Thursday, September 19, 2013

Gamers




image borrowed from bing


Gamers

“A new era is upon us--kids playing Grand Theft Auto
are just one step away from a whole other virtual
universe”--Vin Diesel

Grand Theft Auto broke all records
hitting the stores today;
violence glorified as hordes
of thugs make crime okay.

Death is praised, not to be abhorred,
deceit becomes just play
as this view of life breeds discord
and mayhem rules our hearts;

chaos worshipped, justice is whored.
Well now, I have to say,
I, for one, will not go to the Marts,
thus adding to the fray. 

Glenn Buttkus

September 2013

Posted over on dVerse Poets FFA

Would you like the author to read this attempt at tetrameter-trimeter form to you?

12 comments:

Mary said...

Well, I had to google Grand Theft Auto to see what this is about. Quite frightening the subject of some of these video games. No wonder society is in the mess, as far as violence, that it is....with these kinds of games being played & gaming turning into reality for some of the more unstable gamers out there!

Anonymous said...

Fun poem Glenn - and your rhythm and rhyme are spot on ... smiles

Claudia said...

yeah i know the game.. there's much violence in many video games and i fear that young people get used to it and that the lines between game and reality blur more and more...ugh...dangerous..

brudberg said...

I just saw a giant add for it under a harvest moon. Definitely some contrast there. Never played it... No interest really. Very nice Ballad - though

Susan Daniels said...

Oh, this is tight, dark, and a valid criticism!

Scarlet said...

My son actually bought this last night, sigh ~ I don't understand the glorification of violence and chaos is the norm ~ Good work on the form ~

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Had read about this is the press Glenn and how true it is that crime and violence have become playthings in our hands - and we become cold to all that is bad, see it as the norm.

Good for you for not adding to the fray.

Anna :o]

PS Your thingy would not work for me - so I couldn't listen to your reading.

seasideauthor said...

I have seen that game and it is full of theft. Just saying, did not think it was much of a game, intellectually. Gray area no rules, etc. Well written! Dangerous game for the very young.

Anonymous said...

I like others see the lack of sense with violent games that enter young minds and can lead to violent ways.
Nicely put together - thank you

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

Well said!

Brian Miller said...

ugh. this game is scary...it is the one that a couple years ago had a simulated rape in it if you put a particular code in it...you have to wonder what we are conditioning our kids for...

Paul S. said...

It began as a sharp (UK) satire on the worst elements of the perceived "American Dream" dream. Do whatever it takes to get as far as you can.
As a computer game aficianado I've never played any of the previous ones. There were too many better games out there.
Strangely it - like what Call of Duty has become - is the game of choice of those who hardly play games and seasoned gamers alike. It's a strange thing to see progressive gaming sites saying a game with the idea that casual violence vs civilians and others is fine since it's "not real" is acceptible because letting off steam online is better than in real life. These same sites want more female protagonists and less sexism, racism, homophobia among gamers. It's rather pathetic.
I'll never blame a video game for some tragedy as I would never blame a gun for a shooting, but a game like GTA is made because there is demand for it. We need to examine what parts of our cociety make it possible for such a game to thrive.