Barack Obama, as quoted in the Washington Post, Feb. 2008:
I know how hard it will be to alleviate poverty that has built up over centuries, how hard it will be to fix schools, because changing our schools will require not just money, but a change in attitudes.
We’re going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that’s going to take some time.
Today’s Wired Blog:
In their eternal quest to capture the youth vote, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has taken to the streets of Burnout Paradise, filling the game with billboards promoting the presidential hopeful.
“I can confirm that the Obama campaign has paid for in-game advertising in Burnout,” Holly Rockwood, Electronic Arts director of corporate communications told virtual world fixture Wagner James Au.
“Put down that video game! But not until you’ve seen my ad…”
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While not intending to show exceptional bias for one candidate or against another, it could be inferred that his intended meaning was that American parents should stop letting TVs and videogame consoles serve as babysitters for their children, as American parents have grown somewhat notorious for doing. Also, for what its worth, putting an ad in a videogame after that statement is really no more hypocritical than putting an ad on television after that statement.
Just to balance out that argument in defense of Obama, though, I’ll throw this out there: McCain’s now seemingly notorious comment on the relative height of North Koreans to South Koreans was actually a legitimate comment on the relative diets and of the two peoples, and the apparent impoverishment of the North Koreans- it is a well known fact that a meager or nutrient-poor diet can adversely affect the average height of a populace, independent of any genetic factors, as evidenced in the skeletons of medieval European peasants, who were regularly much shorter than both the nobility of the era and their much better fed descendants.
You do realize that this in-game ad is not aimed at children right? This is targeted at the older teens and adult players that are of voting age. Nice try though.
I’m pretty sure those ads are targeted to adults who play video games, right? You know, cause children can’t vote? How is that hypocritical for him to advertise to adults in a videogame?
If you’re over 17, and you’re still playing video games, maybe you shouldn’t be voting.
Does Obama run ads in children’s programming?
You do realize it doesn’t matter, right?
How… Bizare…
“Does Obama run ads in children’s programming?”
I don’t know, do they run political ads during commercial breaks during Heroes? This is Burnout Paradise, not SpongeBob Dinner Dash- surprisingly enough, both that show and this game share roughly the same demographic of 15-35.
Newsflash: videogames haven’t been just for little kids since the 80s.
Don’t worry, I’m not judging you.
I think this was pretty clever, actually. McCain should be kicking himself.
Oh c’mon now PJ. Be honest. If McCain tried this you’d be saying he’s trying to act young, or he’s pandering, or whatever negative connotation you could apply.
I don’t care if you’re partisan, at least be honest.
Pas – your comment is what cracks me up about politics and people’s beliefs that one party is any better or different than the other. Right and wrong by politicians are forgiven by the party followers regardless what the politican does.
I wish people would wake up and see their own hypocrisy
I don’t see the hypocrisy in this (I write this as someone who will not vote for Obama under any circumstances). I think it’s actually a good use of media. I doubt a billboard with the message “Obama says turn off that game!” would go over very well with the producers of the video game. Actually, maybe his billboard should have read “Obama wants some pie!”
It is hipocritical to say “Put down the video game!” but then turn around and use it to market your campaign. Hipocritical on both Obama and the game company.
It would be like MADD putting ads on bottles on cheap Vodka…
If it had been in Grand Theft Auto IV, it would have been hilarious. Heck, make one of the characters an ACORN volunteer!
Meanwhile, we conservatives can make a game where Sarah Palin hunts all kinds of evil supernatural beasts like the Rosie O’Doom or the Madonnadusa.
In Obama’s comments, he’s talking about parents not using TV/video games as substitutes for actual parenting.
The ads are aimed at 18-35 year old male gamers.
There’s a difference here – he’s not telling PARENTS to stop playing video games recreationally and then marketing to them through that venue. He’s telling parents to avoid parenting by handing the kid a video game and ignoring him/her.
I think it’s a foregone conclusion that this was going to happen (i.e. political advertising in video games). I just wish that we would let go of the charade that it actually matter to any significant degree which lizard we elect.
“…let go of the charade that it actually matter to any significant degree which lizard we elect.”
AMEN!!
Not to beat dead horse, but I agree with those that see little connection here. My kids aren’t playing Burnout Paradise; me and my husband are.
It’d be hypocritical to say that we should “turn off the video games” in reference to making our tub-o-lard kids go outside and then place a Barack the Vote message in say, Lego Star Wars or Disney Princess III.
It’s, in my opinion, a very smart marketing move. Video games are growing up, simply because the demographic they were originally aimed at has grown up and popped out it’s own kids. In fact, even in this recession, GameStop stock is suprisingly resilient.
*Any and all grammatical and/or spelling errors are my own and I take future flaming graciously. ^_^
This is JJ –
Explaining exactly what Obama means to us simpletons when he says “_________________________________________________________________________” since 2007.
First of all I want to see a virtual environmental impact statement-carbon footprint etc.
Second, how come everytime I play Call of Duty 4 Obama makes me quit before I’ve won?
Third, Michelle Obama makes me shut my xbox off at 10 o’clock and its getting kind of old, I’m gonna start leaving my socks on the floor.
Does McCain even know what video games are?
Sort of.
“This is JJ -
Explaining exactly what Obama means to us simpletons when he says “_________________________________________________________________________” since 2007.”
If only. Usually I run the sex ed department.
I feel the 2008 American election should be decided by a game of Halo on XBox between Obama and McCain. That would be good. No?
I dunno what to do about Biden and Palin yet.
A thumbwar? A game of volleyball? Help me.
LYTEUP – Red Rover.
The extra people will come from the respective cabinet members that wish to join.
Heck, I’d pay money to see that now that I think of it.
JC – I had to wikipedia what you meant by “Red Rover”, we call it British Bulldogs over here in Australia and I must say, I agree.
I bet Sarah Palin is a really fast runner, she looks speedy and zippy. She would win.
Yep, this must be proof positive that Obama is a “deceiver”, lol.
I’m sorry, did he say “Never play video games again”? Did I miss that somewhere? Because in that case, I could see the argument for hypocrisy… But with this, it looks like a “mountain from a mole-hill” situation. In other words, “Deceiver’s got nothing”…
Your reply’s coherence is matched only by its timeliness.