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Subject: 
Re: Is Bionicle violence?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Fri, 16 Feb 2001 19:13:10 GMT
Viewed: 
266 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:

And I agree with *that* too. I'm conflicted.

So's TLC.  It's pretty clear these days that a toy company has to incorporate
some element of conflict into its product if it's going to sell to the pre-teen
market.  There is too much graphic exposure to violence nowadays (i.e.,
videogames), and kids who grow up with a taste for that sort of thing won't
easily be persuaded by benign Lego.  Lego may not have even wanted to go down
the Castle path back in '78, and today, market-cultural forces in that direction
are exponentially stronger

This is a hot button, but I think that it's safe to say that some element of
imaginative violence is par for the course for the great majority of (at least
Wester) kids.  Ok: Here goes - its the old nature vs. nurture debate.  Are boys
wired toward conflict-play, or do we learn it because it's cultural?  Quite a
bit of both, I'd say.  Anyway, I fear to tred the lengths of that debate path.

Basically, my point is that violent-play reaches a point where it can be
psychologically damaging for a child.  I'd argue that games like Doom,
Streetfighter, etc., etc. (Can't really think of many - Super Mario Brothers is
about all that my timid soul can handle.)  I grew up on soldiers and action
figures, and I don't think that I was wounded by them (there have been times
recently when I've picked up some soldiers and thought about having a slaughter
for old-times-sake, but I just can't do it - I can't enjoy something that
vicariously celebrates something (war) which has caused so much suffering.
Anyway, to get back on track...from what I've heard, the Bionicle story-line is
bad news.  Boys will have violent play with any kind of action-figure, but if
you suggest bloody, evil, atrocious, etc. themes by which to use them in play,
then you have implanted a harmful thought process that probably wouldn't have
taken root.

Just my rather rambling 2 cents

James



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Is Bionicle violence?
 
(...) Very well said, James. Violence has certainly become a marketing tool to attract little and big "boys." This leads to your next comment: (...) Biologically speaking, yes, males are wired for conflict (i.e. testosterone). Ironically, I truly (...) (24 years ago, 17-Feb-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Is Bionicle violence?
 
(...) I think TLC had ALWAYS violence in their themes: Pirates vs. Kolonists Adventurers vs. Dino`s Rockraiders vs. Rockmonsters etc. etc (exept for technic, at least in the beginning) so, why are the bionicle so 'violent'? they only want to protect (...) (24 years ago, 27-Feb-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Is Bionicle violence?
 
(...) And I agree with *that* too. I'm conflicted. I like the Star Wars(tm) stuff, if only for the parts. I like the Wild West stuff, for more than just the parts. I even bought one of Dan's tanks. Yet I agree that I would rather TLC didn't have any (...) (24 years ago, 16-Feb-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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