EHM..hitman...ahm

By that understanding; if killing prostitutes in game makes you a monster; you are encouraging rape when you watch GoT.

We're just talking, I'm the one that finds it weird, hence the questions. Thanks for replying. ;)
Do you think it's weird someone would not feel like you do? Or are they monsters instead of weird?

Now movies aren't games, in a movie player agency is non existent... still I have two follow up questions:
1 - what shocks you about that? It's in context a super normal thing, at least GTA is thematically an asshole fantasy, you kill anyone regardless of them being in the way... I rem the first GTA and the Hare Krishna lines... what fun those were...
2 - what makes someone a monster if they game that mechanic? Oh, sorry, that's not a follow up, just repeating myself... You kind of didn't answer :) and it's such interesting word choice.

Isn't there a song about Sexual Healing? It's historical, like a return to holy women healers! It's matriarchal propaganda! Burn the witches! :) O_o ;)

Seriously now, a bit of perspective does wonders huh? Blinders and intolerance kind of prevent diversity. It's like all animals are unique snowflakes, just some are less diverse than others, to paraphrase Orwell.

It was more a flippant remark. The point being, I think there is at least room to debate that particular mechanic and it's merits or detriments. Obviously its not "misogynistic" but I can see a healthy debate about sexism. Whether its wise to encourage such action with it being a helpful game mechanic given the prevalence of STDs, etc.

Meanwhile I find the concept that claiming the game as a whole is "sickening" or "disgusting" or "misogynistic" based on a cherry-picked example with emotional arguments about this one particular NPC type (neglecting all the other diverse characters that can be killed in the game) to be a bit dishonest.

I know it was flippant, just it kinda hit a bullseye if you squint your eyes just... like... this... :D
I actually think the magic hookers were there since the original GTA... but it's years since I played that.

You guys are reading WAY too much into that whole 'I'm not a monster' thing, it was just a jokey throw-away sign-of to an afterthought paragraph added at the last second I say 'I'm not a monster' a lot in real life, its just one of my things! I don't tend to roleplay evil / darkside much though, I must admit, I do feel bad about things pretty easily!

I think context is a major issue here, I like Family Guy but sometimes, when I'm giving a plot synopses to someone I stop myself part way though and think "Wow this actually sounds pretty fucked up" and back when I was at school, debating 7pm soap-opera 'Eastenders' one time I managed to make it sound like some adult 'Sopranos'-like show without having to exaggerate anything!

Sure there's other messed up things you end up doing in GTA like when someone fights back when you go to carjack them and you end up running them over with their own car, but picking up and murdering prostitutes has been a staple of the most infamous serial killer MOs from Jack The Ripper to, say this guy:
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wright_(serial_killer]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wright_(serial_killer[/url])

so when someone hears 'there's this game where you are encouraged to use prostitutes and there's an in-game advantage to murdering them afterwards' out of context I'm really not surprised that these petitions get started, I do think that guys that think its cool or hilarious to do that are kinda dicks too
'Kinda dicks' =! potential sexual predator serial killers though, admittedly!

BTW @Dragonbeast - Hitman? Oh RIGHT! LOL!
The GTA wiki said they were added in GTA 3 when it went 3D, I can't remember them from the 2D ones...
Meh but, if we believe this woman IS a 'survivor of violence' and has been a prostitute, porn star or other kind of sex worker, as seems to be hinted is it... not the SAME but on a similar spectrum to if a game had a super hidden Easter egg room where you could wear an SS uniform and parade, goose-stepping up and down and not expect a holocaust survivor to get upset?
Aren't you a bit "Well I don't know why you're focusing on THAT, there's plenty of other uniforms of totalitarian regimes that are right out in the open in this game, this ones hidden and you can't even hurt anyone while you're wearing it"?

Hmm yeah, the early 2D ones as well - there's probably something there to be said about the AAA games industry constantly trying to make graphics and game environments ever more realistic - how real can a violent act look before you have to look away?
Is part of the popularity of the indie scene a sign that some gamers miss games looking like games and not real life and being that bit divorced from reality?

Even if she is...which I tend to doubt because it seems awfully convenient...

Let's say a holocaust survivor wants every German citizen to be shot and killed or punished in whatever way (with no care whether they are personally guilty or not). Just because one person is hurt does not give them the right to go out and hurt others for their cause with no regard of truth or justice.

Two wrongs do not make a right. She deserves no support for distorting the truth. Do not confuse sympathy with justice.

For dozens of years, social justice advocates have been trying to find the smoking gun proving art, music, television or even video games influences behavior and for as many years they have failed to find such a link. Yet time and time again, they act as though its proven fact.

The PMRC run by Washington wives started a holy crusade blaming music for suicides. Made false claims that Ozzy Osbourne encouraged teenage suicides with his song Suicide Solution (which incidentally does not and is in fact a song about how alcohol abuse is a "suicide solution"). This did not stop them and with the power and monetary influence of Washington, they tried feverishly to prove such links. The made lists of every teenage suicide pointing out the music they listened to in order to mislead the public in believing such a link. They used their influence to ban certain bands from performing in the United States (the band Venom was denied a VISA on the grounds that their music had no artistic merit). While wanting to go after the big record labels and people like Ozzy Osbourne, they instead chose to go to court against a small indie record label, calling the cover of the album pornographic despite being a print of the Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger and taking them to court. While the small label "won", the court case bankrupt them. Yup. American justice...

To sum up, no, just because someone claims to be hurt, is still no excuse for lying or pandering; misleading and distorting. While you may be sympathetic with their past suffering (if true given how so many are willing to exaggerate for their causes these days), it does not make it okay.

Great. Compare methodologies:
1- Me: Are you implying I'm a monster? You: No, that was a misunderstanding.
2 - Me: This is misogynist! Problematic! Patriarchy! You: O_o ??

One of those 'me' is more of a douche than the other ;) Of course one of those isn't actually me...

On your point re Indies return to arcade and casual gameplay, I think I mentioned it somewhere, and we probably disagree only marginally.
I see that trend as going away from photorealistic due to economics. Nothing more.
I also see that as a subconscious revolt against narrative dominance in games in the past decades. In that sense the indie explosion, usually seen as allied with the social justice crowd, is actually subverting their ideological goals.

Interview with John Bain about harassment, death threats, being offered free stuff for reviews, etc...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaMccosnRMc

faark mate how did you manage to shoe horn that in to it all

*shrugs*
Godwin's Law, init?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

yeah - Godwin's Law - thats great

that was floating around somewhere in the background as i read it

im not sure i get the mra=mass killings thing

mra are people like paul ezlam from a voice 4 men correct?
the anti-gg people seem to take a mcch more aggressive approach but ...

that may be to do with their ties to feminism which has always and oftem from neccesity taken a more aggressive position