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."

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

  • maoonparas

    Posted Jun 30, 2006 8:40 am PT

    lol!

  • bugz_2004

    Posted Jun 14, 2006 1:03 am PT

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

  • Ps2Pimp1

    Posted Jun 6, 2006 5:17 pm PT

    so now the prostitutes want to boycott GTA too?

  • herrird

    Posted Jun 3, 2006 8:18 am PT

    They can only be joking

  • pos3

    Posted May 29, 2006 7:37 am PT

    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 ?

  • VincentXtreme

    Posted Apr 17, 2006 11:54 pm PT

    Hahaha, that's just too damn funny.

  • mantismathew

    Posted Apr 13, 2006 3:36 pm PT

    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...............

  • gkiller

    Posted Apr 11, 2006 7:10 am PT

    XD pathetic...

  • smurfa1

    Posted Apr 2, 2006 12:31 am PT

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

  • samurai_ron

    Posted Mar 31, 2006 6:32 am PT

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

  • TigerBitten

    Posted Mar 30, 2006 9:08 pm PT

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

  • Jamanjigeoff

    Posted Mar 30, 2006 6:51 pm PT

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

  • dpocha

    Posted Mar 15, 2006 3:08 pm PT

    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.

  • Gredeshiotek

    Posted Mar 10, 2006 1:22 pm PT

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

  • remmbermytitans

    Posted Mar 10, 2006 9:33 am PT

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

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Mar 9, 2006 4:05 pm PT

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

  • vwolf2

    Posted Feb 21, 2006 8:13 pm PT

    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.

  • warlockdemon19

    Posted Feb 21, 2006 1:23 pm PT

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

  • eliethebest_1

    Posted Feb 21, 2006 11:05 am PT

    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)!!!

  • Blackhawk923

    Posted Feb 21, 2006 9:42 am PT

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

  • Night_Frost

    Posted Feb 20, 2006 10:19 pm PT

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

  • VilgeDuin

    Posted Feb 20, 2006 6:55 pm PT

    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.

  • thefathobbit

    Posted Feb 20, 2006 2:00 pm PT

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

  • enyheavyhitter

    Posted Feb 20, 2006 12:26 pm PT

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

  • gojira_x

    Posted Feb 20, 2006 5:55 am PT

    Nobody ever thinks of the prostitutes!

  • cuz_cuz333

    Posted Feb 19, 2006 4:12 pm PT

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

  • Fingerella69er

    Posted Feb 19, 2006 11:41 am PT

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

  • blast213

    Posted Feb 19, 2006 5:49 am PT

    ..........wow

  • jrhawk42

    Posted Feb 19, 2006 12:22 am PT

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

  • LouieV13

    Posted Feb 18, 2006 6:15 pm PT

    stupid and in some ways REPULSIVE

  • xid32

    Posted Feb 18, 2006 11:43 am PT

    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?

  • dazman92

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 7:55 pm PT

    wow. First Jack Thompson, now this...

    who next? seriously.

  • game_gene314159

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 5:25 pm PT

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

  • kamillebidan92

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 4:27 pm PT

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

  • KlownMaster

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 4:03 pm PT

    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.

  • ofcourseyes

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 3:54 pm PT

    Who are sex workers? Are they prostitutes?

  • Mr_KMG

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 10:44 am PT

    omg

  • blazinB

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 10:36 am PT

    shut up steve757 stop cursing on the matter u mega twit

  • cknieto

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 9:48 am PT

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

  • scytheofluna

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 9:27 am PT

    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.

  • _AbBaNdOn

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 8:32 am PT

    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.

  • jackhoran

    Posted Feb 17, 2006 3:42 am PT

    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

  • chargr67

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 9:20 pm PT

    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.

  • steve757

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:44 pm PT

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

  • Ichiziro

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:44 pm PT

    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

  • darkjedirpm

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:29 pm PT

    maybe the prostitutes union should file a grievance

  • grey_SUN

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 8:02 pm PT

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

  • AgeOfConsent

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 7:17 pm PT

    Grand Theft Auto taught me how to boink hookers.

  • bluewookie

    Posted Feb 16, 2006 7:04 pm PT

    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.

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