Spoiler Alert

FotF today presents the first of a two-part episode entitled, "What parents need to know about video games," featuring special guests: Bob Waliszewski, director of the FotF ministry Plugged In (magazine and website; this month's issue features headline, "American Idol Worship"); Olivia Bruner, author of book, Playstation Nation; Bryan Hodges, a self-proclaimed former video-game addict.

The talk meanders through the various facets of gaming and stories that each guest presents: Waliszewski is concerned with what he sees as the escalating violence and sexualization of the industry (he's got a point---1972 vs. 2007) ; in the language of addiction, Bruner describes weaning her children off video games (one child is disturbingly quoted as saying, "There's no patch for Nintendo."); Hodges describes a downward spiral into anti-social behavior and tosses in a Columbine reference for good measure.

To be frank, FotF's take on video games is fairly disappointing. The line of evidence this episode serves up in heaping portions is essentially anecdotal with the kind of over-the-top scaremongering most people are already getting tired of hearing from their local news anchors. The problem with depicting gamers as lone wolves becoming more and more lost in their fantasy world of horror and graphic violence is that for every tragic story of deep-rooted pathology there is a counter-example. For a child-psychologist, in this episode Dobson does little to address the underlying environmental and personality problems that occur well before someone mimics video character behavior.

However, while this may be the first time in memory that FotF sides with anything coming out of Amsterdam, I bring up this episode in this entry because of a curious coincidence. I hate to set any kind of precedence so early in the blog's history, so let me issue a disclaimer: the author of this blog does not wish to deal in rumor, gossip, or conspiracy theory (unless I can somehow finish my work tying JFK's personal moon voyage to Area 51). That said, the coinciding of this episode, (the first after last week's FotF Valentine's Day weeklong tribute to marriage) and its warning of video game violence and addiction, to Republican senator and presidential candidate (and longtime friend of the program---he's made several appearances in the past, I'll try to post dates and topics as soon as I can) Sam Brownback of Kansas and his reintroduction of the Truth in Video Game Ratings Act last Wednesday is at least interesting. Interesting enough to keep an eye open. Nothing more though. I've already said too much.