Enemy of the State: MAVAV

This week on the show we discussed the top 10 most anticipated Xbox 360 games of 2011. We also got to talking about a group of mothers who think that video games are the worst thing ever created since child pornography. We're talking about Mothers Against Videogame Addiction and Violence. We know we like to call out all sorts of groups for being ridiculous or over-the-top fanatical about their ideals, and we do it all in fun (minus the West Boro Baptist Church, fuck those crazies). But some people have to take the reality of things to the next level and ruin all the fun for the rest of us.

Case and point: The MAVAV. This group of renegade mothers can only be explained by their groups mission statement:

     Video game addiction is without a doubt, becoming this century's most increasingly worrisome epidemic, comparable even to drug and alcohol abuse. All the while, the video game industry continues to market and promote hatred, racism, sexism, and the most disturbing trend: clans and guilds, an underground video game phenomenon which closely resembles gangs. Parents NEED to be aware of the hidden dangers.


These mothers are so out of touch with reality, they just compared  video games to drug and alcohol abuse! Albeit, people with addictive personalities will sometimes take things to an extreme level. But holy shit, kids who play Halo and Call of Duty aren't shooting up heroine between their toes (and when some news story comes along that shows this trend, we'll shut up)!

The mission statement also goes on to compare clans and guilds to real life gangs. For some reason, we can't see the Crips and the Bloods trolling World of Warcraft. People are playing and game and interacting in a fantasy world for fun. The same thing can be said for people who participate in fantasy football/baseball/hockey teams each season. Most of these individuals aren't brandishing weapons and robbing liquor stores.

So let's just say this: video games are not some global pandemic that is poisoning the minds of children. If you're a parent, please have a brain about things and be rational. Don't let your kids play violent games until you think they are mature enough to handle them. And if they hold up a liquor store, buy some black market weapons and decide to start the north NJ chapter of the Bloods in your neighborhood, chances are they don't have time to go achievement hunting on their Xbox 360.