HEY! HEY! CALIFORNIA PARENTS! LISTEN UP! GRAND THEFT AUTO 4 IS NOT FOR KIDS! DO NOT BUY IT FOR YOUR KIDS! IT’S RATED M! IT MEANS MATURE! HEY! ARE YOU LISTENING?

Now…I’d think most people would be offended by an announcement like that. It insults the intelligence of Californian parents and reduces them to little more than mindless automatons. But apparently, California senator Leland Yee believes that Californian parents need to hear announcements similar to these. Check out this quote from a statement released:

It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children and always review the video games their children are playing.

Next up from the office of Leland Yee: Hitting yourself in the head with a tack hammer may cause brain damage, and battery acid is not to be taken internally.

On the plus side, at least this time, Yee, who has a history of trying to regulate video games in California, isn’t trying to get Grand Theft Auto Four thrown out of the state. Despite the sheer insulting nature of his little missive, I think Yee may well have finally stumbled on to something. Maybe–just maybe, mind you–government’s role isn’t to REGULATE VIDEO GAME CONTENT, but rather to give parents a simple, effective, and…well…regulated means so that they CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS about what’s appropriate for the family.

So, Leland Yee, though your command of the obvious is clear, I salute you for it anyway. By announcing that, yes, the sky is indeed blue today, you’ve given parents a little extra reminder that Grand Theft Auto Four may not be the game for them. Or for their children.

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Categories: Video games //