Dr. Phil Suggests Video Games to Blame for Virginia Tech Shootings
- Scribbled on April 16th, 2007 by S Holmes
- Filed in Industry News, Off Topic, Rumor Mill, WTF
On the heels of Jack Thompson’s rush to blame video games in the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Dr. Phil has chimed in with support for this theory. Speaking on Larry King Live tonight, Dr. Phil had this to say on the issue,
“The problem is we are programming these people as a society. You cannot tell me - common sense tells you - that if these people are playing video games where they’re on a mass killing spree in a video game, it’s glamorized on the big screen, it’s become part of the fiber of our society. You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath, or someone suffering from mental illness, add in a dose of rage, the suggestability is just too high. And we’re going to have to start dealing with that. We’re going to have to start addressing those issues and recognizing that the mass murderers of tomorrow are the children of today that are being programmed with this massive violence overdose.”
At the time of this writing, the identity of the shooter (or possibly shooters) has not been released. So Dr. Phil’s suggestions are not based on credible, or any, specific information about this particular shooting. At least he lumped in movies while throwing out baseless and pre-mature conclusions.
We are just hearing the beginning of what will certainly be many people placing the blame for this tragedy on video games and the mass media culture.
UPDATE 1:Howard Stern Bashes Dr. Phil and the Virginia Tech/Video Game Connection
April 16th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
[...] It turns out that Jack Thompson and Dr. Phil have joined the pet project parade with another attack on culture. Interestingly there is no information on the murderer’s history and pastimes. [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 12:29 am
Personally I think the problem lies with the parents that allow their kids to play these games. Parents buy these games, expecting them to ’sit down and shut up’. The buy them as a way to silence their kids so they don’t have to deal with them, and it works. These parents don’t even look at the rating for the games, they don’t pay attention that GTA isn’t meant for kids, they just buy it because whatever their child wants, it gets.
People have to start taking responsibility for their own actions, and stop blaming outside forces.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:58 am
[...] agenda? It turns out that Jack Thompson and Dr. Phil have joined the pet project parade with an attack on culture and expression. Interestingly they are claiming that the killer was influenced by games [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 7:02 am
I wonder what Dr. Phil would have blamed for the 1966 bell tower sniping spree in Texas?
Sometimes there are no adequate explanations for something senseless. But people need nice packages to put things in, I suppose, so we’ll over analyze this to death to figure out a cause. In the end, we’ll probably decide that this tragedy was caused entirely by the combination of violent video games, Marilyn Manson music, Friday the 13th movies and a high school bullying incident from when the shooter was in grade 10.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:25 am
So…if I play mario enough I’m going to go out and stomp people to death. Look out little mushroom people HERE I COME!!
April 17th, 2007 at 9:28 am
According to Dr. Phil’s logic we should get rid of beer, because there are weak people who have drinking problems. We should get rid of fattening foods, because obesity is a problem.
Plain and simple he wants censorship, and it is unconstitutional.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:28 am
“You take that and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath, or someone suffering from mental illness, add in a dose of rage, the suggestability is just too high.”
Umm, maybe the fault lies in the factor that makes the person a psychopath or a sociopath.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Ok if Jack Thompson and Dr. Phil are going to blame Video games (And keep talking out their asses), I’m going to blame religion, no racism, no maybe it was Al-Qaeda, no he was in under the control of the flying spaghetti monster, or maybe it was the fact that Dr. Phil ever got a TV show that drove him over the edge. Thompson and Dr Phil need to SHUT THE F@&K UP. What exactly is old Phil a Doctor of anyway? I personally blame the news media for giving these puckerheads the time and chance to spout off their uneducated BS.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:32 am
This is why I and a lot of people hate the media. The immediately lay blame on everything under the sun except where it belongs. There is only 1 place blame can lay for this, the psychopathic shooter who killed more than 30 people.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:33 am
What were the violent videogames that Hitler played?
April 17th, 2007 at 9:34 am
he’s just doing it to get some love. he is a sad lonely fat man. it makes me laugh. guns killed those people, not games.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:34 am
So what’s the reason we killed people before video games came into the picture, or at least violent ones?
Video Games aren’t the problem, people are. The way people treat each other on a normal day to day basis is way more of a reason to shoot someone then video games. Let’s face it, this world is filled with a large amount of selfish people who love putting others down to make themselves feel better.
Now I don’t know this specific guys reason, but we have a lot bigger problems and causes of shootings/killings then video games. Let’s start with them first.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Well if you think like that your a retard. If you start hate bashing video games how bout you start at the real source….TV which was the very first problem but no one seems to find a viable solution so they leave it alone and move on the the next best thing VIDEO GAMES, which is retarded and then the last and final one THE INTERNET!
For Goodness just take away all technology because someone plans on misusing it. PEOPLE if someone has intentions to do harm they will do it by any means necessary and use whatever resources they can conjur up.
Everything has the potential for good and evil it depends on the person using whatever it is to make that judgement and that my friends is nothing anyone can always stop or predict.
I play VIDEO games and I watch TV and movies and view the WEB! Does that mean I’m going to go outside and whack somebody…no because my family raised me better than that. Does TV, Games, Web influence me? YES! However I still have to make a choice no matter if the TV, GAMES, WEB was there or not.
Don’t blame tech blame the people who do the things which they seem to have no control over….which would be themselves.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:45 am
I’m going to go out on a limb and point out a good point Dr. Phil makes. He says that an overdose of violence in the media combined with psychopathic/sociopathic personalities is the problem. I think it’s important to realize that these kinds of things (in this case violent video games) aren’t harmful for everyone, but we as a society have to deal with the reprocusions of the the people for whom they are harmful.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:49 am
Has it ocurred anyone that the problem might be guns? No matter how many violent video games you have played or how emotionally scarred you are…you can’t shoot anyone without guns.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:49 am
Figuring out why these people are doing what they are doing is the important thing. Naming a scapegoat is always a waste of time and energy, most often the scapegoat is just that and the root cause remains hidden.
I’m no psychologist, but isn’t discovering why people believe this level of violent action is an option the important thing? And I mean really thinking about it; words like “crazy” or “insane” are really shorthand for “we don’t know”. Is there something endemic to the school environment that is pushing people already on the edge of this type of behavior over into action?
I am not looking to place blame, I am wondering what the cause might be.
April 17th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Dr. Phil Suggests Video Games to Blame for Virginia Tech Shootings…
On the heels of Jack Thompson’s rush to blame video games in the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Dr. Phil has chimed in with support for this theory. Speaking on Larry King Live tonight, Dr. Phil had this to say on the issue,…
April 17th, 2007 at 9:59 am
I would never suggest a causal relationship between video games and actual violence. However, my son just started driving and he’s doing very well. I attribute part of his ability to the playing of driving games.
Would anyone argue with the idea that hours of playing a first-person shooter would certainly make a person a more effective killer if he chose to take the violence into the real world? The games didn’t make him do it. They just helped him do it well. A chilling thought.
John
April 17th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Bryon said: “I wonder what Dr. Phil would have blamed for the 1966 bell tower sniping spree in Texas?”
Obviously, it was video pong.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Wait so are we supposed to restrict everything that we do based on the psychopaths, sociopaths, and someone suffering from mental illness. If we do that then there will be nothing left. Just because one person out of a million maybe NOT will be but maybe will be influenced by a game does not mean we should prevent people from playing it. We have to look at facts and make a judgment, if you look at what maybe will happen then we will never get in a car or on a plain because you maybe will crash.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I can think of at least one school shooter who I am 100% sure did not play video games.
The University of Texas shooter in 1966.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Will Dr. Phil soon call for a ban for masturbation? Masturbation programs people as a society. You can’t tell me that having people who masturbate isn’t directly related to the rape ratio in this country. 99% of the males in America masturbate. 95% of the rapes in America are done by males. Coincidence? I think not!
So, you can see, masturbation is the cause of rape in America. As a society, we should “just say no” to masturbation, right dr. phil?
April 17th, 2007 at 10:12 am
I can’t wait to get Guitar Hero II for my XBOX. Then when I become a rock star, I can blame it on Guitar Hero, and we can have something positive that comes out of video game playing.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:14 am
funny coincidence that guns are always involved in mass shootings. but guns certainly couldn’t be responsible. guns don’t kill lots of people, people kill lots of people, right?
whats needed is security for campuses, schools and parks just like at the airport that would fix the problem, surely. metal detectors and lots and lots of security personnel sittin g around looking at monitors. if things are slowed down a trifle that is just the price of freedom to bear arms.
also rid the world of all tv (like the incredible violence of the 3 stooges), movies (especially those ninja turtles) and video games.
guns are certainly not the problem (don’t even dare to bring it up) everything else is. we don’t want our country to be totalitarian like canda, australia or japan do we?
ps cnn and fox don’t forget to flog hollywood for turning young people into killing machines but under no circumstane mention gun control. in fact if freedom to bear arms in really important then please recommend that we be able to buy machine guns, grenades, and nukes at wall mart. after all if south korea and iran can have nukes responsibly then we should too. the US ships more weapons to other countries by far then any other country. its good for the economy. lets keep it up. vote for bush !
April 17th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Wow, here we go again…
I’m not even going to post what I’m thinking right now because it would just contain a lot of vulgar language towards Dr. Phil and his minions.
So instead I say this:
In the words of Chris Rock, “What ever happened to crazy? Can’t people just be crazy anymore? Did we eliminate crazy from the dictionary?”
April 17th, 2007 at 10:16 am
I agree completely that the parents have a big role in this. I’m sure a good portion of us who read this article have been playing violent video games and watching bloody and violent movies for years. One of the first R movies I saw as a kid, without my parent’s knowing, was Full Metal Jacket. I’ve been playing GTA since… well… GTA. I was bullied plenty in high school. Look at me, I’m in college with a decent GPA and plenty of stability.
Parents need to step up and start recognizing when their children are capable of viewing and handling images of gratuitous violence. My parents never censored what I saw on TV unless it was absolutely horrific- they *explained* it to me, and made sure I knew it wasn’t real.
Whatever happened to taking responsibility?
April 17th, 2007 at 10:17 am
violent video games attrack one’s body sensors that if you keep doing it (playing it)can become an actual “response” that gets triggered when our emotions respond to our environment or any situation you are in.I strongly believe that violent Video games can literally take over a depressed person’s mind and go out of control!
April 17th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Dr Phil is an idiot… that’s all
April 17th, 2007 at 10:21 am
He’s right.
Omar
April 17th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Or, most likely, stupid people will turn a tragedy into a political launch pad. Unfortunate that a hack psychologist thinks he can gain more popularity off the death of innocent people…
April 17th, 2007 at 10:24 am
I am sick of people video games for anything. I’ve come to a point where all I can say is FUCK EM, FUCK EM UP THEIR RICH HAIRY ASSESS.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:28 am
I am sick of everyone blaming violent video games for shootings. I would like to see the statistics of violent video games sold vs. the number of shootings. Something tells me there are very few shootings in correlation to video games sold, and that before these video games were available there were still shootings. People jump to conclusions too quickly and then start looking for people to blame such as Leck and blaming the parents. I would like one of these people who blames video games to actually play them. Many of the violent video games are based on wars and I don’t know about you, but if they wanted to play that video game, they could just sign up for Iraq. I wish everyone would grow up and blame the student and not the video games.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:35 am
God, Dr. Phil has become Jack T. bitch. The only people to blame are Parents, Media, Movies, TV, and yeah maybe games, but this is why there is Ratings for all this mediums. This kind of crimes also happen even before video games where around. This Fools need to understand that the people that commit this kinds of crimes are born with it, is just a matter of time to unleash the beast. In other words its in their DNA. So who should we blame for Hitlers actions? or perhaps Saddam Hussein? Think about IT!!!! i rest my case.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:37 am
God, Dr. Phil has become Jack T. b!@#h. The only people to blame are Parents, Media, Movies, TV, and yeah maybe games, but this is why there is Ratings for all this mediums. This kind of crimes also happen even before video games where around. This Fools need to understand that the people that commit this kinds of crimes are born with it, is just a matter of time to unleash the beast. In other words its in their DNA. So who should we blame for Hitlers actions? or perhaps Saddam Hussein? Think about IT!!!! i rest my case.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:44 am
how about blaming the guy with the gun? and whats with all the liberal retards who want to start a controversy instead of recognising the obvious. what the hell is he thinking? one voice here for the rational citizens in this country. THE SHOOTER IS THE BAD GUY. NOT VIDEO GAMES, GUNS, hollywood, tv, rap music, or howard stern.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Games to blame? How about guns? If you’ve got a psychopath out there would you rather he be playing with a game or a gun?
April 17th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Why not look at the bible for blame. How many killings and sacrifices are written as being justified? People like to use an easy scapegoat like video games or music because parents are too lazy to raise their kids correctly and expect the media to do it. If you can’t raise your own kids DON’T HAVE THEM!!!. I grew up where you were spanked and had tv/toys, ect… taken away, not sitting little Johnny in a room for 5 min and I have not turned into a killer. “Time Outs” are the thing because it is the easy way out for parents. Start looking at the parents, 99% of them made the CHOICE to have kids. If you don’t want kids there are a number if options to choose from. Making excuses is NOT one of them.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:49 am
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April 17th, 2007 at 10:52 am
If nothing is known about the shooter’s pastimes, why is Dr Phil spouting off?
If I had to watch Dr Phil’s show day-in, day-out, then perhaps I’d snap and shoot somebody. Perhaps, we should ban day-time TV shows, such as his, that encourage pointless navel-gazing to the point that it feeds depression.
Computer games are not to blame. The shooter became unhinged and went postal. It happens everywhere; only, in America, bullets are cheap and guns easy to come by and, thus, tragedies like this are numerous.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:53 am
If nothing is known about the shooter’s pastimes, why is Dr Phil spouting off?
If I had to watch Dr Phil’s show day-in, day-out, then perhaps I’d snap and shoot somebody. Perhaps, we should ban day-time TV shows, such as his, that encourage pointless navel-gazing to the point that it feeds depression.
Computer games are not to blame. The shooter became unhinged and went postal. It happens everywhere; only, in America, bullets are cheap and guns easy to come by and, thus, tragedies like this are all too numerous.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Damnit Phil, anyone can snap. Stop trying to take our media away from us.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:58 am
I blame the trigger man, not a video game he played. Unless he was playing a video game while on his spree, in which case, I blame the interface.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:01 am
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April 17th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Just for clarification, does anyone have a link of Jack Thompson on Fox? I’ve been to their website, searched and watch all their video’s and I can’t verify he spoke on Fox News yesterday. The Kotaku site also does not give a direct link or verification he spoke on Fox.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Has anyone ever considered that the source of the problem is … guns? Just because an amendment gives us the right to “bear arms” does not mean it should be extended to handguns and assault rifles.
I grew up in the 60’s, playing “cowboys and Indians” or “Axis vs. Allies”, using toy guns, cap guns, and BB guns. None of this ever made me violent. However, if someone starts shooting at me, and then stops to reload, you can bet your ass I’m going to go on the attack, not cower in fear while he reloads.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:09 am
At the time of this writing, the identity of the shooter (or possibly shooters) has not been released. So Dr. Phil’s suggestions are not based on credible, or any, specific information about this particular shooting. At least he lumped in movies while throwing out baseless and pre-mature conclusions.
Guilty until proven otherwise, assholes
April 17th, 2007 at 11:11 am
“At the time of this writing, the identity of the shooter (or possibly shooters) has not been released. So Dr. Phil’s suggestions are not based on credible, or any, specific information about this particular shooting. At least he lumped in movies while throwing out baseless and pre-mature conclusions.”
This is so true—Guilty until proven otherwise, assholes
April 17th, 2007 at 11:14 am
How can anyone make these conclusions without even knowing if he played video games? Very unprofessional.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:22 am
we should all carry guns then people will think twice about stuff like this… gotta love texas…
April 17th, 2007 at 11:28 am
This is just infuriating. I hate people like Dr. Phil who have to jump in after tragedies like this claiming they know whats wrong with the world. We dont know why the gunman did what he did (and we probably never will), but to attribute it to video games is ridiculous. Yes, maybe certain games desensitize children to the point where death doesn’t phase them. But does it really disillusion them to the point where they can’t distinguish between the real world and GTA? I don’t think so. Even if the person has a serious imbalance of emotions, I doubt its a video game that pushes them to acts such as yesterday’s. What we should be thinking about, is the stress that we are putting on teens / young adults academically and socially. We are under so much stress in today’s world that, yea we feel a little crazy sometimes. Some of play sports, others turn to sex & drugs, and some are able to relieve the stress of the day by playing a violent video game. So by taking away that harmless outlet, the situation might get worse.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Again, here goes someone spewing this crap about gaming being bad for everyone, and yet I have not found any news reports stating that the shooter was an avid video game player.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:33 am
According to Roy Lacson from an earlier post:
“violent video games attrack one’s body sensors that if you keep doing it (playing it)can become an actual “response” that gets triggered when our emotions respond to our environment or any situation you are in.I strongly believe that violent Video games can literally take over a depressed person’s mind and go out of control!”
I suppose you have clinical trials and mounds of evidence that support your conclusion. I am sure you wouldn’t just pull this stuff out of your a##!
April 17th, 2007 at 11:39 am
I honestly do not see how a video game can interact with someones personal life. Its funny how the media’s insight on a person’s violent actions are derived from video games, movies, or music. Take a look at his surroundings. Evaluate his past as a child. How was he treated by students and faculty at Virginia Tech? How was he treated off-campus? How was his life at home? And so on. There are so many other factors to a person’s actions rather than being quick to point the finger at a video game. Wes Craven makes great horror movies, has he killed anybody? Look at the makers of the video games, have they killed anybody? Artists that talk about killing people in their music, have they killed anybody?
Thats what I thought. It is not the video games that caused him to go around and start shooting people. There has to be something more to it about is college life. People are always quick to point the finger at something so miniscule involving a tragedy such as Virginia Tech, that they fail to look at the person’s personal life.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:48 am
“the right to bear arms”
Maybe the constitution is to blame huh!
This was fine when this country needed a militia but this is one of the laws in our constitution that must be amended and not be taken out of contect all the time.
I’m not an anti gun person, in fact, I enjoy the occasonal target shooting now and then but I RENT my gun at the shooting range.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:53 am
He mentioned how children are influenced and desensitized by video games and the movies, but failed to comment that kids have just as much access, if not more, to this type of imagery simply by tuning in to the evening news…maybe this individual was pushed over the edge by something unrelated, like watching an episode of the Dr. Phil show…..
April 17th, 2007 at 11:56 am
I believe it’s quite possible that a violent game could push an already nutty person over the edge. But I don’t think for a second that a normal person would go violent just because he/she played a violent game…
So should everybody have to suffer from a totally lame ban of all violent games/movies/etc just because a phsyco might get it’s hands on it? I think not since any person that can be affected like that by a game/the like will most likely go nuts anyways.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Games don’t kill people, Guns do.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
rcorrino you are a anit-gun person. Just by the fact that you dont want guns means you are anti-gun. The shooter was a loner he was sent over the edge by his PEERS. His peers are to blame for this shooting as 99% of shooters acrossed america. I am a loner and guess what it isnt fun being one.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Games have nothing to do with it ppl just look for an excuse to blame it on something
rather than themselves. Find something else to blame rather than other ppl’s entertainment.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Right, Phil. Right.
And video games were the blame for 9/11, the Holocaust, Nam, any and every terrorist attack ever, and probably the reason Charles Manson killed too. Oh, let’s not forget Jack the ripper. He played really influential video games.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Since my previous comment probably won’t pass, here’s another:
I agree with those that say the problem is in the individual, not with the video games, TV, internet or whatever. We have almost 300 million people living in the USA, and how many go bonkers like this? Are we to restrict the rights of 300 million people on the off chance that it will prevent that one in a million loon from doing something stupid?
Do we even have any kind of proof of a cause and effect relationship? Where’s the science here people - the proof that this is actually the cause?
And in this case, as others have noted, we know nothing about this fellow, so any statements Dr Pill is making about the cause of his actions are just plain errant nonsense which expose him for the charlatan that he is.
April 17th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Dr. Phil is a an idiot…the only way I can express my feelings for him is by using the “Dr.Phil useless Expression Generator” which often times makes more sense than he himself does:
a couple examples: “You don’t need a Supreme Court decision to wax your elbows.”
and one of my favorites…”You don’t need lead poisoning to fondle a donkey.”
Regardless of what an idiot he is I know too many people that for some reason take what he says to heart which makes me wonder just what his show is doing to “the fabric of society”?
The people watching his show seem to me to be much more subjectable to his influence than any kid playing a video game?!
I’ve seen his show maybe three times and everytime it has been a poor over weight individual that he mercilessly humiliates in front of millions of people. How can that be a better lesson for anybody out there? Am I missing something?
Dr.Phil clearly exploits people for his own gain and could give a rats ass about anybody but himself. I’d guess he sits home playing the same video games he bashes in the media when it makes him feel better or his agent tells him when it would be a popluar angle to take on a subject.
I’m done ranting - I am a father of a 3 year old boy and another due in less than 2 weeks. I beleive in parneting and guidance to help a person become what they will inevitably be…you aren’t taught those values through TV or video games if your parents are engaged and insure as a person you can seperate reality form fiction.
I think Dr.Phil and those figures on TV like him have lost there touch with their children and on reality.
I’ve never been famous - but imagine it to be a surreal feeling - perhaps condeming the medium that pushed you into stardom is the only way to hold onto the world you once had control of? I’m not sure but I think it is a weak excuse to talk about things you can’t possibly have a grasp of.
My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones to sensless violence. May you find peace in a world of unexplainable chaos and beauty in a place where the media glorifies the bad things and silences the good.
Let me know the next time you see something good on the news and I’ll share it with my 3 year old…until then I’ll keep to myself and keep my kids safe by explaining to them the good and the bad in the world as a parent that’s my job. As a person, I’ll be good to you and the world around me - because that’s my job too.
Hang in there the world needs you…
Sincerely,
Jason Knapp
April 17th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
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April 17th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Totally the parents fault. I’ve been playing video games, both violent and non-violent, since I was 8 years old (I’m 28 now). There are a number of violent movies that I call my favorites, and some that I will never see, because I think they are too gory.
I have been married for 8 years, I have a successful career, I am a homeowner, tax-payer and church-goer. I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs.
I have NEVER even considered harming another person or animal in any way shape or form, ever.
Who’s responsible for my (IMHO) balanced life? My parents. My achievements are my own, but my values come from my parents diligence and competence.
If anything, we need gun control less than we need birth control. The fact is that doctors kill more people than guns every year in the U.S. (Take that Dr. Phil).
We have infinite regulatory agencies that control everything. Who prevents idiots from breeding? No one.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
It’s a Parent’s obligation to censor things in this world from their children when they are not mature or capable enough to handle it. It’s the first responsibility of being a Parent. Point the finger at yourselves if you want to blame other factors in the world.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
[...] Embarrassment Dr. Phil and Local Media Moron Don Shelby were quick to point the blame for yesterday’s massacre at [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Why is it that every time something as shocking and as tragic as the recent shootings in Virginia occur, our society is so quick to alleviate any blame from ourselves? In Columbine, it was as a direct result of Marilyn Manson’s violent music. September 11th, 2001 was anything but the result of the U.S. Government’s abysmal foreign policy. When the world gets a slap in the face, be it a deserved slap, or a tragically overpowered slap, the people of our society are quick to alleviate any blame. Instead of being self analytical, and looking inward at what we as a whole may have done to cause this, we prefer to find the easy answer to rid ourselves of any guilt.
In Columbine, instead of blaming lousy parenting, social injustice, or any of the other countless possibilities that would drive a person to kill 13 people, we decided to label these two teenagers as loners who listened to Rock Music, watched violent movies, and played video games. In Columbine’s aftermath, when we should have been trying to correct the problem, we merely tried to find a simple reason for its occurrence and lessen the blow of guilt upon ourselves.
In New York City, instead of a nation looking inwards and realizing that the attacks on the World Trade Centers were not purely a terrorist attack, but also a message, the United States Government decided to further the cause of a small group of extremists by invading several Arab nations in a “War on Terror”. When millions of people should have been realizing that we must have done something wrong to cause someone to lash out so violently at us, we instead tried to alleviate the blame again by faulting extremist terrorist parties.
It has only been 24 hours since 33 people were slaughtered in a Virginia Tech School, and already our mass media is trying to coddle us by following in the footsteps of the witch hunt that ensued Columbine. Anti-Video Game Activists have already tried to further their cause by pointing the finger at violent video games. I might add that this is being done without any evidence that Cho Seung-hui even owned a video game console. The media has already labeled Cho Seung-hui as a loner student who did not fit in at school. Several of his English Professors at Virginia tech have already stated how violent and disturbing Cho’s writing was and it has already been made public that Cho was taking many anti-depressant’s to help alleviate this. One of his teachers has even gone as far to describe Cho as a “troubled individual”. As was done in Columbine, every feasible attempt has been made to make the Gun-man in the Virginia shooting an exile from our society. As was the case in Colorado, this was done so that we do not feel that a member of a society as flawless as ours could have caused so much death and destruction. We once again have made every effort possible to alleviate any blame from ourselves. No one has bothered to point a finger at Cho’s parents or the pressure’s laid upon a student in today’s world. Not one mention has been made of how hard it can be for an individual to be on the outside of our exclusivist culture. To the media’s credit, mention has been made of the note found in Cho’s dorm room that goes on to discuss his grievances with “rich-kids”, “debauchery”, and “charlatans”. However, not one person has discussed that perhaps this “troubled individual” committed such a violent act because he saw it as justice being served to the public. Good heavens no, that can not be the message that Cho was trying to get across here. An act so heartless as the one’s committed in Columbine, in New York, or here in Virginia could not have been committed to serve a message to the public. No, this tragedy must have occurred because there is too much violence in the movies. This catastrophe happened because the Nine Inch Nails’ new album is filled with too many hateful lyrics. Violent video games must be to blame for the devastation that has occurred in Virginia.
The point I make here is not that the shooters in either Columbine or Virginia were justified, nor am I saying that the death’s of thousands in New York City were at all warranted. The point I make is that when a message that is as violent and as hateful as the ones in these three instances is sent, society as a whole should look internally to place blame rather than externally. Instead of starting a witch hunt against the mass media or any of the other countless industries we use to lessen the blame upon ourselves, we should be correcting the social injustice’s that occur in the world. Instead of starting a war that will not only prove, but further the cause of an extremist organization such as the Taliban, we should be looking inward to discover what may have caused such hate to erupt upon us. Humanity needs to accept the fact that we are flawed as a whole. When we can accept that simple fact, we can begin to understand why such hateful devastation occurs. When we understand the causes behind these violent calamities, we can begin to fix the problems and avoid further instances. Until our civilization is ready to accept the blame for incident’s that we ourselves have directly or indirectly caused, these tragic displays of hate will continue to eventuate.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
““He was very quiet, always by himself,” said Abdul Shash, a neighbor. Shash said Cho spent a lot of his free time playing basketball”
NOT video games, it’s the extra curriculum activities like basketball that made him go on that rampage.
Dr. Phil is a moron.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
The shooter was South Korean - that means he must have played Starcraft.
I always thought marijuana and video games got the same undeserved rap: they’re both accused of being gateways to more dangerous behaviour, yet the influence of either one generally culminates in the overindulgence of Mountain Dew and Cheetos, coupled with the inability to leave the house.
It’s nice to have a scapegoat, isn’t it? Billions of units of video games have been sold over the past few decades, yet Dr. P and JT can uncannily isolate them as the causal factor of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.
I wish scientific research panned out like this - then we’d already have a cure for cancer.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
It makes me very sad to see people who claim to be of some intellectual value to our society make such ridiculous claims as these. I do not understand the foundation for Dr. Phil’s arguement. It seems to be flawed, skewed at best. You can not make a claim like this without all of the facts. It is crazy to make the compairison of video games causing murders. Just because a few kids who have killed people committed murders. Thats like saying a few working class citizens committed murders, therefore,(using Dr. Phil’s logic) working class jobs cause murder. This is simply not true. If a fast food worker kills someone, does this mean we should outlaw fast food because it causes murder? I think you should re-think your position a bit there Phil because you seem to be a bit off on this one. I honestly do not know why I am even writting this, because I think most Americans are starting to realize that you have no clue what you are talking about. You just have a title, which makes people think you are correct, when in actuality, if all of your claims are like this one, I would have to call you a complete and total fool.
-Jeremy Swift
April 17th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Our culture glorifies violence. The violent games sell because our culture glorifies violence.
VIOLENCE IS COOL.
It’s all over the media, movies, music, television, politics, etc… Look at the way we immortalize mass murderers! It’s the easiest way to become famous these days.
We aren’t being violent because violent things are being sold to the public. We’re making and buying violent things because that’s what we like. These video games aren’t the input to our actions, but a reflection of them.
Everyone is quick to point the blame, but the root is in every one of us. The moment you buy that violent movie, you’re just fueling the fire.
Our culture embraces the grotesque. The kid was probably just trying to fit in.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
His theory is invalid as violent games and movies are released, played, and watched internationally, and foreign countries don’t share the problems the US is experiencing here.
April 17th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
He’s an idiot. I think this has to bring up the issue of gun control again…this kid bought both of his guns within the last month…
As far as videogames are concerned…this kid seemed to have been planning this for awhile, I doubt Pokemon was his snapping point.
http://nateblock.blogspot.com/2007/04/dr-phil-suggests-video-games-to-blame.html
April 17th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
It seems to me if video games were truly the problem we would be seeing these attacks in many parts of the world not just in the US.
April 17th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
To be fair, at least Dr. Phil’s including a qualifier unlike a certain someone:
“You take [glorification of violence in the media] and mix it with a psychopath, a sociopath, or someone suffering from mental illness, add in a dose of rage, the suggestability is just too high.”
Note that it’s not just video games, Dr. Phil suggests, it’s every aspect of Violence that’s permeated throughout the culture of the United States; there’s a certain glamorization that I’ve noticed is much more prevalent in the US than in countries abroad.
While I don’t particularly care for Dr. Phil, it’s unfair to say the least to post sensationalist stories like this that clearly gloss over his entire message; doing so can only lead to Jack Thompsonism.
April 17th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
[...] read more | digg story Posted by nolz Filed in Uncategorized [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
This is like saying the following -
“You cannot tell me - common sense tells you - that if psychiatrists and therapists in general are continuously surrounded by psychopaths, sociopaths, or someone suffering from mental illness, their own ideas of reality and the fiber of morale behavior becomes bent.”
In your own words (tag-line) Dr. Phil, “Get Real.” As a past psychologists who ended up in business school instead of a leather chair, if someone has a true mental illness, they’ll find other ways of ‘lashing out’ if not exposed to video games. Honestly, a person would probably get more exposure to poor human behavior watching your show than playing a video game.
April 17th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Folks, Dr. Phil is addressing the psychology that develops under specific conditions. It’s a nuts and bolts analysis on psychological development (excuse the pun). He’s not suggesting that video games are the source of violence. He’s explaining what occurs in the human psyche when you do A then B then C. It is a common sense perspective as well. If someone plays video games for hours on end, day after day, it is nonsense to say that this will not have a psychological impact on the person. It will and it does. Different people (ie., psychologies), different circumstances produce different results. Some of those results will be extreme, because the person’s psychological makeup is fragile.
April 17th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
And gun control is NOT the solution. If the VT students hadn’t been subjected to a federal law prohibiting guns on campus (Virginia is a gun-carry state), the killer would likely have been killed by an armed student or teacher. Instead, the killer met only weaponless victims.
April 17th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
You sirs are idiots. This is more or less a case of this man being mentally deranged, racially profiled, and had personal issues with himself. Don’t use video games as your scape goat when you know in your heart it’s exactly what I specified above. Video games have nothing to do with this incident, and you’re just using this as a scapegoat.
April 17th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
As my (Canadian) husband pointed out to me today, if there were gun control in Virginia the US wouldn’t even be a country right now.
April 17th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Man this is getting so old! Video games aren’t the issue and to blame it on them is so stupid. I mean I have played all the GTA games and I have never run outside and cracked a hookers skull open. Parents should monitor there kids, and video games and T.V. shouldn’t be raising your kids anyway. If your kid can recite the whole first season of Family Guy but can’t add then obviously something is wrong.
April 17th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
And why the hell are we still selling cars? There are between 40,000 and 50,000 automobile deaths a year. Combine a car with a dumbass person with shitty logic and a couple of beers and that’s a deadly combination. I mean really you don’t have to even be a sociopath or psychopath and there are about 450x as many casualties in a year as there have been from school shootings in the past 7 years.
April 17th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Counterstrike, DukeNuken, carmegedom: these games simulate things that we really dont want to happen to happen to us. Why dont we start making games of Hitler killing jews. Klu Klu Klan games where we kill afroamerican, torturing games? Child raping games? These topics dont please us ..Why simulate killing in games then? Feels good? Which crime is the right one to make a game? Who decides? Censorship? Lets simulate everything thing and see what happens…i dont wanna be in the US when that happens
April 17th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
[...] Dr. Phil is saying the cause of the recent school shootings and such is due to violent video games. [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
This is ridiculous that Dr. Phil is placing the blame on video games. Why just video games? Why not TV in general, why not the person that sales the video games, why not the person that sold the gun? All of these ideas seem absurd right? My point exactly. Where were the parents at the whole time? Maybe if more parents these days actually paid attention to their kids and asked questions, they would know what was going on. Parents need to understand that they’re the parent, not the son or daughter. You have a right to ask questions, even if that means that your kids might get upset. Be a part of their life. The parents had to notice some problems. Someone doesn’t just wake up one day and decide they are going to become a mass murderer. No matter how many video games were played or how much TV was watched by this sadistic individual, that isn’t what made his decision to do such a horrific act. That student had his mind made up already. He had everything planned. No one could have changed his mind that day. It makes me outraged that someone would speak about this matter with information that is just assumed. I’ve played video games my whole life and watched a lot of TV and movies, but NOT ONCE did I ever get the thought into my mind to do what this person did to the innocent victims. So for Dr. Phil to come up with these false accusations about video games were the student’s influence, makes me sick. Dr. Phil should just keep his mouth shut unless he has the correct information to support his theory. It’s sad that Dr. Phil is using this as a publicity stunt when our main concern should be of those students at Virginia Tech. My thoughts and prayers go out to each and every one of them. “It is surmounting difficulties that makes heroes.”
April 17th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
I play a lot of wii bowling, maybe i could be a profesional bowler since my scores are in the 200s almost every time. The first problem is giving someone a gun and enough ammo to do such a terrible thing.
April 17th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Oh, so it’s the games, and not the fact that the US has the most screwed up gun-laws in the modern world?
How many school shootings do you think we have in Sweden? ZERO! And do you know why? Because you cant just decide “Today i want to kill somebody”, take up a gun and do it.
The most deadly weapon that you could carry without license is a knife, and yet there are a fewer murder-related death percentage in Sweden, and we don’t even have guns to “Protect us”…
Wierd?
April 17th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
[...] are the children of today that are being programmed with this massive violence overdose.” source When did we start letting stroke victims with mental disabilities state their opinions on Larry [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Whew….as a parent im glad to hear that we’re not responsible for how our kids turn out. Its the video games! That makes my job in raising our kids MUCH easier.
April 17th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Hello from Sweden.
In Sweden nearly all young guys and alot of the older once too plays “dangerous computor games” all day long, and we’re good at it.. Best in the world in Counter-Strike and very skilled in Quake.. And servel other dangerous games..
So we play alot, we surly have some maniacs also… but what we dont have.. that you in the US have.. is alot of shops with guns which you can buy so easily..
Thats your problem, thats why you have highest gun deaths / year then the rest of the world, mixed up with alot of population so alot is stupid and maniacs!.. guns are dangerous tools..
April 17th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
[...] not surprising, therefore, that Dr. Phil, offered the following commentary on Larry King Live–before the shooter or shooters were even identified: The problem is we are programming these people as a society. You cannot tell me - common sense [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
[...] Link [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I’ve just lost respect for you Dr.Phil.
I knew this would happen,they need to something or someone to blame so now they’ll jump on video games.Please before video games i’m sure there were things that happened.
Oh yea i’ve played games like God Of war,GTA,Goldeneye,Halo,etc and do you see me wanting to do ridiculous things like that?NO
Its all how one person perceives something and if there smart enough to know the difference between reality and virtual reality.
April 17th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I think he is wrong on every point. A child over 15 or so can see the difference between the real world and the gameplay. I don’t get why so called “Proffessors and doctors” always are blaming computer games.
You can take so called E-sports as an example. There you compete against each other on a friendly basis. When a match is over they shake hands and thanks for a good game. You get friend, you feel like your a part of something. What in the name of god is wrong with that!?
They always blame the video games when something like this happend? but how can a person come and say that it’s the violent game that is the problem when he doesn’t know anything about the scene?
There has always been psykopats in the world that have made horrible thing, even before videogames. That’s not just the truth, it’s clear fact.
April 17th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Mass media IS a problem. He doesn’t JUST blame video games, which is what jack thompson is doing. Face it, our society glamorizes violence. That’s all he’ saying.
This story is sensationalism at its best… >_>
April 17th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Well i did a little web hopping and i found the first GUN was invented around 1280s and the first video game was in the 1970s
hmmmm i wonder what the culprit was
April 17th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Hey all..
How can video games be blamed for all bad stuff?
Im from sweden, and I play just as many and voilent video games as Americans (or Germans, Australians, Norwegians) yet its in USA this crazy shit _always_ happens.
Ever thought of you right-to-bear arms law?
April 17th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
the only way to avoid these types of shootings is not by taking away videogames, but by getting to the root– guns. if every single person in america didnt have a gun, then there wouldnt be shootings! look at canada– there’s no “right to bear arms” and it follows that gun violence is waaayyy less than the states. go watch “Bowling for Columbine”
April 17th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
i think kotaku published a list of lies that jack thompson spewed out…
http://kotaku.com/gaming/feature/feature-dissecting-jacks-lies-252914.php
April 17th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
[...] used it to rip apart the media and their blood lust to cover tragedy. Some use the platform to blame video games for yet another evil deed. Some have simply been sad and somber. Some talk of heroes. There [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
@ Steve
If you don’t see how video games can mess with a personal life, just ask someone who plays WoW a lot…
@ those who want scientific proof of video games vs personal life…
Unfortunately, as seen in the history of mankind, human nature is “unpredictable.” Now, that isn’t saying that we as humans do not follow a certain pattern (mainly falling in the current socio-economic scheme of the time period), but there are times when people go berserk. Therefore, when research is done on humans, they do not call it proof because a proof only takes one instance to disprove the proof. A theory is more of a generalization saying, more than likely, this will happen every time.
@ Dr. Phil
Quit being an idiot. Being someone suffering from depression, I can say the blame is on the individual. His friends should have realized something was up, but the shooter is the one to blame.
@ those who say guns are the problem
Guns are not the problem! Ok, say they are banned. No more guns in the world. Then this guy would have used a knife. Fine, we’ll ban knives. This guy would have thrown rocks or built a trebuchet. Still want to ban those? Fine, this guy would have torched the place.
You can’t say guns are the problem because when people are willing to commit the extreme, they are going to use whatever resources they can find.
April 17th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Video Games are the culprit!!??
What about the millions of people that also play these ultra violent games, but don’t go on a real killing spree?
It’s just the Media trying to “enhance” our lives with their “sensationalized” aspects of real life.
Ban Real Guns, not video games..
April 17th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Hmm how come that we in Sweden doesnt shoot eachother to death? We play as much violent videogames as you in USA? If u are looking for a dumb excuse for your children being stupid, blame your so god damn stupid weaponlaw. There you can find your problem.. Dont blame the innocent videogames.
The best movie ever made is Bowling for colombine. Everything in the movie fits so well on your twisted society!
April 17th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
“Would anyone argue with the idea that hours of playing a first-person shooter would certainly make a person a more effective killer if he chose to take the violence into the real world? The games didn’t make him do it. They just helped him do it well. A chilling thought. -john”
I can’t really agree, first person shooters are bullshit right now and really theres nothing in a first person shooter that you couldn’t pick up by watching tv. To be honest theres not much skill involved in shooting helpless victims, its kind of just point and press down trigger.
April 17th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Dr. Phil starts off with a good point. The fact that sociopaths, psychopaths, etc, tend to latch onto video games, which can be seen as a negative impact on their life. But then he says that video games make the youth into killers. I played Video games my WHOLE life, as did ALL my friends, and none of us would EVER want to murder someone. I still cringe at real blood, even though I see fake blood everyday. It is different. Dr. Phil lost my respect, I now see him equal to Jack Thompson, which in my mind is equal to the devil. Dr. Phil, you deserve to lose your job.
April 17th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
[...] point this at video games? It’s time to think about parenthood as a problem, no? X Men spikeread more | digg story No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack [...]
April 17th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
More times than not, individuals show signs of mental instability BEFORE a murderous act is committed. We need to lift the STIGMA of mental illness in order for folks to get timely and effective treatment. Not seeking treatment due to barriers to access to mental health services, (stimga is a barrier)HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH VIDEO GAMES.
Mental health insurance is not close to equal to health insurance — and geez — who has either?
April 17th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
After I heard the bad news about this, I first thought how long it would take for someone to mention Video Games as one of the causes. Personally its a load of crap. I for one play many Car Racing Simulations, that would be classed as a “Game” so how can that be related? Im also a keen player of Poker and Solitare “Video Games” the fact they labeled the cause as “Video Games” is proof they have no idea of different genres etc. Most people who would say these people are in there 40’s 50’s as It seems to me they still dont have a grasp on real world technoligy which scares them, it has to be banned because of it. Its there way to point the finger at somthing which isnt the main source of the problem, Gun laws etc. After what happened in Australia there was a major crack down on guns, many were destroyed. Why does it seem so easy to get a gun, but harder to get a drivers licence? Why own a gun? Anyway Im off to watch a movie called “Shooter”…..
April 17th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
The media are calling this the deadliest mass shooting in American history. It pales in comparison to the Mountain Meadow massacre in 19th century Utah when Mormons slaughtered over 220 men, women and children execution style with shots to their heads. No harmful video games involved there, just a despot religious leader, Brigham Young, leading them.
April 18th, 2007 at 5:42 am
And how come that sweden hasn’t had one schoolmassacre yet? Even though 99% of the male population under 25 have played cs?
Can it be becuse u cant buy a gun legaly in a shop around the corner?
April 18th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Ehh why blame computer games for that? I live in Sweden and we dont have those kind of things..As in other country as well…Maybe you should think of the weapon law instead of blaming computer games..
April 18th, 2007 at 6:12 am
[...] Link [...]
April 18th, 2007 at 6:59 am
Well you should take in consideration that its only in usa these school shootouts happens.
And the rest of the world play the same games that you got in usa and still no school shootouts, so Dr. Phil dont be such a negative nancy and shut the fuck up. Just because you are misserable doesnt mean the rest of the world should be.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:46 am
[...] to point this at video games? It’s time to think about parenthood as a problem, no? xmen adultread more | digg [...]
April 18th, 2007 at 8:14 am
He blames the video games you say…
Let me say this thing to him then, why haven’t these big horrible things happen in Canada, Australia or my home country Sweden? Please send me a mail about it, I wanna hear why!
April 18th, 2007 at 8:15 am
well, maybe its the US law, i mean u can very easily buy a gun and automatic rifles are too in the stores. yeh, wheres the problem?
April 18th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Dr. Phil is ignorant. That’s all I have to say.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:35 am
For any and all of you that believe video games are to blame:
Have you ever played any of those games? Do you know what games any of you are really talking about? Do you even know the story line (if any) behind the games? Or do you just know of the guns and the shooting?
I have been playing video games since the age of 5. 18 years of video gaming behind me, from role playing to FPS (First Person Shooters) ect ect. I have played games where the whole point is the either kill the other team, or blows up a spot (or disarm the bomb).
I have never once thought about walking into a school (or anywhere) and just shooting anyone there is. Playing Video Games does Not make you think that way. If you all are so demanding that video games are the cause here, what were the causes for killings, beatings, stabings before games were around?
The problem lays with guns and the people that can easily get them. Gangs. Do you think they play video games all day..?
To Anyone That Would Blame Video Games For Any Shooting.. You Need To Get Out More. Maybe Even Try Playing These Games That You Say Are The Cause For This. If You Go Around Killing People (if you aren’t already mental in someway or have thought about doing so), Then And Only Then Should Anyone Think About Blaming Video Games.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:46 am
“# Diogo Says:
April 17th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Counterstrike, DukeNuken, carmegedom:[...]”
It is not surprising that the rest of the post raves on without anything insightful when it starts out failing to even correctly name two out of three games… It sounds like you have never played, or even seen the logos for these game but rather just heard their names in a conversation about violent games once. Obviously missing the “pun” of both names is practically impossible if you’ve seen them and mis-spelling something as horribly as “carmegedom” in a post that after that shows no trace of grave dyslexia… I don’t really think so.
As for the doc, I never enjoyed watching anything he ever did as it all seemed like captain obvious in a suit hosting a talkshow, and he sure didn’t grow in my eyes now either. The only thing he said that was true but again so painfully obvious is that raged psychopaths who play videos games can go real bad. Oh no! Quickly, remove the video games as that will immediately save us from all normal raged psychopaths!
Phil, this is not your area. Jack, eh… Earth is not your area.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:00 am
haha! Duck Hunt caused those shootings!
April 18th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Why does it always need to be someone or something’s fault? Why can’t it just be the fault of the individual himself? America seems to have a copyright on this type of violence, yes. Maybe its because everyone is so free to express themselves, and there is little restraint or responsibility. In exercising freedoms, people must exercise restraint. Americans (or maybe just certain people in general, I don’t want to say that America is bad.. because other countries have had incidents such as these ie Germany) seem to exercise restraint less than other cultures.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:04 am
It is not to blaim the videogames..
if you look at other cultures for example sweden, they don’t have these kind of problem that pepole going insane and decides to kill pepole.
my theory is that the person that did this could be some farmer in kina or something alike … its not the videogames…
April 18th, 2007 at 9:04 am
Perhaps we should spend more on public education and less on international mass murder? Teaching children it is immoral to shoot 32 innocent people is not so difficult regardless of their entertainment tastes.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Anyone who thinks that video games are the problem are just plain stupid. Its the kids that messed up in the first place that takes this seriously….. period.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:53 am
First off, he went for the engenering building, suggesting he is an engering major. Which is probaly why he started killing people his senior year. Not because of video games.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Come to think of it,
When Jeff Dahlmer ate all those people,
wasn’t he a big video-gamer?
And the Kennedy assassination..
Wasn’t Lee Harvey huge into gaming?
oh and Adolf & Nazi Germany…
REDICULOUS supporters of the video game industry.
So yeah, I guess I would say games have a big impact on violence.
Pss..
I also heard that Pontiuos Pilot loved Atari.
geez.
idiots.
-jas
April 18th, 2007 at 10:24 am
[...] Stern eloquently expressed his opinion about Dr. Phil after hearing the doc’s comments on video games and the Virginia Tech massacre: “He’s a fucking [...]
April 18th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Dr. Phil and Jack Thompson are completely retarded. If video games are responsible for this, then tell me a video game where you go into a school and shoot people. Wait…there isn’t any.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:54 am
dr. phil needs to learn how to sew his lips together or someone else does, because i havnt ever heard of a single good reasonable explination or opinion on anything from him. videogames have nothing to do with some crazy azn guy shooting up a college. name me a video game you get to lock 50 people in a room and go around sencelessly shooting everything. theyre still blaming gta for everything, but its old flarping news. grow the hell up dr. phil, and retire, youre making most of america not think for themselves, and become even dumber then they were in the 1st place. retire, die, or just go to foxnews exclusively.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:12 am
If you are going ot post a comment, at least read some of the posts above before you just state the same pointmade several times over. The repetitiveness of points adds nothing to the discussion and is just annoying.
April 18th, 2007 at 11:24 am
Hey its how they explained away the columbine murders. I guess Marilyn Manson will be on TV again defending himself
April 18th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
the only people who say these things are the ones that don’t play videogames.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I hate when video games catch the blame for
terrible things like this happening. I believe that its just an easy way of saying “I don’t know why he did this, lets blame video games” I’m only 19 but I’ve been a gamer my whole life and I’ve never felt the urge to shoot 32 people.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
[...] Link [...]
April 18th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
First of all let me start by giving my condolences to everyone who has been effected by this tragic event. I believe it is ridiculous to blame video games for this - About 80% of all youths play some sort of First Person shooter video Game, but 80% of them do not go around killing innocent people! Maybe 0,1% of those do it, but they were surely messed up in their mind beforehand, and I doubt this kid, Cho, wouldn`t have done what he did if he didn`t play any video game.
Dr. Phil, you do a lot of good, but this right here, shows the level of your knowledge as a doctor.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
[...] I’m sure the anti-gun crowd is going to start blaming this week’s tragic massacre on the US gun culture. Already asshats like Dr. Phil (and of course, Jack Thompson) are blaming it on video games. [...]
April 18th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
It is not right that a man with no actual Doctorate can make a claim like that. If anything, I would say that Columbine was perhaps brought on by video games. But guess what, VTech shooting got way more people, and had much less ammunition and weapons of destruction. So shut the fuck up, Dr. Phil, before I go Grand Theft Auto on your fat ass.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Sorry, I must have missed the part where we established that this killer was a gamer.
“…mass murderers of tomorrow are the children of today…”
Ummmm, so all the mass murderers of today played violent video games as kids? Funny, I thought violent video games originated in the 90’s with hits like Mortal Kombat.
Maybe there is something else to blame…
April 18th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I love it how video games are to blame for every psycho paths killing spree. i have been playing for as long as i can remember and i know im not the only one. And never once has the thought of unloading on a group of people ever crossed my mind. Doctor Phil is a complete dipshit moron and anyone who blames video games is just looking for something to blame this kids shooting rampage on.
April 18th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Just because he’s asian doesn’t mean he plays CS all the time
April 18th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
DR. Phil is a moron
April 18th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
It is just stupid to blame videogames. Playing a video game is not going to make you go to the gun store and plan a massacre. He was mentally unstable. He needed help and didn’t get or want any of it. Why is everyone in the media placing blame? Blame is not going to help. Thinking about steps we should take to prevent this is a lot more important. Worst “Dr.” ever. I hope his viewers do not blindly follow whatever he says and actually form their own opinion.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Dr. Phil should not be talking about something for which he has no evidence to support. It is outrageous for him to accuse violent video games for the shootings in Virginia. Many people play these video games and do not kill people. Many people dont play these games and do kill people. So how can he draw a conclusion based upon the facts … he cant. For all the people that watch or listen to him should know that he has become a celebrity and not a Doctor and his opinions should be valued as much as any other pop celebrity. He is just trying to get more ratings for his show. If you think like be just boycott his show and sooner or later we wont ever have to listen to such hasty remarks.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Be honest about this guys, I am not trying to side with Dr. Phil because he is obviously jumping to conclusions.
How many of you guys who play FPS/GTA(I do both) don’t get the urge/thought/feeling of taking a gun and pointing it at some assholes head and pulling the trigger?
When you get this ‘crazy’ feeling most of the time you know that it is just crazy and your conscience/morals come into play. You would pass up a thought as ridiculous, and think what a crazy idea. But there are people out there who because of anger/mistreatment/psychosis will indulge such a thought.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
How many of you guys that play FPS get an urge/feeling/thought to shoot some deserving person in the head, but don’t because you have a self-control/conscience/morals?
Well some people can’t don’t have these things because of emotions/psychosis/mistreatment and crazy thoughts like this one get indulged.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Did he have video games in his dorm room?
April 18th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
What Does the Dr. infront of Dr.Phil’s name stand for? Is he even a doctor??
April 18th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
[...] stopped people from trying to play the blame game. Already, certain demagogues are blaming video games and the teaching of evolution for inspiring this rampage. The only thing that’s missing [...]
April 18th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
rubbishcorp® Says:
April 17th, 2007 at 9:34 am
“…guns killed those people, not games.”
Sorry, but you’re wrong. Guns were the tools used to kill those people; however, a psychopath on a killing spree killed those people. Get your facts straight.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Eric Says:
April 17th, 2007 at 9:49 am
“Has it ocurred anyone that the problem might be guns? No matter how many violent video games you have played or how emotionally scarred you are…you can’t shoot anyone without guns.”
My guns have never killed anyone. Oops, I guess that’s still an issue surrounding the individual in question. Following your logic we SHOULD ban videogames (even though the majority of people don’t have problems handling them) because psychopaths are influenced by their voilence.
Can’t shoot anyone without guns? Crossbow, Longbow, slingshot, and other misc nasty devices invented prior to gunpowder.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:41 am
Jack Says:
April 18th, 2007 at 8:35 am
“…The problem lays with guns and the people that can easily get them. Gangs.”
You’re only half right; the problem is not guns. The problem is how easy it is to acquire an illegal firearm. The problem is that criminals are still able to get their hands on guns. We have over 300 gun laws (and counting) in place. The problem is that these laws are not enforced to the extent they should be. We should not add more laws and restrictions, we should be enforcing the ones already in place.
April 19th, 2007 at 1:46 am
I’m so sick of this argument. VIOLENT VIDEOGAMES DO NOT CAUSE SHOOTINGS. Underlying psychosis does.
April 19th, 2007 at 2:23 am
MartinWA Says:
April 17th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
“…Its there way to point the finger at somthing which isnt the main source of the problem, Gun laws etc. After what happened in Australia there was a major crack down on guns, many were destroyed. Why does it seem so easy to get a gun, but harder to get a drivers licence? Why own a gun?”
Yeah, many guns were destroyed because the buybacks proved ineffective in detering firearm related crime. Sure, gun deaths decreased slightly, but what happened to the rate of assault (both sexual and agrivated) after the bans and buybacks took place? How come homicide and related offences have basically remained unaffected, while both sexual and aggravated assault have risen since 1997?
Yearbook of Australia at abs.gov.au (http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/ECFAF68AB75AE9E3CA256DEA00053A5A)
Why is it more difficult to acquire a driver’s license? Because driving is a privilage, while gun ownership is a right.
FACT: Motor vehicle related injuries that resulted in death in 2004 was 15.2 for every 100,000 citizens.
FACT: Firearm related injuries that resulted in death in 2004 was 10 for every 100,000 citizens.
Don’t believe me? Look it up yourself: CDC.gov Pages 179 and 233 (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf)
Registered vehicles is estimated at roughly 2332 per 100,000 citizens. Firearm manufacturers and the BATF estimates that there are roughly 2350 firearms per 100,000 citizens.
QUICK! LETS BAN AUTOMOBILES!
April 19th, 2007 at 2:34 am
dr. phill is stupid to assume that the shooting was because of video games. the kid killed people because he was racist and didnt like wealthy people. im know wealthy person but dr. phill is just stupid and you know wut they say when u assume things u make an a$$ out of yourself
April 19th, 2007 at 2:51 am
I bet 911 was based off video games too huh…
Dr. Phil you are the most gratuitously ignorant person who’s bald. This man only has a show litteraly because it pisses-off the average person enough that it actually makes them feel good to talk s**t about someone who is so dumb
April 19th, 2007 at 3:29 am
yeah man i agree with DR Phil, Pong was a bitch
April 19th, 2007 at 6:13 am
Well it was an Asian, so of course video games are involved.
If it had been a Black we could have blamed gangsta culture.
If it was a White then the pharmaceutical industry perhaps…
April 19th, 2007 at 7:01 am
Honestly, you can’t put the blame automatically on video games. I mean, COME ON ALREADY! So, you mean to tell me that cartoons with guns and explosives can’t be to blame neither? STOP… BLAMING.. ENTERTAINMENT! The kid was obviously off his rocker. If you watch the tapes he sent into NBC in between the 2 different timed shootings.. He blames it on all the people. He says that it’s their fault that he ended up that way. Obviously, he was picked on or disrespected, or even neglected in society.
It’s a social issue. It’s a disrespect issue, not a video game(s)/entertainment issue. I’m really sick of Dr. Phil acting like he knows everything because the way I see it, he lacks that knowledge. He has his fair points, but this is DEFINITELY not on of them. That’s why they rate video games like Grand Theft Auto and games with heavy doses of violence and crude natures an MA rating, meaning you have to be 18 or older to purchase it.
Obviously, the kid was just driven insane. He hated rich kids who took what they had for granted. He hated women. It’s just a matter of social disrespect and neglect. That’s obvious. If Dr. Phil and all of the other so-called psychotherapists and doctors get their stories straight.. we wouldn’t have this issue. It’s a common issue in this world. Look at the war over in Iraq. Let’s blame that on Socom video games. Get off of it already! It’s just a twisted, insane society..
April 19th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
By Dr. Phil’s logic, George W must have played WAAAAAAY too many video games growing up!
April 19th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Good one, “dr.” Phil!
April 19th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
[...] revealed! Link. The video of Jack Thompson on Fox, he calls himself an expert on school shootings. Link. Here we have a link regarding Dr. Phil suggesting that video games caused the shooting. Link. Heh, [...]
April 20th, 2007 at 1:47 am
First of all, I want to give my condolences to all of the families of the deceased.
Let me start by saying that Dr. Phil is perhaps the most biased-opinion person I have ever come in contact with. Honestly, if he was half the “doctor of psychology” that he claims to be, he would have done his homework and evaluated the mental condition he (Cho Sueng-Hui) was in, prior to the shooting. Also, he should have compiled empirical evidence and used the scientific method of psychology to draw a conclusion, rather than biasing an opinion based on the on-going topic of violent computer-based gaming. Another thing he (Mr. Phil, because he doesn’t deserve to be called “Dr.”)should have done (but obviously failed to do) was study the relationship between the Nature-Nurture theory, and stress levels regarding Cho’s mental health. While I’m no psychologist myself, I can honestly say that if I were one, I would have not made the same mistake that Mr. Phil made.
Now regarding Mr. Jack Thompson, to me, he too, is biased-opinionated. It seems to me that Jack Thompson also fails to note credible sources, such as psychological journals and fails to do his research based on the scientific method as well. To me, if Jack Thompson lost his practitioners license, it be the most fitting consequence anyone could ever give him, and would only emphasize the fact that he does not do his homework about the subject.
While it would state in this text that he is wrong about relation of computer-based gaming and the Virginia Tech shooting (which he and everyone siding with Mr. Phil and Jack Thompson are), there is no question that a lot of games released have some considerable amount of violence. I am in no means siding with the aforementioned people, but stating that there is some measure of violence and how we use our discretion to interpret, & integrate the information to our everyday lives. To say that “everyone” who plays a violent CG will become a murderer is just plain illogical. There is also a case study done on the relation of violent CG’s and violent behavior in one of the American Psychological Association (APA) Journals.
While it is very easy to use computer-based gaming as a means of drawing conclusions, or a scapegoat, without prior knowledge, you’re doing nothing but adding to the problem, rather than curing it.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:29 am
How can you blame videogames???
Normal people are perfectly capable of playing violent videogames without going berserk in real life. This is just another pathetic try to blame an industry thats not so well liked among the politicians an other celebs in USA.
Kids like Cho are fundamentally sick, and sould be taken care of from the beginning.(I want to escuse my bad english, im pissed off and tired).
Martin Gramnes.
Games editor.
NORWAY .
April 20th, 2007 at 5:42 am
I blame Bush.
Or have Bush played too many computer games? lol
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