Dangerous Ideas

Why has there been such an outcry over this game? At first I believed that Bully was guilty by association in the eyes of many. Rockstar had become infamous for its Grand Theft Auto titles and the "Hot Coffee" case, and it appeared that many knee-jerk critics suspected Bully would some type of sick and twisted fantasy realm that would resemble the Columbine shootings. This of course was hardly the case. While there are schoolyard brawls and fairly violent fights, no one is killed in the game; there are no school shootings, no drugs and no sex. In fact, players are actually rewarded for attending classes as Jimmy's skill levels and capabilities increase with each lesson. That's a far cry from GTA players receiving points for bloodthirsty murders.

So what makes this game so threatening? I believe there are two reasons. The first one is obvious, whereas the second is less so. First, Bully is a concern because the game hits pretty close to home. The setting is a high school and the protagonist is a student, which will be familiar territory for many gamers. Thus, the fear is that impressionable youth will be more influenced by a game that features impressionable youth getting into trouble. Kids can't get a hold of a gravity gun and start blasting soldiers and zombies, but they sure can give the high school jock a knee to the crotch or fire a sling shot at the windshield of the principal's car.

Slide Show!

The second reason, which will get much less attention, is that Bully shrewdly and accurately criticizes much of the issues that plague our educational institutions: uninterested absentee parents; ruthless authoritarian figures and teachers that are unfit for duty but are nevertheless protected by tenure; rich, preppy kids who extend their privilege to classrooms and hero jocks and pretty cheerleaders who are allowed to operate above the law because of their popularity and status within the school. Bully takes a sledgehammer to the system and incites a revolt, which is a scary prospect for those that live and rule by the establishment. A more appropriate literary comparison for Bully, therefore, might be "Fight Club" and author Chuck Palahniuck's criticism of our shallow consumer culture.

In a generation influence by the Columbine tragedy, where social outcasts took out their frustrations with the establishment by shooting and killing their classmates and teachers, I can understand why Bully would have its share of opponents who are sensitive to such content. But they don't understand that the game is an indicator and not the cause of larger problems. Bully makes an easy target for concerned parents and legislators, but it is my wish to see such people devote their time and energy to a harder and more crucial crusade: improving the educational experience in America and repairing the cracks in our school systems.

So the controversy has continued, even though Bully isn't close to the nightmare scenario envisioned by Thompson and other anti-gaming activists. After all, the ESRB gave the game a "Teen" rating, which is similar to a PG-13 movie rating and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) rated the game for players 15 and older. Even Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), which has emerged as arguably the most reactionary ratings board, gave Bully an "M" for mature content instead of MA+15, which restricts anyone under the age of 15 from buying the game unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

That hasn't stopped some groups and organizations from taking reactionary measures again Rockstar and Bully. For example, it was reported last week that U.K. retail chains Currys and PC World, which are both owned by DSG International, have refused to carry the game.

DSG issued the following statement: "We're fully aware people will be able to buy this game elsewhere, but we feel this game is not appropriate for Currys' family-friendly image."

Quite simply, the hypocrisy - whether consciously exhibited or not - of apparently well-meaning people who espouse family values and morals knows no boundaries. Curry's will gladly sell games such as Saint's Row, The Godfather and Scarface: The World is Yours - games that feature more than their share of violence, bloodshed and crooked protagonists with less than virtuous intentions. PC World is actually taking pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 4. How's that for family friendly?

Other apparently well-intentioned groups such as Peaceaholics, an anti-violence organization based in the U.S., and Bullying Online, a U.K. charity dedicated to educating people about the dangers of bullying, have protested Bully and even called for a ban of the title. Thompson filed a lawsuit - may wonders never cease - to prevent the game from being sold in the state of Florida. Even British politicians got into the act; Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament Keith Vaz is attempting to ban Bully in the U.K.