Every winter, Senator Joseph Lieberman holds a press conference to wax moralistic about the shocking, shocking levels of sex and violence in today's videogames. His guiding light: the annual industry report card issued by the National Institute on Media and the Family. It praises a few "positive games" and blasts a slew of M-rated titles - BMX XXX, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Dead to Rights, to name a few. But does the senator - who doesn't actually play videogames - realize that the so-called positive titles he endorses may encourage felonious, even antisocial, behavior? Sure, they appear benign on the surface, but it takes only one spin at the controller to uncover their sinister subtexts. Here are three cases in point.
Animal Crossing
On the surface: Happy-go-lucky sim game rewards players for exhibiting honorable traits like hard work, generosity, and creativity.
Sinister subtext: Provides children with the tools to build a totalitarian state, in which the little dictators rule every aspect of their imaginary worlds.
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
On the surface: Winsome adventure game casts players as Sly Cooper, an adorable raccoon who navigates perilous lands to recover a family heirloom.
Sinister subtext: Teaches children that it's OK to sneak around in the dark and steal what's rightfully theirs - and anything else that's not nailed down.
Mario Party 4
On the surface: Right-minded party game lets players compete in such wholesome pastimes as basketball and hide-and-seek.
Sinister subtext: Encourages children to hang out with pudgy, swarthy guys who like to eat mushrooms. Plus: Points go to cheaters, backstabbers, and schemers.
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