn't surprise me that all kids to is stay inside and play video games and surf the internet; we've taken everything else away from them so what else do they have? (rhetorical question)
Again, are you serious ? We've "taken" the outside from the kids ? Please give me a break, that is nonsense. The vast majority of land in this country is rural. Urban areas are FULL of parks and mandatory greenways. And claiming that nobody has a front or backyard is just nonsense. ANYONE can grab a bicycle and go ride. What about skateboard parks etc etc ?


So even if the majority of land in this country is rural, which I don't know if it is or not, how does that help the places that used to be more rural but are now urban? Besides, there are no skateboard parks near me, and a lot of fun that will be trying to ride a bicycle down a busy road; probably not a good idea for a 9 year old.

quote:
quote:
quote: but if I were younger, I would hate it. I would want to go out and play and do things, however there would be nothing outside for me.
No, if you were young you would use that as an excuse so you could stay inside and play on the Internet or your console games.


Now here you are completely wrong, so don't presume you know anything about me. We did have video games when I was young. We had the Atari 2600, then the NES, and so forth. I played them when it was dark outside or when it was raining. I did go outside and play, even though I had the option not to. So even though you think you can say what I would or would not do, you can keep your thoughts to yourself.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Reclaimer77 on 1/14/2010 11:57:06 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
Of course I wasn't speaking for 100% of the entire world.


Then maybe you shouldn't have written it as if you were ?

quote:
It's a generalization based off of the area I live in and places


Your entire post was a gross generalization. Nice backpeddaling by the way.

quote:
They should be able to ride motorcycles and fall off, pick theirselves back up and keep going. They should be able to climb trees, then slip and fall out. They should ride bicycles without all that damn safety gear; let them hit the ground. Kids today get pampered too much.


I agree. It's not the kids or video games that is changing this, though, it's sue crazy parents.

Last year parents won a lawsuit against the Wilson sporting goods company because their son was killed when his pitch was hit right back into his face and hit him in the head. They claimed that Wilson should have a warning label that states aluminum bats allow the ball to be hit harder.

Get my drift ? Not only should this suit have been thrown out of court entirely, but they actually WON !!!

quote:
No, it's not a joke. Maybe my terms were incorrect, but the idea is what I was getting at.


Again, you got called out for making emotionally based generalizations and are backpeddleing. Maybe you should use the correct terms the FIRST time you post.

quote:
Are there places in every major city that are easily accessible by kids where businesses are not allowed to tear them down regardless of how much money they want to spend? Probably not. Places like that are not protected.


Yes it's called ZONING ! Ever heard of it ?? Obviously not.

quote:
Now here you are completely wrong, so don't presume you know anything about me. We did have video games when I was young. We had the Atari 2600, then the NES, and so forth. I played them when it was dark outside or when it was raining. I did go outside and play, even though I had the option not to. So even though you think you can say what I would or would not do, you can keep your thoughts to yourself.


So did I. You aren't older than me so don't get preachy. I remember my mom saying "get off that thing and go outside". Don't pretend that, if given the option, most kids wouldn't rather play games than go outside.

Sorry but times have changed. Children don't have the same childhood that you or I had, and you know what, it's not the end of the world.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By FITCamaro on 1/15/2010 10:20:04 AM , Rating: 2
Yup. Lawyers have ruined many of the joys and fun things kids were able to do. Shit our parents grew up playing with toys painted with lead and lawn darts and they not only survived but invented the internet, color TV, video game consoles, etc.

Now because of prick attorneys and the liberal Democrats they fund campaigns for, kids have a hard enjoying anything because parents are worried about getting sued, organizations are worried about getting sued, so less happens.

I played baseball growing up. We used aluminum bats. Shit can happen. It sucks. When I was 10 parents would have mourned the loss and the next week the game would have been played in the kids honor. Now they sue and threaten kids ability to play the game at all. Not to mention potentially ruin an entire industry of making aluminum baseball bats.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Screwballl on 1/14/2010 1:37:26 PM , Rating: 3
I agree... as a parent of 2 kids (ages 7 and 2), AND work in the technology field myself, we (my wife and I) try to limit their exposure and time spent on video games, handhelds, TV and potentially addictive electronics. Not only does this allow my girls to be more socially adaptive with other kids but they also live more of a childhood closer to what I had, playing games on occasion like a short time before bed or during bad weather, but the rest of the time they are doing homework, playing outside, playing with other kids.

Of course this is also an advantage of living in a small town in a good neighborhood. This town also has plenty of activities for the kids, jobs for adults as well as outdoor parks, sports fields, skateboard area, paintball area, churches every other block, plenty of church sponsored activities, and so on down the line.

My oldest only wears a helmet when she rides her bike when we go camping or we are away from home. she did wear it for the first few months when she first learned how to ride but once we knew she was stable enough it was ok to go without. I personally think higher self propelled vehicles like motorcycles should be limited to ages 12+ but that is my preference.

As for parks and places for kids to play, they are disappearing at an alarming rate across the nation. Wooded areas and fields are being leveled off to make room for businesses with no replacement land set aside for the kids to play in.

quote:
I think the problem is businesses can keep buying land and building on it with nothing to regulate it


There was actually a business that did just that close to where I grew up. It was an open field that bordered a wooded area and they made a fenced off area about 1/3 to 1/2 an acre, and posted it as a "free area for kids to play, ride and have fun". They made a small bike track for bicycles, but too small for a motorcycle, and I saw a spot where I had a fort growing up actually expanded to include a second level (saw that last time I was there 17 months ago) so some kids were still building and working on forts there.

There are places where this happens but it tends to be smaller towns... but the fast growing cities see these types of locales disappearing very fast.

the problem nowadays is lazy parents using electronics as a baby sitter rather than actually spending time with their kids and letting them play, get hurt and stuff we did when we were growing up.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By thurston on 1/14/10, Rating: -1
RE: Hate to admit it...
By MrBlastman on 1/14/2010 11:41:49 AM , Rating: 5
You argue that we are taking away all of the land for our kids to play in. I suppose that you live in a big city? If you are worried about the land being taken away (I live in a big city called Atlanta), you can always move to an area with more land/woods for your children to play in. You are not at the mercy of the city zoning committee if you move somewhere that is populated with suburbian neighborhoods in a forest.

The choice is yours. You do not have to let businesses run you out of opportunities for your kids. Now, granted, suburbia does expand, but, this is why you exercise extra effort in purchasing a property and refuse to buy one on the edge of a neighborhood, along a major road or near a corner that is across from vacant land.

Blaming this on the "man" is reckless and is the same behavior that has led to other child playtime endangering activities. Activities known as lawsuits. They are quite popular these days. Kids can't even play on a proper playground anymore due to overzealous parents who blame playgrounds for hurting their kids when the parents themselves should have been keeping a better eye on them while they were at the park. When I was a kid, we had deadly playgrounds--but, they built character and taught us to take calculated risks in our play.

As for video games causing violent tendencies, that is a load of hogwash. If I did NOT have video games to play as a kid (I started with Pinball and then moved to the Atari 2600 and beyond), I would have partaken in many violent activities that video games spared me from. You see, the games allowed me to focus my bloodlust in an electronic fashion which was far more constructive than going around breaking things. To be fair, I did break things as a kid, but I would have broken far more if I did not have a virtual playground that I could go nuts on over and over and then respawn afterwards.

Video games were a stress reliever rather than a bad influence. BBS's further helped this giving a competitive outlay. Same with video arcades until the internet. Street Fighter did wonders and network Doom was a miracle. Instead of channeling violence towards real, physical things, I turned it into a constructive, competitive outlet to focus my efforts towards triumphing over other humans in digital fashion.

I don't see how this is bad. We've had video games around for 30 years now. To say that they are destroying the world is foolish at the least. There are many other influences that effect kids far more that the parents do little to curb.

In the end, it isn't our Government's responsibility to choose what is good for us and what isn't. It is up to US, the people, to step up and take action for ourselves and our families and be parents rather than helpless peons at the service of the system that we think should save us--when it really shouldn't.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Modeverything on 1/14/2010 11:51:14 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
If you are worried about the land being taken away (I live in a big city called Atlanta), you can always move to an area with more land/woods for your children to play in.


I agree with you, I could move. I haven't because I have a good job that I've been at for years, and if I relocated I would have to find a different job and this is not the time I want to be job hunting. Also, my dad is old and not in great health, so I don't want to move away from him. However, my own personal issues do not change the fact that you are correct, and there are other places I could live to solve the problem I mentioned above, however I still think it is a problem. Not everyone has the luxury of just moving whenever and wherever they want.

quote:
Blaming this on the "man" is reckless and is the same behavior that has led to other child playtime endangering activities. Activities known as lawsuits. They are quite popular these days. Kids can't even play on a proper playground anymore due to overzealous parents who blame playgrounds for hurting their kids when the parents themselves should have been keeping a better eye on them while they were at the park. When I was a kid, we had deadly playgrounds--but, they built character and taught us to take calculated risks in our play.


I agree with everything you said here. If my statement came across that I'm "blaming the man", I'm not sure that was my intention. I do think the government could protect some areas from becoming shopping malls (as an example), but I'm not sure that is the right solution. However, when the CEO of a company plans to buy land cheap, to build something and make huge sums of money, I doubt they consider what effect it will have on the children who play there.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By erple2 on 1/14/2010 5:44:20 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
I agree with you, I could move. I haven't because I have a good job that I've been at for years, and if I relocated I would have to find a different job and this is not the time I want to be job hunting.


So it sounds to me like you're taking the parks away from your kids. Whether you like it or not, the city has expanded. It has expanded because you have let it. I can remember my grandparents complaining in the 1940's that the "city" was encroaching on "their" land, choking out open spaces.

Remember, you are looking at a problem from a completely skewed perspective. I think that Jon Oliver said it best: "it was a better, simpler time because they were all 6 years old". You seem to be applying your current idea of what you thought was fun when you were little, and applying it to your children.

quote:
However, when the CEO of a company plans to buy land cheap, to build something and make huge sums of money, I doubt they consider what effect it will have on the children who play there.


As they shouldn't. However, it's your responsibility as a parent to decide if you want to patronize that CEO's business based on those decisions. There are ALWAYS jobs out there.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By rudy on 1/14/2010 9:52:12 PM , Rating: 2
Your seeing a local pattern specific to you. 100 years ago people in big cities lived in very small densely packed apartments. Go into an old part of any town and look how close together they are compared to modern suburban living. It is all a choice if you want to get away from the big city you have to make a choice to do it. If your area is heading in a direction you do not like go somewhere else.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Samus on 1/15/2010 12:59:38 AM , Rating: 2
building bombs is constructive education. technically i made a bunch of bombs in chemistry. like the stink bomb i saved to set off in ROTC.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By WUMINJUN on 1/25/2010 9:23:36 AM , Rating: 2
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RE: Hate to admit it...
By mdogs444 on 1/14/2010 8:12:06 AM , Rating: 5
The difference today is not so much the internet as it is with people state of mind. Today, hardly anyone believes in personal responsibility anymore.

Its always someone elses fault. Someone else should take care of your kids, support your kids, make laws for what they cannot do so you don't have to actually provide guidance and oversee that they aren't doing anything stupid.

And when something happens - its not the parents fault who didn't pay any attention or have a care in the world. Its everyone elses fault for letting it happen.

And its not just raising kids. 30 years ago when my father was my age, if he lost his job he wouldnt just be fine sitting around collecting unemployment. He would be out there working 2 or 3 low paying jobs just to get pay - because he would refuse any handout what so ever. People back then had pride. Now, instead of pride, people just have their hands out saying "gimme more, gimme more" while none of them actually earn it.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By retrospooty on 1/14/2010 9:40:15 AM , Rating: 3
+1 ... Well said.

I dont agree with you on alot of things - but on this you are 100% on the mark.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Mitch101 on 1/14/2010 11:28:48 AM , Rating: 3
Sure agree no one is responsible for their own actions today but part of me thinks ENTITLEMENT is the biggest problem out there right now. Not only are people not responsible but they think they deserve to be rewarded or entitled for the little to nothing they do.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By DEVGRU on 1/14/10, Rating: -1
RE: Hate to admit it...
By redbone75 on 1/14/10, Rating: -1
RE: Hate to admit it...
By retrospooty on 1/14/2010 5:44:58 PM , Rating: 1
Yes, everything is the fault of the liberal left. /rolls eyes

Doofus.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Spacecomber on 1/14/2010 10:37:54 AM , Rating: 2
Great, the "I, Me, Mine" experts lecturing the world on what it means to be responsible.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By jonmcc33 on 1/14/2010 8:52:10 AM , Rating: 4
Muslim jihad terrorists don't play violent video games yet they have no problems blowing themselves and others up.

Theory proven wrong yet again.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Dreamwalker on 1/14/2010 9:50:59 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
And the most true thing is, kids come out good or bad based on parents.


Skipped that, eh?


RE: Hate to admit it...
By mead drinker on 1/14/2010 11:07:48 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Skipped that, eh?


You mean like the father that warned authorities regarding his son, the Christmas day bomber? Now, granted there is a delineation between being a good parent and being a good person, as demonstrated by his will to turn his own son in, but I would hardly imagine a person with such conscious to deliberatly raise someone with such intentions. Having good parents or any at all is one part of the equation in raising children. It is why fatherless societies such as those in war torn states suffer most. But around the world it is also easier for adolescents to subscribe to whatever outlet suits them. When they come in conflict with authoritarian figures they simply tune out and tune in to what they want to hear. This can be the internet, radio, books, games, friends. etc. Those parents that dismiss society in-part raising their children have already lost control, and forgotten that we all are children of men.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By jonmcc33 on 1/14/2010 2:58:15 PM , Rating: 1
Nope. There are little Muslim kids used as jihad terrorists too. Never played any video games either.


RE: Hate to admit it...
By consumerwhore on 1/14/2010 4:45:17 PM , Rating: 4
Err... That doesn't "prove" squat. I can go kill someone with my car right now while being sober. Does that mean drinking and driving is now A-OK?


RE: Hate to admit it...
By Hiawa23 on 1/14/10, Rating: -1
RE: Hate to admit it...
By 91TTZ on 1/14/2010 9:57:05 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
If I had the internet when I was really young, I probable be a different person. Heck I was making fireworks/bombs with what little information I got from BBS's.


Me and my friends did the same thing, only without the help of BBS's. I mean when you have a bunch of small firecrackers, the next logical step is to form them into a big one. We didn't hurt anyone, though, and weren't terrorists. Nowadays, similar innocent kids would be branded as terrorists for making big firecrackers. (the police and politicians would call it a WMD instead of an M-80 or quarter stick)


RE: Hate to admit it...
By William Gaatjes on 1/15/2010 2:21:37 PM , Rating: 2
That says more about you then about the internet.


.... uh?
By RandallMoore on 1/14/2010 8:15:11 AM , Rating: 3
OK,... so now we are getting ethics advice from a porn star?




RE: .... uh?
By inperfectdarkness on 1/14/10, Rating: 0
RE: .... uh?
By inperfectdarkness on 1/14/2010 8:49:55 AM , Rating: 2
just to clarify:

i'm not against censorship. i think pornography & violent games/media should be avaialable for ADULTS who choose it as their entertainment media.

parenting does play a key role in this. and for the record, ron jeremy's views are NOTHING like jack thompsons. ron jeremy is probably most similar to lieberman. jack thompson is most similar to falwell.


RE: .... uh?
By dubldwn on 1/14/2010 12:20:24 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
i think pornography & violent games/media should be avaialable for ADULTS who choose it as their entertainment media.

Pornography & violent games/media are available for adults who choose it as their entertainment media. Violent video games are rated M, and in my state at least, you must be 17 to buy them.

Hell, one year later you could be in Afghanistan shooting someone in the face. That's real violence, not some electronic dots on a screen.


RE: .... uh?
By Samus on 1/15/2010 1:06:50 AM , Rating: 2
right, but should a 17 year old be considered adult? Columbine and the Northwestern University shootings were all commited by kids 17 or older.

The fundemental issue is people don't value life like they used too. Many people have never even fired a gun and realize its power, until they use it in the wrong way.

I'm not saying everyone should know how to use a gun, but if you do plan on possibly shooting a person someday, try it on a duck first and see how it makes you feel.


RE: .... uh?
By mdogs444 on 1/14/10, Rating: -1
RE: .... uh?
By redbone75 on 1/14/2010 11:18:19 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
lets not bring in gay marriage to this argument. they are not related, and neither should be touted to young kids as a good thing to practice.

See, no one mentioned gay marriage yet you brought it up. The OP said "open sexuality" and your inner homophobe sprang into action. Your first post had some positive points, but you take one step forward a ten back. You know what the amazing thing about gay parents is? They don't espouse homosexuality to their children. They teach them tolerance and acceptance, and how to be better people.


RE: .... uh?
By 91TTZ on 1/14/2010 10:18:29 AM , Rating: 4
quote:
let's compare the per-capita murder rates of the EU vs. those in the USA.


Let's compare the makeup of the populations. The racial groups in the US which commit a disproportional amount of crime are hardly present over in Europe.

If you were to compare European Americans to Europeans you'd see that the crime rates are very similar. Look at one of the most European parts of the US, New England, and you'll see that it has the lowest crime rate in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_S...

Look at the states with the lowest murder rates:
Nebraska
South Dakota
Minnesota
Idaho
Wyoming
Delaware
Utah
Iowa
New Hampshire
Maine
North Dakota

You may also notice that the poorest areas have the highest murder rates, yet people living in the poorest areas are probably the least likely to be able to play violent video games or any video games for that matter since they're not as likely to be able to afford them.


RE: .... uh?
By The Raven on 1/14/2010 11:12:04 AM , Rating: 2
Not to make it look like I completely disagree with you (nice post) but this is America...

...You can afford violent games on welfare.

Also, why do you think the poor people are killing others? To steal the violent games!

But to be completely serious, there are plenty of poor people playing violent games.


RE: .... uh?
By tjr508 on 1/14/2010 12:03:27 PM , Rating: 1
Studies show an almost perfect inverse relationship between income level and video game play, so your affordability argument fails.


RE: .... uh?
By Reclaimer77 on 1/14/2010 1:29:40 PM , Rating: 2
His main point doesn't fail. And that's what you should be focused on.


RE: .... uh?
By callmeroy on 1/14/2010 2:07:00 PM , Rating: 1
Funny how the states listed with the lowest murder rates also are some of the LEAST populated states in the country.....

Hmm..wonder if that has ANYTHING to do with it too.....nah...can't be the fact that more people live in the Philly Greater Metro area than the ENTIRE POPULATION of Nebraska South Dakota North Dakota Utah AND Iowa ---- COMBINED.....as to one case why around here, just for example, (Philly area) we have higher murder rates....


RE: .... uh?
By jonmcc33 on 1/14/10, Rating: 0
RE: .... uh?
By 91TTZ on 1/14/2010 10:20:18 AM , Rating: 2
Degrading women? He was a paid actor who worked with paid actresses. There was no degrading going on. Before those scenes were ever shot the actors and actresses read the scripts, agreed to the pay that was offered, then signed contracts.


RE: .... uh?
By Reclaimer77 on 1/14/2010 11:08:54 AM , Rating: 1
hehehe "actresses" lol. That's rich. Scripts !!?? hahaha.

Porn absolutely degrades a woman because it boils here down to her basic biological parts. She's no longer a woman, but a vagina and a set of breasts to be cum on, oh and let's not forget the anus. All ready and willing to be violated for our pleasure. Or a few guys' pleasure. Or a whole room full of pleasure.. with a dwarf, and maybe a few goats thrown in... umm, but I digress.

I have tons of porn on this PC by the way, but I'm just saying, let's not kid ourselves here as to what it is.

Ron Jeremy has lead a terrible life, and now in his old age he sees it for what it is and feels guilty about it. So, like any guilty person, he seeks to displace that by pointing fingers at others instead of his own life. Claiming that sex and violence are disconnected simply isn't the case. Read psychology.


RE: .... uh?
By dubldwn on 1/14/2010 12:31:15 PM , Rating: 2
You think porn degrades women. You think degrading women is wrong. You have tons of porn. I though about that for a couple of minutes and I think I get it.


RE: .... uh?
By SavagePotato on 1/14/2010 12:46:32 PM , Rating: 2
If I could make an observation, I think it relates to the self loathing nature of conservative/religious people in general.

Having been raised in a both conservative and religious background I can identify with the results it produces when you are indoctrinated on that kind of system from childhood.

Whatever doesn't fit into the definition of acceptable from the "moral" standpoint of ye olde bible is thus evil and wrong, even if you happen to like it. You will note that many bible thumpers and extreme right wingers are hypocritical porn junkies.

So basically you have an extremely conflicted mind, dealing with the fact it craves all those nasty naughty things that the years of conditioning have taught it that it should not want.


RE: .... uh?
By dubldwn on 1/14/2010 12:54:51 PM , Rating: 2
Yeah, cognitive dissonance. I’ve successfully separated the two because I don’t think porn is degrading. Well, ok, some is by design (see Japan). As a side note, I didn’t like Pirates because they actually had religion in the movie. I found that disturbing. The girl-girl scene with that Spanish chick was awesome, though.


RE: .... uh?
By SavagePotato on 1/14/2010 12:59:54 PM , Rating: 2
I liked pirates simply because I think Evan Stone is a comedic genius.

To me Japan is bizarre... to say the least. I chock it up to simple cultural differences I guess. From what I understand the Japanese are actually very sexually repressed which has led to an opposite effect of extremely warped porn.


RE: .... uh?
By Reclaimer77 on 1/14/2010 1:09:20 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
If I could make an observation, I think it relates to the self loathing nature of conservative/religious people in general.


????

I'm not religious, and if any group was self loathing I would certainly have to say it would be Liberals. They are angry about everything. See the need to change everything to suit their agendas. Lash out when questioned or engage in name calling. I mean, honestly, does Nancy Pillosi look like a happy person to you ?

quote:
So basically you have an extremely conflicted mind, dealing with the fact it craves all those nasty naughty things that the years of conditioning have taught it that it should not want.


I would hope that "conflict" exists in all of us. For example, I might want to punch a guy out what cut me off in traffic. What's stopping me from doing that ? Someone I love for 10 years could cheat and betray me, do I have thoughts about murdering her ? Sure, we all do. Do I do it ? No.

Honestly I think you are looking too deep into my post. I'm just telling it like it is. And apparently the humor I was also conveying went over everyone's head. I thought the part about dwarfs and goats was pretty obviously at least an attempt at humor, but I guess not.

I'm not judging porn or those who produce it. But we are kidding ourselves if we can't admit there is at least something degrading about it.


RE: .... uh?
By SavagePotato on 1/14/2010 1:18:01 PM , Rating: 2
The comparison of punching someone in the face and watching porn simply hearkens back to the age old comparison between the anomaly of American society in it's treatment of sexuality versus violence.

I would grade physical violence towards others as a much more unacceptable thing than porn. Of course every person on earth has the urge to punch someone in the face from time to time.

What creates conflict is simple logic, reasoning power, the thing that separates us from the apes. I wouldn't like someone to punch me in the face repeatedly therefore I probably should not do so to someone else.

As for porn there are many shades. Not all porn is necessarily degrading to women just because it is porn. Some of it is degradation themed on purpose. It's not all simply black and white.


RE: .... uh?
By jonmcc33 on 1/14/2010 3:37:25 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
You think porn degrades women. You think degrading women is wrong. You have tons of porn. I though about that for a couple of minutes and I think I get it.


This is sort of going off subject. My point by bringing up the degrading part of porn was that Ron Jeremy has been ass deep in doing that for decades and yet he has the nerve to say that video gaming is wrong? He's a hypocrite.


RE: .... uh?
By SavagePotato on 1/14/2010 12:34:16 PM , Rating: 2
His point was that it was a consensual enterprise between adults, for adults.

You should watch Pirates and Pirates 2 sometime. There are even versions of them out there with the porn scenes stripped out of them.

Why? Because they are quite possibly better comedies than anything hollywood has put out in years.


RE: .... uh?
By Reclaimer77 on 1/14/2010 1:14:51 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
His point was that it was a consensual enterprise between adults, for adults.


Yes I get that. And I never said there was anything "wrong" with that. But simply that at it's base elements porn is degrading, even if not intentionally. I'm not using the classic Womens Lib movement's definition of degrading by the way, if I need to clarify.

It's beat off material, come on guys. Let's get real here lol. These aren't women to us or even people, any more so than a hamburger is a living cow. It fills a need, nothing more nothing less.


RE: .... uh?
By Belard on 1/15/2010 9:28:07 PM , Rating: 2
Some women like making porn, some women and men do porn because its a way to make money. Some people are abused in the porn industry.

Ron Jeremy has little to say, he was in the World biggest Gang Bang (150+ guys) and the girl who got banged never got a dime for it! He's made over 2000 videos/movies and even done some mainstream stuff.

I think every female in porn has done this guy... not bad, being a old ugly fat guy and getting paid to bang chicks.

And video games don't cause violence. Some violent people may play games thou. If games causes murder and rape, GTA serious would have caused a spike in murder/rape/car jackings by 10,000%!

The bible has easily caused death by the thousands.


RE: .... uh?
By jonmcc33 on 1/14/2010 3:19:05 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Degrading women? He was a paid actor who worked with paid actresses. There was no degrading going on. Before those scenes were ever shot the actors and actresses read the scripts, agreed to the pay that was offered, then signed contracts.


Yep. Sex sells and money talks. It's no less than prostitution.

I love the uncomfortable expressions on the women's faces as they are pounded anally, choked and then their faces treated like sperm receptacles. Yep, that's very respectful of a woman!

Contracts or not, it's a violent (S&M, bondage, torture chambers), dirty (drugs), disease filled (HIV, STDs) and degrading (see above) industry for a woman to work in.

I'm not saying that I don't watch any pron, I'm saying that good old Ron Jeremy has zero room to talk about what is right or wrong. Sort of the pot calling the kettle black.


A balance is needed...
By Targon on 1/14/2010 9:37:25 AM , Rating: 2
The issues at hand, violence, nudity, and sex are very far out of balance in the game industry. Why is it that games are so focused on an individual act that there is very little room for anything else?

You have games that are all about the action/violence side of things. You have some adult games that are based on sex. You have some roleplaying games, but how many RPGs with a decent story are there that get released each year.

When it comes to violence, the problem as I see it is that there are almost never choices for a non-violent way to deal with situations. There are also no real penalties for violent behavior, and even being hurt in the game doesn't really impact gameplay. As a result, violence in games NEVER has the long-term negatives shown. Make it so if you are hurt in the game, it DOES provide the appropriate penalties to further gameplay. You get shot in the arm, you may not have use of that arm. You get shot in the leg, you won't be able to move as quickly. Some say it hurts how fun the game is, but being shot should not be seen as fun. Getting through a situation WITHOUT being hurt should be the goal, not just getting through the situation.

Then again, the idea of playing someone from the streets who is in a gang or gets involved in gang activity really isn't the sort of thing I feel should be glorified. Living with the threat of being shot or stabbed just doesn't seem like the sort of life people should want to have. And games should show that while intelligent play can get you through, most people with that sort of life are NOT going to survive being surrounded by gang members who are not looking to talk, but to kill you.

Then, in other games, you see very little sign of what there is to look forward to once the current problems are solved. Many/most plots are about the main character having lost everything, or not having anything else to live for, so the focus can be on the action stuff. What about having someone fairly normal with a normal life, girlfriend/wife, and then being put into unpleasant situations so he can get back to his family? It feels like that sort of thing, which you see in action movies, is missing from the game industry(with a few exceptions).

Balance...movies can be "action flicks", or romance, or comedy, or sex/adult, but the key to what makes a movie do well is being well written with good acting. The game industry would do well looking for more artistry in the story, instead of being so focused on the action, that the story means nothing.




RE: A balance is needed...
By Omega215D on 1/14/2010 10:35:38 AM , Rating: 2
Indigo Prophecy (Fahrenheit in Europe) was a nice balance of action, comedy and romance. It was actually a really good story to get into. Alan Wake is another that promises a good story along with some good action/ mystery gameplay.

Besides... games are meant to be fun and don't always have to be realistic and many use the games to escape a bit from their normal life. And the kicker is that violence has been with us for centuries and in some cases it was much more brutal in the olden days.


RE: A balance is needed...
By jeff834 on 1/14/2010 10:55:58 AM , Rating: 2
Violent video games shouldn't be teaching life lessons any more than violent movies should. If you've gotten to the point in your life where you're playing mature rated games then you should already be aware of the real life consequences of gang life. The whole point of video games is that they aren't real and therefore reality should only apply in the context of any individual game. I'm playing a game called Darksiders which has its story based around the Christian apocalypse, and as far as I'm concerned that is complete mythology and fantasy. No one believes from playing GTA that if they commit a crime they can just run out of a red circle and get away with it. You want a game where you're trying to avoid fighting situations...I'm sorry but that's boring, but you enjoy that while I play Modern Warfare 2. Usually I find the violence in video games to be rather comical and I love when it's over the top, but real life violence bothers the hell out of me to the point where I don't even want to watch the evening news.

How is there not a balance of different kinds of games? For every violent video game out there there's a puzzle game, a simulation game, or a sports game. Do you have any idea how many different versions of pokemon games there are? What you're talking about is major "blockbuster" type games that you hear about a lot like GTA or Call of Duty. The reason you hear most about those is because they are the most popular and the ones people want the most. The fact is if they made a lot of the games you want to see no one would buy them and a ton of money would be lost so it's just never going to happen.


Hey the guy has a very valid point
By Jay2tall on 1/14/2010 9:39:41 AM , Rating: 2
Hey the guy has a very valid points. He is also not your average Hollywood actor with barely a High School education. For god sakes he is a former teacher with a Masters degree in special education and two BA's. And for this Jim Sterling person to state his comments are based on ignorance is kind of a rash statement. I am pretty sure Mr. Jeremy's credentials surpass this reporters achievements.

I do believe parents need to be held responsible for their children's internet browsing and game play activities. I wasn't allowed to rent or buy M rated games until I was older. Or watch R rated movies. The same checks are in place for games as they are for Porn. There is a game rating scale, retailers have to ask for ID for M rated games or must be purchased by an adult. So ultimately it is the patents responsibility. I just think games are taken to lightly by parents these days who think buying an M rated game for their 12 year old isn't a big deal. "oh it's just a game", do you see what is involved in these games? Hmm lets see, Modern Warfare 2 has a level(that you can opt to skip), that puts you in deep cover with a Russian terrorist group. You literally walk into an air port and blast away innocent people with belt feed machine guns. The people run for cover, wounded, and even try to save other people. You can choose to blast them away or hmm lets see knife them if you like. All so you don't blow your cover. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the level end with the leader knowing you are a spy and shooting you. This of that before you buy your 12 year old an M rated game. I much rather have my son get into a porn collection than be subject to this at a young age.

I am an avid gamer and you should hear some of these 12 year olds talk on the voice chats. I would back hand most of them for talking to me that way. Control your damn kids. I would never let my son talk the ways these little brats do. So I blam the parents. Same goes for the internet, if you can't monitor your kids while they are online, then get a blocker. Here is another idea. Don't let them have a computer in their room, make them use a computer in a common room of the house so you can monitor what is on the screen. How hard is that? You have no idea what your kid is doing with a webcam in the privacy of their room, of what they are searching for, or what games they are playing.




By chagrinnin on 1/14/2010 8:12:08 PM , Rating: 2
I'm with you,..."...blam the parents." Hell, blam that porn star too.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

:P


Somebody got paid!
By Lwells on 1/14/2010 9:42:28 AM , Rating: 3
Jeremy was at CES promoting content filtering products? Sounds like Mr. Hedgehog is somebody's new marketing ploy.




Old media
By nafhan on 1/14/2010 9:50:02 AM , Rating: 1
Sorry, but crooks and thieves have become millionares throughout history, that's not new. He kind of just comes across as someone who doesn't understand what he's talking about. As someone who made most of his money off of old media, it's not surprising that he thinks the internet is evil.




RE: Old media
By nafhan on 1/14/2010 10:00:10 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
No one can earn a million dollars honestly. - William Jennings Bryan


Are you guys crazy?!!?
By The Raven on 1/14/2010 9:46:25 AM , Rating: 2
His argument is completely retarded...

quote:
As to whether his own work is a negative influence, he points the finger at parents, instead. He gripes, "Parents can block this stuff and need to stop blaming porn for a bad case of parenting. Parents should watch what their kids are doing online and take some responsibility. Don't blame us. We have disclaimers, age notifications and software blockers. We are doing our bit."


Umm... last time I checked, it is much more easier to block violent games than it is to block porn. How do you block a kid from looking at pics/vids that a friend copies to his flash drive. And who is to say that it is "healthy" porn and not some twisted Japanese rape stuff or bestiality.

If I want to block a kid from playing certain games, it is a simple matter of setting up parental controls. I just set up a friend's Wii to connect to the internet (for firmware updates, etc.) and he had already had his game permissions setup. Then since he was connected to the internet now, he wanted to make sure that the kids couldn't get in trouble on the net (with porn, etc.) I told him that basically the best way to avoid that is to not install the "Internet Channel" to begin with. Luckily, Nintendo allows access via a password if you prefer (which he opted for, fyi).

But good luck blocking whatever sites you don't want your kid looking at.

My point is that it is much easier to keep adult games away from your kids than it is to keep porn away.

The only thing that he is correct on is...

quote:
Parents should watch what their kids are doing online and take some responsibility.


And as far as "Porn v. Violence: Which is Worse?" discussion goes, personnally I think it is like aguing about whether a Big Mac is worse for you than a Whopper. One might be significantly better for you, but as a parent I would like to be able to keep my kids from both as a general rule.

I mean do we say it is ok to play GTA3 because it isn't as "bad" as GTA4? Come on people.




Mario
By Jay2tall on 1/14/2010 9:49:52 AM , Rating: 2
Also, I thing Ron Jeremy makes a good Mario. Mario... probably one of the most long term, innocent, characters in video games. There are still good games out there for kids, you don't have to buy them game that promote violence or crime. There is a reason they are M rated. Kids are more impressionable than adults. Adults, SHOULD be able to make the distinction. Although we all know some adults can't. I love video games, but children should not be playing certain titles. And have them go outside and play instead, limit the time.




By Xavier434 on 1/14/2010 10:09:53 AM , Rating: 2
I think Ron is blaming the internet and piracy way too much when it strictly comes to the porn industry.

I am not saying that it doesn't have some kind of impact for better or for worse (I am not going there). However, I do believe that one of the biggest changes to that industry is that the internet and technology in general is allowing amateur porn, which is both produced and distributed completely for free, to act as a major competitor to professionally created porn. Hell, a lot of people prefer it over the professional stuff.

That makes it very difficult to justify paying for professional porn when the amateur stuff is everywhere for free and no one owns IP rights over it. So yeah, even if they managed to control the restriction of making all professional porn only available if you pay for it, I doubt it will matter much at all. Most will just watch the legally free amateur stuff to get their rocks off.

So, in this one industry, I do agree that Porn really does have to "compete with free". The professional stuff just isn't as valuable to the masses as it used to be. Either that, or it never really was that valuable in the first place. We just didn't have the kind of access we do today to the legally free amateur stuff.




Wow
By bhieb on 1/14/2010 10:49:40 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Ron Jeremy ... still has sizable celebrity appeal.

Wow you did not just say that. Sizable appeal indeed.




old fart
By Murloc on 1/14/2010 11:29:44 AM , Rating: 2
this guy is an old fart and should shut up.

It's obvious that if you grow up with the internet you are a different person!
But you could say the same thing about television, and printed books.




Liar
By SavagePotato on 1/14/2010 12:56:35 PM , Rating: 2
I think he is just venting subliminal rage toward the internet for the fact that no one pays for porn any more.

He doesn't give a flying leap about children, he is just pissed because he can't get their money.




Actually....
By dxf2891 on 1/14/2010 1:54:56 PM , Rating: 2
I think the biggest problem for kids not being outside is societal. In the 70's and 80's kids could go outside and ride their bikes for miles and make it home before the street lights came on. Now a days, it is darn near against the law for a child to be out on the street without a guardian present, never mind the safety issue. Society has changed in such a way that depravity on a social scale is much higher. Parents today are both working to make ends meet, while when I was a kid there was someone at home to keep an eye on you while you were out playing. When I was a kid, a group of KIDS would get together with a few bats, gloves and balls and start a baseball game in a lot, on a field or in a park. Now a days, the game is regulated with too many adults imposing their rules and attitudes and turning what was once a fun activity into a chore or job. Children aren't punished the way they were when I was a kid and that creates a sense of entitlement among young people today. Parents today pay for soccer, football, gymnastics, martial arts and everything else creating little consumers instead of fanning the flames of creativity by building forts, go-carts, ramps and any other thing that challenged them creatively. I know all of the above to be true, but I can't for the life of me tell anyone how we go about getting those things back.




Less hearsy, more research please.
By Boze on 1/15/10, Rating: 0
"If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion." -- Scientology founder L. Ron. Hubbard











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