Post by Lady Ten on Dec 16, 2012 22:33:17 GMT -6
Please keep this particular thread rated E for Everyone, for a deliberate purpose.
There is a discrepancy, as you may have noticed, between the meaning of mature, as in fully-developed (with associations of wisdom, adulthood, and age-related improvement) and the common usage as a descriptor and warning in video games and other arenas (any instance where the phrase "mature content" is used). First of all, let us note that it is perfectly reasonable that some content should be distinguished from others (on tumblr, these are known as trigger warnings, yes?). That is not what we should complain about.
It also makes sense, in some instances, to use the word mature to refer to a work such as, uhh, drawing a blank here... like maybe The King's Speech, if you will. It's not edgy by any stretch of the imagination, but it's quite adult-minded, and probably would bore me at a younger age, because that's not its audience. It's about adult problems and adult concerns. Not adult like "aduuult", just... grown-ups, and their stuff. That's another one, there -- using "adult" to mean something other than strictly just grown-ups. It causes a problem whenever I want to casually mention that I do like to go to parties sometimes, but note that I usually prefer adult parties... by which I only mean parties with people 30+ years old there, and not anything else. Nothing illegal or prohibited for children. I just like the company of adults and going to their parties.
Adult things aren't always "adult". And "mature" things aren't always mature. Using these euphemisms is misleading, and the "Mature" rating for video games is just stupid, because consider this -- of all the things considered "mature content" (booze, smut, drugs, cussing, blood everywhere) do any of them really require maturity to be enjoyed? Are there not plenty of gamers, readers, watchers, and consumers of all sorts who, despite being whatever age, take pleasure in such content without actually showing any maturity in doing so?
Just based on the part of the consumer base that's most familiar, I always thought the "mature" rating for video games was a little ironic.
The folks who play games like Pokemon have always struck me as far more mentally-developed.
There is a discrepancy, as you may have noticed, between the meaning of mature, as in fully-developed (with associations of wisdom, adulthood, and age-related improvement) and the common usage as a descriptor and warning in video games and other arenas (any instance where the phrase "mature content" is used). First of all, let us note that it is perfectly reasonable that some content should be distinguished from others (on tumblr, these are known as trigger warnings, yes?). That is not what we should complain about.
It also makes sense, in some instances, to use the word mature to refer to a work such as, uhh, drawing a blank here... like maybe The King's Speech, if you will. It's not edgy by any stretch of the imagination, but it's quite adult-minded, and probably would bore me at a younger age, because that's not its audience. It's about adult problems and adult concerns. Not adult like "aduuult", just... grown-ups, and their stuff. That's another one, there -- using "adult" to mean something other than strictly just grown-ups. It causes a problem whenever I want to casually mention that I do like to go to parties sometimes, but note that I usually prefer adult parties... by which I only mean parties with people 30+ years old there, and not anything else. Nothing illegal or prohibited for children. I just like the company of adults and going to their parties.
Adult things aren't always "adult". And "mature" things aren't always mature. Using these euphemisms is misleading, and the "Mature" rating for video games is just stupid, because consider this -- of all the things considered "mature content" (booze, smut, drugs, cussing, blood everywhere) do any of them really require maturity to be enjoyed? Are there not plenty of gamers, readers, watchers, and consumers of all sorts who, despite being whatever age, take pleasure in such content without actually showing any maturity in doing so?
Just based on the part of the consumer base that's most familiar, I always thought the "mature" rating for video games was a little ironic.
The folks who play games like Pokemon have always struck me as far more mentally-developed.
