Be Excellent To Each Other

Dear ITV,

I wish to complain about the Alan Titchmarsh Show's episode featuring a discussion on the impact of video games on children. Unfortunately 'discussion' is the wrong word for what I saw, what the production amounted to was a show trial. Instead of having a mix of industry experts and experts well versed in the social working and child psychology we had instead an editor of a console magazine hounded by two people deeply ignorant of the subject asking the emotionally loaded questions in the style of, "So when did you stop beating your wife?"

Each of their woefully inaccurate accusations were greeted with a thunder of applause from a biased audience who'd clearly turned up to enjoy this increasingly distasteful new British past-time of whipping oneself into false indignation and flinging accusations and sins upon people without the slightest shred of proof or understanding.

Julie Peasgood preferred to dodge each of Tim Ingham's points regarding the strict laws in preventing games falling into the hands of children by questioning his moral character and retorting with increasingly loaded questions. Alan Titchmarsh could have butted in by asking Julie to stick to facts and refrain from mob-baiting attacks, and the show could have then been steered into a direction of asking questions of the games industry that would carry weight - such as the still existent taint of misogyny, the ingrained immaturity and the lack of development for more imaginative, less violent games for adults and late teens. The point of the increasing mass of sterling work done by smaller studios in making more intelligent and emotionally articulate adventure games could have also been raised as an entertaining alternative to the average shooter. And further weight could have been put on parental responsibility and the need to engage with one's children to ensure a healthy lifestyle that fills the need for action-orientated video game escapism, study, socialising and outdoor pursuits. But no, instead of a balanced view of an industry that has increasingly more fun family games on offer (especially from Nintendo, an industry leader who are firmly against excessive violence in games) we had Alan allowing a general heckling and smothering of Tim's points with unsupported and unsubstantiated accusations along the lines of games being 'evil' and 'corrupting'.

It also struck me as deeply ironic and repellent that a man who saw fit to run a newspaper headline such as 'Gotcha' regarding the sinking of the Belgrano, killing several hundred young Argentinian men, could raise the point of emotionally desensitising youth. Kelvin Mackenzie's faux-emotional cries of "Where is this all going?!" were nothing more than playing to an already biased gallery, and he fielded the massive lie that the flavour of the month Bulger killers played computer games. Also ironic, since at the time of the killing it was 'video nasties' that were cited as the fuel for their atrocity - also with little proof.

I myself play computer games. I heartily enjoy such survival-horror fare as Left 4 Dead and 'beat 'em up' titles such as Street Fighter 4. The infamous Modern Warfare 2 airport massacre I do find too extreme, but this is the sort of violent, crass immaturity that the games industry is still dabbling in - it still being an infant medium. Still, I do play violent games. I've played computer games since I was a child. My current life? I'm a librarian who enjoys classical music, cooking, going on long walks, reading the works of G K Chesterton and P G Wodehouse and occasionally, just occasionally, shooting zombies in the head. The horror! The horror!

I'm certainly watching less television, and it's no surprise now that tabloid journalism runs ITV and other stations. It's sad that a once great channel has fallen to this level. But it's not too late to turn things around. For these panel discussions please start getting in experts who actually have researched the subject, please train your celebrity hosts to question all participants rigorously and put an end to vague, emotionally loaded questions and the cheap illogical sentiment of audience applause. This way you can earn the respect of your industry peers and the audience, and train up a workforce who can ask hard-hitting questions of government, industry and greater media figures instead of lazily attacking the most convenient target.

The thing that is ruining Britain is tabloid journalism; it encourages people to stop thinking and instead form opinions on suspicion, ignorance and the warm feeling of easy hatred. It's destroying everything that was once good about society and no number of cosy, avuncular presenters such as the well-meaning Alan Titchmarsh can paper over the rot consuming the world of the new TV 'investigative' documentary or panel show.

This is not a personal attack. I'm sure you're all deeply lovely people who just want to give the public what you think they want. But this sort of show is destroying the audience's attempt to reason and muscling out more informative, more balanced documentary making. You have in your hands the most influential medium on the planet, the damage computer games do is insignificant compared to the national press and television industry. Games don't claim to educate, you do.

With regards, and if you've got this far please treat yourself to a nice sandwich or beer, or something.

Peter Evans

I think that letter is fine, Pete. I'm not sure which bit you'll remove if you do take some away.

Of course Pete, you have to remember that offering any kind of opinion on the show implies you think you are better than everybody involved with it and everybody who watched it, and whoever reads your letter may make whiny comments in reply to you. Forewarned is forearmed.

Of course Pete, you have to remember that offering any kind of opinion on the show implies you think you are better than everybody involved with it and everybody who watched it, and whoever reads your letter may make whiny comments in reply to you. Forewarned is forearmed.

Pete, a good read as ever, and I'm sure you're right even though I have no intention of watching this (or practically any other british telly ever) so good luck.

However, I think all you will get is a bland impersonal reply saying that your concerns were passed on to the editorial team of [whatever show] and they disagreed with every point that you made, and pointed that the purpose of the show is to entertain and provoke debate, [implication that you've missed the whole point] [patronising thanks for for your letter].

From limited but personal experience.

That's a great letter, Pete. However I'm not convinced that it's even possible to prick the conscience of the same broadcasters who put out The Jeremy Kyle Show every day.

As for the woman, someone suggested that she was a voice actress for Red Faction Guerilla. Oops.

How about you go and fuck yourself, you obnoxious little shit?

I had my first dream with An BeeXer in it last night, and it was you. I stopped at your house, for some reason, and it turned out that you lived in a huge country mansion, and your family were posher than the Camerons. I really have no idea why I was there, but I'm glad I stopped over, as your sister is very hot. Your mum was a cross between Martha Stewart and Delia Smith, and I was well fed.

When I left I ended up in an airport and had to escape in a Just Cause 2 stylee, except I did not have a grappling hook. The remainder of the dream was spent with me trying to get over a wall.

Who is this aimed at?

Your good self, oddly enough.

I feel dirty and ashamed.

While I feel strangely flattered. I really should have posted some of my Beexer dreams in the dream thread, I had a few of them a couple of months back but never bothered and can't remember them well enough now

Agreed, great letter.

I was also impressed with Tim Ingham- he presented eruditely and articulately; I think he figured out quickly (by the direction of questions and the audience reaction) that he was there to be put in stocks, not to be part of a balanced discussion.

Pete,

I read through your letter and then skimmed everyones comments, so sorry guys if I have missed something. I would leave that letter well alone. It has the exact right balance of heart felt emotion, both for the TV and the games industry, and balances out your argument with what should have been questioned about games. For these very reasons I think it will fall on deaf ears as I fear you are exactly the sort of person ITV are trying to not pander to.

Still it was an excellent read. Thanks.

Ta, IFeelAsleep. If only they had some sort of conscience, eh?

Couldn't I just car-bomb them, or something? Would that work?