Vallone behind the curve
CITY COUNCILMAN Peter Vallone Jr. doesn't read newspapers. He doesn't watch the television news, either. Nor does he read magazines, pay attention to billboards, listen to radios or go online. He also doesn't hear what people are talking about on the streets or in the subways. He apparently hasn't done any of these things for several years now.
How else to explain his reaction last week to being shown a sample of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City?
"I wasn't even aware that this filth existed!" Vallone reportedly bellowed, shortly after emerging from his cave.
Scenes from the video game were offered as proof that our children are being irrevocably warped and corrupted by this villainous new medium. After viewing the evidence, an immediate and unsurprising call was put out to place restrictions on the sales of violent video games to minors.
It's comforting to know that the men and women who represent and govern New York City are keeping up with the times. Maybe someone should tell them that video games are already rated, much like movies, according to their violent and sexual contentand that games rated "Mature" (like GTA) are already supposed to be kept out of the hands of minors. Maybe someone should point out that the "Haitians" crack they were making a big deal about on Tuesday was removed from the game several months ago after a flurry of protest. Or that in the multibillion-dollar video game industry, GTA is already old and tired news.
On the other hand, maybe we should just leave them alone. So long as they focus their energies on legislating used underpants and video games, they're less likely to get around to fucking up something that really matters.