Monday 26 July, 2010

Two missions had been completed successfully! That was my second time playing GTA: San Andreas and it was much better than the first time. I became familiar with most of the features and controlling the game became easier than before. I was trying to collect money and spend them immediately. I had a new haircut and a fabulous tattoo. However, I faced many unacceptable behaviors and I was surprised to find them in a videogame. At the beginning of the game, the police officers yelled at the cad driver “ Stupid Mexican”. After playing many times, many new thoughts appeared to me. The idea of violence was my main concern last log but now I am concerned with the game’s depiction of race. Playing the game and reading the research study about the meaning of race in GTA: San Andreas was very helpful for me.

"That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way." ~~ Doris Lessing

I took the critics’ opinions as evidences to my thoughts about racisms in this game. The popular media’s representation of African American males as hyper violent and criminal is presented in the game as one of the racism aspects. According to DeVane and Kurt, the portrayal of African American and Latino communities as hubs for violence and criminally both reifies discriminatory stereotypes and provides young adolescents with negative role model. An African American man from GAMEPRO.com commented on racism in videogames by saying that “Whites see African Americans and Latinos as criminals and gradually that is how our children see themselves and behave according."


Racism is a huge issue everywhere in the world and it will probably never end. Designers of GTA: San Andreas enhanced the idea of racism instead of oppose it.
I want to share with you this comment from Forums.allgames.com: (Reviewer: Austin Olney, 18 (NY) I usually don't write reviews, I just read them. But Rockstar has really disappointed me with this upcoming game. It's bad enough that black music and black clothes are all the rage these days, but now its corrupting a great game series. I played and beat GTAIII and VC, but I'm going to have to skip this one. I don't consider myself racist, but I am not about to pay $50 to be some black dude. You can get pissed at me all you want but the fact is if you're white and you disagree, I have nothing to say to you. )
In my opinion, GTA: San Andreas raises the issue of racism not only in the virtual world, but also in the real world. I know that racism will probably never end in every country in the world. It is our reasonability to minimize it via education and not to maximize it via videogames.

I would like to apply Rule Utilitarianism on the racism case in GTA: San Andreas.
- GTA: San Andreas raises racisms by presenting African American and Latino males and as hyper violent and criminal in the game.
Proposed rule: designers of the videogames could take an advantage of showing stories supports racism.
Who would benefit: Designers and publisher of the videogame would be benefit by gaining lots of money.
Who would be harmed: Raising the idea of racism via videogame would harm kids, teens, parents, and the whole society. Racism enervates the connections of community. It eradicates the virtues, which are the requirements of human peace and tranquility, shakes brotherhood, casts clouds over love in community and demolishes sincerity. Since it is the source of spiritual illnesses like animosity, grudge and hostility, it damages unity and solidarity.

Briefly, Harms outweighs benefits therefore, showing and supporting racism in videogames is wrong. The benefits are nothing compared to the harms. In my opinion, Money does not worth all the consequence of supporting the race issue. It is unethical to design and publish these kinds of videogames.

“A fundamental principle of morality is respect and support for the legitimate rights and interests of all, of others as well as oneself, the famous "Golden Rule" of reciprocity. “

Race and racism is a complicated issue in this game because, on the one hand, what is in the game is similar to what we see in other media (movies, rap music, etc.) but the stereotypes are also pervasive. Everyone is stereotyped in the game. So at what point do you think it stops being a reinforcement of racist images and ideas and becomes instead a criticism or satire of them?