Here we go again. It is a statement, a saying, that expresses disdain for having to repeat something that one does not like, whether it be a snow storm, rising gas prices, or a once-thought extinguished controversy. A needless scandal that is all over the news outlets that makes us all say "please shut the hell up" is once again rearing its unwelcome head. Many various controversies fall into the category. One of which is the controversy that engulfed the video game "Bully" back in 2006. "Bully" attracted controversy just based on its name alone. The game had the player controlling Jimmy Hopkins, a 15-year old boy who was suspended from his school. While his parents go on vacation, he is sent to a prep school named "Bullworth Academy". Throughout the game, Jimmy fights back against the bullies that are over the campus and rids the school of wrongdoing. However, the critics of the game and the anti-game crusaders do not see it that way. They claim that "Bully" promotes bullying and puts kids, especially those who can not defend themselves, at risk of being bullied.
"Bully" is being rerelased as "Bully: Scholarship Edition" on the XBox360 and Nintendo Wii systems and the controversy and criticisms are fuming again. Now I have nothing against the critics of "Bully". They have the right to object to the game as much as Rockstar has the right to freely make and sell the game. The critics of "Bully" are good people and are well-intentioned. Some of them may have been victims of bullying themselves and would not want anyone else to go through the pain and suffering of being bullied. When complaining about the game, however, there is a line. A line that must never be crossed. It is known as the line of slander and libel. This is a line that has not only been crossed deliberately, but also spat upon by those who twist the game into something that it is not. These are the acts of the anti-video game crusaders. These people are those that blatantly distort the facts about campus shootings and crimes against law enforcement so they can make video games a scapegoat and to get their names in the paper and their faces on TV news. People like Jack Thompson, who tried to declare the sales of "Bully" a public nuisance, and watchdog groups like the Parents Television Council are well-known for this. With the rerelease of "Bully" they, along with teacher organizations, are once again spinning the game into a bully-training device. They claim "Bully" teaches its players to harass other kids. Other organizations claim this game has players "dunking pupils' heads in toilets, photographing them naked and physically assaulting them" (Source: GamePolitics).
This is false. These quotes are full of lies and defamation. This is where well intentions end. You do not lie about anything you do not like. You do not mischaractrize something you do not like. Lies, slander, and sensationalized crap are not a way to express concern. It only exposes you, those that spin the facts of "Bully", as liars. Doing this in a legislative session or in a court during trial results in perjury charges.
In an episode of "South Park", Stan answers the front door during a thunderstorm. He opens the door and sees his "future self", a homeless 30-year old who did alcohol and drugs in high school. His parents take him in and is convinced that Stan's future self is real. Later in the episode, Stan is staying after school with Butters for studying. In the scene, Butters says he also has a future self. Stan is suspicious and he, along with Butters, go to a building named Motivation Corp., a company that lies and exaggerates the facts of smoking, drinking, and drug use at an early age. When motivation corp is exposed at the episode's end. Stan's mother gives a wonderful lesson: Lies and exaggerations are no way to get your point across.
This lesson applies to those who twist "Bully" into something it is not. The activists, parent and teacher organizations, and watchdog groups could learn a lesson from Stan's parents. Lies and exaggerations are no way to get your point across. When you lie, you are jeopardizing your credibility as a person of any profession. When you lie, you are jeopardizing the credibility of your employers. When you lie, you are jeopardizing the credibility and integrity of your Alma Mater. When you lie, you jeopardize your career. Lastly and most essentially, when you lie, you jeopardize your own integrity, your financial status, your status as a role model to children, and even your house and possessions. You will be nothing more than a fraud. You could be an example of what not to be and what not to do in textbooks for years to come. Your Alma Mater could lose students and experience lower enrollment rates. Your fellow alumni of your Alma mater could also have their careers jeopardized and credibility tarnished. You could lose the respect of your children and family. There is a line between criticizing something you do not like and defamation, whether it be slander or libel. To those who deliberately cross this line without any thoughts to the consequences, get back behind that line before the aforementioned happens to you.
We have heard these lies and slander back in 2006 when the original "Bully" was released. We all heard that the game will cause bullying to skyrocket across the land. This has not happened. Why are teachers and anti-game activists afraid of the game's rerelease? No such reason exists to be afraid of the rerelease of "Bully", especially if nothing bad happened after the game's initial release. Here we go again, indeed. Haven't we been through this? Going through this controversy again makes me feel like I am in the movie "Groundhog Day".
The entire concept of history is to learn from its lessons. Apparently and obviously, the defamers of "Bully" did not learn anything. Not a damn thing at all. This is a symptom, an exhibition, of blind hatred. The people who distort the facts, or even make up the facts, of a game I doubt they even played have such a hatred against "Bully", or even Video Games in general, they do not care if they are proven wrong.
In my commentary about Fox News' distortions about the love scene in "Mass Effect", I said that those who distort the facts of the game are far worse than those who develop the game. This applies to the anti-game activists. This applies to the organizations that defame "Bully". They are far worse than Rockstar. They are shamelessly slanderizing and libeling a game that has its players fighting off bullies. What does this tell you of these groups and organizations? They have no good intentions whatsoever. They are in no position to call Rockstar, the ESRB, and the retailers irresponsible. If they had any moral forditude, they will sincerely apologize to Rockstar, the ESRB, and the retailers. Unfortunately, we will not be hearing any apology anytime soon...or ever.
I want to say one last thing to the teachers and administrators that are slanderizing "Bully". If you want to stop bullying, start enforcing the rules and begin punishing those who bully other classmates. Do not tell me that you are. I have been through the public school system. If you can not do this, then you got a problem that is far, far worse than a video game.
Good night, and good luck.
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