Thursday 28 July, 2011

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is loaded with messages that bombard the player represented by the character Carl Johnson, also known as CJ. I start the game watching a scene where CJ returns to Los Santos from liberty city. He is soon afterward confronted by two officers. The game has just begun and it is established that CJ the main character is an African American gang member. This is a stereotype to African American males. CJ is dropped in to enemy gang territory by the officers and left to fend for himself and make his way back to Grove Street. CJ is given a bike to make it to his old home.

The next observation I had was during the funeral scene for CJ’s mother. Some of the other main characters were introduced in this scene including. Carl’s sister Kendall is dressed in a mini-skirt and a tank top shirt. These clothes make her look quite provocative and stereotypically objectified. The game has already shown signs of the objectification of women. Why was it necessary to have his sister dressed in this manner?

The other gang members of the Grove Street gang were also present. They are in much distress because things are not looking so good for the Grove Street gang. The other members of the Grove Street gang are upset with CJ for having left the gang and Grove Street to live in Liberty city for five years. They felt as if CJ walked out on his family and the grove street gang. They speak to CJ in a very brash and upset manner. When doing mission cut scenes when CJ visits the other members, one of them, Ryder, is almost always depicted with a cigarette or weed and this is also stereotypical.

As I progressed through the game I as the player took on several missions. One of the missions I completed started as a simple trip to the local fast food restaurant then Ryder, one of the Grove Street gang members, comes into the store and tries to rob the store for money. Note that the fast food restaurant was very poorly kept up. That is also a bad stereo type regarding the management strength of fast food workers in less luxurious areas. I personally felt that there are many messages made about minorities in the few scenes I saw and played through. I don’t understand why the Grand Theft Auto series when having had a series full of non-African American protagonists treats the subject so stereotypically.

However there is a message of the importance of family and staying true to ones roots within the Grove Street gang and more specifically the Johnson family. As stated earlier CJ is constantly being picked at for leaving Grove Street for Liberty City and thus leaving his family behind. The need to feel a bond is also displayed by the use of gang colors. In one of the earlier missions, CJ's brother Sweet tells CJ to go buy clothes that represent their Gang colors. CJ at this point has already risked his life several times just after getting back to Grove Street yet according to Sweet he has not been representing Grove because he has not been wearing his colors. I still must continue the game and see what other ethical nuggets GTA San Andreas has to offer.

"However there is a message of the importance of family and staying true to ones roots within the Grove Street gang and more specifically the Johnson family"

In some sense you could argue that when a person essentially lives in a context in which there is no law and justice (CJ's situation w/r to the police), it's the family values and loyalties that hold their community together, no?