Far-right extremist Jim Wallace gets special, behind-closed-doors access to the attorneys-general of the various states to scare them with a TERRIFYING VIDEO OF HORROR that, he claims, would be inflicted on the nation’s children if videogames had an R18 rating:
Despite this argument [that an R18 rating would protect children by keeping adult material from them] being run strongly in the lead-up to last December’s meeting of censorship ministers, they baulked at lifting the bar on R18+ computer games when they were shown video of the sort of material such a rating would allow into Australia.
Members of the public supposedly expressing overwhelming support in opinion polls for lifting the ban of extreme interactive computer game violence might also baulk if they too could see what the State and Federal Attorneys General saw.
I wonder why they can’t. After all, we have an R18 rating for video content already. Presumably if Mr Wallace’s video showed the sort of content that would be included in an R18 category for videogames – a video of a computer game is a video, not a computer game – it would be something that could be released and shown to us, right now.
Unless, of course, Wallace was scaring them with material that would be refused classification in film already, and thus would also be refused classification even if we had an R18 rating.
Of course, Wallace hasn’t shown us that video. Nor, apparently, were members of the Classification Board (let alone advocates for the reform) given an opportunity to assess the various pieces of content as to whether any of it would be permitted under a proposed R18 rating.
No, apparently he just got to show them outrageous filth and claim IT WAS ABOUT TO BE RELEASED ON THE NATION’S CHILDREN (under an R18 rating specifically designed to reduce their access to that content, presently sold with minor alterations as MA15+). And no-one stood up and protected the innocent politicians from this dangerous, corrupting material.
Why won’t anyone think of the attorneys-general?
UPDATE (25/1): Jeremy Sear of the so-called “Australian Family Lobby” – a man known to shamelessly and confusingly refer to himself in the third person for no apparent reason – gets stuck in on the subject of R18 at the ABC.
Moved On 
Ah, Australia. Where adults are treated like children and children are wrapped up in cotton wool and protected from the harshness of reality, ensuring they’ll never really grow up.
Every time some religious nut gets up to proclaim their interest in protecting our kids, I can’t get the hysterical voice of Helen Lovejoy (from The Simpsons) out of my head:
“Won’t somebody think of the children!”
Maybe it’s time somebody told these wingnuts that kids are a hell of a lot smarter than they are, and that if the kids want to get their hands on a banned game they’ll get their hands on it. The only thing the refusal of bringing an R18+ category is doing is turning adults, who are perfectly capable of deciding on what entertainment they participate in, into criminals.
“Maybe it’s time somebody told these wingnuts that kids are a hell of a lot smarter than they are, and that if the kids want to get their hands on a banned game they’ll get their hands on it.”
Indeed they will. It never ceases to amaze me how many adults are in denial about their own sexuality in the past growing up. This applies especially to the male of the species who will find any excuse from about the age of eleven, to play with themselves.. For some as we all know,this goes on well into adulthood covered up with a veneer of respectability. Na he wouldn’t pull himself he’s a copper, maybe a judge no less. Not only that, whilst having a good old crank down behind the wood shed, they’re dreaming about the young blond girl with the young firm perky tits working in Mc Donald’s or where ever, whilst they’re doing it. Oh yes we’re all guilty aren’t we? Only in my case it was the local burger bar.
But the real hypocrisy for us so called adults, is when we have our own children. Oh yes, the thought of my Johny reading stick books and watching porno movies and feeling himself up, fills his mother and I with shock horror.
Yes, and having a good looking daughter is even worse. Believe me I know. You just know it’s wrong, you’re thinking about killing the daughters boyfriend for doing to your daughter, what you have been doing with her mother, since getting married.
Anyway conservatives are not happy unless we all conform to their norm, what ever that is? And spying on us through the keyholes of our bedroom doors, is their own little sexual pecadillo. The hypocrisy of these tools make me wanna puke.
Brigadier (ret) Jimmy now has a new set of troops to lead into battle. Unfortunately when a lobby group acquire numbers governments like to curry favour with them.
Religious zealots are well organised and know how to use the system. Look at the influence they have in the US. Unless we find a government with some backbone – fine chance that – I think you’ll find the likes of Jimmy are going to acquire more influence and we’ll see more of this sort of activity.
Oh and as a member of Dying with Dignity I know only too well how those extreme right members of the Church – notably the Catholic Church – can distort and dissemble and use the system to their advantage.
The following story by Stilgherrian was written about Jimmy some time back but still resonates for me.
http://stilgherrian.com/politics/jim-wallaces-pro-censorship-lies-and-distortions/
The Australian Family Lobby has produced a response which might appear in the same location; I’ll link to it if it does.
I’m very suss on whether or not the demonstrated material would be R18 or RC. Attorneys-General aren’t Content Classifiers. Might as well take seriously a Bolt Presentation on climate change…