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GameSpot Video Games, PC, Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PSP, DS, GBA, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Prostitutes call for ban on GTA

Sex workers cry foul, say game "accrues points to players for the depiction of rape and murder of prostitutes."
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Feb 14, 2006 3:48 pm PT

The Grand Theft Auto franchise is getting attacked from all angles. Joining the ranks of politicians, policemen, and attorneys in their crusade to see the game lifted from shelves are the nation's sex workers. On its Web site, the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA is asking parents to assist them in calling for a ban of Take-Two Interactive's controversial game.

Citing a 2001 document from the National Institute on Media and the Family's David Walsh, SWOP is calling "on all parents and all gamers to boycott Grand Theft Auto."

The organization quotes various points from Walsh's paper, including, "Children are more likely to imitate a character with whom they identify with. In violent video games the player is often required to take the point of view of the shooter or perpetrator."

Though the organization admits to being "adamantly opposed to any and all forms of censorship," as concerned parents themselves, they "wish to inform other parents of the potential danger extremely violent video games pose to children." Likewise, in the interest of promoting the rights of sex workers, the organization is opposed to the depiction of the rape and murder of prostitutes.

In the games, players can solicit "services" from prostitutes by driving their cars slowly near them. No sexual acts are in clear visible view, but during the "transaction," the player regains health and loses money. Though the player cannot actively rape prostitutes in the game, a possible rape is alluded to once during the storyline of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The prostitutes, like every other character, are also subject to homicide at the hands of the protagonist.

According to its Web site, SWOP USA is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of sex-industry workers and to the promotion of a safe working environment for the industry.

608 Comments

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...13
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maoonparas

lol!

Posted Jun 30, 2006 8:40 am PT
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bugz_2004

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

Posted Jun 14, 2006 1:03 am PT
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Ps2Pimp1

so now the prostitutes want to boycott GTA too?

Posted Jun 6, 2006 5:17 pm PT
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herrird

They can only be joking

Posted Jun 3, 2006 8:18 am PT
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pos3

So wemon (and men,eww) who sell their bodies for money are protesting against a violent video game.......wow, wait....... isn't prostitution illegal ? Shouldn't some body stop them !?! What, are they all in Nevada ? Police, help ?

Posted May 29, 2006 7:37 am PT
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VincentXtreme

Hahaha, that's just too damn funny.

Posted Apr 17, 2006 11:54 pm PT
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mantismathew

I fully agree with dpocha. I've been playing violent video games since I discovered the NES and it has kept me away from doing things in real life. Besides, I know the extremely obvious difference between video games and the real world. Although it's still fun to trip up the guys in excitebike and make them fall off of the ledge jumps...............

Posted Apr 13, 2006 3:36 pm PT
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gkiller

XD pathetic...

Posted Apr 11, 2006 7:10 am PT
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smurfa1

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! LOL! The American politicians and police officers are now supported by prostitutes. That will help them.

Posted Apr 2, 2006 12:31 am PT
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samurai_ron

hahahahahaha oh man. HEY EVERYONE STEP UP ONTO THE BAN WAGON!!!

Posted Mar 31, 2006 6:32 am PT
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TigerBitten

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

Posted Mar 30, 2006 9:08 pm PT
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Jamanjigeoff

This is what weve come to now? Getting sued by prostitutes, wtf!

Posted Mar 30, 2006 6:51 pm PT
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dpocha

I've been playing violent videogames since I was 10, I've been mostly orientated around adult themed games my whole life, and the only thing I can say about them, is that they keep me out of trouble, they don't make me get into trouble.

Posted Mar 15, 2006 3:08 pm PT
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Gredeshiotek

You would think the prostitues would be afraid to come out in the open and say........."HEY,I SELL SEX!"

Posted Mar 10, 2006 1:22 pm PT
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remmbermytitans

hahaha... prostitutes complaining about a game? hahaha.....

Posted Mar 10, 2006 9:33 am PT
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metdevthegamer

LMFAO, too funny. What's even more funnier is that these prostitues have a website.

Posted Mar 9, 2006 4:05 pm PT
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vwolf2

OMG!! What hypocrites, kids can see porn easier than they can get this game, porn and prostitution aren't good for kids either. And they want to censor GTA, yet they don't want anyone censoring them. How the hell can you decriminalize prostitution and yet speak out against a game that good parents wouldn't let their kids get. Come on people get serious. Other than that after reading the article I LMAO.

Posted Feb 21, 2006 8:13 pm PT
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warlockdemon19

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

Posted Feb 21, 2006 1:23 pm PT
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eliethebest_1

LAWL, now it's prostitutes later it will be to Drug Dealers to boycott GTA because we can ''harm'' them in GTA: San Andreas. Seriously I have all the GTA'S, and i'm not a DANGEROUS PSYCHOPAT !!!! ROFL(again)!!!

Posted Feb 21, 2006 11:05 am PT
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Blackhawk923

[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

Posted Feb 21, 2006 9:42 am PT
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Night_Frost

I knew sooner of later Rockstar's tricks will get them in hot water, how the mighty have fallen

Posted Feb 20, 2006 10:19 pm PT
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VilgeDuin

I just find it amusing that a lobby group for prostitues of all things is decrying that the GTA games are bad influences on children.

Posted Feb 20, 2006 6:55 pm PT
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thefathobbit

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

Posted Feb 20, 2006 2:00 pm PT
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enyheavyhitter

Remember everyone, prostitutes are people too, LMAO. Aww man, this is gold.

Posted Feb 20, 2006 12:26 pm PT
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gojira_x

Nobody ever thinks of the prostitutes!

Posted Feb 20, 2006 5:55 am PT
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cuz_cuz333

thank god the hookers are looking out for the moral of society. jesus can people be any more stupid

Posted Feb 19, 2006 4:12 pm PT
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Fingerella69er

stop hatin on GTA its one of the best game series ever.

Posted Feb 19, 2006 11:41 am PT
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blast213

..........wow

Posted Feb 19, 2006 5:49 am PT
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jrhawk42

Whose next to ban GTA Murder's, and gangstas.

Posted Feb 19, 2006 12:22 am PT
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LouieV13

stupid and in some ways REPULSIVE

Posted Feb 18, 2006 6:15 pm PT
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xid32

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! Ok parents, don't buy games for your kids, buy prostitutes that are infected with god knows what sexually transmitted disease, GOD DAMMIT! Prostitutes say people will abuse them becuz of the game............THEY ALREADY ARE ABUSING THEM! What do you think pimps do? Give prostitues a 3 course meal and lots of rest? HELL NO! They hit,abuse and maybe even kill a prostitute if it gets ugly, so, prostitutes, should your skanky opinions have a say of the ban of GTA?

Posted Feb 18, 2006 11:43 am PT
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dazman92

wow. First Jack Thompson, now this...

who next? seriously.

Posted Feb 17, 2006 7:55 pm PT
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game_gene314159

that's just great now hookers hate video games..... what's next crack heads getting mad for being abused in video games

Posted Feb 17, 2006 5:25 pm PT
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kamillebidan92

Yeah a Hookers really care about our Children and Society
BULL CRAP!

Posted Feb 17, 2006 4:27 pm PT
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KlownMaster

How about we ban prostotution, get a real job! Sleeping with men is real classy, so I can see why classy women like prostitutes want to get games like GTA banned.

Posted Feb 17, 2006 4:03 pm PT
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ofcourseyes

Who are sex workers? Are they prostitutes?

Posted Feb 17, 2006 3:54 pm PT
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Mr_KMG

omg

Posted Feb 17, 2006 10:44 am PT
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blazinB

shut up steve757 stop cursing on the matter u mega twit

Posted Feb 17, 2006 10:36 am PT
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cknieto

This is funny, really, all this comments about ban games for this or for that make me laugh really

Posted Feb 17, 2006 9:48 am PT
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scytheofluna

Violence and sexual assault have seen a significant decrease over the last 30 years in the U.S., while games, movies and music have become more sexually explicit, and more violent. Statistics speak for themselves, there is no correlation between violent entertainment and violent actions. Entertainment does not dictate behaviour. Anyone who does something irresponsible after having seen it in a game or film is still ultimately responsible for thier actions. PERIOD.

Parents can try to deny thier responsibility for the actions of thier children, and they usually try to blame whatever game, movie, or music the kid enjoyed when the kid decides to fire automatic weapons at his classmates.

Rockstar games isn't responsible for raising your kids. Grand Theft Auto comes with an ADULTS ONLY rating now. It shouldn't be sold to minors, and your kid shouldn't be making $50 purchases without your knowledge and involvement. If your 8 year old is playing this game, you need to ask yourself, "Where the hell was I when he bought this?". It isn't the entertainment industry's job to raise your kids. Buy a V chip for your TV and set the parental controls on your internet and game system. I'm not going to be subjected to living in a "G" rated world, because some people can't raise thier kids.

Posted Feb 17, 2006 9:27 am PT
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_AbBaNdOn

I was just at my video store yesterday and I noticed they had 5+ copies of a new special edition GTA: SA. They had the old copies before... Good job stupid people, you have doubled rockstars numbers.

I dont believe video games affect anyone except people who already have problems. A school shooter is gonna snap and kill people no matter what if thats what in there heart.

However..I believe the new game from rockstar "Bully" should never be released. Its like totally making fun of things that have really happened. They should rename the game "Screw you columbine". I hope rockstar gets sued by the parents of kids who have been killed at school by psycho kids for emotional distress and makes them go bankrupt.

Posted Feb 17, 2006 8:32 am PT
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jackhoran

I agree. GTA made me go and kill a prostitute. And fly a jetpack. And steal cars. Ans kill police with **** Its a force we simply cant control.NOOOOOOOOOOO

Posted Feb 17, 2006 3:42 am PT
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chargr67

This just in!

... Pigs Fly, yes thats right just moments ago we receved word that pigs are beinging to fly across the country and it is now raining frogs, oh.. hold on im being told something.. .. .. yes it is aparent that a giant black whole has formed just out side of our planet orbit and is slowly sucking us in. it seems as though it truely is the end of the world. this is ryan reporting for channel 5 news back to you tom.

Posted Feb 16, 2006 9:20 pm PT
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steve757

its just a DAMN game.................lol

Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:44 pm PT
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Ichiziro

im sure its been said already but i think i have to say it

idiots, buffoons, and most importantly HYPOCRITES!
if only these people knew just how ignorant they really sounded
these people need to whopped over the head a few times to possibly knock some sense in to them

i'm really tired of all these people attacking Take Two and their games
all because their games go against the grain and parents are too lazy to check what their kids are playing for fear of not being the typical parent who bends to their childs every whim

if it says MATURE, 12 yr old johnny should not be playing it no matter how many times he says all the other kids are playing it

Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:44 pm PT
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darkjedirpm

maybe the prostitutes union should file a grievance

Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:29 pm PT
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grey_SUN

HAHAHAHAHA Prostitutes working along with politicians, never thought I'd see the day.

Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:02 pm PT
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AgeOfConsent

Grand Theft Auto taught me how to boink hookers.

Posted Feb 16, 2006 7:17 pm PT
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bluewookie

Yes, I am sure this is the first thing on a prostitues mind, right behind when they will get thier next fix. If the even know what a xbox or ps2 is.

Posted Feb 16, 2006 7:04 pm PT
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