Grand Theft Mindset

In all truth, my days as an active gamer have long come and passed. However, hearing just recently that there was a new Grand Theft Auto installment ready to be released, my interested piqued just a bit. Maybe this is a sign that I'm on my way to getting older and therefore out of touch with the kids these days, but my initial impression was a mixture of fascination coupled with a feeling of pretty intense disgust. This is especially true after having watched the official trailer for Grand Theft Auto V. While I definitely consider myself to have a high tolerance for the extreme, and not one to look away from the harshest things society has to offer, too many things about this latest version of the franchise are just leaving me shaking my head. The chirpy, casual, and incredibly detached tone of the female narrator in the overly hyped up trailer, and the way all forms of senseless violence are completely glamorized is something I just can't get down with.

It just so happens that as we speak, updates are coming across the news about a shocking and completely brazen attack by terrorist gunmen on a shopping mall in Kenya. According to reports, Islamist gunmen deliberately targeted civilians and singled out non-Muslims to be shot. So far twenty two innocent people have been confirmed killed. While this is a far cry from the pure fictional criminality present in games like Grand Theft Auto, the basic foundation of sheer violence is all the same. Rockstar games may have succeeded in creating a flawless masterpiece of entertainment once again that celebrates the type of sex, money and violence that appeals to the masses all over and oozes pure capitalism. However, glorification can only take you so far, and as much as I remember spending hours on end playing Vice City and San Andreas and loving it, I'm ok with sitting this one out.