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Prostitutes Call for a Ban on GTA

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the encouraging-better-customers dept.

d writes "Gamespot has an article about an association of prostitutes protesting the GTA games. Apparently, the sex workers of the Sex Workers Outreach Project aren't too happy about their ingame counterparts being treated violently in the GTA games. They note that the games are a bad influence on children, and might encourage rape and violent behavior towards prostitutes in real life."

4 of 478 comments (clear)

  1. Life (as I learned it from GTA) by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Interesting
    So I've got a star on me and I'm just waiting for the heat to melt off me so I pull up alongside this "sex worker." She hops in and I am in serious need after that last shoot out. Do I do anything violent to her? No, I go out to a remote area of the park and when the car starts rocking, I exchange cash for life. Not a bad deal, people exchange money for their health at hospitals everyday.

    So now we're done ... what to do? I kind of have two choices:
    A. Kill her and take my monies back.
    B. Keep her around in the car to do more money exchange.

    The way I see it, the game is encouraging me not to harm her because if I do, I'm going to get my monies back but I have to drive all the way back into town and I do not want the po-po on me right now.

    Btw, I learned all this like five years ago from this game. Where was this "sex workers group" when the game came out? They're a bit late to stop it from being released.

    I like how from TFA:
    Though the organization admits to being "adamantly opposed to any and all forms of censorship,"
    So let me get this straight ... mammary glands and naked women shouldn't be censored (sales are up for the sex workers!) but violence should be (worker lifespan is down)?
    --
    My work here is dung.
  2. Re:Prostitutes? by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 5, Interesting
    "Prostitutes are already dead inside."

    Joke aside, not all prostitutes or prostitution environments are the same. GTA tends to portray the cliche streetwalker/drug addict/forced-into-by-pimp hookers. Brothels, escorts, call-girls, strippers, and porn actresses (including the amateur/web stuff) have different environments from this.

    I'm surprised nobody has made the argument that the violence against hookers (the streetwalking/drug addict/pimp kind) in GTA might actually educate youngsters that hooking (SW/DA/pimp kind) can be dangerous and undesirable, as opposed to "Pretty Woman" and similar portrayals which may cause more women to get into prostitution.

    Of course for that to happen it would have to be little girls that play GTA, which is the main demographic to play it, right? Guys? Hello? Why are you all looking at me funny?

  3. Re:The new rallying cry... by vsprintf · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Won't someone please think of the prostitutes!

    And, according to the blurb, won't someone please think of all those children who are allowed to play MATURE-ONLY games being taught to . . . disrespect prostitutes . . . whoa, that's kinky in some weird sense. So, we could conclude that the widespread use of GTA by minors is actually a planned conspiracy by the morally righteous to stop prostitution, while their (Thompson) tools decry the situation. And finally, the difference between good and evil is obvious to all.

    (Well, it's not all that obvious to me, but Beyond Good & Evil was a really good game. :)

  4. Re:Prostitutes? by smvp6459 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I would like to comment that there are "Pimp" missions in GTA: San Andreas where you come to the aid of your "ladies" and protect them from violent johns. Maybe this will teach our children that those who abuse prostitutes may themselves end up beaten/dead. Seems like a good counter balance to potential malfeasance. Plus some of the prostitutes carry knives and guns...another good lesson for our children.