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Subject: 
Re: Arkham Asylum - A cool set, but a bit disturbing.
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Thu, 7 Jun 2007 17:19:52 GMT
Viewed: 
6818 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:

   Although it’s unlikely that LEGO intended the set as a commentary on Abu Ghraib,

You think?

   their choice to foreground an institutionalized torture chamber speaks of a curious lack of sensitivity on the subject. Given TLG’s long-standing policy of non-violent toys (a policy quickly abandoned when it threatened their profits, of course), you’d think that they’d be more conscious of how their portrayals of violence are likely to be interpreted.

I think that there is a definite line WRT to reality and fantasy. The holocaust sets were offensive because they portrayed reality; these Spiderman sets deal in the realm of fantasy and make-believe, and so they shouldn’t be judged by the same metric IMO.

  
   If LEGO had released a US military base and there were a torture chamber in it, I’d think there was a big problem.

Yes, because of the breach of the reality/fantasy line.

   This set is from a comic book where
   very dark things happen. What did you expect them to have in the Arkham Asylum, a community room with checkers and snacks?

Agreed.

   Why include the torture chamber at all? They didn’t include the reception desk, the bathroom, or the parking lot, after all. Their choice to include the chamber makes it fair game for discussion.

Because the overarching theme of these works is the struggle of good verses evil, Dave! Providing children a means to vanquish evil and see good prevail in their play is a valuable component in creative play IMO.

JOHN



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Arkham Asylum - A cool set, but a bit disturbing.
 
(...) Well, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. (...) Hey, you poser--we're talking about Batman sets here. Keep your escapist fantasy characters sorted out, will you? Of course, if you're looking to talk about the current Spider-man (...) (17 years ago, 7-Jun-07, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
  Re: Arkham Asylum - A cool set, but a bit disturbing.
 
(...) Hey, there's no need to go insulting Batman by calling him twinky names like that. (17 years ago, 8-Jun-07, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Arkham Asylum - A cool set, but a bit disturbing.
 
(...) Although it's unlikely that LEGO intended the set as a commentary on Abu Ghraib, their choice to foreground an institutionalized torture chamber speaks of a curious lack of sensitivity on the subject. Given TLG's long-standing policy of (...) (17 years ago, 7-Jun-07, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)

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