Generation Kill

[Live or Die Magic 383]

OK, how 'bout we get this thread back to the topic of the show "Generation Kill."

 

I watched the second episode last night and really enjoyed it. I watched it with my father-in-law, who is a retired Brigadier General. He lamented that this was yet another show that depicted the officers as idiots. Since the two officers being depicted as the biggest idiots - Captain America and Captain Encino Man - are both middle-ranking officers, I commented that this is pretty much parallel with how Hollywood depicts middle-management as well!

 

I thought the battle scenes were incredible. I wonder how realistic it is that four Marine humvees went through that town under heavy fire and didn't take a single casualty. It just seems that with all those bullets flying, someone would have at least taken a graze across the arm or something.

 

Looking forward to this show...it should only increase in quality.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

quote:

Originally posted by fan for too long:

But getting back to the question. Why are you people so intrigued by war and killing, that you choose to watch shows or play games that glorify these things?

 

I don't choose to watch tv shows and play games that glorify something because of what they glorify. If I did, I'd be forced to buy any game that was based off of something I like. I like tarter control toothpaste; I'm not going to buy Tarter Control Toothpaste: The Game! And I wouldn't ever buy that game.

 

Video games and television exist as a means of entertainment, and why would I be entertained by/with something I see daily anyway. I work in an office every day. That's an experience I have. One thing I've never done, however, is be the last man left standing between an army of super-powered aliens and the Earth being destroyed. As an artificially created new experience, that one is one that would be both new and exhilarating. Thus, the game is fun to play. It's the same reason why games like Guitar Hero and Rockband are fun. I doubt Eddie Van Halen really enjoys Guitar Hero all that much. He is a freaking guitar hero, why would he need a game to pretend to be one. But I don't have that luxury, so I enjoy the game. And so on.

[fan for too long 16]

OK, so you enjoy killing aliens in this futuristic, very visually entertaining game. I get it. There are other games, that are as entertaining that do not include killing. For examples, Racing cars, motorcycles, ATVs, sports games of all kinds, Mario Bros. games of all kinds, the list goes on and on. None of them have you fighting a tartar monster. The point I am trying to make is, why is killing anything so cool as to consume your time when other alternative games or TV shows are there.

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

quote:

Originally posted by Live or Die Magic:

OK, how 'bout we get this thread back to the topic of the show "Generation Kill."

 

I watched the second episode last night and really enjoyed it. I watched it with my father-in-law, who is a retired Brigadier General. He lamented that this was yet another show that depicted the officers as idiots. Since the two officers being depicted as the biggest idiots - Captain America and Captain Encino Man - are both middle-ranking officers, I commented that this is pretty much parallel with how Hollywood depicts middle-management as well!

 

I thought the battle scenes were incredible. I wonder how realistic it is that four Marine humvees went through that town under heavy fire and didn't take a single casualty. It just seems that with all those bullets flying, someone would have at least taken a graze across the arm or something.

 

Looking forward to this show...it should only increase in quality.

 

Its also how most enlisted personel view officers, and how most bottom rung private sector employees view management.

[Captain Hi-Top 791]

quote:

Originally posted by fan for too long:

OK, so you enjoy killing aliens in this futuristic, very visually entertaining game. I get it. There are other games, that are as entertaining that do not include killing. For examples, Racing cars, motorcycles, ATVs, sports games of all kinds, Mario Bros. games of all kinds, the list goes on and on. None of them have you fighting a tartar monster. The point I am trying to make is, why is killing anything so cool as to consume your time when other alternative games or TV shows are there.

 

The likelyhood that someone goes out and attempts to do something in real life that they did in a video game is much more likely from someone playing a racing game than someone playing a typical 'FPS' game.

 

Personally, I would much rather have people pretending to kill aliens in a game, and then going on about their normal lives in real life, versus playing racing games, and reenacting them on I-4.

 

Oh, and how far can you make it in mario games without killing things?

[Jareth Cutestory 678]

Fan for too long, turn on the news. You'll get more violence and disturbing stories watching that then you will playing a game like Halo or Gears of War.

[fan for too long 16]

I never said that a reenactment was the result of watching or playing these shows or games. I just don't get the fascination with killing. Period.

 

And yes the news is very depressing. But when is the last time you saw a coffin coming home from Iraq or Afghanistan? It could be more depressing or it could actually wake up the country to what is really happening.

[Osprey 199]

quote:

Originally posted by fan for too long:

I never said that a reenactment was the result of watching or playing these shows or games. I just don't get the fascination with killing. Period.

 

And yes the news is very depressing. But when is the last time you saw a coffin coming home from Iraq or Afghanistan? It could be more depressing or it could actually wake up the country to what is really happening.

 

When is the last time you saw a body bag being dragged away on the 6 o'clock news? Do you have to relate everything to the war in Iraq? Do you have to see a flag-draped coffin in photo to believe that soldiers are dying? You can't just read the headlines?

 

I'm pretty sure the country knows what is going on.

[Osprey 199]

What don't you get again about the fascination with destruction and death?

 

Every culture in the history of our planet has glorified combat or violence in someway. There may be one or two exceptions. The ones who fought got the land, the women, and the right to survive. They wrote the histories, they passed their values down. It's in our nature as humans to want to control, destroy, build, etc.

 

I guess we all haven't "evolved" the way you have to look down upon this sophomoric craze over violence.